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Jon,., King. 24 278 7ONAS KING. 
kings, shall soon appear before a higher tribunal, before Jesus Christ, to give an account." In 1843, when at Ratisbon, a visit to the dungeons there, and a sight of the instruments of torture used by those in old times, weighed heavily on Dr. King's heart. The details are too shocking to repeat. The terrible ap pliances used in the rack-chamber haunted the visitor's mind night and day. He said, " Thank God for the light which has now driven away such darkness of iniquity."
CHAPTER XVIII. LIFEWORK AT ATHENS CONTINUED. Home, Hospitality, Correspondence, and Personal Religious Expe- rience. THE most cursory view of Dr. King's life and influ ence in Greece would recognize the warm-hearted hospi tality which made his home a centre, not only to the missionary traveller, but to every American and English man passing through Athens. Frequent excursions were made to the seaport, the Pir2eus, to "welcome the coming or to speed the parting guest." Mr. and Mrs. Bud of the Baptist Board were stationed there, and many pleas ant hours were passed under their roof while waiting for tide or steamer. It were an impossible task to give the names of all the friends thus received. Gov. Cass, Dr. Willett, Dr. Calhoun of Mount Lebanon, Dr. Geo. B. Cheevcr, Mr. Littlefield, Miss Susan Holmes, Dr. Van Rensselaer, Rev. Mr. Lawrence of Marblehead, Rev. Arthur Mitch ell, Charles A. Stoddard, Thurlow Weed, and Dr. Duf field, Brooks of Boston, Rev. W. C. Roberts, and many others, were of the number. A Mr. Allen was sick at the house for weeks of typhus fever, and Rev. Francis Parker of Boston spent his last hours there, both of them receiving attention as in a brother's house. Dr. Levburn
came, a welcome assistant in the work, and the Arnolds of the Baptist church gave loving sympathy on occasion of the death of Dr. King's youngest daughter, Aspasia, after a severe illness of seven weeks. This affliction was the more trying, because just then Mrs. King was with her daughters in America, and the cholera was lit erally raging through the city. Intercourse with Dr. and Mrs. Korck, and Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin, was also of pleasant character. Rev. S. I. Prime, D. D., and a son of Henry Hill, Esq , visited Athens in 1853. There seemed a comedy of er rors as regards their experiences in a rainstorm, but all was forgotten in the delight of a communion service to gether, administered by Dr. Prime, who also preached in the evening. "A good audience and an admirable ser mon. I do not know that I have heard such a sermon for many years. His text was Colos. 3 : 3 : ` For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.'" Dr. King's acquaintance with Dr. and Mrs. Robert Baird was particularly intimate. Meeting Dr. King first during his first visit to America, Dr. Baird afterwards said that Dr. King had been the means of his going him self to Europe. This, on account of its results, Dr. King considered an item of considerable importance. The friends met afterwards in Switzerland, and the union was still further cemented by the long stay in Athens of one of Dr. Baird's sons, who by his studies there in 1851 still further prepared himself to fill most honorably a chair in the New York University. By his prayers and Christian sympathy he greatly cheered his venerated host, and his
Saturday, March 16, 1853, Dr. King writes : " The celebrated poet, William Cullen Bryant, called to see me with three other Americans. When a boy I was ac quainted with Mr. Bryant, and visited at his father's house. That was about fifty years ago." Again on the 18th inst.: " Mr Bryant and Mr. Durand spent the even ing with us. I was much pleased with Mr. Bryant, a man of merit, with great simplicity of manner. This is what I like—a man of first-rate talent without seeming to be aware of it." In 1854 Washington's birthday was observed by the Americans in Athens with much ceremony. Hon. Hugh Maxwell of New York, " in a brief but lucid and happy manner, portrayed the noble character of the man whose name is honored by every freeman in the world. Others besides Americans were present, and many eyes were filled with tears." The following notice appeared in the " Panhellenium " soon after : " Thanks and gratitude to the American orator, Max well, for the noble and truly most Christian sentiments of himself and of the illustrious American nation, which he expressed in his speech at Athens, the loth of Febru ary (22d, N. S.), 1854, in the house of the most Reverend Mr. King, the representative of this evangelical nation of the New World, at the celebration of the birthday of its glorious and ever-memorable reformer, George Washing ton. These truly divine and golden words which he uttered will remain ineffaceable in the hearts of the 24*
