Date. 64 Place of Meeting. Weigh House Chapel.... Chorley - St. George's- Preston Cannon-street Preacher or Chairman, and Speakers. Lecture, Rev. J. P. Palmer. Rev. B. H. Cooper prayed. Revs. T. Weaver and James Smith (Bap- Rev. J. B. Matheson, B.A. prayed. Lec- Rev. H. F. Burder, D.D. and Mr. Yonge. Public Meeting. Rev. W. L. Browne, Rev. T. Binney, Mr. Yonge, and Mr. Lecture by the Rev. J. P. Palmer. Rev. James Spence, A.M., in the chair. Wesleyan Public Meeting. Rev. Thomas Moss in Whitehall Lecture by the Rev. J. P. Palmer. T. T. Bow Road Chapel Islington Chapel Bury Castle Croft Inde Macclesfield-Park-street Burslem Wesleyan Hanley Tabernacle In- Mile-end Chapel Public Meeting. Rev. F. Skinner, M.A., Rev. B. S. Hollis, Mr. Yonge, Mr. Neu- Public Meeting. Rev. William Rowe in the chair. The Revs. Wm. Marshall, W. Roaf,-Nelson, and J. P. Palmer, speakers. Lecture by the Rev. J. P. Palmer. Revs. Lecture by the Rev. J. P. Palmer. D. Sermon by the Rev. J. P. Palmer. Rev. W. Tyler and Mr. Guinsberg. The Jewish Herald. MARCH, 1852. THE MINISTRY OF THE SYNAGOGUE. UNDER the presidency of the justly distinguished philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore, one of the most interesting meetings ever convened in this country, by our fellow-citizens of the house of Israel, was recently held in Sussex Hall, Leadenhall Street, in pursuance of an invitation issued by the Chief Rabbi of the Jews of Great Britain and Her Majesty's dependencies, the Rev. Dr. Adler, to the members of the English Synagogues; to take into consideration the defective state of education among them, in relation, primarily, to the training of a native Jewish ministry, and the consequent necessity for the foundation of a Jewish College, where not only their future ministers might be educated, but also where the sons of the middle classes would receive "a thoroughly good religious and secular education." From the statements of Dr. Adler, it appears that in the fifty situations in this country, there are, except in London, scarcely eight Englishmen who officiate as ministers or teachers! And the Chief Rabbi not unnaturally puts the question, "Is it right, I ask you, that a community so predominant by numbers, opulence, and social position, should allow its native talent to perish for lack of culture, and take its educators, guides, and instructors from abroad? Is it right that those who supply the world with the products of their genius and enterprise, should confess to the world beyond the sea, that there is no knowledge of the Divine Law or learning among merchants? Is it right, that while every other belief, every other creed has its own nursery for its ministry, our brethren alone should form the sad exception ?" The learned Doctor, in an address distinguished by logical force, lucid statement, and earnest appeal, proceeded to show, NO. LXXV. VOL. VII. that probably one half of the Jewish population was without religious instruction-that those whose feelings and inclinations fitted them for, and impelled them towards, the work of the ministry, had within their reach no means of securing the preparation needful to qualify them for the office which they sought-and, finally, that Jewish parents generally, could not possibly give their children a liberal education, without placing them beneath the action of the most injurious influences. Several eminent members of the Jewish community present expressed their sympathy with Dr. Adler; it being their conviction, that the proposed college would effectually meet a long and deeply felt want; and declared their willingness to raise a fund for the purpose of building and endowing it. A council was then formed to carry out the details of the plan; donations were given to the amount of nearly £1,300, and we expect speedily to see a Jewish College added to the educational institutions of the metropolis. If any should ask what do we think will be the effect of the proposed college on the Jewish people in relation to Christianity? we unhesitatingly reply, that it will aid materially to advance the cause of the truth as it is in Jesus. At first sight, by withdrawing Jewish youth from Gentile schools, it would seem to separate them from those associations calculated to weaken or destroy their prejudices against our faith. But let it be borne in mind, that these young persons receive their religious instructions from the teachers chosen by their parents; that those teachers are regarded as oracles in all that relates to divine truth; that free inquiry into the dogmas propounded by them are forbidden; that the unquestioning reception of what they impart is deemed a necessary and primary element of the religious life. Now, when we also remember that these teachers are, as Dr. Adler says, chiefly "foreigners," and foreigners steeped to the lips in Rabbinical lore, and slavishly bound in the fetters of Rabbinical traditions, it is obvious, that a system that proposes to displace such teachers, by raising up in their stead, a staff of educated men-Englishmen, though Jews-men who will have received the benefit of the literary development and practical tendencies of our country and of the age, whose ideas of Christianity are certain to be widely different from those of a Russian or Polish Rabbi, and who are equally as certain eventually to discard the absurd