The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-04-19
From the Christian Witness.
THE HISTORIAN BISHOP.

On Sunday morning, Feb. 81, Mar Yohana,
the HISTORIAN Bishop, attended divine service
at Grace Church, in this city, and received the
holy communion at the hands of the ght Rev.
Bishop Griswold, prayers were read by the
Rev. Mr.. Snow, and at the close of the ante
communion service, the Rev. Mr.. Clark, rector
of the church, made an address, stating the
object of Mar Yahana in visiting America, the
situation OF his own country, and especially the
state ofreligiOn among the HISTORIANS. In the
course of his remarks, Mr.. Clark pays the fol-
tribute of respect to the missionary efforts of
Mr. Perkins to re-animate the sumbering spir-
itual life of the decayed HISTORIAN church,
without, in any instance, interfering with its
forms ecclesiastical constitution. Such, in
deed, is the catholic spirit in which this mis-
sion is conceived, that Mr.. Perkins is about to
print the HISTORIAN liturgy in the modern dia
Iect. Our limits will not allow Us to insert the
whole of this speech
When it is remembered tha: few of this peo-
pie possess any portion of the word of God
that even their churches are supplied only with
parts of the sacred Scriptures, and that the
means of education have been exceedingly linn
tied, it is not surprising that many of the
priests are very ignorant, and large portion
of the people unmindfu of the holy will of
God. Sabbath-breaking, intemperance, false
hood and other vices. prevail amongst them;
and this interesting church, this remarkable
relict of Christianity, seemed fast verging into
moral darkness, when the American Christian
missionaries, with the light of the Bible in their
hands, were guided by an unseen, but ever
watcbful and overruling Providence, to their
isolated abode.
In 1888, the Rev. Mr.. Perkins and his wife
were sent by the American Board of Commits
sioners as missionaries to the HISTORIANS in
Persia. Having crossed the Atlantic and pass
ed through the Mediterranean and Black Seas,
after s:oppinga while at Constantinople, on their
way to Trebizond, about 600 niles east of that
city, they left the sea, and took up their peril
Gus Journey of or 800 miles by land. The
details of this journey, as given by the mission
airy, furnish striking picture of the perls Of
ten encountered by those devoted servants OF
Christ who take their lives in their hands, and
go forth to carry the gospel to souls ready to
perish.
During seven years, the Jealous missionaries
of the American Board have been laboring a.
mong this people, and we learn with pleasure
that they have not interfered, in any way, with
the religious practices of The HISTORIAN church,
and these under their immediate charge are
left free to attend the stated worship of their
sanctuaries, and to observe the fasts and festi-
walls of their church.-Ther aim is simply to
impart religions knowledge from the pure word
of God; to revive the slumberng piety of the
CuuiCH, ana lfTpdTI useful seCuidT iedIiIhg'
They do not wish to impair the liturgy of the
church, nor to disturb its ecclesiastical organ
izaton; but they intend to give them their
Prayer Books in a language which they under
stand, and to infuse into the bishops and cler-
gy more of the spirit of Christ.
Bishop Yohana then rose in the chancel, and
spoke as follows:
sMv dear friends and brethren in Christ,
rejoice that God has given you so many bless
ings.-We live among Mohammedans, in Per-
STA, God permits them to Cypress us and beat
us down on account of our sins, as he permit
ed the heather to carry the Jews into captivity
into Babyion.-God heard their prayers, and
delivered them-May God hear the prayers
of the poor HISTORIANS, and give US more and
more light for our souls.
Ten years ago we knew nothing of your
country. Missionaries came and told US that
American Christians would send us missionar-
les TO come and live among us, and make books
for us, and keep schools for our children. We
waited two or three years, when MIR. Perkins
and his wife came to our country.