Greeks everywhere, exultant with enthusiastic joy and gratitude. "Such was the sympathy which the people of the United States felt and expressed for those who were struggling for liberty when Greece sought to throw off the Mussulman yoke. Nor will this sympathy be less fervent, nor the manifestation of it less speedy and de cided, in any similar future struggle of any other part of the Greek race. " Eternal, eternal be the memory of the glorious and celebrated George Washington ! " Live for ever ! Live for ever, the glorious and most Christian American nation ! "COUNT WINCHESEY." Prof. Blackie of Scotland, Dr. Raffles of Liverpool, and other European Christians, helped brighten the house where they themselves were refreshed. Lady Franklin also here received sympathy and greeting. Greeks and even Mussulmans took refuge in Dr. King's house in time of trouble. Sometimes ten or eleven strangers would be there ; nor let us wonder that sometimes his kind heart was imposed upon by strangers whom he could not bear to think of as less honest and sincere than himself. Hon. Geo. P. Marsh and Commodore Stringham were privileged to do a great work in defence of the right, as appears in the account of Dr. King's persecutions. His acquaintance became in time a very large one, and his correspondence consequently extensive. In his travels
we find mention of C. Edwards Lester, Powers the sculp tor, Count Cavour, who called and walked out with Dr. King to show him the city of Turin, and of whom he speaks as a very liberal-minded, intelligent man. Charles Tilt at Florence showed Dr. King no little kindness, as did also Rev. Mr. Hare, Henry Innis, Esq., and Rev. Mr. Loundes at Malta, where also he met the reformers Achilli and De Sanctis. A sister of Kossuth, " a very interesting person," Dr. and Mrs. King called to see at the Pira us, who said her brother and all the family were Protestants, which brought the cause of Hungary very near his heart. At Rome in 1847, Dr. King had a most interesting conversation with the Padre Ventura, said to be the prin cipal mover in all the reforms about that time instituted by the pope, Pio Nono, and the eulogist of Daniel O'Con nel. Padre Ventura wrote under his own likeness, which he gave to Dr. King, these words : " L'unico mezzo evan gelico de propagare it Cristianismo ē la predicazione da parola del Vangelo"—" The only evangelical means of propagating Christianity is the preaching of the word of the gospel." More than one friendly discussion was held by these two representative men, who finally parted with a friendly embrace and with mutual good wishes. Dr. King was presented to the pope, but says he did not bow the knee before him nor kiss his hand, though he witnessed the adoration that he received from the populace. After conversing with Cardinal Mezzofanti in five or six of the fifty different languages which he could use,
but principally in Arabic, which Mezzofanti spoke very fluently, he gave Dr. King, at his request, his autograph, writing the subjoined lines : "Great many tongues resound among mankind, Their number overwhelms the power of mind; Here under English lines I write my name; I like this noble language, dear to fame. "J. MEZZOFANTL" "ROME, Oct. x8, x847." Dr. King himself had studied, more or less, ten or eleven languages. Very probably a part of the conversation between the two linguists turned on the proper pronunciation of Greek in our schools and universities, for Dr. King often expressed the opinion very decidedly that that of modern Greek should be the exemplar. *Many words are the same in the ancient language and the present. The new dialect among the more intelligent Greeks is constantly drawing from the old ; and if a student in the United States or in Europe were taught to pronounce the words as they are pronounced at Athens, he would be able to hold conversation with the learned there in a very short time, and very soon with the common people. Dr. King thought Homer and Demosthenes would hardly recog nize their own productions as read in our colleges, the sound of which " has been evolved from modern inner consciousness." Many letters were interchanged by him with Mr. J. 'v. Symmes of London, whose liberal spirit devised and tarried out many things in aid of his friend's work and personal comfort. LIFE-WORK AT ATHENS. 285 In November, 1852, we find mention of the name of Howard Crosby, Esq., who has since proved himself, as a divine as well as a layman, a warm and efficient friend to the Greek mission, and whose house in New York has been a home indeed to some connected with that mis sion. Letters passed also between Dr. King and Fisher Howe, Esq., of Brooklyn, whose work on " Oriental Scenes" was much enjoyed by one so familiar with these subjects as was Dr. King. Other names also appear of men distinguished in the world of literature, science, or Christian benevolence, such as Dr. Edward D. Atwater, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rev. Edward Robinson, D. D., Prof. C. C. Felton, and O. E. Wood. Official correspon dence was had with Daniel Webster, B. F. Butler, Secre tary of State under Van Buren, and other well-known statesmen, who seemed to take personal interest in vin dicating the rights of an American citizen and mission ary abroad. To Edward Everett Dr. King sent a frag ment of marble from the Acropolis ; and through Dr. King also a larger block was consigned by the Greek government, to become a part of the Washington Mon ument. In 1844 Rev. Dr. Anderson made a second official visit to the East, accompanied at this time by Rev. Dr. Joel Hawes of Hartford, at which time free conference was had with Drs. King and Benjamin. It was decided that Dr. Benjamin should go among the Armenians in Turkey,*while Dr. King remained until his death the only * Dr. Anderson's Oriental Churches, p. r6o.
