History Of The Missions Of The American Board Of Commissioners For Foreign Missions Volume II Part 16

The annual convention of helpers and representatives of the Nestorian churches occupied three days of October, 1867. Ninety members were in attendance. Mar Yohanan was elected moderator, and Priest Yoosep of Dizza Takka, the former moderator, preached the opening sermon. The aged preacher lamented the prevailing worldliness of the church, and earnestly enforced the duty of prayer as the great remedy. He alluded feelingly to the destruction, by a Koordish chief, of one of their oldest and best churches, which dated back more than a thousand years. A part of the materials had been used to construct a fort, and a part to build a mosque upon the site of the church. The recent increase of wine drinking, among some of the communicants, received a faithful rebuke. Carefully prepared papers were presented on practical subjects, such as education, benevolence, temperance, family wors.h.i.+p, and the means for promoting the spiritual efficacy of their body as a communion, and these were followed by free and animated discussions. The duty of a.s.suming more fully the support of the gospel and of schools among the entire people, was earnestly enjoined; and during the discussion the spirit of self-denying benevolence rose to an unusual pitch. Several pledged a tenth of their income, and the contributions on the plain rose higher than ever before.

There were pleasing episodes during these deliberations,--in the reports of Deacon Yacob, a seminary graduate, of two and a half years' colportage in Russia, and of Deacon Eshoo concerning his successful labors for some years in Tabriz. Deacon Yacob reported the sale of nineteen hundred Bibles and Testaments, and many other books and tracts, in Modern Russian, German, and other languages. He also spoke of revival scenes, resulting in the hopeful conversion of several adherents to the Greek Church. The Emperor of Russia, he said, encouraged the circulation of the Scriptures in the spoken language, allowed free pa.s.sports to colporters, and exacted no duties for the largest sales.

"The subject of wine drinking," writes Mr. Cochran, "the greatest bane of the people in the wine-making districts, was discussed with vigor, and, with one or two exceptions, in the spirit of a determined purpose to urge forward a reform. It was manifest that, on the whole, there had been a decided growth of conviction, that total abstinence is the only safe remedy for the evil. It was gratifying to hear no complaints of the use of stronger drinks, except among those outside of our communion."

Several churches, as well as the seminaries, had enjoyed special seasons of revival. A sunrise prayer-meeting of an hour was held each day of the session, was well attended, and characterized by much fervor and importunity in prayer, and the last evening was spent in devotional exercises. The burden of prayer seemed to be for the outpouring of the Spirit on the churches and the conversion of souls, and many of the congregation were at times deeply moved.

Deacon Yacob was ordained in the month following, that he might be able to administer the ordinances to the converts among the Malakans of Russia. Mr. Shedd wrote of him as "a man whom we delight to have among us, so full is he of the Holy Ghost and of faith." One other person was also ordained as an elder or priest, and four as deacons, in connection with meetings of district conferences composed of preachers and delegates.

In the first week of 1868, the "week of prayer," Mr. Labaree made a tour in five villages, and never pa.s.sed that interesting season more delightfully, finding in each village cheering evidence of the special presence of the Lord. The Christians were induced to pray and labor earnestly for the unconverted around them. In each village two meetings were held each day, and were attended by considerable numbers outside of the church. Indeed that week was observed, generally, among the evangelized Nestorians, and there were indications of a blessing in the two seminaries, and in several villages.

It is an important step towards the support of religious inst.i.tutions, when a people have once acknowledged such support to be their duty; and this admission will be the more effectual when organizations exist that can attend to the performance of the duty.

In the progress of events there had grown up four ecclesiastical bodies, called _Knooshyas_, that is, a.s.semblies, three on the plain, and one in the mountains; which had their confession of faith and rules of discipline. The local a.s.semblies sometimes met together as one body. As in kindred bodies among the Armenians, the missionaries were admitted for counsel, but not to vote. At a meeting of one of these bodies, the duty of self-support was fully acknowledged, and the desire was strongly expressed to show their grat.i.tude to the American churches by a.s.suming the entire support of the gospel among themselves, and sending it to regions beyond, as did their fathers.

The following resolution was adopted, namely: "That it is the duty of every member of the church, as he has received spiritual benefits from his pastor, to aid in the temporal support of the same; and also to aid in meeting the necessary expenses of the church according to his ability."

It was recommended that pastors preach on the subject of these resolutions; and that the pastor and lay-delegates, on their return home, use their influence with the brethren and congregations of their respective villages to bring the people up to their duty in these matters.

