mortification to reflect that his edicts are laughed at, and also that by intriguing to get a very large and handsome fee he lost even the smallest, and thus threw away a first rate chance for doing a "profitable business."

Several incidents were recorded by Mr. Van Lennep during the month which follows the date of the foregoing extract, some of them interesting and suggestive; but they are omitted for want of

room.

February 11. The inhabitants of one of the Prince's Islands, all of them being Armenians, though some are old Armenians, some Armeno-Catholics, and some Protestants, have a law-suit with the Greeks, who are endeavoring to dispossess them of their estates by means of false deeds, which go to show that the whole island formerly belonged to the claimants. It is a curious and significant fact, that when all the deeds of the present proprietors were to be brought together for examination, the old Armenians and Armeno-Catholics would not trust any of their own number with the documents; but the whole, about six hundred in number, were without hesitation put into the hands of a Protestant church member, who has had them several weeks in his possession, and is likely

to retain them for some time to come!

This is another fact to show that the people in general, Mussulmans, Greeks, Armenians, Catholics and Jews, think that our religion makes men honest.

A Burial obstructed.

The days of violent and reckless opposition to Protestantism have not altogether passed away from Constantinople. This will be painfully evident from the subjoined narrative.

tained the repeated shocks, as it was supported by strong beams placed against it from within; but a number of men ran up to the house, and struck the lower windows with their fists, and broke them to atoms.

But finally the body, with the native pastor in front and the deacons and brethren around and behind it, was allowed to pass out and go into the street. Then the crowd began to press around it from all quarters. It is estimated that there were one thousand persons assembled, shouting, cursing, and pelting the brethren with the street mud; and one of the latter was thrown down and rolled into the mud. Several were struck with clubs and stones; and one of them received a severe wound in the head, causing the blood to flow abundantly. Every window in the houses on both sides of the street was crowded with females to its utmost capacity, all of them hurling down anathemas on the passing procession, and those in the lower windows leaning forward and bending downward to strike the objects of their hatred, or to pull off their red caps. As there were no soldiers at hand, the mob had its own way for a time. They broke up the procesfalling back and scattering; while the sion, the greater number of the brethren pall-bearers, the pastor, and one or two possessed of firmer nerves than the rest, the sea-shore, and carried the body safely pushed through every obstacle, reached to the grave.

Meantime, however, the police had been informed of the passing events. A body of soldiers suddenly appeared, and began to strike to the right and left with the butt-end of their muskets. The crowd immediately dispersed; and even the "lions" took to their heels as fast as they March 30. The Protestants in that could. But several were caught, the part of the city which is called Balad, officer crying out to the mob, "Be Armeare few in number; and, on the other nians, Turks, Protestants, or whatever hand, the "row dies are many and far you please; but keep the peace." He famed. The wife of one of our friends also said, "A dead body has no religion; having died, an hour was appointed for let it be carried off in peace." One of her burial. It was necessary to carry those who were caught, went very the body through several streets to the unconcernedly to the police office, conharbor, across the water through Galata fident, as he said to a friend, that the and Pera, to the Protestant burying- mere assertion of his dignity would at ground, a distance of several miles. once procure him his liberty. He stood About the time fixed upon for the up and said, "I am lamp-lighter in the burial, a crowd collected before the Armenian church; I have nothing to do door of the house, and began to vocife- here." The officer replied, "Are you rate and curse, endeavoring at the same lamp-lighter in the Armenian church? I time to force open the entrance door, am very happy to hear it. Please step having been instigated by the Patriarch into the prison." Another cried out, “I and his emissaries. But the door sus-am pay-master to the director of the

powder manufactory," (an old and invet- | But the local Governor put aside these erate enemy of the Protestants.) "Yes," orders; and our brethren continued unresaid the officer, "I have long known you dressed several months.

as a rogue of the first water. You have already lodged here. Please to walk in." The next day the Armenian Patriarch sent to request that the prisoners should be released, saying that they had done nothing improper. The request was refused.

