Jonas king

DR. KING being now fairly identified with Greece by his marriage, by the ownership of property, and by other providences, it would not interest the ptiblic to follow his history at Athens in detail from year to year. It is better to treat it topically, even could space allow a different method.

SCHOOLS AND SUNDAY SERVICES.

In 1836 Dr. King began to build a schoolhouse at Athens, which, by the aid of private friends, he was enabled to finish in 1839. In this work he received no aid whatever from the American Board. He had planned this building long before he came into connection with that Society as missionary to Greece, and before that time had also secured the greater part of the means necessary. In order to finish it, he was obliged to rent it for one or two years, after which time he had regular services there

2 6o ,'ONAS KING.

in Greek every Lord's day till the year 1860, when he was prevented by illness from continuing them. When we remember the attention which Dr. King in his early manhood gave to sacred music, we need not wonder at the enthusiasm with which he writes on occasion of a small choir " first singing in Greek" as " truly delight-

% ful." He wrote several Greek hymns himself, besides making translations of many from the English.

But beyond even the above pleasure, he notes more than once how greatly he was comforted and strengthened by his little Greek prayer-meeting, even though the attendance upon it was small. The help thus given was especially realized during times of persecution.

The establishment of schools seemed ever a prominent object with Dr. King. Mention has been made of

f- those at Tenos, Menido, and Eleusis ; and now at Athens he sought still to give his work permanent form in this direction. The "Evangelical Gymnasium," which ranked well with others of the kind, he hoped would be the germ of a future college or university, to be built up by Philhellenists in America, ten or twelve of whom had given him some encouragement in regard to such an enterprise before he left New York ; among these was General Van Rensselaer of Albany ; and for several years his friend S. V. S. Wilder pleasantly gave Dr. King in advance the title of Professor in Mars' Hill College. But the germ, though never developing in this way, has borne rich fruit, well repaying our missionary for the religious instruction given by him in this Gymnasium "six or eight times a week to sixty or seventy pupils, varying in age from ten


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to thirty-five years." One of these, a priest, afterwards became Professor of Theology in the University of Athens, another is a Professor of Law, and a third became the head of a gymnasium. Others are teaching in schools in various parts of the kingdom and in Turkey. Some are military officers, or otherwise in the employ of the government. At one time a college was proposed in Smyrna also.

In 1835 a regular theological class was commenced, composed of Greeks and Italians. Some of these young men were sent from Constantinople. Dr. King gave instruction in this class seven or eight times a week, and for want of suitable books at hand, was obliged to prepare for it his own course of theological study. Nor were these labors vain. The work of some of the students is telling now in Greece. The name of M. D. Kalopothakes cannot be passed by. It appears in Dr. King's Journal as early as December 2, 1846, when the young man called to show an ancient writing obtained from a friend who had been to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage; and his name after this finds frequent mention, in a way showing how the light of the gospel, finding entrance, shone clearer still as time passed on, fitting the young man to take up the work laid down by his loved and venerated father in Christ. A Spartan by birth, in his uncompromising determination he shows many traits of that remarkable race. Dr. Kalopothakes is now laboring under the auspices of the Southern Presbyterian Board. Ile is editor of the " Star in the East" and a " Child's Paper," and is pastor of the Greek Protestant church

262 5 ONAS KING.

lately established at Athens, which he represented at the Evangelical Alliance of 1873. His missionary policy is to favor a growth from within, in opposition to having an American mission chapel planted from without. He

/land his lovely American wife were privileged to be with their beloved friend Dr. King during his last days on earth, ministering to his comfort quite down to the river.

/ M. Constantine, another of Dr. King's pupils, has been. able to interest many in the cause of Greece and true religion, and by his eloquence promises to do a great work for his countrymen. Sakelarios has gone into the Baptist church, and may be able to serve the Master well in that connection.

