BISHOP GOBAT'S BIBLE SCHOOLS. Y a notice on the cover of our February number, headed JERUSALEM; BISHOP GOBAT'S BIBLE SCHOOLS; and THE CHARITABLE RELIEF FUND FOR DESTITUTE PATIENTS LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, we invited the attention of our readers to a SALE OF FANCY AND OTHER ARTICLES, in aid of the above institutions, to take place, as it was then purposed, early in the present month. It has since, however, been determined to defer the intended sale till the last week in March, or the first week in April, 1851; and it is hoped, that the further time thus afforded, may enable those who may be willing to promote this benevolent design, to give it more efficient assistance than might otherwise have been within their power. The general character and present condition of the Schools and Hospital, in aid of the funds of which, the approaching SALE has been projected, may, perhaps, be best learned from the recently published "Annual Letter," dated Jerusalem, October 26, 1850, and addressed by "Samuel, by Divine permission, Bishop of the United Church of England and Ireland at Jerusalem, to all the Brethren, who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and especially to those who mourn over the desolation of Zion, and whose hearts' desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved." From this very interesting Letter, we can give but brief extracts; and first, as to THE SCHOOLS, Bishop Gobat thus writes: "The Diocesan School continues to give me good hope for the rising generation, although it has been a source of much anxiety during the past year. About a dozen dear children, who have been longest in it, are making good progress in useful knowledge; especially in the knowledge of the Word of God, which, I hope, will be in due time made quick and powerful, by the influence of the Spirit of God, to the regeneration of their souls. The number of souls has slightly increased since last year, and amounts to about thirty; although, for the last few months, the average has not been greater (than formerly) on account of the frequent and serious indisposition of the teachers and children. About one half of the number are descendants of Abraham; some baptized, some unbaptized; the rest are members of the several Christian churches, except two or three Moslems. Four boys from Nablous, and an Abyssinian youth of about fifteen, are boarders, and lodge at the school; whilst altogether, about twenty receive their dinner every day, being excessively poor, and some orphans. I was obliged to adopt this plan, in order to secure a regular attendance. ... "The Nablous School has continued to be blessed, and a blessing both to the children and to their parents. It has been going on quietly, and with about the same number of children as last year, till latterly: when there has been some misunderstanding between the people, which has caused me much trouble; but the effect of this has been to convince me, not only of the good progress of young and old in the knowledge of the Scriptures, but also of the importance which they have begun to attach to a life consistent with the Word of God. All is now in order again. And here I have the satisfaction to state, that the other day, some Greek monks, having called the English "heretics," the Greek bishop of the diocese in which Nablous lies, reproved them, and said, in the presence of some bishops, and many monks, that when I opened the school at Nablous two years ago, he also had his suspicions and prejudices; that he had since watched all my direct and indirect proceedings; and that now he was convinced, that my sole object was to do good, and that much good had been done at Nablous, &c. For this, he was called a half Protestant;' to which he answered, 'You say this as an insult; I take it as an honour.' The school which Bishop Gobat had opened at Tiberias, is now, as he states, "forcibly closed by the United Greek Bishop of Acca, and the Latin prior of Nazareth;" on the ground that since "their flocks are all poor, their children need not receive any instruction." Respecting THE HOSPITAL, the Bishop makes the following very judicious and interesting observations: "The Hebrew Hospital has been full almost throughout the year; and has proved a very great blessing to many poor Jews during this year of much more than ordinary sickness; and I have heard, more than once, that this way of showing Christian love and benevolence to the Jews, impresses upon their minds a more favourable opinion of Christianity. Only very lenient means are made use of in it, to bear upon their religious feeling; as a general kind behaviour towards them, with now and then a hint that it is the effect of true Christianity; the New Testament placed in every ward, but left to the free option of the Jews, whether they will read it or not; and, now and then, a friendly conversation on religious subjects; that is, when they seem disposed for such