History Of The Missions Of The American Board Of Commissioners For Foreign Missions Volume II Part 24

For the _second year_, Exegesis, Isaiah, Daniel, and Revelation, Geometry, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy, Rhetoric in Ancient Armenian, Evidences of Christianity (Turkish).

For the _third_ year, Exegesis, Acts, Pauline Epistles, except Romans and Hebrews, Mental Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, and Theology.

For the _fourth_ year, Exegesis, Pastoral Epistles, Romans, Hebrews, and Gospel of John, Sermonizing, Pastoral Theology, Church History, and Logic.

Weekly exercises in composition and declamation through the first three years; and lectures on Physical Geography, Geology, History, and Chronology, and lessons in singing, distributed through the course at convenience.

The female boarding-schools are mainly designed to educate teachers, Bible-readers, and wives for native teachers and pastors. They are in Marsovan, Aintab, Marash, Harpoot, Mardin, Bitlis, Erzroom, and Samokov. The pupils in the theological seminaries and cla.s.ses, and in the female boarding-schools, as reported in the year 1871, were as follows:--

Theological Theological Female Seminaries. Cla.s.ses. Boarding-schools.

WESTERN TURKEY. Marsovan. 26 - 38 Cesarea. - 5 - Broosa. - 13 - Sivas. - 2 - CENTRAL TURKEY. Aintab. - - 20 Marash. 35 - - EASTERN TURKEY. Harpoot. 17 25[1] 34 Mardin. 5 - 5 Bitlis. - 9 20 Erzroom. - 6 8 ----- ----- ----- Total. 83 60 125

[1] More properly called a "Normal school."

Thus the number in training for the gospel ministry, in 1871, was one hundred and forty-three, and the number in the female boarding-schools was one hundred and twenty-five.

The Marsovan Seminary commenced with eight pupils, and the number was increased in two years to twenty-four. Cla.s.ses were organized at the stations, to prepare candidates for admission to the seminary, and to train such helpers as were not to take the full course of study. The plan of instruction in the seminary has recently been enlarged so as to include the training of native agents for the Greek-speaking races of southwestern Asia Minor. Eight young men, who graduated in 1869, received licenses to preach from the "Central Evangelical Union," and were in great demand. Thirteen were thus commissioned in 1870, in which year a convenient seminary building was finished.[1]

[1] See Chap. xxiv. p. 17; Report of the Board for 1870, p. 21; and _Missionary Herald_ for 1869, pp. 87, 122, 257; and for 1871, p.

109.

Mr. Wheeler has given a full and interesting description of the theological and female Seminaries at Harpoot, in his valuable work, ent.i.tled "Ten Years on the Euphrates," and to that the reader is referred.[1] Eighteen pupils graduated in 1863, seven in 1865, and eleven in 1867; of whom thirty-two became pastors, preachers, or helpers.

[1] _Ten Years on the Euphrates_, pp. 162-221.

Theological cla.s.ses were taught at Aintab and Marash, as early as 1860. It was resolved, eight years afterwards, in view of the greater number of students at Marash, that the Theological Seminary, then about being established, should be at that station. The examination of the students of this seminary in 1869, drew together an audience of a thousand persons. Thirty-three students were here in the following year, and it was necessary for the resident missionaries to give themselves almost wholly to their instruction; while the work in the city and at the out-stations was committed to the churches in Marash. That was a year of growth and prosperity to these churches; sixty-six new members being added to them on profession of faith. A new cla.s.s of eighteen members was received in October.

The Seminaries at Mardin are conducted on the same principles as those at Harpoot. They are comparatively new, and are designed to reach the race speaking the Arabic language.

The training-school at Tocat was broken up by the fire, which consumed the mission premises in 1859.

A very valuable high school was taught for some years at Aintab, by Mr. Alexan; who was transferred to Marash, in 1864, as a.s.sistant teacher in the new Theological Seminary.

Thirty-five pupils attended the female Seminary at Marsovan in 1869, and many of them were hopefully converted. In 1870 there were forty pupils.

A majority of the young men in the Seminary at Harpoot were married, and one main design of the female seminary at that station was the education of their wives. These kept house for their husbands, and attended school about seven hours a day, five days of the week.