The following reflections by the venerable Dr. Perkins, written about this time, will be refres.h.i.+ng to the reader: "The progress of our work," he says, "is steadily onward, and is probably as rapid as would consist with its highest prosperity. This progress is not always in a uniform current. It often resembles a succession of circling eddies, caused generally by obstacles in the stream, but sometimes by the accelerated speed of the current, which, but for these self-regulating checks, might bring upon the work serious disaster. Such eddies are often our best missionary regulators, correcting mistakes or undue haste, and giving to our converts occasion and time to examine the foundations of their faith."

Miss Nancy Jane Dean joined the mission in October, 1868, to labor in the female seminary. Miss Rice and Mrs. Rhea had left Oroomiah in the previous May, with Dr. Perkins, and arrived at New York in August. Miss Rice had been connected with the female seminary twenty-two years, and her good influence was felt in hundreds of Nestorian homes on the broad plain and in the wild glens of the mountains. Mrs. Rhea's return was due to her children, but, like that of Miss Rice, it was a sad loss to the mission circle, and to the women of Persia. The return of Dr. Perkins, the father of the Nestorian mission, seemed like a removal of the foundations. "It is difficult," wrote Mr. Shedd, "to over-estimate his labors, continued now for more than a third of a century, or the value of his experience. It is a gratification to him, and to us all, that he can leave us in the atmosphere of revivals; and that, after he is gone, the many works from his pen will continue to speak to the people whom he loved. But many will sorrow at his leaving Persia, and most of all that they shall see his face no more."

Dr. Perkins had seen much accomplished in the thirty-six years of his connection with the mission. From eighty-five centres, and to congregations averaging nearly two thousand four hundred, the gospel had come to be proclaimed, by more than a hundred native helpers, of whom fifty-eight were fully recognized preachers; and more than nine hundred persons had professed their faith in Christ, of whom seven hundred and twenty were then connected with the evangelical communion. The seminaries had educated hundreds of youth, whose influence was seen in the general social and moral elevation of the people. In the common schools there were more than a thousand pupils; and from the press more than half a million of pages had gone forth in the year preceding his departure; making an aggregate of nearly nineteen millions (18,996,450) from the beginning.

The mission was commenced with the expectation that the revival of gospel light and influence among that people would rekindle their ancient missionary spirit. Extreme oppression and poverty have made the development of this spirit very difficult. But we have already seen among them as fine specimens of it, probably, as there ever were in the olden times. Witness the venerable Bishop Elias, Tamo of Gawar, Guwergis of Tergawer, Isaac of the Patriarchal family, Joseph the translator, Priest Eshoo of the Seminary, Oshana of Tehoma, and, more recently, Yacob, among the Malakans of Russia, and Deacon Eshoo in the commercial capital of Persia. These were really missionary men; and there seems also to have been even a greater development of the genuine missionary zeal among the Nestorian women. There were, and doubtless there are now, men and women, who would have resolutely carried the gospel into Central Asia, had the door been open.

The time had now come, when it could be no longer safe for the reformed Nestorian churches to defer entering upon incipient foreign missions. The healthful reaction of such missions had become as indispensable as it was when the churches at the Sandwich Islands were providentially led to send missionaries to Micronesia and the Marquesas. The churches at the Islands, living under a free const.i.tutional government, were indeed able to support their missionaries, and the oppressed and impoverished Nestorians are not; but it was a great thing to have messengers go forth from among themselves to make the gospel known to less favored peoples.

And here, to ill.u.s.trate the high-toned missionary spirit of the Nestorians of our day, I will quote from the correspondence of Sarah, a daughter of Priest Abraham, of Geog Tapa. She was a convert of the first revival in 1846, and one of the earliest graduates of the female seminary. She seems to have gone, after graduation, to reside with her father, then laboring at Ardishai, one of the most wicked villages of the plain; where she persuaded her father to go and work for Christ. She was afterwards married to Oshana, one of those named above; and the following letter, written two years after to Miss Fiske, then in the United. States, will give a good idea of her spirit. She is giving an account of her visit to Tehoma, with her husband, Oshana, and her two little children:

"Through the favor of our heavenly Father, I have made a journey into these mountains, rejoicing in the opportunity to labor for my people. I am very happy that my father and friends brought me on my way in willingness of soul. From the day that I left my own country, in every place that I have entered, until now, my heart has been excited to praise my Guide and my Deliverer, and I have also been grateful to my teachers, who brought me to labor in a desolate vineyard joyfully; I, who am so weak, and such a great sinner. In all the various circ.u.mstances through which I have pa.s.sed, your counsels have been of great benefit to me.

"I think you will be glad to know, that the gospel door is wide open here. You and your friends will pray, that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into his harvest.