THIS Communication presents a more cheering view of the missionary work in Smyrna than has been hitherto received. It may be hoped that the night is far spent, and that the day will soon dawn upon the peculiarly unimpressible people of hat city.

Persecution at Smyrna - The Prospect.

The chief men of the Armenian community in Smyrna have boasted, that the religious reformation which has gained such a foot-hold in many other places, could not make any progress among them. Their confidence has doubtless been founded upon a knowledge of the prevailing infidelity and the fickle and deceitful character of their people. Nevertheless there was thought to be a sufficient number of Protestants, about a year since, to require their enrollment as a separate community; and this was consequently effected.

A short time since a new Governor was sent to supplant the man who had shown himself so inimical to our friends. On the first representation of the case to him by the English Consul, he gave assurance that justice should be done, saying that he had before had occasion to become acquainted with the troublesome disposition of the Armenians, and the inoffensive character of the Protestant rayahs. He has since restored our brethren to the occupancy of one of their hired houses, from which they had been violently expelled by the mob, the lease of the other having already expired. He has also encouraged them to institute proceedings for obtaining an indemnity for their losses.

These events have had a favorable influence on those who have desired to receive and profess evangelical doctrines, and it is said that there is a very considbut have hitherto been deterred by fear; erable number who will join the Protestant cause, and attend the regular ministrations of the Word, as soon as there is a certainty of their being protected in the possession of their property and the enjoyment of other rights. There is evidence, indeed, that the truth has made more impression in this city than has yet been fully brought to light.

In the mean time our audiences on the Sabbath have been greater and more regular for the last six months than at any previous time. And it is an important fact, that a large portion of the attendants are residents from the interior, many of whom understand only Turkish; and on this account a request has been made that Mr. Johnston will preach every Sabbath; which he has done for several weeks past, Mr. Riggs also preaching in Armenian at a different hour.

This event excited the wrath of the Armenians, and resulted in the mobbing of two houses occupied by Protestants, the destruction of their property, and some slight injuries to their persons. The Turkish authorities were at that time in evident collusion with the persecuting party; and they ordered our brethren not to return to their dwellings. Mr. Benjamin also says: "We see increasing And they were also told not to take evidence that a work of grace has commenced at other houses, either in the Armenian or Magnesia and Ak Hissar (Thyatira), at both of Greek quarters of the city, though Jews which places there are Protestants recognized as and Turks were permitted to live in both such by the authorities, and, we trust, recorded. without obstruction or annoyance. The above as followers of Jesus."

injustice of this order was very gross, inasmuch as one of the houses in question was the property of a Protestant.

An appeal was made to the central government; in answer to which positive orders were repeatedly sent hither enjoining the protection of Protestant rayahs in their full rights, as also the punishment of offenders against them.

VOL. XLVIII.

12

Greece.

LETTERS FROM MR. KING.

AN account of Mr. King's trial before the Crim-inal Court of Athens was published in the last number of the Herald, as also the sentence pronounced

since been received; and the friends of missions may wish to know what is alleged to have been proved against our respected brother, that he should be condemued to imprisonment and exile. An abstract of this document will now be given.

Judgment of the Criminal Court.

against him. The judgment of the court has to compel them to go away, he hoisted in his house an American flag; that besides the teaching on the Lord's day at 11 o'clock, he received also in the evening every Sunday, at a specified hour, some of his chosen ones, to whom he spoke concerning religion; and finally that, not seeing for some Sundays the witness, G. Meledon, he sent to him to know why he did not continue to come to hear him, and incited him to go, and also he incited to this another witness for the defence, and in general he was pleased when he saw many hearers." Hence the court is "persuaded" that Mr. King has "attacked by malevolent expressions the dogmas and the ordinances and the customs of the Eastern church, and expressed such principles and opinions and sentiments as are contrary to the bases of religion, and are injurious to religion and morals." And as to Article 18, pronounced by the Areopagus inapplicable to the case, this tribunal affirms that it is applicable, iuasmuch as facts within its purview were brought to light in the judgment hall. Whereupon the court "declares Jonas King, born in Hawley, of America, residing in Athens, aged fifty-nine, evangelical, guilty of having attacked, in the years 1850 and 1851, in this place, in public discourse and teaching, by malevolent expressions, the dogmas, the ordinances, and the customs of the Eastern orthodox church, and of expressing principles, opinions and sentiments which are contrary in general to the bases of religion and are prejudicial to it."