missionary•of the American Board in Greece. During nearly the whole of Dr. King's life in Athens, Dr. Hill, an American Episcopal missionary, whose coming to Greece has been mentioned, was resident there also. Athens was by no means as quiet a place as its age might lead one to expect. On one occasion Dr. King, returning from Smyrna with his family, found his house occupied by Bavarian soldiers, and several days passed before the Nomarch and Demagerontes succeeded in dis lodging them. At another time, a house used for his Lancastrian school was claimed for use by the Govern ment party just then in power for the accommodation of some officers, and the furniture and benches were turned out into the streets. These were troublous times. Fur ther facts will be given in the account of Dr. King's per secutions. His personal relations with the kings of Greece were always pleasant and satisfactory. A Bavarian prince, named Otho, was put at the head of affairs in 1833, after the murder of President Capodistria. The Acropolis was then given up by the Turks, and Athens became the seat of government. King Otho proved friendly to the American residents there. Dr. and Mrs. King were invited a number of times to the palace. When the notes of invitation came, it was sometimes pleasantly said, that Otho, king of Greece, wished to confer with Jonas, king of America. When a ball was proposed, special word would come that there would be rooms where there would be no dancing, and that Dr. King might retire when he chose. In 1834,
the king and the bishop of the city attended the exami nation in Greek, geometry, algebra, and the philosophy of language, held for three days, of the students of the gymnasium. In February, 1835, at a public reception of Count Armansberg, King Otho asked Dr. King many questions as to his work, and a few days after sent for his Ameri can compeer. The Journal states : " At half-past six I was received by the king with much urbanity and kindness, who asked me many questions about my work, my coun try, and the colleges in America. I told him that it was the students of my gymnasium that presented to him a crown on a book, as he came from Elcusis to Athens the first time, and how many difficulties they had to encoun ter for want of a lexicon and other books. On his ask ing me why the United States had no debt, how they managed to arrive to such a state of independence as to debt, I replied that we pay but little to those in office, except to our judges, have but few soldiers, and many husbandmen. In speaking of Greece, I said, `Your majesty has a great task to perform.' Toward the close I mentioned to him that. I had a friend, Mr. Riggs, who would like to pay his respects to his majesty, and he said, `To-morrow evening at half-past six, I will see you with your friend,' and I retired much gratified with my recep tion, and also with the apparent good disposition of the king. At the time appointed I presented Mr. Riggs to the king, who received us very kindly." Of one evening, on occasion of a visit of the king of Bavaria to his son, King Otho, Dr. King says : " About 2 SS , ONAS KING. two hundred and fifty were present, nearly all the foreign ambassadors with their families, the ministers of state, and many others. At about nine o'clock the two kings came in, bowed to the party, and took their seats in two great chairs placed nearly in the middle of the hall, and the concert commenced. The most of the time was spent in singing and playing on the piano by ladies pres ent. An interval of perhaps half an hour was spent in conversation, during which time cakes and lemonade were handed to the company." In 1853, when under sentence of exile, Dr. King was still invited to the court as before. The queen too proved very friendly. She once gave to Dr. King's little daughter, Elizabeth, a pretty little basket, long treasured in remembrance of her visit to the palace. When Dr. King at one time had just returned from Germany, the queen asked many ques tions about the journey, and told him what he did not know before, that the archduchess of Austria, and the margrave of Baden, whom he had met, were her rela tives. The frigate " Constitution " coming to the Piraeus in 18J5, Dr, King entertained the officers at his own house, and went with them when introduced to the king and ministers. Commodore Elliott proposed that Dr. King should be made a consul, which he at this time declined ; he was used, however, more than once as an informal medium of communication between the government of Greece and that of the United States, and seemingly to the satisfaction of both-parties, even before he became, in 1851, assistant consul for America. It will be seen
that during subsequent persecutions, this official posi tion was one of the orderings of Providence in his be half. Dr. King's relations with the Duke de Broglie were such as to enable him to aid the cause of Greece with France also. In 1843 M. Colletti, coming to Athens as special messenger, told Dr. King that what he had writ ten about Greece had prepared the way for the recogni tion of the new order of things there by the French gov ernment, and that his representations had had influence in England also, for Dr. King's statements had been re ceived, when those of others were more than doubted. Dr. King's health was ever frail; yet his constitution must have been excellent, to allow of such persistent effort for so many years. As many false reports have been made of the wealth acquired by him in Athens, suffice it to say, that upon his first going there, purchase of land was necessary, for no place could be hired for school or dwelling. Much property had been confiscated. The market was over-flooded. Dr. King bought some lots on most advanta geous terms. Afterwards the Greek government wished to use about an acre of this ground for a public park, and it was not until after twenty years that Dr. King's claims were