History Of The Missions Of The American Board Of Commissioners For Foreign Missions Volume I Part 14

Early in 1845, a public accusation was made against Dr. King, that he had uttered impious language respecting the Virgin Mary. In reply, he quoted from Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church, who says: "Let the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost be worshipped; Mary, let no one worship."

Such a defense, as the writer antic.i.p.ated, only increased the excitement. The most abusive epithets were heaped upon him. Among other things, he was accused of falsifying the testimony of the Fathers. He published a "Defense," in a small volume of about two hundred pages; embracing a history of the controversy from the beginning, and proving his teachings to be, as he affirmed, doctrines of the Greek Church. This he did by freely quoting from Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Clemens, and others. The book was sent to the most prominent men, civil and ecclesiastical, in Greece and Turkey, and produced a powerful impression. Several persons of distinction confessed that it was true.

It was not to be expected, however, that such a publication would escape the condemnation of the more bigoted members of the Greek Church. The opposition became furious, with threats of personal violence. In August, the "Holy Synod of the kingdom of Greece"

formally denounced the book and its author. Dr. King was characterized as a hypocrite, imposter, deceiver, as impious and abominable, and a vessel of Satan; and after a confused and lame attempt at an answer, every orthodox Christian was forbidden to read it, and required to deliver it to the flames. The writer was p.r.o.nounced "an outlaw, whom no one might salute or greet in the street," and all were forbidden to enter his dwelling, or to eat or drink with him, on pain of the most severe ecclesiastical penalty.

The Synod also requested the government to inst.i.tute a criminal prosecution. In view of all this, Dr. King consoles himself with the Saviour's words (Luke vi. 22, 23), "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy."

In September, officers of justice entered the house of the missionary, and seized all the copies of his book they could find, ninety-seven in number. About nine hundred had been previously distributed. He was then summoned to appear before one of the judges to be examined. I give his own characteristic statement.

"My examination and answers were as follows:--

_Question_. What is your name?

_Answer_. Jonas King.

_Q_. Your country?

_A_. The United States of America.

_Q_. Of what city?

_A_. Hawley, a country town.

_Q_. What is your age?

_A_. Fifty-three.

_Q_. What is your profession?

_A_. I am an evangelist, that is, a preacher of the Word of G.o.d.

_Q_. What is your religion?

_A_. What G.o.d teaches in His Word; I am a Christian, most orthodox.

_Q_. Did you publish this book, ent.i.tled "Jonas King's Defense, etc.?"

_A_. I did, and distributed it here and elsewhere. I gave it to all the professors in the University, and to others.

"The Judge then read to me my accusation as follows: 'You are accused of having in your book reviled the Mother of G.o.d, the holy images, the liturgy of Chrysostom and Basil, the seven oec.u.menical councils, and the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fearful mystery of the communion. Have you any defense to make?'

"_A_. Those things in my book with regard to Mary, with regard to transubstantiation, and with regard to images, I did not say; but the most brilliant luminaries of the Eastern Church, St. Epiphanius, St. Chrysostom, the great St. Basil, St. Irenaeus, Clemens, and Eusebius Pamphyli, say them.

_Q_. Have you anything to add?

_A_. Nothing.

_Q_. Do you know how to write?

_A_. Enough to write my name.

"I was then directed to subscribe my name to the examination, which I did, and went away."

In October, intelligence came of the "excommunication" of the book and its author by the "Great Church" at Constantinople. They a.s.signed the publicity which the "Defense" had obtained in Turkey as the reason for this act; and this was doubtless the reason why the synodical accusation was sent extensively to be read in the Greek churches of the East.

The case went to trial, and was decided against Dr. King in three successive courts, the last of which was the Areopagus, or highest court of appeal. This was in April, 1846. In this latter court, he was well defended by two Greek lawyers, and permission was granted him, at his request, to address the court. But after about twenty minutes and repeated interruptions by the President, he was silenced altogether; not having the freedom which the Pagan Areopagus of ancient times gave to the first missionary to Greece. The effect of these decisions was to declare the offenses charged against Dr. King to be criminal in law, and to refer the case, for trial as to the truth of the charges and the infliction of punishment, to the criminal court. If condemned, he must suffer imprisonment. The trial was to take place at Syra in July. An inflammatory pamphlet was secretly printed by a priest, named Callistratus, for distribution at the place of trial among judges, jurors, and the populace. It was industriously circulated among the lowest cla.s.s, with the avowed sanction of the high priest of the Cyclades. Dr. King soon ascertained that a conspiracy was formed there against his life, similar to the one which endangered the life of the great Apostle on his last visit to Jerusalem. Three Greek lawyers were engaged for his defense at Syra, of whom one was Mr. Stephen Galatti, who had been educated by the Board in America, and two of these accompanied him in the steamer. At least a thousand people awaited his landing.

