The church at the metropolis was soon called to suffer affliction in the death of its beloved pastor, on the 12th of March, 1847. His disease was brain fever, occasioned by an exciting missionary visit to Nicomedia, where the church was about calling his brother to be their pastor. From the nature of the disease, he was mainly without the use of his reason; but a few hours before his death, while Mr. Dwight was present, the cloud passed from his mind, and they enjoyed a most delightful interview. "There were present," says the missionary, "besides his own relatives, his two deacons, and several of the brethren and sisters of the church, and their joy was unbounded when they heard their dying pastor, with restored reason, giving such clear testimony of the all-sufficiency of Christ to support him in that trying hour. At the end of every answer he gave to my inquiries, they cried out all over the room, "Bless the Lord," "Glory to God," unable to restrain their gratitude that God had given him grace and opportunity to bear such a testimony. I have been present at many Christian death-beds of the people of God, but I can truly say, that I never witnessed anything so deeply affecting. I afterwards led in prayer. Our departing brother uttered a loud Amen at the end of every sentence, and his reason then left him to return no more on earth."
I cannot refrain from quoting here the testimony of so judicious, an observer as Mr. Dwight, concerning the wife of the pastor. "She is a person every way fitted to be a pastor's wife. She is one of the most intelligent, pious, and lovely women I have known in this country. Indeed, in native intellectual power and in piety, she has few superiors anywhere."
Der Haritûn had long been the spiritual leader at Nicomedia; but when a church was formed, and there was need of one who should be both a pastor and preacher, he as a priest, having never learned to preach, and having almost reached the age of sixty, meekly gave place to one who was better qualified to preach the Gospel with power and effect, and now took the place of a deacon.
The reader will remember the manner in which the reformation arose among the Armenians of Aintab, through the labors of Bedros Vartabed.1 It is worthy of notice, that while the letter of Mr. Thomson was on its way to Constantinople, and before his visit became known to the Prudential Committee, they had directed the Constantinople brethren to send Mr. Van Lennep on a visit to Aleppo and Aintab. Mr. Van Lennep estimated the number of Armenian families in the place at fifteen hundred. The people were rude and ignorant, but they were residents, and not sojourners, as were most of the Armenians at Aleppo. He had visitors from morning till night, and the conversation was confined to the great subjects of salvation and eternal life. All the people knew the reason of his coming, and therefore were anxious for instruction on those great questions. Meetings were well attended. About ten men appeared to have been truly converted. The people were very anxious to have a missionary reside among them, but this was not possible at that time.
1 See chapter xxi.
The next visit was by Mr. Johnston, who remained three months at Aleppo, till the way was open to Aintab. Meanwhile three were chosen from among the brethren to go and study the Scriptures with him at Aleppo. Their names were Avedis, Sarkis, and Krikor, all under thirty years of age. Mr. Johnston went to Aintab in September, and was subjected to a quarantine of twelve days on his arrival. Bedros accompanied him, and they called on the Governor. The Catholicos of Sis, the spiritual head of the Church, arrived soon after to oppose the missionary. Mr. Johnston was fully occupied, however, with the numerous inquirers, and there was no way for the opposers but to induce the Pasha to drive him from the place. In this they succeeded, but not until the time that he himself had set for his departure. He and his companions were followed, as they left the town on the 14th of December, by attendants of the Catholicos reviling and throwing stones. No reason was assigned by the Governor for permitting this outrage, and he was shortly afterwards removed from office. Remonstrances from the American Minister at the Porte, were supposed to be among the causes of his removal.
Meanwhile Dr. Azariah Smith was traversing regions in eastern Turkey, which have since become endeared to the friends of missions, and reached Aintab just after Mr. Johnston left. A tumult was raised at once, with the hope of driving him away also, but without success. Having a firman, he refused to go without first seeing the Governor, and his medical profession and practice were in his favor. He remained until March, and before leaving gathered the hopeful converts into a church, which has since proved to be one of the most prosperous in Turkey. On his departure, a number of the brethren accompanied him a considerable distance, and parted after uniting in prayer for each other, and for the cause of their Redeemer and Saviour. Bedros, however, whom he left behind to look after the infant church, was soon expelled. Mr. Schneider labored there in the summer and until some time in the autumn.
Still the position of the Protestants was everywhere one of trial. They were separated from the Armenian community, but not united with any other. The government, though determined to protect them from persecution, did not know exactly what to do. The municipal regulations of Constantinople forbad marriage, baptism, or burial without the cognizance of the civil power. To obtain a permit for marriage, it was necessary to present to the head of the police a certificate from the Patriarch; and the Patriarch must report the name of every baptized child to the same officer for enrolment. Before every burial, permission must be obtained from the Board of Health, and this also must be through the Patriarch. Then every traveller must have a passport, which could not be obtained without a voucher from the Patriarch. It had become quite obvious, that the Patriarch could no longer act as their civil representative at the Porte.1
1 Christianity Revived, p. 241.
In order to promote the internal peace of the empire, the Sultan found it necessary to reduce the power of the Armenian Patriarch, by appointing a council of laymen, for secular matters, and another of ecclesiastics and laymen, for matters spiritual; the Patriarch not being allowed to act without their sanction.