adjusted, through the intervention of Hon. George P. Marsh, who also secured his rights as an American citizen. The facts as to these purchases and the rise of property in Athens, have been much exagge rated. Dr. King's salary was small, barely sufficient with economy to meet the current expenses of his hos- Jenm King. 25 290 , ONAS KING. pitable home and growing family. Twice he kept a horse on account of his health, but sold it again after a few months, to save expense to the Board. Does any one regret that a missionary, as well as any other man, should be able to leave his wife and children in comfort able circumstances ? As to this family, what joy came to the father's heart as from time to time he heard of the hoped-for conver sion of his children while absent from him in America! His letters to them on these occasions are epitomes of parental gospel instruction. A code of maxims, written by him in June, 1842, is herewith subjoined.
" 5. Devote every Lord's day to the Lord, to reading his Holy Word, to prayer, to hearing the gospel preach ed, and to meditation on the things that are above, where Christ is. LIFE-WORK AT ATHENS. 291 "6. Speak the truth at all times. Never dissemble. Never tell a lie. " 7. Choose for your friends and playmates those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Word. " S. Keep yourselves from idols.
" II. Never go to a ball or a theatre, however much your young friends or old friends may solicit you and urge you. " 12. Remember your father and his instructions, and pray for him every clay." Of Dr. King's own inner life, it may be said that he was well aware of his besetting imperfections ; and that he often wrote about as follows : " I desire a meek and humble and quiet spirit, that will submit to anything that God sends." Under the influence of early training, he, for some years, probably spent more time in fasting and in searchings of his own heart for tokens of his ac ceptance with God, than was profitable; but it is to the glory of our God to note that as life passed on, and was
more and more given to the service of Christ, this dear servant of his learned to look upon him as a Saviour all-sufficient to deliver from all evil ; so that he found out the secret of casting anchor, not in one's own experience or feelings, but in the finished work of our blessed Re deemer. In June, 1840, Dr. King writes : " God would never have given me such a spirit of prayer and suppli cation and of dependence on him, if he did not intend finally to give me the victory." Again in 1843: " I think I have more joy in believing than I used to have, perhaps than I ever had before, and I feel a degree of certainly that I love the Saviour and that I am born of God, which I perhaps never felt before; and I can speak differently now from what I used to speak. Oh, I am so happy in Christ ; have such a hope of a crown, a kingdom, an in heritance in heaven, that all the grandeur of this earth seems vain. To love Christ, serve Christ, live for Christ, to glorify Christ, whether by life or by death, seems so great, so wonderful, so glorious. "As I walk the streets of this joyous city [Vienna], I sometimes weep to think that I am permitted to do something for Christ; to say a word for him to those whom I meet with ! Glorious service, happy service, the service of Christ ! I long to do much for him ; I beg of him to give me much to do in his vineyard. Lord Jesus, help me to glorify thee." " Jan. 24, 1849. This has been to me a happy day. I have had opportunity to converse with ten or twelve different persons, Greeks, seriously on the subject of re ligion." LIFE-WORK AT ATHENS. 293 " Jan. 18, 1852. Almost the only thing which greatly interests me now on earth is the work of my mission. The world seems to have lost its charms. Intercourse with those who have nothing to speak of but the things of this world seems wearisome. In conversing with peo ple in regard to the concerns of their souls, and in pre paring my sermons, I am happy." Amid all his trials and anxieties, facts like the follow ing, which came to him through Rev. David Stoddard of Ooroomiah, more than once brought " comfort and joy and strength" to his soul. Sometime since as one of the Secretaries of the Board was travelling in Vermont, he went into a house where he was unknown, and commenced conversing with the inmates. He soon found that the mother of the family was deeply interested in missions. Said she, " I have read the ` Missionary Herald' for thirty years straight through, and there is not a single missionary that I have not known something about." She then went on to enu merate different individuals who have been at times in circumstances of peculiar trial, and for whom she had been accustomed to pray by name. " There," said she, "is Dr. King, at Athens. I have long prayed for him. Sometimes when I have waked up in the night, and be gun to pray for him, I have felt impelled to get up and pray on my knees. `No,' said I, 'it will do just as well in my bed ;' but nothing would answer till I got up and poured out an earnest prayer for him on my knees, and then I went to bed and slept quietly." When she was through, the Secretary said, " Well, I 'm extremely inter- 25*
ested in all this. I know Dr. King very well myself. I have been with him at Athens, in the midst of his trou bles." The woman looked at him with surprise and in credulity for a moment, and then said, " Go right out of my house, this minute. There is not a word of truth in it." Her faith, strong as it was, did not extend to this. She could not believe that any one who had actually seen him in Athens, could ever see her in Vermont. Of the above account in a letter from Dr. Anderson, Dr. King says, "I read it with tears; and when I read it to niy wife, she seemed affected even to tears." Upon his return to this country, though making many inqui ries, Dr. King was never able to find out the name of his Vermont friend.