"We left Oroomiah, May 6th, and on May 8th we reached Memikan, and remained there three days. It was our first Sabbath in the mountains, and I met that company of women, for whom our departed Mrs. Rhea used to labor. May 12th we left Memikan, and went up to the tops of the snowy mountains of Gawar. The cold was such that we were obliged to wrap our faces and our hands as we would in January.

As we descended the mountain, we found it about as warm as February.

That night we spent in the deep valley of Ishtazin, in the village of b.o.o.bawa, where Yohanan and Guly dwell. The people here are very wild and hard. Yohanan and Guly were not here, having gone to visit Khananis. Only a few came together for preaching. The people said, 'Yohanan preaches, and we revile.' May 13th, we left b.o.o.bawa, and soon crossed the river. Men had gone before us, and were lying in wait there. They stripped us, but afterwards of themselves became sorry, and returned our things. As we were going along this wonderful, fearful river, and beheld the mountains on either side covered with beautiful forests, we remembered Mr. Rhea, the composer of the hymn, 'Valley of Ishtazin.' And when filled with wonder at the works of the Great Creator, we all, with one voice, praised him in songs of joy fitting for the mountains. Here the brethren reminded me, that our dear Miss Fiske had trodden these fearful precipices. This greatly encouraged me in my journey. This day we went into many villages, and over many ascents and descents. At evening we reached Jeloo, and remained over night in the pleasant village of Zeer, which lies in a valley made beautiful by forests and a river pa.s.sing through it. They showed great hospitality here, and were eager to receive the word of the Lord. May 14th, we left Zeer, and went to Ba.s.s. It was Sat.u.r.day night, and we remained over the Sabbath in the village of Nerik. I shall always have a pleasant remembrance of the Sabbath we pa.s.sed there. From the first moment that we went in till Monday morning, we were never alone, so many were a.s.sembling to hear the words of the Lord. With tearful eyes and burning hearts, they were inquiring for the way of salvation. They would say, 'What shall we do? We have no one to sit among us, to teach us, poor, wretched ones.' Truly a man's heart burns within him as he sees this poor people scattered as sheep without a shepherd.

May 16th, we mounted our mules, and went on our way. Half an hour from Nerik we came to the village of Urwintoos. An honorable, kind-hearted woman came out, and made us her guests. This was Oshana's aunt. As soon as we sat down, the house was filled with men and women. They brought a Testament themselves, and entreated us to read from that holy book. Did not my heart rejoice when I saw how eagerly they were listening to the account of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ! When the men went out, the women came very near to me, entreating for the word of the Lord, as those thirsting for water.

Then I read to them from the Book.

"There are many sad deeds of wickedness among these mountain Nestorians; and when Christians hear how anxious they are to receive the words of life, will they not feel for them? We reached Tehoma May 17th. Now, from the mercy of G.o.d, we are all well and in the village of Mazrayee. I am not able to labor for the women here as I desired, because many of them have gone to the sheep-folds. It is so hot we cannot remain here, and we will go there also, soon. I trust, wherever I am, and as long its I am here, I shall labor for that Master, who wearied Himself for me, and who bought these souls with his blood."

Sarah returned to Oroomiah in the spring of 1860, and left in 1861 for Amadiah. During the winter of 1861-62, no messenger could cross the snow-covered mountains between Oroomiah and Amadiah, and she thus wrote in March, 1862, to Miss Rice.

"I did greatly long for the coming of the messenger. We were very sad in not hearing a single word from home. Now I offer thanksgivings to Him, in whose hands are all things, that He has opened a door of mercy, and has delighted us by the arrival of letters. They came to-day. Many thanks to you and your dear pupils!

The Lord bless them, and prepare their hearts for such a blessed work as ours.

"Give Eneya's salutations and mine to all the school. I think they will wish to hear about the work of the Lord here. Thanks to G.o.d, our health has been good ever since we came, and our hearts have been contented and happy in seeing some of our neighbors believing, and with joy receiving the words of life. Every Sabbath we have a congregation of thirty-five, and more men than women. For many weeks only the men came; but now, by the grace of G.o.d, the women come too, and their number is increasing. I have commenced to teach the life of the Lord Jesus from the beginning. I have strong hopes that G.o.d is awakening one of them. His word is very dear to her. Her son is the priest of the village, and a sincere Christian. Four other young men and five women are, we trust, not far from the door of the kingdom. We entreat you, dear sisters, to pray in a special manner for these thoughtful ones, that they may enter the narrow door of life.