and childish fables so long foisted on the Jewish mind as expositions of the truth of God;-it is obvious, we repeat, that an institution calculated to raise up such a class of men must be highly beneficial to the interests of Scriptural Christianity. The spirit of inquiry will be evoked. We shall be met by learned and candid minds-minds unfettered and unwarped by ignorance and prejudice. Christianity has nothing to fear from the advance of learning. She courts neither the twilight nor the darkness. Light is her native element; and in the full blaze of noontide, she loves to display the proofs of her divine origin and authority. And, inasmuch as we deem the proposed college likely to prepare the rising generation among the Jews in England for the calm and manful investigation of their own faith and ours, we bid Dr. Adler "God speed," and shall be glad to see his wise and benevolent intentions fully realized. CANAAN. It CANAAN was the name of the country where Canaan and his posterity dwelt. It is about two hundred, or rather one hundred and sixty miles in length from Dan on the north, to Beersheba on the south; and from east to west about eighty; comprehending in all about 9,231,000 acres of ground; of which each of the 601,730 Hebrew warriors who conquered it might have about twelve acres allotted him for his share. lies in the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th degrees of north latitude, and in the 36th and 37th of east longitude from London. It has the Mediterranean sea on the west; Lebanon and Syria on the north; Arabia the Desert, and the land of the Ammonites, Moabites, and Midianites, on the east; the land of Edom, and the wilderness of Paran, on the south; and Egypt on the south-west. No more than this was wont to be called Canaan; and this only was promised to the Hebrews in possession; but if we take in the whole extent of territory promised to them in dominion, from the river Euphrates on the north-east, to the river Nile on the south-west, it comprehended all the cities which David reduced, Syria, Ammon, Moab, Edom, etc., and in this sense, it may be readily granted to the learned Dr. Shaw, that its south borders were the gulfs of the Red Sea, and that it comprehended the land of Goshen in Egypt. Whatever the land of Canaan, properly so called, be now, when it lies under a curse, and is almost wholly uncultivated, it was anciently a most beautiful and fertile country; the Jordan runs southward through it, and forming the lakes of Merom and Tiberias, and a multitude of valleys and hills, pleasantly diversifies the form thereof. The rich pastures produced prodigious quantities of milk and honey. The arable grounds, which according to Hecateus (but I suppose his amount too low), amounted to about 3,000,000 of acres, produced the richest crops. The mines of the mountains produced plenty of iron and brass. When God, by seasonable warmth and rains, concurred with the laborious improvers of this soil, it is abundantly credible, how it supported the numerous millions that dwelt therein. (Deut. xi. 11; vi. 10; and viii. 7, 8, 9.) We shall at present take a view of it, as divided into the twelve portions of the Hebrew tribes. On the east of Jordan dwelt the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites. The Reubenites had their lot on the south part, to the north-east of the Dead Sea, and north of the river Amon. It was partly very mountainous, including Peor, Nebo, and Pisgah hills, which at present have a very disagreeble aspect. Their principal towns were fourteen in number, but the Moabites seized on part of these cities. On the north of Reuben lay the inheritance of the Gadites; their chief towns were twenty in number. Here the ground was more plain, and the soil very fertile. Northward of Gad, was seated the half tribe of Manasseh, whose territory was called Upper Galilee, or Galilee of the Gentiles, and was almost as large as both the two former portions, containing the countries of Bashan, Golan, Hauran, Machonitis, Geshur, and Argob, and nineteen towns. On the west of Jordan, nine and a half tribes had their inheritance. On the north border, the tribe of Naphtali had theirs on the east side, and the tribe of Asher theirs on the west. The chief cities of Naphtali were nineteen. In the territory of Asher lay the country of Cabul, and twenty-one cities; but the Phoenicians kept part of it from them. On the south of both these tribes, the lot of Zebulun extended from the Mediterranean sea to Jordan; their cities were twenty-three. Southward of Zebulun lay the inheritance of Issachar; in it were the mounts of North Carmel and Gilboa, and the valley of Jezreel; its chief cities were twenty-one. Southward of Issachar dwelt the other half tribe of Manasseh, which contains seventeen cities. Southward of Manasseh was the inheritance of the Ephraimites; it abounded with a great many pleasant hills, Gerizim, Ebal, Ephraim, etc.; it contained twenty-four chief cities. The territories of these four last-mentioned tribes extended from the Mediterranean sea on the west, to Jordan on the east; but none other did. Southward of the cast part of Ephraim's portion lay the inheritance of Benjamin; their principal cities were thirty, and part of Jerusalem. Westward of Benjamin's lot lay the inheritance of Dan; their chief cities were seven |