CHAPTER XIX. FRUITS OF LABOR. Yusuf Aga—Various Testimonies—Luigi Bianchi—Dr. Anderson's View of Dr. King's Missionary Work. THE promise reads, "My word shall not return unto me void," and Dr. King's distribution of the Bible, and his expositions of it, so plain and simple in opposition to the technicalities of the priests, the instruction given by him in the schools, his preaching in the chapel and by the wayside everywhere, could not fail of good results, for in all and through all it is plain to see that he ever looked above for a blessing upon every effort. Although Dr. King's was eminently a work of subsoiling and prepara tion, still he was permitted himself to see, here and there, the promise and even the first fruits of a rich harvest. Incidental instances of this have been given, and also of the way in which the hearts of men in political power were sometimes turned in favor of the gospel. In 1541, the Greek ambassador to England expressed deep interest in regard to having the Septuagint repub lished in Modern Greek, and thus adapted to popular use. A colonel in the army said he often sent people to Dr. King for books and that he approved of his teaching. The story of Yusuf Aga is an interesting one. When a boy of twelve years, he was treated so cruelly at home by his step-brothers, that he jumped from a window and
went to the cadi at Tripolizza, and became a Mussulman. Being of a distinguished Greek family he rose to power and wealth.' About 1841, he came to Greece and took on him some expenses for his nephews and nieces there. Dr. King sought his acquaintance and soon commended to him the study of the New Testament, and Yusuf came to the next Sunday service. With the uncle of this man Dr. King held spirited discussions also. After a while Yusuf was dangerously sick. There was a suspicion of poison, never proven. Afterwards this man took refuge in Dr. King's own house, bearing all his own expenses ; coming there at first at night with all the importunity of the man desiring three loaves and which could not be resisted. His stay continued for over two months. Ev ery day some time was given to the religious instruction of himself and his followers ; and his Greek relatives came often to hear Dr. King preach. There was danger that Dr. King would be accused of the terrible crime of proselytism. One thing was true, that the teaching of the Gospel was of more use to Yusuf's bodily health than all the prescriptions of the physicians, who yet were in telligent and excellent men. Sometimes a young Greek would come and say that he owed to Dr. King's instructions at Athens his safety from evils to which he was exposed, that he should oth wise have been ruined ; or a lady would send for Scott's "Force of Truth" and then tell Dr. King she had left all her images and prayers to saints, and prayed only to God through Jesus Christ, taking the Scriptures as her only rule and making them now her constant study.