conversation. May God grant, that the treatment of their bodily diseases may be the means of showing and curing their spiritual disease.” The following passages extracted from a private letter lately addressed to a friend in England,* by the original founder of "THE CHARITABLE Relief Fund for DestituTE PATIENTS LEAVING THE HOSPITAL," to the value of which the Bishop bears the above testimony, may perhaps serve as an interesting comment upon the extracts which we have given from Bishop Gobat's "Annual Letter;" and may throw some additional light on the present state of the diocese of Jerusalem. "The Bishop," observes this writer,† whose letter is dated Jerusalem, August 23, 1850, "is receiving most interesting communications from all parts of his immense diocese. The people seem to have become quite conscious, that the light of truth has been withheld from them. The Sultan has issued a Firman, in which he orders all his Pachas to protect his Christian subjects who wish to embrace Protestantism, against the oppression of the Patriarchs and Bishops. . . . Bishop Gobat says, that he wants but money to overspread the land with schools. Kerek, and Salt, two important places on the Dead sea, have simultaneously petitioned to be received into the communion of the Church of England, and demand teachers. You know what wild places they have hitherto been.... The Bishop fears, that if nothing is done in Europe for these openings, they may degenerate into religious radicalism. He appeals to the happy results of his school at Nablous, where all has been conducted in order. ... "The Bishop is anxious to establish a school at Jerusalem of a higher character than the one we now have here; and to receive priests if willing to enter. Plans are in agitation. The progress of the school at Nablous has excited such an interest among the Christians in every quarter, that deputations are coming in to him, every week, from various towns and villages, entreating him to open schools. He says he could employ three missionary chaplains, if he had them. We now see what our mission has silently been effecting; and surely we may praise God, and take courage.'" ⚫ Mrs. Louisa Daniell, author of "A Memorial of Christian Affection;" "The Two Sufferers," &c.; and also of "Sketches of Character," and of various other papers which have appeared in this Magazine. † Dr. Macgowan; formerly of Exeter; and now Physician to the Hospital of Jerusalem. The above statements leave no room to doubt the importance and value both of the Christian Schools, and of the Christian Hospital at Jerusalem; both of which, under the energetic and judicious direction of Bishop Gobat, would now seem to be in efficient operation. The BIBLE SCHOOLS may be left to plead, without other advocacy, their The devoted Bishop is at present supporting them to the extent of, and even beyond, his means. English Christians may therefore well be expected to aid in such a labour of love. With respect, however, to THE CHARITABLE RELIEF FUND, connected with the Hospital, a few additional words may, perhaps, be deemed needful. own cause. The object of this Fund, established as we have intimated by Dr. Macgowan, is simply to secure the means of affording some slight relief to each destitute patient, as he or she may be discharged from the Hospital; relief merely sufficient to support life, until, with returning health, the patient may be enabled to make some permanent arrangement for the future. The importance of such temporary aid can doubtless only be duly estimated by those who are intimately familiar with the peculiar hardships which often beset destitute patients on their dismission from the Hospital at Jerusalem; but all may conceive, that to hospital patients, deprived by protracted confinement of their ordinary resources, and dismissed, it may be, with health only partially restored, some temporary assistance must be a valuable boon. We trust, then, that we need do little more than recal to the recollection of our readers, the information conveyed to them on the cover of our February number; viz., that any assistance to BISHOP GOBAT'S BIBLE SCHOOLS, or to THE CHARITABLE RELIEF FUND above described, whether such assistance be sent in the shape of money, fancy-work, articles of children's dress, or in any other form, will, if addressed to the care of Mrs. Louisa Daniell, Bilton Road, Rugby, be immediately and thankfully acknowledged. We may add, that we have been given to understand, that articles of children's dress are thought to be peculiarly likely to meet with a ready sale, and thus to further the benevolent design in question; and it can scarcely be necessary to say, that since the arts of knitting and crochet-work, and even of elaborate embroidery, are favourite employments among a large class of Englishwomen, those arts can scarcely be applied to better purpose than to the assistance of Christian Institutions in the highest degree useful and benevolent. |