History of the missions of the American Board Of Commissioners For Foreign Missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.

by Rufus Anderson

Experience has also developed the great law here, as well as elsewhere, that the main work of winning races to Christianity must be performed by men of the same race. A Moslem will listen more patiently to a Christian Turk ("renegade" though he be), than he will to an Armenian; nor has it been found easy to enlist the Protestant Armenians effectively in labors for the Turks. It may be otherwise when the work is more advanced, and the Armenians are elevated to a higher social level. But a ministry raised from among themselves, is indispensable to the most efficient evangelization of the Turks.

It would seem, therefore, that, up to the present time, the original plan of the mission to Turkey has been more promising of good, than any other; namely, that of operating upon the Mohammedans through regenerated churches planted in the communities where they dwell; and the greatest usefulness of these churches, for obvious reasons, must be expected in the interior, rather than in the capital. Thus far, there has been no material or very obvious change in the missionary policy; and the risk of such a change, and its probable advantages on the whole, should be carefully estimated. The Protestant nations of Europe are substantially with us in our evangelical labors among the Oriental Churches; and the churches we gather are "our epistle," "known and read" by the Mohammedans. Gradually, it may be, some of the missionaries now in the field, who are familiar with the Turkish language, and have their Armenian churches supplied with pastors, will turn their attention mainly to the Moslems, in the exercise of a sound discretion, both as regards the Turks and the Christians. It may be found that both classes may be happily inclosed in the same fold. The missionary now occupies a higher and more influential position with both, than he did years ago. The Turk, too, is better appreciated as he becomes known. He has more of manliness, self-respect, and religious feeling, than some races for whose salvation our labors have been blest. The masses are by no means hopeless, and the middle class is full of promise.

The future is in the hands of the great Head of the Church; who has so crowned with success the past labors of his servants in Turkey, as to warrant the expectation, that whatever is needful to the effectual republication of the Gospel in those Bible lands, may be attempted with the glad assurance of success.

MISSIONARIES

MISSIONARIES.

When no date occurs in the right hand column, it is because the missionary is still in the field.

In several instances, the date of the wife's arrival in the field precedes the arrival of the husband. The explanation is that the wife, previous to marriage, had been connected with the mission as a teacher.

Dr. Eli Smith's Exploring Tour is included in his thirty years' missionary service. So in the case of Dr. H. G. O. Dwight, and some others.

Cyprus is included in the Mission to Greece and the Greeks; the population consisting largely of that element.

The asterisk (*) placed before a name, denotes that the person is deceased. When it is placed before a date, in the right hand column, it denotes that the person died at the time there indicated, and in the field.