After mentioning the charges preferred by the King's Attorney, and after reviewing the history of the prosecution from its commencement to the day of trial, the court describes the proceedings of March 5. As the result of the investigation the facts are claimed to be, "that particularly in the years 1850 and 1851, the accused regularly, every Sunday and at specified appointed hours, (at 11 A. M.,) received publicly into his house every one who came, and in their hearing, taking as a theme a passage of the holy Gospel of that day, explained it; but that in his public teaching, called by him preaching, he did not confine himself to the explanation of his text, according to his religion, but, going out designedly from his circle, used malevolent expressions against our holy canons and the traditions of the Eastern church, not admitting as mysteries baptism and transubstantiation, and naming baptism that it is indifferent whether it be by immersion or by sprinkling, (which he considers as more correct,) because the baptized is not purified by it from sins, and that those who think the contrary are foolish; that the communion is only bread and wine, and cannot be any other than a simple type for remembrance; that the mother of God is the mother of Christ, and simply a woman, and did not remain a virgin after the birth [of Christ], but bare also other children, and that we ought not to worship her; that the worship of the holy images is idolatry; as also that we ought not to worship the saints, because they are simply men, and that neither they nor the mother of God can mediate for us with God, and that those who profess this are foolish; that the fasts and the celibacy of the monks and high priests are contrary to the divine commands; and that besides the first council the others were the in-exile from the Greek country after the execution vention of the autocrats for political purposes, of the penalty."

and for this reason their acts have not authority; that in this teaching, as has already been set forth, always on the same day and hour, he had

The King's Attorney next contended that, in addition to the ordinary sentence, a decree of banishment should be made against our missionary brother, because his "bearing down, as has been before set forth, so scandalously against the orthodox Eastern religion, its canons, its traditions, and its customs, is as to his manner and conduct pre-eminently dangerous to morals, which are the basis of the gospel and of this Eastern religion;" and the court accordingly condemned "the proclaimed guilty Jonas King to fifteen days' imprisonment, to the expense of the trial, the duty of the stamped paper, to be collected even by the detention of his person," and ordered "his

Mr. King in Prison.

On the 9th of March Mr. King gave an ac

no other hearers but the children of the orthodox Eastern church, and did not confine himself in count of his incarceration in the following lanhis preaching to the exposition of the Gospel ac-guage: cording to his opinion, but designedly entered into opposition against the dogmas and canons of the Eastern orthodox church, attacking them; that from his teaching arose scandal among his hearers, and on certain Sundays some one of his hearers undertook to refute him, but he was not willing to undergo the contest, and in order

I have just entered the prison of Athens, called Medrese, where there are one hundred and twenty-five prisoners beside myself, who occupy eleven small rooms, eight of which are ten or eleven feet square, with from eight to twelve prisoners each, the other three being

larger. A few days since there were On the 10th of March, having appealed to one hundred and eighty prisoners in the the Areopagus, Mr. King was removed from building. From these facts you can the Medrese to the police office, where he was easily imagine what kind of accommo- treated kindly, his friends being at liberty to call dations we have. upon him freely. Three days later he became Two of the prisoners are in chains, ill of a fever; and the Director of the police sent and are condemned to death for the mur-him to his house, where he remained under a der of seventeen men. Decent looking guard provided for the purpose, till the decision men, and the vilest malefactors, men not of the Areopagus was announced. His illness yet tried, and who may be innocent, and continued till the 21st of March, when he was those who have already been condemned able to sit up during a part of the day. for murder, rape and piracy, the young and the old, the youth who has committed perhaps his first crime, or no crime at all, and the veteran in wickedness, are here crowded together in one common mass, the sight of which is enough to move to pity the heart of any one who has the least degree of kind feeling towards his fellow men. Looking at these prisoners, my own troubles and trials seem small.