Their younger children were committed to the care of a woman employed for the purpose, while the older ones went to one of the city schools. Of the ninety-four connected with the seminary previous to 1867, forty-one were hopefully converted while in it.

Their chief text-book was the Bible; and some of them, besides learning to read intelligently, and to write, keep accounts, and know something of geography and astronomy, became intelligent students and expounders of the Bible, and, with hearts warm with love to Christ, proved themselves wise and efficient in winning souls to Him.[1] This inst.i.tution has had several valuable teachers from the United States, prominent among whom was Miss Maria A. West.

[1] _Ten Years on the Euphrates_, p. 189.

The Female Boarding-school at Aintab was commenced under the care of Miss Proctor in 1861, with eight pupils. The number was increased to fourteen in 1864, and to twenty-five in 1867, of whom ten gave evidence of piety. It is one of the best schools in Turkey.

Mrs. Coffing's labors among the women of Marash, in 1867, and in the four schools of which she had the oversight, were of great value. In 1868, she had charge of a girls' high school, which was an inst.i.tution of much promise. The pupils were thirty-eight, six of whom were wives of students in the Theological Seminary. Of the hundred girls who had been in this school from the beginning, twenty-one were hopefully converted while in the school. In 1872, a boarding department was added for the benefit of girls from the out-stations.

THE ROBERT COLLEGE.

This college has no direct connection with the American Board, nor with the mission as such; yet our history would be incomplete without some account of it.

The college may be said to have grown out of the efforts of Dr.

Hamlin to furnish employment to Protestant Armenians, whose evangelical principles had thrown them out of business. For this end a flour mill and bakery were established with unlooked for success; and when the Crimean war broke out, very large quant.i.ties of bread were furnished by this Protestant bakery to the English troops and hospitals at Constantinople.

Christopher R. Robert, Esq., of New York, was then travelling in the East, and his attention was attracted to a large boat load of excellent bread _en route_ from the bakery to the English camp. This led to further inquiries, and to an acquaintance and permanent friendship between himself and Dr. Hamlin.

The project of a college was first suggested by the sons of Dr.

Dwight, one of the most honored founders of the Armenian mission; and a meeting for consultation, called by them, was held at the house of Mr. Robert in New York, in October, 1857. Several such meetings were held, but no agreement was reached as to the principles which should govern the College.

Mr. Robert, finding that nothing was to be done, then proposed to Dr. Hamlin to take up the work in cooperation with himself; which, after consulting his brethren and the officers of the American Board, he decided to do. I now quote from a statement kindly furnished me by Dr. Hamlin.

"While all agreed in the necessity of a higher education, there were various views in regard to the proposed College. Some regarded these three obstacles as insuperable. (1) The variety of races,--Turkish, Armenian, Greek, and Slavic,--which have no common sympathies, and would not unite in one inst.i.tution. (2) Variety of religious faith,--Islamism, Romanism, the Oriental Orthodox, and Armenian Churches,--which could never agree in one inst.i.tution. (3) Variety of language,--Greek, Armenian, Turkish, and Slavonic,--each of which would seek preeminence.

"It was decided, however, to make the experiment. The College was to be a Christian inst.i.tution. The Bible was to be read, and prayer offered, morning and evening, at which all should be present. There would be Christian worship and Bible teaching on the Sabbath, but freedom of conscience would be sacredly regarded.

"The American civil war, breaking out in 1861 prevented any attempt to obtain an endowment in the United States, and Mr. Robert, who had already advanced $10,000 for the purchase of a site, then deposited $30,000 in the hands of trustees, in order to commence the work.

"The Turkish Government, at the instigation of Jesuit and French diplomacy, prevented the College from using the beautiful site it had purchased, although official leave to build there had been obtained from the department of Public Instruction. After much delay, expense, and fruitless effort, the College was opened in the building belonging to the American Board, and formerly known as the Bebek Seminary. It was called 'Robert College;' though without Mr.

Robert's knowledge, because the name, having no special significance to the people there, would excite no local prejudice.

"The College, thus founded in 1863, slowly but steadily gained the confidence of the communities around it. During the fourth year of its existence, the building was filled with students, and was considerably enlarged. On the fourth of July, 1869, the corner-stone of a new and large building was laid on the purchased site, leave having been obtained after seven years' effort. The new building, capable of receiving two hundred and fifty students, was entered, and the college opened publicly, September 15th, 1871. It has so rapidly filled with students, that the Trustees have resolved to raise an endowment, and erect another still larger building, confident that it also will soon be filled.

