Haifa, Dec. 25.—There are probably not many of your readers who have
ever heard of “The Temple Society,” and yet it is a religious body
numbering over 5000 members, of whom more than 300 are in America, 1000
in Palestine, and the remainder scattered over Europe, principally in
Germany, Russia, and Switzerland.
The founder of the sect, if sect it can be called, is a certain Prof.
Christophe Hoffman of Würtemberg, who, after studying at the University
of Tübingen about thirty-five years ago, became a minister of the
Lutheran Church and the principal of the College of Crischona, not far
from Basle, in Switzerland. Here he became known as entertaining certain
theological opinions which soon acquired some notoriety, as they
consisted mainly of a criticism on the action of the Church with
reference to the rationalistic opinions then becoming prevalent in
Germany, and which found their culminating expression in the writings of
the late Dr. Strauss. Mr. Hoffman, who was an ardent opponent of the
modern and sceptical tendency of German thought, attributed its growing
influence to the feeble opposition offered to it by the Church, and
maintained that its impotency to arrest the evil arose from the
inconsistent practice of its members with the moral teaching which they
professed. Under the influence of this conviction he abandoned his
charge at Crischona, and with his brothers-in-law founded a college at
“Salon,” not far from Stuttgart, and commenced an agitation in favour of
church reform, both in written publications and by his personal
influence. He was shortly after elected to the Diet at Frankfort, where
he presented a petition signed by 12,000 persons in favour of reform of
the Lutheran Church.
His Biblical studies at this time, especially of the book of
Revelations, led him to the conclusion that the period of the second
advent of the Messiah was approaching, but that Christ could only be
received by a Church which had attempted to embody his moral teaching in
daily life; in fact, that he could only recognize those as his own at
his second coming who had succeeded in practically applying the ethical
code which he had taught when he came first; and he reproached the
Church with failing to inaugurate a social reconstruction which should
render possible a Christ life in the true acceptation of the term. A
doctrine based on Scripture, and directed against the ecclesiastical
system to which he belonged, naturally brought him into direct collision
with it; and as an interpretation of the New Testament which strikes at
the root of all compromise between profession and practice must ever be
an inconvenient doctrine to churches which are based upon such
compromise, Mr. Hoffman was summarily expelled, carrying with him,
however, a large body of followers.
He now, with a few friends, established a sort of colony in Würtemberg,
where an effort was made to put into daily practice these high
aspirations, and the number of adherents throughout Europe and in
America grew as his views began to be more widely promulgated and
understood. In 1867 the more prominent members of the society held a
meeting, at which it was decided that as the second advent of the
Messiah was expected to occur in Palestine, the Holy Land was the
fitting place for the establishment of the central point of the Church
which was preparing itself to receive him; that there should be laid the
corner-stone of the new spiritual temple which gave the name of the
society; and that it was the first duty of those who were waiting for
his coming to restore the land to which so many Biblical promises
especially attached. While they considered that the new kingdom which
was to own Christ as its king was to embrace all those who were prepared
to receive him, in all lands and from among all races, yet the spiritual
throne would be erected in Palestine, and its material restoration must
be a necessary preliminary to its final and ultimate redemption. It was
therefore decided that while the great majority of the members of the
society should remain in Europe to witness for the truth, and to
contribute to the support of the attempt to be made in the Holy Land, a
certain number should proceed thither to establish themselves in trade
and agriculture, and endeavour by the example of honest industry to
elevate the native population and redeem the land from its present waste
and desolate condition.
In 1868 Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Hartegg, and some others went to Constantinople
with a view of obtaining a firman from the Porte, but, failing in this,
they proceeded in the following year to Palestine, where, attracted by
the great advantages of soil, climate, and position offered by the lands
at the foot of Mount Carmel, in the neighbourhood of Haifa, they fixed
upon that locality as the initial point of the enterprise. Hither
shortly flocked agriculturists and handicraftsmen representing all the
important industries, and they proceeded to lay out their village and
build their houses on the slope between the foot of the mount and the
sea, about a mile to the westward of the native town; but they soon
found that it was impossible to do this without meeting with the most
strenuous opposition on the part of the native government, and incurring
the covert hostility of the monks who have for seven hundred years
enjoyed a spiritual monopoly of Mount Carmel. As the colonists were
almost without exception men of very moderate means, and believed in the
responsibilities of individual ownership, and not in any communistic
system, they soon found themselves engaged in a severe and unequal
struggle.
