The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-04-19

the old language of our churches. Our people
have no Bibles in their houses Our Bibles
are not printed, but written with the hand, and
one whole year 20 write one Bible. In your
happy country, one Bible printed in one or two
! hours. Our Prayer Books written with
pens like our Bibles, and they are few. Our
people have no Prayer Books, only the minis
! tiers of our churches.
! Mr.. Perkins come and live in our country
seven years. He made Bibles for us in our
| spoken language, and soon our people will
have Bibles in their houses. God be praised
for the kindness of American Christians.
| w hen Mr.. Perkins come home TO America, l
wish to come with him and see such good
Christians as live in this country. | am well
pleased with this happ2 land. God has bless
ell you with plenty of Bibles and good church
es. Our churches are small and built with
mud. Some old churches are built with stone,
| and about thirteen hundred years old, some
one hundred years before Mohammed. Our
Church Is from the Apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and ! am happy to find 1t like your
church. We have bishops, priests and dea-
cons. Our Prayer Books are like your Prayer
Books. We have the communion of bread and
wine as you do. We have baptism in the
name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
We keep the Sabbath on the first day of the
week. We keep the Christmas on the same
day as you. We keep the forty days of Lent
We keep the day when Christ was crucifed;
the day when he rose from the dead; the day
OF his ascention in heaven, and the day when
the Holy Ghost came down from heaven We
believe in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three
persons and one God, as your church. We
teach repentance and forgiveness of sins, by
Jesus Christ who takes away the sins of the
world.
am glad to meet you, my dear friends and
brethren, at this holy communion. Let us all
remember the dying love of our Savior, Jesus
Christ. In him we are all one. o, let Christ
ia1s love each other as Christ loved us and
died for u.s. Let Christians do good for each
other when they can.
have many things to say, if could sneak
more plain your language, but | cannot yet
speak plain. | am happy to meet a brother
Christian Bishop at this holy communion of the
body and blood of Christ. May he long live
among his happy churches, and may we at last
meet together in heaven. May God bless him.
May God bless you all, my dear friends and
brethren, for Christ's sake. Amen
The communion was then administered by
the Rt. Rev. Bishop Griswold, when several
of our clergy, and large number of comuni-
cants united in receiving the sacrament in COM
pany with this interesting representative of the
HISTORIAN Church.
The question had been asked, whether in
addition to the many points of similarity be-
tween the HISTORIAN and Protestant Episcopal
Church, there is any ordinance existing among
the HISTORIAN, corresponding TO our confirma-
ton. We learn from Bishop Yohana, that all
their children, without any exc option, are bap-
tiZed in infancy, and that upon their reaching
years of discretion. those whose religious char
acter is such to qualify them to receive the
communion, are brought to the bishop, to be
blessed with 'the laying on of hands,
The question had also been asked, whether
the belief of the HISTORIAN Church, as to the
i L Oh i
especially the Trinity, were the same previous
to the residence of the missionaries among
them, they are now. 'YeS,' says Bishop
Yohana sour religion always in American mis-
sionarieS find US weak and poor, and they help
Us. They make plenty Bibles for our people
! They speak good to But they no bring our
religion from America. No, never, never.
Our religion old religion
The missionaries found the HISTORIAN Chris
tians with churches and Bibles, and n liturgy
in their churches, but their Bibles and Prayer
Books being in the old Syriac language, not
spoken or understood by the people, but only
used and explained by the bishops and priests,
they first reduced the spoken language to writ
ing, using the Syriac character for this purpose
and then commenced printing the Bible for
general and extended use. The next work
which the missionaries intend to do, is to print
the liturgy of this church, so that the people
may have II III their modern tongue; and in
the meantime, they are establishing schools for
the instruction of their children in the various
useful branches of knowle lge. Like the good
Samaritan, they are administering 10 the dis
tressing necessities of this interesting people.
Their object seems to build up and strengthen
the HISTORIAN Church, and not to disturb sim
gle stone in this fabric. Therefore, notwith-
standing the HISTORIANS adhere with great
strictness to their peculiarities of worship and
church government, still, most gladly did they
welcome the missionaries from the American
Board to their aid, when they found the object
they had in view was such as that described.
For seven years have they proved the honest
sincerity of their American Christian friends,
and the untiring faithfulness of their labors
Words cannot express the feelings of gratitude
which Bishop Yohana entertans towards the
missionaries with whom he has been in daily
intercourse during their residence in his coun-
try Wv
him, that there are so many to be found in this
land who deny the doctrine of the Trinity. Il
am amazed he says, that the Bible in their
hands, any should doubt tie divinity of Christ.
The HISTORIAN people are employed in agricul-
ture, and as shepherds, and the clergy, includ-
ing the bishops themselves, ali cultivate the
soil, working (like PauD with their own hands,
and are therefore but little or no expense to
their churches.
Bishop Yohtna is evidently a man Of quick
perception, of lively mind, and is renarka-
BILE for great simplicity of manner. His heart
seems to be warmly enlisted in the cause of his
divine master; his knowledge of the Scriptures
is accurate, and he is always ready with a
'word in season. adapted to benefit those with
whom he comes in contact.
| We have been highly grati6ed with his con-
versation, and trust that his visit to this coun-
try may be the means of awakening wider
and deeper interest in the spiritual welfare
of the oppressed and decayed churches of the
East.