ROBERT COLLEGE. [image]

"All the supposed obstacles have disappeared. There are seventeen nationalities and six religions represented in the College, and there are no peculiar difficulties of government. Two forces contribute mainly to unify the whole. (1) All are subject to the daily influence of Christian instruction. (2) All study the English language in the preparatory department, and the College course is wholly in that language.

"Another feature of the college should be noticed. It is self-supporting. It was designed to offer a sound Christian education to those who would pay for it. Two hundred dollars in gold are paid by every student for board and tuition forty weeks in the year. This is more for Turkey, than twice that sum would be in the United States.

"Mr. Robert has given nearly $175,000 for this inst.i.tution, or more than fivefold what he originally contemplated.

"Nothing but the very highest education that can be attained, will now satisfy the Turkish community. Jesuit colleges have fallen into disrepute. They cannot meet this demand fairly, and satisfy it. New ideas of religious freedom pervade these communities; the old bonds are broken, and the college that gives the best culture, moral and mental, will be the most patronized by all. Missionary Societies cannot properly prosecute the work in this highest department of education. And yet foreign missions would be a failure if their work should stop in those cla.s.ses where it usually begins. It must pervade and control the intelligence and enterprise of the land, and it cannot culminate in this result without the Christian College, and ultimately the Christian University."

PROPOSED COLLEGE IN THE INTERIOR.

As one result of the establishment of "Robert College" at Constantinople, a desire was awakened among the Protestants of Central Turkey for a similar inst.i.tution, though on a less extended scale, and somewhat differently const.i.tuted; to be established either at Aintab, or Marash. Both places were anxious for the location, and set forth their claims with much ability, but the decision inclined in favor of Aintab. The subscriptions pledged by the people of that city, on condition of securing the college, were regarded by Dr. Schneider as equivalent to $60,000 of American money, or more than twenty dollars for each church-member, Nor were the offerings at Marash less liberal, in proportion to their means.

The idea appears to have had its origin with the people of Marash; who state that their own condition, the number and power of their enemies, and the baneful influences of infidelity among them, made them feel that the standard of education in the Theological Seminary ought to be so raised as to meet the exigency. The failure of this proposal suggested the college; and the plan of one, elaborated by a committee, was brought before the "Union." By that time, however, the Protestants of Aintab had become fully awake to the importance of the measure, and the claims of the two cities were so earnestly pressed, that the Union declined deciding between them, and referred the decision to the Prudential Committee of the American Board.

The very able pleas by the Protestants of the two cities drawn up in the spring of 1872, are before me, in the English language. The Aintab doc.u.ment opens with an interesting statement of their past progress in the matter of education. "We well remember," they say, "what our condition was, twenty-five or thirty years ago. We had then not even a thought about the necessity or advantages of education. A population of ten thousand Armenians was content with a single common school, where only reading and writing were taught.

When, however, through the agency of the American Board, the Bible was translated into our modern language, it soon changed our opinions as to the importance of education, we can hardly explain how. Soon, the evangelical Armenians, not to speak of members of the Old Church, were not content with even three or four schools, nor were they satisfied with educating their sons, but began to plan for the education of their daughters. We discovered that mere reading and writing were not enough, and saw plainly the necessity of a higher grade of studies. Whereas once, we were hardly willing to send our children to schools where all the expense was borne by the missionaries, we were now anxious to open schools of a still higher character, and support them ourselves. We now realized, under the light of G.o.d's Word, that if men are to be good Christians, good fathers and mothers, and useful members of society, they must be educated. In this respect, our desires have been greatly strengthened by watching in our churches the constantly increasing demand for a stronger cla.s.s of preachers and teachers. All the churches within the bounds of the Union are convinced of the necessity of a more thoroughly educated ministry. Hence the desire for a college in this section of the country."

The decision was in favor of Aintab in view of its greater financial ability, its centrality, its comparative healthfulness, the abundance of good building materials, the lower price of skilled labor, the prospective railway communication between the coast and the interior, the proper distribution of educational advantages (the Theological Seminary being already at Marash), and the interest felt by all cla.s.ses at Aintab, including the Old Armenians and the Moslems.