Others are mentioned as also coming to the light and saying they could not conscientiously remain believing one thing and practising the other. One mān said that if he made his true belief known he should be destroyed. A Greek lady present confirmed this, saying that he would be torn to pieces—that he could not live three days. Another young man, a teacher, said that he owed everything to Dr. King and to that Word of God he put in his hands. Without it he would have been a wild beast; that it had been his comfort in trouble; that he recommended it to all his scholars, so that, as some of them were now quite enlightened, suspicions of heresy were excited with regard to himself. Another said that when, twenty years before, he heard of Dr. King's school at Tenos, he had said, " Why do you suffer him ? why do you not kill him ?" and that he would himself at that time have killed him, but now he considered his presence a benediction." June 5, 1844. "N. M. T., a Hydriote, 42 years old, called; said he had formerly been in my service; that he was at first very superstitious and opposed to us ; wished to kill us; that he led on men to attack the schoolhouse in Syra. But on reading the New Testament his eyes were opened, and now he wished to support us." Once, attending the funeral of one of the students, the father said, " Ever since your visit to him a few days ago he talked constantly of Christ ; said the world was worth nothing. When told to pray to the saints to help him, he said, ' First look to Christ.' His talk was all of Christ." 298 JONAS KING. July 3o, 1834. "To-day two of the students belonging to the third class in the gymnasium called and told me of their conversation with their uncle, a priest, who asked them if I made the sign of the cross. They said, ' He teaches us the gospel and to do what Christ says, and what signifies the sign of the cross ?' He told them they must pray to saints and worship them ; they said they did not find anything of this in the gospel, but simply that they must worship God. He said the saints would tear their eyes out if they did not ; they said, if Christ was their friend they did not fear, and that if the saints would tear their eyes out, they were not saints, but devils." March 18, 1849. " Mr. Whiting's letter from Constan tinople informed me of the hopeful conversion of M. M. and others, and that M. M.'s first impressions in favor of truth were made on his mind by me some twenty-five years ago." August 15, 1856. "Three young men called, asking to be admitted to the communion. One attributes the change in his feelings to reading The Dairyman's Daugh ter,' which I gave him perhaps a fortnight ago. Another to ' Alleine's Alarm,' which I published in modern Greek several years ago. The third dates his conversion seve ral months back." In 1859 there appeared in London a book called " Li cidents in the Life of an Italian : Priest, Soldier, Refugee. By Luigi Bianchi," which bears testimony to the blessing attending one of Dr. King's various efforts. About thirty pages of this volume are given to an account of Dr. King's
kindness to the author when a stranger in Athens. He says : " Some days after my arrival, Mr. King, a missionary, called, and the progress of the acquaintance clearly de monstrated the benevolent purpose with which it was sought. His questions were not only put with the most delicate discretion, but were themselves so intelligent, that I became much interested. My obstinacy only seemed to inspire Mr. King with fervor, and from a pious zeal for my soul he began to prove that all essentially Ronan-catholic doctrines are in direct opposition to the gospel. He strove to enlighten me with double earnest ness when he became aware that I had been a priest. I knew no arguments for his refutation. I defended a cause that I knew to be lost, from the inveterate habit of priestly life, which teaches a man that he must inculcate certain dogmas, though he has already rejected them. This truly Christian teacher would not leave me to my blindness, but with nobleness of mind, softened by broth erly love, unveiled to my view doctrines not as yet un derstood, without allowing my pertinacity to discourage him. He led me at last to doubt myself ; to look at the truth in humility of spirit, confiding no longer in myself, but in God. Soon I began to perceive that salvation could not be wrought by works, but only by a lively faith in Him who had already saved me. Mr. King read me many passages ; he watched over me with the anxiety of a father or brother. He often prayed with me. The Lord led the good Mr. King to me in Athens, who, be sides inexpressible and much more important spiritual
The above scattered specimens of good work accom plished, in the case of individuals here and there, give, after all, but an imperfect idea of Dr. King's success as a missionary. From the heavenly heights alone can a sat isfactory bird's-eye view be obtained of the life of any Christian. There we may see plainly the difficulties of the way, and study to all eternity the wondrous grace that out of the very weakness of the instruments used, reveals the more strikingly the power and glory of Christ. The church accepts in theory the fact that one soul is of more value than the whole world, but seems practi cally to feel a minister's work is almost in vain unless crowned with many conversions. God judges with more "equal eyes ;" nor can any unprejudiced person look at the results of Dr. King's labors, even in Europe alone, • without being satisfied that he was a shaft both strong and polished, fit for the Master's use, and that few have been privileged to do so much as he for the honor of our Lord. The history of Greece is not yet finished, but it is even now conceded that the labor of American mission aries there has not been fruitless. In 1873, Dr. Rufus Anderson, after long observation, was able to say of the Greek government, that it was not what it would have been had not so much good seed been sown in that coun- Joiner Slog. 26 FRUITS OF LAI OR. 301 try. "And the same may be said of the social state. Nor were the same ideas prevalent among the people as to the authority of councils and of the ancient fathers, and the authority of God's Word stood higher than be fore; nor were there the same impressions concerning Protestantism. The Word of God, printed in the spoken language, was in very many of the habitations of the people." Of Dr. King he says : " He was evidently designed by Providence to be a reformer; and though he lived not to witness anything that could be called a reformation among the Greek people, the battle he fought, through so many years, with the bigotry and intolerance of the Greek hierarchy, will be held in perpetual remembrance. A reformation has begun, and Dr. King, more than any other Protestant, was the instrument of Providence in bringing it about. To him is it owing preeminently that the Scriptures, since the year 1831, have been so exten sively used in the schools, and that in Greece ` the Word of God is not bound.' It is not forgotten that others la bored with him, and not in vain ; but it is mainly to the preaching of Dr. King, during his protracted residence in Greece, in connection with his persistent and trium phant struggle with the Greek hierarchy, that we owe, under God, the visible decline there of prejudice against evangelical truth and religious liberty."