"From the villages about us we have a good report. They receive the gospel from Oshana and Shlemon, who visit them every Sabbath. In my journeys through these mountains, I have seen various a.s.semblies of men and women listening to the gospel; poor ones, exclaiming, 'What shall we do? Our priests have deceived us; we are lost, like sheep on the mountains. There is no one to teach us.' They sit in misery and ignorance. They need our prayers and our help. I verily believe that if we labor faithfully--G.o.d help us to labor thus--we shall soon see our Church revived, built up on the foundation of Christ Jesus, and adorned for Him as a bride for her husband. With tears of joy we shall gaze on these ancient ruins becoming new temples of the Lord. Soon shall these mountains witness scenes that will rejoice angels and saints. Those will be blessed times. Let us pray for them, and labor with Christ for their coming."[1]

[1] _Woman and her Saviour in Persia_, pp. 216-221. Similar ill.u.s.trations could be multiplied from this remarkable volume, some of them scarcely less interesting than the above.

Priest Abraham, the father of this excellent woman, died in 1871. He was one of the first to cooperate with Dr. Perkins, and was faithful unto the end.

There was the more call for some new missionary movement from the fact, that, whatever may be affirmed as to the wisdom of the plan adopted for reforming the Nestorian Church, in the earlier stages of the mission, experience had shown that the Old Church, as such, could not be reformed. It was proper that, from time to time, the favorable facts on this subject should be stated in this history, as they appeared to the men then on the ground,--to Dr. Lobdell;[1] to Dr. Dwight;[2] to Mr. Coan;[3] to Dr. Perkins;[4] indeed to the whole body of the mission. But the experience of six and thirty years had shown, that the dead Church could not be galvanized into spiritual life. There was no way for the truly enlightened but to leave it, and form reunions on the Apostolic basis.

[1] Chapter xxvii.

[2] Chapter xxix.

[3] Chapter xxix.

[4] Chapter xxviii.

The necessity had become obvious, but it was a trying process. It was too much for Mar Yohanan. He must be spoken of kindly, for he had long stood in friendly relations with the mission, though the evidence of his piety was never entirely satisfactory.

Priest John, of Geog Tapa, gave unquestioned evidences of piety in early life. But in 1868, if not earlier, his gold had become dim, and his proceedings and their consequences must have a place in this history.

Becoming extravagant in his habits, and thus involved in debt, he was disaffected because the mission could not accede to exorbitant demands, and relieve him from pecuniary embarra.s.sments. So he went abroad to collect money for this purpose, and made his way to England, where he succeeded in interesting several of the dignitaries of the Established Church. Returning home in the autumn of 1869, he made such a report of his visit, and excited such expectation of the coming of Episcopal clergymen, and large patronage for ecclesiastics and civil protection for all cla.s.ses, that many of the simple-hearted people were carried away. The mission had been hoping to get some of the evangelical churches, ere long, upon a self-supporting basis; but the hopes thus excited of their burdens being a.s.sumed by the Church of England, put back for a time this work of self-support.

The narrative is continued in the language of Mr. Cochran: "Priest John returned from England flushed with the apparent success of his mission. At Geog Tapa, the next Sabbath after our communion, at early dawn he baptized fifteen children with much display. More than two hours were spent in reading the English Liturgy, chanting Psalms, and explaining and vindicating the usages of the English Church. He announced his intention to give the communion to all who desired it. This innovation upon the evangelical usage of more than a dozen years (though he had once previously practiced indiscriminate baptism), was not inappropriately followed by the suspension of the Sabbath-school and preaching service, and the turn-out of the whole village, headed by Malek Yonan and Priest John, to meet the son of the master of their village, who happened to return on that day from a long absence in the army. In the delay of the young Khan's arrival, a young deacon, more zealous than discreet, proposed a service by the roadside, but many voices cried, 'We have become Episcopalians, and don't want any more preaching.'

This public and flagrant violation of the Sabbath, headed by the two leading Christians of the village, painfully ill.u.s.trates the material found there, and sadly contrasts with the better days of the excellent and lamented Malek Agha Beg and Mar Elias.

"We have heard nothing from friends in England, but from other sources infer the probability of at least a visit of Episcopalians to Mar s.h.i.+mon, and possibly to Oroomiah, the coming spring. Priest John states, that Dr. Perkins did him harm in England by his published statement, that he (Priest John) had come, not as an accredited agent to secure Episcopal interference, but rather on a private and personal begging expedition (the truth of which is well known in Oroomiah, and confirmed by a written stipulation lodged with friends here, that his companion should receive one third of the avails of the excursion). To destroy the force of Dr. Perkins'

statement, Priest John has secured the signature of a large number of names, including Patriarchs, Bishops, Maleks, and princ.i.p.al men among the people. The paper was circulated privately, but we learn that only one of our employees, and very few, if any, of our communicants, could be persuaded to sign it.