Young men for some years were sent from Greece to America for education. A few of these have remained in this country ; and thus has there been an interchange and commingling of interests and civilization not otherwise secured. Drs. Riggs and King, in March, 1834, wrote a long letter to Rev. Dr. John Codman of Dorchester, Mass., recommending two members of the Gymnasium at Athens to his special care, and four more were consigned subsequently to Mrs. Cornelius.

About the same time Dr. King wrote to Miss E. Stuart, Secretary of a Ladies' Society at Andover, Mass., in regard to the school supported by them at Eleusis, near the ancient temple of Ceres. He said, " May you, by your exertions, be the means of revealing to them in a spiritual sense the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest.' Romans ¹7 : 25, 26. The study of the Scriptures I make one of

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the conditions of their receiving your aid.... Little articles of presents to the girls would be likely to have a good effect, inducing their parents to send them."

While in this Christian land of America many are found willing to exclude the Bible from our public schools, it is truly refreshing to read the following entry, made February to, 1855 : "To-day I received a communication from the Minister of Education and Religion, Mr. George Psyllas, in answer to my communication to him last September, concerning Chrysostom on ` Reading the Scriptures,' thanking me for my donation of a thousand copies, and enclosing a circular from him to all the teachers in Greece, calling upon them to recommend to the scholars the reading of it, and also the reading of the Scriptures themselves in their houses. This is admirable. This is just what I desired. Blessed be God, who is wonderful in working." The circular reads as follows :

"To the Schoolmasters and Schoolmistresses of the District Schools :

" That nothing tends so much to the regulation of morals, to the knowledge of the duties of man both to God and his neighbor, as the reading of the Sacred Scriptures, St. Chrysostom has shown in many parts of his numerous sacred writings.

"These passages of the divine father, collected with care, and simplified by a translation, are distributed gratis for the use of those who read.

" The reading of this collection, of which a sufficient number of copies has been already sent to the Nomarchs, that they may be distributed in the district schools in pro-

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portion to the number of scholars, we recommend to you, both for the perspicuity of the style and the wholesomeness of the sense, not doubting that you will, by applying practice to theory, render operative the injunction of this divine father, by inspiring the youth who attend your schools with a ready mind to read the Sacred Scriptures, so that they may resume at home, in the hearing of those about them, the sacred lessons they are taught, and the advantage they derive from them be thus multiplied, and the Scripture fulfilled, which saith, `The entrance of Thy word giveth light ; it giveth understanding to the simple.'

"THE MINISTER, G. PSYLLAS. "ATHENS, 19th January, ¹⁸55."

In October 1853, the Napoli paper gave the curiculum of study in the Evangelical gymnasium, appending the following note : "The superintendents, Drs. King and Riggs being persuaded, that, in order for any one to acquire a truly useful education, the cultivation of the mind alone is not sufficient, but that the cultivation of the heart is also necessary, so as to excite in him a desire for things truly good, and induce him to shape his conduct according to unchangeable principles ; being persuaded also that there exists no other book, the study of which has so much influence in attracting the heart to that which is right and good as the Word of God ; on this account, while they recommend in this institution the study of Homer, Plato, Demosthenes, Plutarch, and other celebrated writers of Greece, they wished also to bring the attention of the young to the study of Moscs,

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Job, Daniel, Solomon, the Prophets, the Apostles of Christ, and of Him who spake as never man spake. We revere the classics because they were written by men of splendid minds and contain many things useful, as it respects morals and politics ; but we revere much more those books which proceeded from the Fountain of wisdom, from Him who created all that was ever brilliant and glorious in the world.

" By means of the Sacred Scriptures, we hope that the youth will acquire principles for their conduct and an accurate knowledge of the true religion which they profess, and that they will one day show themselves to be not only enlightened men, but also virtuous' and good citizens and true Christians, loving not only their country, but also the whole human race ; and while they enjoy earthly happiness, be prepared for everlasting blessedness in heaven."