CHAPTER XX. PERSECUTIONS. Excommunications—Accusations in Newspapers and before the Courts—" Defence of Jonas King "—Conspiracies--Tempo rary Exile—Power of the American Flag. GREECE, as Dr. King himself said in his letter to Dr. Goodell, was a difficult field. After the people there be came free from Turkish rule, old ambition for political power in Europe was stealthily kept up by Russian agency, and national pride was aroused against the influ ence of every foreigner, and a reaction followed the gush of intense gratitude at first felt for kindness shown du ring the time of their struggle for liberty. Again, the Greek church is in some respects even more exclusive than the Papal church. It claims to have the only true apostolical succession and right baptism. Protestants, Episcopal or Non-episcopal, are all consid ered unbaptized heretics. It holds to transubstantiation, worshipping the Virgin Mary, baptismal regeneration, and the power of ordinances to save the soul. Excom munication is regarded with extreme dread. An amusing instance of the ignorance of the common people in re gard to such an edict is as follows : Early in Dr. King's missionary experience, a paper of excommunication against him had been read one Sunday in one of the
Greek churches. Some person was overheard asking another what it was all about. No doubt the word " Jo nah " had caught the ear, and the answer was, " I think it was an excommunication of any one who should eat of the fish that swallowed Jonah." Before any persecutions of Dr. King actually com menced, mutterings of a coming storm had long been heard. The messenger who came from America in 1828 with supplies of food and clothing had indeed received a grateful welcome, and many listened to his words with respect through the years succeeding. But •as time passed on it is certain that the ecclesiastical authorities became alarmed. In 1835 the bishop, formerly of Talenti, a member of the holy synod, preached for several weeks against the American schools, threatening excommunication, and saying, " The curse of the three hundred and eighteen fathers will be upon all who shall send their children to them." But Dr. King was still able to say, "The feel ings of the people generally, I think, are with me ; and the Minister of the Interior said to me some time since, ` Go on with your work ; it is good ; do not be afraid.' I had told him what I teach in the gymnasium, and that the bishop was threatening curses, and I said to him, ' If the three hundred and eighteen fathers were in heaven, I presume they would obey Christ, who said, " Curse not ;" and that I, in teaching His gospel, was not afraid of curses coming upon my head from heaven.'" He also writes : " The work in which I profess to be engaged is the Lord's, and not mine; and if the way in 304 yo AS h111-G. which I thought to perform it is not the way he chooses, I hope to be led by his providence clearly to perceive it. Dr. King's preaching of the pure doctrines of the cross must have had some effect, since it attracted atten tion from both synod and government. The secret of the opposition aroused on the part of the priests may have been that " their craft was in danger." Be this as it may, the fact remains that "in 1844, being accused in some of the Greek newspapers in Ath ens of reviling the images, the Virgin Mary, and the doc trine of transubstantiation, he replied through the same papers, giving extracts from the writings of Chrysostom, Basil, Epiphanius, and others, showing that his opinions on these subjects were the same as those entertained by some of the most distinguished fathers in the Oriental church; and in 1845 he collected these accusations and answers and published them, with some additions, in a small book in Greek, entitled the `Defence of Jonas King.'" This book contained, for instance, the follow ing from Epiphanius, one of the fathers of the Eastern church : " Let the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be worshipped ; Mary, let no one worship," and being sent to the most prominent men, civil and ecclesiastical, in Greece and Turkey, produced a great excitement through these countries ; and in August of the same year, 1845, "the Greek synod at Athens issued against him what was called in the public papers an excomHn nieation, and such as was considered by the Jews the highest kind of excommunication, namely: not an ex- 2G* PERSECUTIONS. 305 communication from a particular church, but from the whole community ; and soon after a similar excommuni cation was hurled against him by the so-called ` Great Church' of the Greeks at Constantinople. These ex communications were sent to churches throughout Greece and Turkey ; and in one of the churches at Athens the little book was burned publicly in the midst of anathe mas and execrations against the writer of it. A prose cution was commenced against him by the Greek gov ernment, at the instigation of the Greek synod, and in April, 1846, he was brought before the Areopagus, the highest court in Athens, and condemned to be sent to Syra, to be tried before the criminal court in that place, before which felons of the lowest order are tried." Dr. King in these official papers was characterized as a " hypocrite, deceiver, impostor, impious, abominable, and a vessel of Satan." In September, about one hun dred copies of this book, the "Defence," which he had on hand, were seized by the government, but nine hun dred copies were already abroad, each blazing with the light of truth. Dr. King gives a characteristic account of his examination before the Areopagus. " QUESTION. What is your name? "ANSWER. Jonas King. Q. Your country ? "A. The United States of America. " Q. Of what city ? "A. Hawley, a country town. " Q. What is your age ? "A. Fifty-three.