The first thing to be done, after entering the Medrese, was to have my name inscribed in a book as a prisoner, together with a description of my person, and the crime of which I have been guilty. This being done, the overseer of the prison gave me a certificate that I was in prison, suffering the penalty imposed upon me by the Criminal Court; which certificate must be deposited at that court before I can make my appeal to the Areopagus.

Judgment of the Areopagus.

The next day the hearing of his appeal came on before the Areopagus. His counsel acquitted themselves with great ability; but on the 25th of March a decision was made adversely to him, the sentence of the Criminal Court having been confirmed, except that the term of imprisonment was reduced to fourteen days. And yet, Mr. King states, it was decided that Article 18 did not apply to the case! Two of his counsel, Mr. Pellicas and Mr. Triantaphylles, the former being the President of the University, called and expressed their surprise at the result; and they condemned the judgment of the court in the strongest language. And the opinion of the greater part of the legal profession, and of the more intelligent portion of the community, as also of all the English and American residents, seems to differ from that of the judges.

Mr. Benjamin has received letters from Athens, This prison is called, as I have said, which show that many in that city believe the Medrese; and this means "school" in courts of Greece to have been guilty of great Turkish. It is so called because it was injustice in their treatment of Mr. King. Two formerly used by the Turks as a school. In this school I have now been matricu-donia, while the other was formerly a pupil of young men, one of them being a native of Macelated. And it was in such a school that Messrs. Houston and Leyburn, and both now many who "had trial of cruel mockings giving evidence of piety, have written to this and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds effect. But there is reason to hope that the seand imprisonment," were prepared for higher honors than any earthly institution

can confer.

verity of the sentence may produce a reaction in favor of the truth. One of these young men My heart is not sorrowful, but full of says: "You have doubtless learned all the dejoy. I consider this as one of the tails of the trial of the Rev. Mr. King; but you brightest days of my life. With my have not learned our grief, on the one hand, at whole heart I thank the Lord Jesus seeing in our countrymen so great blindness to Christ that I am counted worthy to suf- the truth in the very midst of noonday, or, on the fer shame for his name and for the truths other hand, our joy that this event has poured, which he has taught. The morning be- and is still pouring, great light upon those minds fore I came to the prison, I read with in which, without their wishing it, the persecutors great interest, yea, I may say with tears of the truth have awakened many doubts conof joy, Hebrews xi.,xii. and xiii. ; and I felt cerning the verity of those things, which others constrained to render to the Most High are contending for with indescribable fanaticism. ascriptions of praise for mercies, rather If we suffer, therefore, (and we more than all than to seek freedom from trial. My principal petition to God, during all these days of excitement and triumph of the enemy, has been that the name of the Lord may be glorified in me, and that the cause of truth may finally prevail.

others are exposed to a thousand reproaches, and revilings and threats,) not only do we refrain from complaints, but we even rejoice, having assurance in our own personal experience of the truth of the Holy Scriptures. For your joy I would inform you, that the most intelligent amo

Voice of the Press.

