The Lake County star., 1877-06-07


The following extract from the esixty
ninth report OF the British and Foreign
Bible society, just printed, gives Q
more encouraging view Of the pros
poets Of Christianity In Turkey than
is generally entertained; -. ~ ls
n TO those who knew Turkey hAlf 4
century or even forty yearp ago, and
compare It's condition then with what
1t 10 NOW, marvellous transformaiion
Of general sentiment, cannot fail to be
recognized, and the wonder is not that
SO much Of prejudice, ignorance and
superstition remains, but that SO much
has been overthrOwn and that a new
class Of ideas has driven out the old fam
atical intolerant and persecuting spirit
which frowned on Professionalism AN 4
loaded II with bitter anathemas.
When Christian workers from foreign
lands first set their feet ON Turkish
soil their presence was regarded with
extreme dIsfavOr and uneasiness. The
most awful terror of Professionalism pre-
vailed. 1t was looked upon as the en-
bodiment ofall mischief and con Infusion,
and I'm no wise to be encouraged by q
cowardly and mistaken tolerance. To
forsake the Koran and to renounce the
Moslem faith was q crime infallibly
entailing death; and the headless
trunk OF some unfortunate offender
might occasionally be seen rotting In
the streets of Constantinople, torn of
dogs and insulted by man, as a warn
Ing against apostasy. At that period
the Idea of religious liberty and free
dom Of conscience were utterly repug-
nunt IN tho rive mind fhAfp n =
ing could be scarcely comprehended.
ed to foreshadow q revolution OF the
It was the same In the domain Of reli-
giOn and In the civil government, for
not only did Mahometanism ruthlessly
WELD the sword Of persecution, but
the Christian churches, Greek and
Armenian, were fiercely intolerant,
and breathed q spirit of intense AMI
mostly and hatred one towards an
other. It is all reversed now. Reli-
gious liberty and freedom of conscience
are accepted as established principles,
and no one feels that he has right to
Interfere with the convictions or be-
lief Of his neighbOr. The Moslem
mind In not now what IL was then
on the subject Of religion; and the
privilege of every man to belong to
whatever ecclesiastical community he
pleases, without incurring any pains
ConstantinOple as In Great Britain or
America. Christianity may be taught
without mOlestatiOn to whoever IL dis
posed to receive instruction. Schools
can be set up into which the children
Of ~ n 0ntnr
and Christian workers are empowered
they please for the furtherance of their
objects, provided they do not overstep
the limits Of civil law. The like re-
marks apply to the Christian churches.
The idea OF. reciprocal federation has
penetrated their communities, and the
spirit Of domineering tyranny Is resist
of the Bulgarian church, which sets at
defiance the DEGREES Of the Greek Patri-
arch at Constantinople, and clamors
tOrspiritual emancipation. Education
has become new thing in Turkeys IT
Is altogether on a different footing
from what it was formerly; and the
valuable books of instruction issued by
the missionaries have set up stand
ard never understood before. The
government Ii establishing schools on
q large scale, and the example they
have witnessed has had no slight infiu-
enoe In calling forth the exertiops that
are now felt to be imperative for the
welfare of the nation. Christian work
has been q power In Turkey, not q
mere name and its effect In moulding
and altering the long cherished no.
tions that had asserted their supreme
cy for ages cannot be contemplated
without emotions Of astonishment and
gratitude. 1t Is not merely In these
directions that results are visible.
Protestant communities have been or
ganized. Converts have been gather.
ed sparingly, 1t Is admitted, from the
ranks of the Moslems. but far more
abundantly from the members Of the
corrupt Christian churches. The press
has sent forth q copious and fertiliEing
stream of pure and ennobling religious
literature. The Scriptures have been
translated into various languages. and
are being rapidly diffused, aud Chris
tian work of large dimensions, and
combining variouo oagencies, Is now Ia
active operation, and bearing much
fruit, scarcely germ or trace Of which
could be discerned forty years ago.
The data on which this report IL
founded are ''supplied by the truthful
aud jealous missionaries, American
and British, employed In the dissemi::
nation OF the Holy Scriptures through
the length and breadth Of the Ottoman
empire"