The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-15
THE AMERICAN MISSION
ARIES IN TURKEY.


The Turkish Empire contains popu-
lation of about 100000, of whom about
100000 are nominally Christian. The
American missionaries entered Turkey
in 1881. They were at first welcomed
by the Armenian Christians, but these
soon discovered that the Christianity
preached by the missionaries was radical
ly different from their own corrupt prac-
tees, and they became very inimical, and
secured an order for the expulsion of the
missionaries, which, however, was never
carried into effect In 1889 new Sui
tan conceded to the followers of the mis-
sionaries Bill of Rights, guaranteeing
to them a certain measure Of religious
liberty. During the succeeding twenty
years progress was made by the mission
aries in Constantinople, Aintab Trebi-
zond, and among the HISTORIANS of Syria.
The first evangelical church was estab
ished in 1910 in Constantinople, and
others succeeded in Trebizond, income
dla, and Adabszar Additional privi-
leges were conceded by the Sultan in
1850. In the year 1856 the government
under English influence, granted formal
charter of religious liberty to all classes
In 1860, and subsequently, seminaries
were established at Marsovan, Harpoot
Marash, and Mardin, which were fol-
lowed by the establishment of Robert
College, now so wel.-known, at Constan-
tinople, the Syrian Protestant college at
Beirut, the Central Turkey College at
Aintab, and the Armenian College at
Harpoot.
AS a result of the late Turkish war
many of the provinces of Turkey were
made independent or granted certain
measure Of self-control, and the Protes-
tants in the empire, or at the chief points
OF Protestant influence, were placed
under the protectorate of England The
Berlin Congress guaranteed in all parts
OF the Ottoman empire equal ights and
privileges to all persons, irrespective of
their religious opinions Full religious
liberty and the free exercise of all forms
of worship were provided for. 1t is to
be hoped that under the present Liberal
administration in England the provisions
of this article agreed on by the Powers,
will be effectively carried out
1t is to the credit of the American mis-
sionaries in Turkey that their labors of
fifty years have laid the foundation of
solid progress in the future in that coun-
try The Bible has been translated into
the Arabic, Armenian, Turkish, Bulga-
rian, and Hebrew-Spanish languages, and
editions have been issued also in the Ar
meno-Turkish and Greco-Turkish, and
portions of the Bible also in Kurdish.
The missionaries also, says correspon-
dent Of the London Times, have pub
lished books, not only on religious and
moral subjects, but in addition, arithme-
tics, biographies, grammar8 histories al
gebras, geometries, works on mental phil
osophy, compendium of physiology, and
other educational works. The history of
the Reformation in the 10th century is
given in several compact volumes. Dur
ing the past year the publication depart
ment issued in the Armenian, the Ar
meno-Turkisb, the Greco-Turkish, and
the Bulgarian languages, 81 200 copies of
different works, covering 6 1897, 900 pages.
From the beginning, says the same writer
to the Times the missionaries have is
sued from their presses 2,248, 1854 copies
of books, and the whole number of pages
issued in the native languages of Asiatic
and European Turkey amounts to $685.
SOB, 9O8.
Several newspapers, partly religious
and partly secular, are published in the
native languages, and these papers have
established a character for intelligence
nd trustworthiness which is not enjoyed
b most Of the sensational publications in
the Levant The above summary, it