St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-07
Notes from Turkey.
Among the Bulgarians.-VIII.
THE MISSIONARY WORK.

the need of a Reformation, and at the
same time the difficulties in its way.
| Here is a nation which bears the name
| of Christ, but we have seen how little
its people know of the true nature of
Christianity and residence among
them shows still more painfully that
the living spirit of the gospel is dead
ga name that thou livest, and art dead, :"
would hardly apply to them, however,
as most lay no claim to vital heart re-
ligion, and hence have not even the
living name.
The first missions in-the Turkish En-
pire, now more than forty years ago,
were established with a view of reach
ing the Mohammedans. At that time,
however, there WAS no door of access to
the followers of Mohammed, and had
there been, the missionaries soon saw
that they might expect little success in
inducing the Turks to become followers
of Christ, when they were surrounded
by these despised subject nations, who
were Christians in name, but whom
they saw to be as bad, if not worse than
themselves. In this way it came about
that the forces originally intended to
work for the enlightenment of the
Turks, changed their purpose and un-
dertook a work scarcely less arduous,-
the evangelizatiOn of the Christian ma
tions of Turkey.
The work was begun among the Ar
menians, first at the capital and after
wards in various cities in Asia Minor,
and it was not until 1873, twenty five
years later, that anything was done
for the Bulgarians.
About that time the attention of
Christians in America was specially
called to them, and the field was divided
between the Methodist Episcopal Board
and the A. b. C. F. M.,-the former
taking the portion north of the Balkans
and sending out missionary in 1857,
the latter occupying the south of the
Balkans in the succeeding year. Of the
work done by the Methodist Board
am not able to speak, from lack Of in
formation, though l know it has met
with good degree of success. Its first
missionary was DR.. A. L. Long, man
who has identified himself with the in
terests of the Bulgarian people, and who
now exerts great influence not only
| 81, l,,,f 10 ne
Professor of Natural Science in Robert
College. His good wife was daughter
of Rev. Mr.. Drew, formerly of Lyndon
Vermont.
The early missionaries found the
masses of the people totally ignorant o
the Bible and the truths of Christianity
The history of the Saviour was new tt
them, and they had never heard the
Lords prayer. The desire to receive
the Scriptures was, however, very gen,
eIal, and a committee, consisting of DR.
Riggs, DR.. Long and two Bulgarian
scholars, was appointed to bring out q
translation in the modern language
The work was accomplished some tel
years ago.
OBSTACLE
The time of the establishment of the
Bulgarian mission was in some respects
oppOrtune and i'm others unfortunate
, The difficulties under which the Bul
garian church had been laboring will
the Greek Patriarchate had sOmewha
: broken up the old regime, and prepared
the way for change of some kind. FO
this reason the missionaries were looked
upon with less of disfavor than the,
might otherwise have been,-yet tn
opposition they met with was bitter
and from several sources. First, tn
emissaries of the Pope were not slow t.
see the possible opening in Bulgaria
affected orthodox in body to the bosom
of the Catholic church. The result her
was as everywhere else, for when hav
= not these jealous laborers been foun,
T bitter opponents of the enlightenment @
the masses and the introduction of gos
pei truth
C. A second source of opposition was th
spirit of infidelity which was spreadin
2 throughout the country. A desire TO
education had been awakened anon
the rising generation, and with it cam
a gradual disbelief in the superstition
they had been taught to reverence, an
a distrust of the church in which the
st had been reared. The new dOgmas c
modern hypothetical science found will
ing disciples in the young Bulgarian'
and many of them, being educated i
5. Paris, came home as. rank, avowed III
=. fidels. These were naturally locke
" upon as leaders, and their opinions wei
- eagerly followed by their young CON
panions who remained at home. So
= came about that when these lost the
I. faith in the forms and ceremonies ths
lie their fathers had reverenced, and theI
?. was nothing to take their place, the
nt began to ridicule the idea of all religion
and the very existence of God. Th
- teachers of a heart religion, and a fait
). worship, could expect to find little ell
in couragement from those who had in
fig bibed such ideas as these. A false fait
" is better than no faith at all. An hOI
IS, est superstition is less to be feared tina
o, open infidelity, as it is more easily col