532 THE JOUENEY TO PALESTINE 
funds subscribed for the conversion of the Jews for improving 
agriculture and bettering their temporal condition. Thus : 
There is a feeling rising that for conversion of Mono- 
theists, Hindus, &c., a broader theology, free of all doctrine 
and less of the authorised Bible would be very efficacious,— 
the personal Trinity is the great stumbling-block, and many 
of the miracles that will not bear investigation — also the 
anomalous conduct attributed to Jehovah in the Old 
Testament, who is not there an unchangeable God of infinite 
goodness and truth, but an anthropomorphous being, sub- 
ject to Kke passions with ourselves, and carrying out Divine 
purposes by means that are w^holly opposed to Christianity. 
The questions of truth of Prophecy, so easily answered in 
England, here assume a very different aspect. Similarity of 
Jew to Arab and Mussulman in assuming God's authority 
for everything he wanted to have and God's approval for 
everything he wanted to justify, however wicked, as recorded 
in O.T. a great difficulty — another is progress of science — 
another (discord '?) of all Christian sects — another, disputed 
authority of many parts of O.T. as Jewish record— doubtful 
if Moses really was a person. Answers to all these and a 
thousand other practical difficulties, all learnt by heart 
and rule in England, and explained away variously, rarely 
satisfactorily. Jews and Mussulmen will not trouble them- 
selves to discuss these things with protestant clergymen and 
missionaries because these are all bound to certain sects and 
doctrines — but will with secular Christians. 
An enthusiastic lady had started the Garden of Solomon 
anew for their agricultural salvation. It was irrigated from the 
aqueduct that once went to Jerusalem from Solomon's pools, 
and under the foundress' vigorous management paid splendidly 
from vegetables. The stimulus to all this was the supposed 
near return of the Jews to Palestine and imphcit faith in the 
hteral interpretation of prophecy concerning it, of which Hooker 
remarks : 
I must read this subject up, for as the Jews have 
never yet possessed but a portion of the promised land, I 
do not see how a speedy realisation of the prophecy is 
possible. 