Such was the excitement, that even the lawyers dreaded to go among them, and the governor of the island confessed his inability to give effectual protection. The king's attorney decided, that he could not be legally compelled to submit to a trial on that day. His lawyers therefore advised him to return in the steamer to Athens, which he did. Learning, soon after his arrival, through his wife, of a combination there to take his life, he acquainted Sir Edmund Lyons, the British Amba.s.sador, with the fact, and that gentleman kindly offered him British protection in case of need.

It would be charitable to suppose, that the government had not entered into this prosecution willingly, but were urged on by the hierarchy. Certain it is, that the whole subject was allowed to rest for nearly a year. But on the 4th of June, 1847, the missionary received a citation from the officers of government to appear in person for trial before the criminal court at Syra. As a similar court was at that moment holding a session in Athens, he could regard the motive of the citation as not very different from that which led the Jews to demand the transfer of St. Paul's trial from Caesarea to Jerusalem. It was subsequently affirmed, that this proceeding had been without the knowledge of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice; and the King's attorney soon after recalled the citation. The British Amba.s.sador again proffered his kind offices, and there were friends among the Greeks themselves. But the great body of the people were hostile, and Dr. King concludes one of his letters thus: "I feel that my Lord and Master has called me to this combat, and though it seems to be waxing hotter and hotter, so long as my Captain and Leader lives, I have nothing to fear." He was somewhat cheered by the a.s.surance of a Greek of standing, that his book, though the cause of much suffering to the author, had given a turn to public opinion.

After this Dr. King ventured out into the city with considerable freedom, and conversed with such as he met on the subject of religion. Many, even some of the priests, saluted him in the streets, though contrary to the commands of the Holy Synod. A member of the Synod, who had subscribed the excommunication, on meeting him returned his salutation.

There was only a lull in the storm. In July of the same year, a series of articles appeared in a leading newspaper of Athens called the "Age," designed to excite the prejudices of the Greeks against our missionary, and to urge them to put a stop to the scandal of his preaching. The last and most extraordinary of these was avowedly from Simonides, and was fitted to produce an excitement in the Greek community. Its statements were improbable in the highest degree, and there could not have been a more affecting proof of the superst.i.tion and bigotry of the people of Athens, than the general credence given to this gross fabrication.

The article was called "The Orgies," and was under the headings of "Mystery of Marriage," and "Mystery of Baptism;" and a translation of it may be found in the "Missionary Herald" for 1847.1

1 See _Missionary Herald_ for 1847, pp. 366-368.

It was subsequently ascertained, that Simonides was materially aided by two priests; who were elevated, not long after, one to an archdeaconry, the other to an archbishopric, under the "Great Church" at Constantinople. What immediately followed, will be described by Dr. King himself.

"While reading the article in my family, the Governor of Attica, Mr.

Soutzos, came in and desired to speak with me alone. He informed me that he had come to say to me from the Minister of the Interior, that, on the one hand, they wished to give me protection, and that, a week before, there was no reason for suspecting any difficulty, unless it were from my own conscience; but that they desired me to put a stop to the scandal of my preaching. He had also to say to me from the Minister of Religion, that I must do so, or the government would take some measures against me.

"To this I replied, that I considered it an insult, on the part of the Minister of the Interior, to say that I had no reason for fear except from my own conscience, as I had reason to fear from the threats I had heard from various quarters; that my conscience was perfectly clear, inasmuch as I had done nothing but my duty; that as to my preaching, I considered myself free to preach the Gospel in my own house. 'Yes,' said he, 'but not to admit others of the Greek religion.' I replied, that I considered myself as having the same right, which is enjoyed by the Roman Catholics, by the English, by the King's chaplain, and by the Queen's, to hold my service with open doors; that the government did not demand of any person of any other rite to close his doors against such as might wish to come, and that, should I do this, I might be justly suspected of doing something improper; that I had a right to preach in my own house, and that the const.i.tution protected me in this right; that I intended to preach, and with open doors, and whosoever wished might come; that what had appeared in the "Age" with regard to my religious service, called the "Orgies," and with regard to proselytes, was all false; and that it was folly for the government to found an accusation, or take any measures against me, on the ground of such abominable falsehoods. But if they chose to prevent Greeks from coming to my service, they had the power so to do.