"If asked, what is the true state of feeling among our communicants, an extensive and familiar acquaintance with them enables me to testify with great confidence, that, with the exception of a very small high-church party, headed mainly by Mar Yohanan, I discover no special tendency to Old Churchism of any kind, and if let alone, they are more than satisfied with the gospel simplicity and spontaneity of wors.h.i.+p."

Under date of January 10th, 1870, Mr. Cochran adds, "Geog Tapa continues to witness novel scenes under the eccentric and reckless Priest John. At the close of the fast of the nativity, the communion was administered to the whole village, and numbers from surrounding villages were also invited in. Many who had not communed for from ten to thirty years, as well as the more superst.i.tious and the lowest rabble, partic.i.p.ated. Four priests, all of whom are of doubtful piety (though two were in our communion), officiated, clothed in white. The whole Old Church service was read in ancient Syriac, and long Psalms were chanted in the same. The baser sort were exultant, but the thoughtful, even of those not with us, were sad. Every artifice was used to draw in our communion, but we were rejoiced to find that all except ten,--consisting of the family of Priest John, and the priests and deacons who officiated,--refused to partake with them.

"I have preached there three times since. Yesterday was our communion. The house was crowded at both services. It was judged that seven hundred were inside, and not less than one hundred and fifty outside. I preached in the morning on the spiritual character of a true church, and newness of life as the condition of admission, and that the ordinances belong exclusively to the church, and not to those outside. All listened attentively, though a disturbance was feared. In the afternoon I 'fenced' our communion fully, but Priest John had the effrontery to partake. I have since learned that had it been withheld, he, with the rabble, would have taken it by force. A perfect separation seems called for, and with it a casting out of unworthy members from the church. But the heart of the body is right, and will, I trust, stand by the truth."

"Enlightened villagers," adds Mr. Shedd, under date of January 20, 1870, "besides members of the evangelical communion, did not partake. It shows the movement for high-church aid in its true colors. Such aid on the part of the English bishops is nothing more nor less than salarying Mar s.h.i.+mon and his ecclesiastics, for reading their old prayers and using their dead forms and rites, as they have done for ages past. We rejoice in so simple an issue, and are sure it can do no injury to vital Christianity."[1]

[1] _Missionary Herald_, 1870, p. 190.

The time having come for separate and independent church organizations, these painful occurrences seem to have been providentially designed to promote that result.

Mr. Cochran thus writes: "The progress of the gospel and providential occurrences, are bringing us into many new relations to the old Nestorian Church, and grave questions, affecting the purity and future growth of our churches, are now forcing themselves upon us. So long as the Old Church did not oppose evangelical labors, so long as she freely opened her doors to our services, consenting to a separate administration of the ordinances for the hopefully pious, and silently tolerating many ecclesiastical and social reforms, and an abandonment of the liturgical service; in short, so long as we could see, under the preached gospel, the hold on the old superst.i.tions steadily lessening, and the ma.s.ses being leavened with evangelical truth, we were more than content to labor on without a separate church organization.

"But experience in other fields, as well as our own, has proved that such labors can only be prosecuted for a time. From year to year we have found the old ecclesiastics more restive under their loss of support, and more jealous of the progress of spiritual life. Mar s.h.i.+mon, as you are informed, has for years openly opposed the gospel, and now so intimidates the interior mountain districts under his immediate control, that it seems preposterous to attempt to prosecute labors there, unless on a separate foundation. And we now find the opposition on the plains, and all over the field, not less positive, and daily becoming more concerted and potent.

"Mar Yohanan has also, for years, secretly, and often openly and most offensively, opposed spiritual and reformatory labors. Priest John, a most untiring and reckless man, is arousing a furor of zeal for Old Churchism,--a fanaticism that will not be likely to subside with the spasmodic efforts he may make. He and others are now administering the communion every few weeks to the whole people, without distinction of character. They also enjoin the fasts and saints' days, resume the use of the liturgy in ancient Syriac, burn incense daily, bow before the altar, and make the sign of the cross; though some, as yet, refuse to come into all these measures.

"With the return of these old superst.i.tions, there is also a painful throwing off of moral restraint, and intemperance and kindred vices have greatly increased.

"In these circ.u.mstances the question has arisen, first in Geog Tapa, and subsequently in other places; Can 'the evangelicals' further unite in the morning and evening service conducted by priests--and there happen to be five or six in that village--who are reviving these superst.i.tions? Almost the whole church are surprisingly united in the decision to withdraw. This has been done for the last two months, and we find upwards of one hundred members there, who are firm, and daily waxing stronger in faith and opposition to the old superst.i.tions."