The teachers in these schools often spoke of what the Americans had done for Greece in giving them food, knowledge, and instruction. Many strangers took interest in visiting the schools. When in 1834 Rev. Charles Stewart, then chaplain of a United States frigate, stopped at Athens, Dr. King. availed himself of this opportunity to commission one so much interested in evangelistic work to procure more funds for the gymnasium, also philosophical apparatus and a press. This gymnasium was finally closed in July, 1837. In the more primary schools, the question of using the Greek catechism was one of some difficulty, though in Dr. King's opinion, duty seemed plain, not to use it at all. At Mani, at one

Jan ax King. 22

266 ) ONAS KING.

time, the minister of religion and instruction compelled the missionaries to teach the catechism or dismiss their schools ; but this was an arbitrary act, not according to their own laws. Objections were made to the use of the Old Testament also. One bishop said, "^-You will make the children Hebrews," but he would give no direct answer to the question, "Does your catechism contain things contrary to the word of God ?"

MISSION WORK.

Dr. King's plans of work, as has been seen, were of the most simple and direct character. He seemed to take advantage of every opportunity to speak a word for the Master, whose commissioner he was. Some of the more intelligent Greeks sometimes came to him, Nicodemus-like, at night. By his familiarity with their own religious classics, he was ready to meet every argument, gladly recognizing the points of agreement, and proving his own position from the Bible and those fathers whose authority is recognized by the Greek church. Such a course of argument was of course unanswerable, and his reasoning, like that of Paul, was made in many cases, a power for good.

April 4, 1842. " Called on CEconomos and gave him Gallaudet's ' Natural Theology,' and ` Child's Book on the Soul' in modern Greek, and the ` Greek Reader.' Conversed, I should think an hour and a half, on the subject of translations, creeds, doing good in Greece, etc. Proposed to him that the Scriptures should be printed in a separate volume, and the notes of the fathers

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in another to accompany it, so that we might get help from abroad to print the Word of God, and from subscriptions among ourselves for the notes to accompany it. This after awhile he assented to. He acknowledged that the Word of God ought to be placed in every family, but with sonic notes from the fathers. I see no objection to this, and I have always been of the opinion that the Translation of the Seventy should be given to the Greeks."

As to the qualifications needed for a missionary, Dr. King's standard was rightly a high one. The following extract is taken from a letter to the Society of Inquiry at Williams College in 1838 :

" The qualifications of a missionary to Greece, as well as to any other part of the world, should be good common sense, such a degree of intelligence at least as is thought necessary for a clergyman in America, a heart deeply humbled before God under a sense of its own sinfulness, still rejoicing in the love of God to man through Christ, who in going on his mission seeks no honor except that which comes from God only." In a letter of similar character to Amherst college he wrote, " It does not seem to me so important that the number of missionaries should be increased, as that those who go should be of the right spirit, and properly qualified." " Study much the Sacred Scriptures, and as much as possible in the language in_ which they are written. This is of the highest importance."

In a letter to the Missionary Society at Oakland, Mississippi, Dr. King writes, "The questions you ask

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me are of the greatest importance. If the missionary have a truly apostolical spirit he will surely find, as the apostles did, his comforts increasing in proportion as he is called to meet with trials. Outward afflictions are but very light when the heart within has peace with God, through Christ ; and when he has a lively hope of being clothed upon with his spiritual house when the earthly shall be dissolved. My greatest trials, I think I may say, are those which I meet with from my own heart. Revilings from men, having my name cast out as evil on account of Christ and his Gospel, generally produce in my heart much joy. At the same time I must confess that these afflictions are not in themselves joyous but grievous."

To the Society at Andover, Oct. 26, 185o : " I fully agree with you in the belief that efforts to do good abroad produce happy effects at home. Light cannot be shed on far-distant objects without illuminating those that are near."