the Greeks here have looked upon the sentence | ing language: "No one will suspect us of proof Mr. King as unjust." Mr. Benjamin earnestly fessing indifference in a matter of religion, or of commends these young men to the sympathy and contesting the least in the world the competence prayers of Christians in the United States; "for of the tribunals for the suppression of crimes they are now, as they have been before, immi- committed against the dominant religion. We nently exposed to violence; and it would be no know very well the regulations of our constitustrange thing, if they should become martyrs for tion. We ourselves assisted in drawing up the the truth." two articles, which establish the predominance of the orthodox religion over every other worship. But at the side of this principle is another, which we respect also; it is that which permits the existence of other kinds of worship, and secures the exercise of them. In our view there are here two principles equally imperious and indestructible, which ought to live together; a dominant religion on the one hand, and a plurality of modes of worship on the other; and above, the constitution which protects them, prohibiting at the same time the propagation of them to the prejudice of the orthodox religion. Has Mr. King, in expounding the Gospels in his house, and in deriving from them, according to the sense of the texts, a doctrine which is not that of the orthodox religion, exceeded the limits of the legal exercise of his worship? In conscience we think not. My God! In what is Mr. King more culpable than the Catholic preachers, who practice every day, publicly, the same thing in the churches of this worship?"

It should be stated, to the honor of the press of Athens, that several of its ablest journals have strongly condemned the proceedings against Mr. King. On the 9th of March the Athena used the following language: "A fever for banishing strangers, it seems, has lately attacked our Ministry, which, after having expelled the unfortunate Poles, is already preparing to drive out of Greece the Italians also, without distinguishing the good from the bad." "And, according to the example of the Ministry, the Criminal Court drives away also Mr. Jonas King."

Four days later the Hope spoke as follows: "Mr. Jonas King has been tried before the Criminal Court for reviling our holy religion, and condemned to fifteen days' imprisonment and expulsion from the commonwealth. Tartuftism wished to beget scandal; and for this purpose placards were posted up, and notices were sent to various mob-leaders, inviting them to be present at the trial."

On another topic the same paper, of the same date, speaks in a way that is highly honorable. "We cannot help stamping with reprobation all that took place within the precincts of the tribunal. The day preceding the trial of Mr. King, there were some pious persons, who distributed a profusion of printed invitations. The day of trial a

"Mr. King, as a clergyman, teaching in his own house every Sunday, according to the doctrine of the sect to which he belongs, is prosecuted and condemned to exile. Don Constantine, the parish priest of the Catholics, preaching, not in his house, but from the pulpit of the church of the Catholics, doctrines contrary to our holy re-host of lovers of scandal went to the rendezvous, ligion, ought equally to be prosecuted, if the King's Attorney would be consistent. Consequently, we ought to destroy the article of the constitution concerning religious toleration, and proclaim that every religion is, indeed, tolerated, and its rites are exercised without hinderance, but that the priests of a foreign religion will be prosecuted penally, if they do not believe the doctrines of the orthodox church."

The Newspaper of the People says, March 15: "The Areopagus, indced, rejected the decision of the Criminal Court, but drew up another similar, more crooked than the first." And it concludes by saying, "It is to be observed that America aided Greece in her sacred struggle; it is to be observed that in Greece exists religious liberty; it is to be observed; it is to be observed-; it is to be observed; but what first, and what last may one observe? Our sense is wanting; our sense is wanting; our common sense is wanting."

decided to exercise a pressure on the tribunal. The lawyers were every moment interrupted by vociferations, while the words of accusation were covered with applauses. Would not a little more, we will not say of severity, but of impartiality, have repressed such manifestations, so contrary to our manners, to the dignity of justice, and to the spirit of tolerance, which characterize and honor the Greek people? It grieves us to state that the liberty of defence, and the gravity which ought to preside over our deliberations of justice, have been greatly compromised. But, above all, are we afflicted in thinking of the long echo which this trial cannot fail to produce in the United States, that country so great in its present, so immense in its future, which has shown itself so sympathetic and enthusiastic even for the cause of our independence."

No letter has been received from Mr. King of a later date than March 31. It is supposed that he left Athens for Smyrna some time in April. Still his plans were not made definitively when

On the 17th of March the Courier d' Athènes expressed similar sentiments, adopting the follow-he last wrote.