Ignorant of the language, the country, the methods of agriculture, the
manners and customs of the inhabitants, who regarded them askance, and
unused to the climate, their faith and powers of endurance were taxed to
the utmost. Not only did they persevere with the most unflinching
resolution at Haifa, but extended their operations to Jaffa, where at
that time a colony of American Adventists, whom some of your readers may
remember, and who had emigrated there about twenty years ago, was in
process of dissolution. Purchasing the remains of their settlement, a
new group of the Temple Society established themselves there. Since then
two more colonies have been formed, one at Sarona, about an hour distant
from Jaffa, and one in the immediate neighbourhood of Jerusalem, where
the leader, Mr. Hoffman, at present resides.
The united population of these four colonies amounts to about one
thousand souls, besides which a few families are also established at
Beyrout and Nazareth. But the largest settlement is at Haifa, where the
society numbers over three hundred. These now, after fourteen years of
vicissitudes, appear to be entering upon a period of comparative
prosperity. They have not long since completed a twelve years' struggle
with the government for the legalization of the titles to their land,
which the authorities endeavoured to prevent by throwing every possible
obstacle in the way; and while the question was pending they were
compelled to pay their taxes through the nominal native owners, who
assessed the lands at four times their actual value, putting the balance
into their own pockets. All these difficulties have, however, at last
been surmounted. They now hold their seven hundred acres of fine arable
and vine land free of all encumbrance, and their well-cultivated fields,
trim gardens, and substantial white stone mansions form a most agreeable
and unexpected picture of civilization upon this semi-barbarous coast.
Meanwhile, the influence of three hundred industrious, simple, honest
farmers and artificers has already made its mark upon the surrounding
Arab population, who have adopted their improved methods of agriculture,
and whose own industries have received a stimulus which bids fair to
make Haifa one of the most prosperous towns on the coast. Already, since
the advent of the Germans, the native population has largely increased.
New stone houses have sprung up in all directions, and many are in
course of construction. The value of land has increased threefold, and
the statistics of the port show a large increase in the exports and
imports. Perhaps the most remarkable innovation is the introduction of
wheeled vehicles. Fifteen years ago a cart had never been seen by the
inhabitants of Haifa. Omnibuses, owned and driven by natives, now run
four or five times a day between Haifa and Acre, the capital of the
province, distant about ten miles. It is true that the road is the
smooth sea beach, and that its excellence varies according to the state
of the tide, but in this country carts come before roads, and
fortunately its topographical features have been favourable to the
employment of wheeled vehicles. On one side of Carmel, extending
southward, is the plain of Sharon, and over this one may drive to Jaffa
without the necessity of road-making, so level and free from natural
obstacle is it. On the other we may cross with equal ease the plain of
Esdraelon to the Sea of Tiberias—the experiment having been made
recently—and a road has been constructed to Nazareth, distant about
twenty-two miles. This involved an expenditure on the part of the
colonists of about one thousand dollars. It is used largely by the
Arabs, who have contributed nothing towards it; but the effect on their
minds, as they drive over it in their own carts, and remember that they
owe both cart and road to the colonists, whom at first they mistrusted
and disliked, is a sound moral investment, and bears its fruit in many
ways.
Fifteen years ago no one could venture outside the town gates to the
westward after nightfall, for fear of being waylaid and robbed by the
lawless inhabitants of Tireh—a village noted for its bad character,
about seven miles distant—who used to come marauding up to the outskirts
of Haifa. Now one can ride and walk with safety in all directions and at
all hours. The Germans have most of them learned to talk Arabic, and
many an Arab that one meets salutes you with a _guten morgen_ or _guten
abend_, though that is probably the limit of their linguistic
accomplishments; but they respect and like the colonists, and a good
deal of land is now cultivated on shares by Germans and Arabs, who seem
to arrange their business and agricultural operations to their mutual
satisfaction and in perfect harmony. When we remember that the Carmelite
monks have held the mountain for seven hundred years, and compare their
influence over the native population with that which these honest
Germans have acquired by simple example during less than fifteen, we
have a striking illustration of the superiority of practice to
preaching, for it should be remarked that any attempt at proselytism is
entirely foreign to their principles. Their whole effort has been to
commend their Christianity by scrupulous honesty in their dealings, by
the harmony and simplicity of their conduct, and by the active industry
of their lives.