As to the establishment of missions by different sects on the same ground, Dr. King's views were very decided. He felt it was a great pity that they did not choose their stations at different places. " I cannot feel it right for missionaries of another society to come in to disturb those who have been endeavoring to labor faithfully for the conversion of souls." Yet, while regretting any friction ever arising from such causes, Christian union and cooperation were near his heart, and it delighted him to make note of the fact that when first sent out to Palestine by the French Missionary Society of Paris, " which,"

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he says, " was formed at the house of one of my friends (a dissenter also), one of the first who arose and proffered aid to send me, was Rev. D. Wilson, now bishop of Calcutta; and some of my principal supporters were of the Church of England." No one could enjoy more than he reunions of Christians of various names, as on the occasion of a missionary meeting of the United Brethren at Basle, in June, 1843, at which Dr. Barth, Professor Stein, Pastor La Roche, and Mr. Pilet took part, when all hearts seemed melted together and gave outward expression of this in a hymn commencing, " Hallelujah," with its chorus of " Holy, holy, holy is God."

To his loved and congenial friend, Dr. Goodell of Constantinople, Dr. King in 1854 gives a succinct idea of the Greek field after twenty-five years' experience.

Allow first a few words of friendly preface. " You say you are changing, growing gray, that your voice shakes, and that ' the native grinders are reduced to four.' All this may be, but the man Goodell never changes. And I am happy to see, from the spirit of your letter, that your friendship for me has not grown old or gray, or been shaken or reduced because you did not receive my answer to your letter, nor any acknowledgment of the receipt of your interesting book.

"You ask me whether I am growing older or younger. As a man's testimony in regard to himself, .especially when in his favor, is liable to be considered doubtful, I think it better to adduce what some others have said with regard to me. When I returned to the United States after an absence of about seven years, Mr. Jere-

270 ,JONES KING.

miah Evarts, Secretary, said he thought I had not changed at all during that time.

" My wife has often remarked that I never change, or but very little, and attributes it to her kindness. She says it is because I have so good a wife; and really when I think how long I have lived, and what varied scenes I have passed through, it seems to me strange that I should be so little changed as I think I am. Still I have many gray hairs, and those ` that look out at the windows' do not distinguish objects as clearly as formerly, especially fine print, without the aid of glasses, of which, however, I do not generally make any use. My heart feels as warm towards my old friends as ever,

" Now as to the report of the state of evangelical religion in Greece, which you wish me to give, so as to be incorporated with yours of Turkey, for the great meeting at the opening of the Crystal Palace in Paris next spring,' and with regard to which you say, the shorter and sweeter I can make it the better,' here it is, in about as few words as I can make it.

"GREECE AS A MISSIONARY FIELD.

"Greece covered with the thorns and briers and thistles of superstition for ages, is a difficult field to cultivate ; I have been laboring in it for about twenty-seven years, ploughing and sowing in tears, yet with hope, and still feel sure that the time of harvest will come and that sheaves will be brought in with rejoicing. Prejudices are giving way; a great victory with regard to religious liberty has

been gained within the last few years. I distribute

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thousands and hundreds of thousands of religious tracts unhindered. The word of God, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is received in all the schools of the kingdom, has `free course' among all the people, and will be `glorified.' A few only appear to have received the truth in the love of it, but many are convinced of the folly of their superstitions, and the importance of receiving the word of God as the only rule of faith and practice. The restraint already put upon the influence of Gog and Magog has had a happy effect, and should that influence be wholly restrained, a still happier may be expected. I have never had more reason to hope for success in my labors than at present.

" With affectionate remembrance to Mrs. Goodell and your family, and to all the brethren and sisters of your mission, I am, as I have been for thirty years past, your sincere friend and brother in Christ,

as JONAS KING."

BIBLE AND TRACT DISTRIBUTION.

Dr. Isaac Bird has called his book on Eastern Missions, very appropriately "Bible Work in Bible Lands." Missionaries there were called Bible-men, so emphatically was the distribution of the pure word of God their special work. To none could the above title be applied more truly than to Dr. Jonas King. The word of God was not only the man of his counsel, but the sword which he used, knowing its power through the Holy Ghost.