"The governor said that this was the last advice the Minister of Religion had to give me, and it would be followed by severe measures.

"During the greater part of this conversation, my wife was present, and added remarks vindicating my right to do as I pleased in my own house, and declaring the accusations, which had appeared in the 'Age' of the preceding day, to be false."

One of the two Greek lawyers already mentioned, on being consulted with regard to an article in the Penal Code, to which the Governor had referred, said that it had no reference whatever to the case of Dr. King, but only to secret societies. In the evening, the missionary observed three soldiers guarding his house, and was told that they were placed there for that purpose.

Hearing that the Swedish Minister desired an interview, Dr. King called, and was informed that the King had expressed a wish that he should "economize" the present difficulty by taking a journey, as in protecting him there might be bloodshed; that the people were much exasperated, and the Parliament being about to a.s.semble, many sought to throw everything into confusion; that they might feel obliged to order him away, which they did not wish to do, as then, in order to return, he must have a permit, which it might be difficult to obtain; whereas, if he went away voluntarily, he could return whenever he pleased.

It seemed wise to comply with these suggestions, and Dr. King resolved to take the Austrian steamer, then soon to leave the Piraeus for Trieste. Sir Edmund Lyons secured for him a pa.s.sport, and a.s.sured him that he would take special care of his family during his absence. At the Piraeus he was most hospitably entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Buel, of the American Baptist Mission in that place. He arrived at Geneva on the 25th of August, where he met with Christian sympathy and a hearty welcome.

Simonides subsequently published other articles in the same newspaper, ent.i.tled "The Mysteries of Jonas King," and "Teaching of Jonas King against the honorable and life-giving Cross;" and still another, ent.i.tled "He is sent away;" all designed, and some of them well adapted, to exasperate the mult.i.tude. An extract from the last may find a place in this history.

"The false apostle, Jonas King, is out of the Greek commonwealth.

His nation-corrupting and Satanic congregation of strange doctrine, already bearing date of fifteen years, has now been destroyed. The terrible progress of the great common scandal of religious strange doctrine, has been smitten on the head. In giving this important news we congratulate Greece, being persuaded that every other important question of the day holds, in respect to this, a second place. It concerned religious sentiments, from which flows the Greek existence, the national personality; and the corruption of these religious sentiments, or even the simple disturbance of them, effected especially in the female race, would overturn from the foundation everything which holds together the strong links of Grecian nationality and liberty.

"Of all the foreign holy apostles, of various religions and various heresies, unhappily for Greece, heaped together from every quarter, no one became more to be feared, and more destructive, than the imposter and deceiver, Jonas King. A man of much speech, of powerful sophistry, of infinite subtlety, of hypocrisy incarnate, uniting in himself, also, boldness and great pecuniary means, he was able to proceed to such lengths, profiting for many years from the double indifference of the political and ecclesiastical authorities, as to proclaim publicly, that the act of the holy Synod against him of the 5th of August (19th, N. S.), was unjust and false."

There can be no doubt that a withdrawal from Greece, just at that time, was the only judicious course to be pursued; and perhaps the proceedings of the government, in view of the uncontrollable excitement of the people, were all that could have been reasonably expected. For a week after the departure of Dr. King, a guard of ten or twelve soldiers was kept at his house, to protect it from the mob.

Subsequently, the government went into a protracted examination of the case, for which no satisfactory reason has been a.s.signed. It had the effect to delay the return of Dr. King, and it may have been designed for that end. And perhaps they hoped, by eliciting the truth, to allay public excitement.

Dr. King proceeded to Malta in November, that he might be nearer Athens, and Mrs. King joined him there in February. About that time, by advice of his counsel, he pet.i.tioned the Greek government to bring the examination to a speedy close. While in Malta, he printed his "Farewell Letter"1 in French and Italian, and the edition was distributed in Malta, Sicily, Rome, Tuscany, and other places. An edition of two thousand copies is said to have been printed in Sicily in 1849, of which nine hundred copies were distributed in one night, and seven hundred in another, apparently with good effect.

1 This letter is mentioned repeatedly in the second, third, and seventh chapters. The reader, who is curious to see precisely what it was, will find the translation of a large portion of it in the _Missionary Herald_ for 1828, pp. 141-145.