History Of The Missions Of The American Board Of Commissioners For Foreign Missions Volume I Part 22

1 See chapter xxi.

The next visit was by Mr. Johnston, who remained three months at Aleppo, till the way was open to Aintab. Meanwhile three were chosen from among the brethren to go and study the Scriptures with him at Aleppo. Their names were Avedis, Sarkis, and Krikor, all under thirty years of age. Mr. Johnston went to Aintab in September, and was subjected to a quarantine of twelve days on his arrival. Bedros accompanied him, and they called on the Governor. The Catholicos of Sis, the spiritual head of the Church, arrived soon after to oppose the missionary. Mr. Johnston was fully occupied, however, with the numerous inquirers, and there was no way for the opposers but to induce the Pasha to drive him from the place. In this they succeeded, but not until the time that he himself had set for his departure. He and his companions were followed, as they left the town on the 14th of December, by attendants of the Catholicos reviling and throwing stones. No reason was a.s.signed by the Governor for permitting this outrage, and he was shortly afterwards removed from office. Remonstrances from the American Minister at the Porte, were supposed to be among the causes of his removal.

Meanwhile Dr. Azariah Smith was traversing regions in eastern Turkey, which have since become endeared to the friends of missions, and reached Aintab just after Mr. Johnston left. A tumult was raised at once, with the hope of driving him away also, but without success. Having a firman, he refused to go without first seeing the Governor, and his medical profession and practice were in his favor.

He remained until March, and before leaving gathered the hopeful converts into a church, which has since proved to be one of the most prosperous in Turkey. On his departure, a number of the brethren accompanied him a considerable distance, and parted after uniting in prayer for each other, and for the cause of their Redeemer and Saviour. Bedros, however, whom he left behind to look after the infant church, was soon expelled. Mr. Schneider labored there in the summer and until some time in the autumn.

Still the position of the Protestants was everywhere one of trial.

They were separated from the Armenian community, but not united with any other. The government, though determined to protect them from persecution, did not know exactly what to do. The munic.i.p.al regulations of Constantinople forbad marriage, baptism, or burial without the cognizance of the civil power. To obtain a permit for marriage, it was necessary to present to the head of the police a certificate from the Patriarch; and the Patriarch must report the name of every baptized child to the same officer for enrolment.

Before every burial, permission must be obtained from the Board of Health, and this also must be through the Patriarch. Then every traveller must have a pa.s.sport, which could not be obtained without a voucher from the Patriarch. It had become quite obvious, that the Patriarch could no longer act as their civil representative at the Porte.1

1 _Christianity Revived_, p. 241.

In order to promote the internal peace of the empire, the Sultan found it necessary to reduce the power of the Armenian Patriarch, by appointing a council of laymen, for secular matters, and another of ecclesiastics and laymen, for matters spiritual; the Patriarch not being allowed to act without their sanction.

The number of Protestant Armenians, including men, women and children, now separated from their former churches, was about one thousand. Nearly three thousand more were known to entertain Protestant sentiments, though still retaining a loose connection with their former churches. Those who were more or less awakened to a knowledge of their errors, and secretly desired the progress of the reformation, must have amounted to several thousands more; but of these no accurate estimate could be made.

The six churches formed previous to May, 1848, were as yet small, the whole number of members being only one hundred and sixty-six.

Ninety-nine were at Constantinople, twenty-six at Nicomedia, twelve at Adabazar, sixteen at Trebizond, five at Erzroom, and eight at Aintab. But neither the number of church members, nor the size of the congregations, nor the number of those who came to the missionaries for religious conversation, told the whole story. There was a deep movement going on in the Armenian community itself, which might be expected to produce great changes in the whole body. In some of the churches there were contentions, occasioned chiefly by their inexperience in self-government, and their ignorance of the proper modes of acting under their new circ.u.mstances. In Trebizond, it became necessary to separate two of the church members by a formal vote of excision. But this event, though exceedingly trying to the infant community, as well as to the missionaries at the station, was overruled for good. By the divine blessing on such experiences, the self-governing power usually gains strength.

Baron Simon was ordained pastor of the bereaved church in Constantinople, in place of his brother. Baron Haritn Manasian was ordained pastor of the churches in Nicomedia and Adabazar, and was to spend one fourth of his time in the latter place. Both were from the seminary at Bebek.

During the year ending May, 1848, the seminary containing forty-seven scholars, and the school for girls containing twenty-three, were both favored with what may be called a revival, which added several from each of them to the church; and there was a similar awakening in both inst.i.tutions in the following year. The work of the Holy Spirit was distinctly traceable also at Aintab, Aleppo, Killis, Arabkir, and other places in the interior. The houses of worship in Pera, and in the city proper, were crowded on the Sabbath, and nearly every week new persons were present.

END OF VOLUME FIRST.