When possible he would employ an agent to assist in thus spreading the truth, securing, if possible, the ser-

2₇2 yONAS KING.

vices of a priest, for "a priest could go into the churches and preach on the importance of having the word of God in the language they understand."

In the year 1835, Dr. King sold or distributed gratuitously 2,656 copies of the Sacred Scriptures, or parts of them, and 25,893 schoolbooks and religious tracts ; in 1838, 6,275 New Testaments, and books in all, 32,410. The average was 30,400 a year.

Such work was not carried on without opposition. In 1836, a boy who had bought some Psalters and New Testaments, and received some tracts, asked the bishop of Talanti if he might keep them. The bishop replied, " The tracts leave with me to examine. The Psalters and New Testaments bury." Still, as a people, the Greeks were enlightened enough to know that it was contrary to the injunction of Christ for the Synod or others to prohibit the common people from reading the Word of God.

In 1834 a letter was sent to Rev. John C. Brigham, Secretary, giving some criticisms asked for by the Bible Society as to their new edition of the New Testament in modern Greek, which was an improvement, he found, upon that put forth by the London Society, though still containing words that were falling into disuse among the more intelligent people of Greece. There was a great demand for these Bibles. One day forty or fifty called for them, coming from different parts of the country, although the priests often opposed this work.

With regard to tracts, Dr. King's early acquaintance with Dr. W. A. Hallock, ripening as years passed on into

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full and appreciative Christian friendship, would naturally lead him to use those weapons of attack and defence which his friend so earnestly and successfully was preparing. But their own adaptation to the end in view was a sufficient motive for Dr. King to keep his armory supplied with them, not only from New York, but from London, Paris, and Brussels. The average number of pages distributed was about 400,000 yearly, more than half of which were provided by the American Tract Society. Close correspondence as to every detail was kept up with his friend, the Secretary of this Society, which no doubt is to be found in its archives. The influence of efforts in this direction was far-reaching.

In 1857 Dr. King writes : " A son of the chaplain of the King of Prussia, who was here last summer, and who is himself assistant chaplain to the king, informed me that a copy of the `Prayers of the Saints,' which I sent to his father several years before, had been the means of the publication of many thousands of copies of the same in the kingdom of Prussia, with the difference, I believe, that they were accompanied with remarks as to the occasion of the prayers ; whereas I published the prayers as they are found in the Bible, without any remarks, except what are contained in the caption or summary of their contents."

Dr. King, during his last years of active service, gave more and more time to translating and revising books and tracts, finding from experience that a pure religious literature was greatly needed in Greece, also a better style of schoolbook. Thus does his work remain more

²74 JONAS KING.

permanent in effect than was possible in any other form, which yet at the time might have attracted more attention. A list of books and tracts, prepared and supervised by Dr. King, is given in Chapter XXIV. In eleven years 281,399 books had been distributed.

TEMPERANCE.

In these days of revival in the temperance cause, it is pleasant to trace footprints in the past in the same direction, and Dr. King found reason indeed for effort of this kind. Of one school of eighty boys in Greece he says : " The teacher told me that it is so customary here for people to drink wine and to give it to their children, that very often he has been obliged to send home these little boys on account of their having drunk so much wine with their dinner as to be stupid and unfit for study. At parties, I am told, they make the children drink in their turn, as if they were men grown ! After hearing of this, I reproved some of the people I saw for such an unchristian usage. In one school I found a copy of the ancient Greek New Testament, printed at Boston, which I suppose I brought with me eleven years ago, or which was sent to me for distribution."

In 1842 Dr. King drew up a temperance pledge in Greek, and persuaded ten or more persons of different grades and employments to sign it. One gentleman said that he had left off wine since some conversation had with Dr. King on the subject. A physician at Megara was delighted to join in the effort to obtain names there. One man wanted the privilege of taking a little now and

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then, but Dr. King said, " Keep your feet wholly out of the devil's trap."

Six years before this time, however, the first step was taken to form a society at Athens for the diffusion of knowledge and promotion of temperance and sobriety, and opposed to card-playing, duelling, intemperance in eating and drinking, and luxury in dress and furniture, that the mind and body may be kept in a proper state for acquiring knowledge and improving in virtue. The first meeting was held at Dr. King's house. Reports of the temperance work in America were translated and read aloud, together with a letter from Dr. King to Dr. Justin Edwards, in answer to a notice received of his own appointment as Corresponding Member of the American Temperance Society. Thus was the tidal wave of reform in America felt upon the shores of Greece. Dr. King in his letter compares the manufacturers, sellers, and drinkers of ardent-spirits to the hosts of Midian, and said that to overcome them lights must be put " within the pitchers." He contradicts the assertion as to the little evil that comes from wine-drinking, for on the feast-days the people would drink it at the taverns until their faces were inflamed, and they would sit and sing nearly the whole night. Still there were in Greece very few sots, or habitual drunkards. The influence of Europeans, however, had been unfortunate. Rum was used more than formerly, and was often mixed with the wine. Soon after Dr. King came to Athens a Turkish bey, under the influence of rum, caused a poor man to be beaten on the back in such a. horrible way that he

276 .t 011⁷1 S DING.

died a few hours after, and for no other reason than that the poor man would not purchase his beans at more than the market price. Dr. King says, " I saw him carried to the grave, followed by many mourners. The weeping widow and several little children can tell something of the suffering occasioned by the use of ardent spirits."

In 1843 steps were taken in Athens for the formation of a society having reference to temperance alone, and which was favored by Dr. Roeser and other Greek friends. In one year Dr. King distributed over a thousand copies of a translation into modern Greek of the American Tract Society's tract on the " Effects of Intemperance." In August, 1848, there appears in the Journal the following note: "Went to the Piraeus with my family to take the baths. A man there asked me if I remembered speaking with him on the subject of intemperance when riding up to Athens in a carriage in 1845, and said that that conversation had been the means of saving him ; that he had left drinking rum, which he before used in large doses ; that he then was ill, but was now in good health ; that he owed this to me, and that he had spoken to many others, and had been the means of turning them from their intemperance." He seemed grateful.

The editor of the "Athena" once said that by means of a piece prepared by Dr. King for reading at a meeting of the Temperance Society, and which had been printed in parts in his paper, he believed about one thousand persons had been reclaimed from drinking.

In 1854 Dr. King wrote to Commodore String^-ham in

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regard to a young man left by him at Athens who greatly needed Christian aid and encouragement. This Dr. King was enabled to give. The young man, upon recovery to usual health, signed the temperance pledge.

These selections in regard to temperance may close fittingly with a fact much to the honor of Governor Wright, U. S. minister at Berlin at the time of the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance there in 1857. In connection with a nine days' meeting held at that time, of which Dr. King made record, he adds : " Dined, in company with other Americans, with our minister, who had no wine on his table, and whose health we drank with bumpers of water."

VISITS TO PRISONS.

Dr. King did not forget the prisoner. He sought particular permission from the king's attorney to visit the prison at Athens, and was referred to the minister of justice, and then to the Synod. About a year after he was still unable to get an order allowing the New Testament to be given to the prisoners, even those condemned to death being thus deprived of the gospel. The minister of justice remarked, however, that owing to what Dr. King had said, religious books had been put in the prison, and the Catechism of Plato, and a priest had been ordered to go every Sunday and teach the prisoners. Dr. King asked, " Of what account is this so long as the gospel of our Lord is excluded ?" He answered, " But the Synod, whose authority is respected in Greece, has so ordered it." Dr. King. "Well, we all, synods and rulers and