"Q. What is your profession ? "A. I am an evangelist; that is, a preacher of the word of God. " Q. What is your religion ? "A. What God teaches in his Word; I am a Chris tian most orthodox. " 0. Did you publish this book, entitled ` Jonas King's Defence, etc.' ? "A. I did, and distributed it here and elsewhere. I gave it to all the professors in the University and to others. " The judge then read to me my accusation as fol lows: `You are accused of having in your book reviled the mother of God, the holy images, the liturgy of Chry sostom and Basil, the seven oecumenical councils, and the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fearful mys tery of the communion.' " Q. Have you any defence to make ? "A. Those things in my book with regard to Mary, with regard to transubstantiation, and with regard to images, I did not say ; but the most brilliant luminaries of the Eastern church, St. Epiphanius, St. Chrysostom, the great St.. Basil, St. Irene us, Clemens, and Eusebius Pamphyli say them. " Q. Have you anything to add ? "A. Nothing. " I was then directed to subscribe my name to the examination, which I did, and went away." The fact that Dr. King was summoned to appear, PERSECUTIONS. 307 July 22, 1846, before the criminal court at Syra, proved that the offences against him were declared criminal in law. The penalty was imprisonment. An inflammatory pamphlet, secretly printed, was circulated in advance among judges, jurors, and the populace, with the avowed sanction of a high priest. Great excitement followed. The governor of the island, Syra, "declared that he should not be able to protect him, and .all Dr. King's lawyers whom he had employed, five in number, advised him not to set his foot on shore, but to return to Athens in the same steamer (Austrian) in which he came. This advice he followed, but was insulted on the way by Greeks who were on board with him, and even his life was seriously threatened. Towards evening the same day he was back again in Athens, and here learned from a credible source that there was a conspiracy of fifty per sons to take his life. This was communicated to his wife by a Greek female, who was friendly to her and did not wish to see her a widow ; and so his life was preserved, but he was obliged for some time to remain in his house." There were threats made of stoning him should he ap pear abroad, but the Lord stirred up the minds of some persons connected with the police to offer to defend him in case of need. "By the more intelligent in the community, whether native or foreign, and by several of the ablest journals, the proceedings of the court were strongly condemned. Twelve Greek lawyers, several of whom had held the highest offices in Greece, and were among the most dis tinguished of their profession, signed their names to a
letter declaring their entire dissent from its proceed ings." „ In 1847 he was again cited to appear before the crim inal court in Syra. On receiving this citation he went to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and remonstrated, telling him that he might as well send him to the guillotine as to send him to Syra. He also went with his lawyers to the Minister of Justice and made a verbal remonstrance against being sent to Syra, where his life would be in jeopardy, instead of being tried at Athens, where the offence, if any, had been committed. The Minister of Foreign Affairs being the friend of Dr. King, and the Minister of Justice seeing the rea sonableness of his demand, the citation was recalled. Soon after this, in July, 1847, there appeared in one of the first Greek newspapers in Athens, certain articles. called "The Orgies of King," and signed by a man named " Konstantine Simonides," which produced such an excitement against Dr. King that the government was obliged to send soldiers to guard his house ; and he was at length induced by the advice of the king and his ministers, amounting to little less than an order, to leave the country for a while till the excitement should abate ; and so he fled to Geneva in Switzerland, where he re mained for a time, then visited Sardinia, Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Sicily and Malta. Soon after his departure from Athens, an order for his imprisonment was issued by one of the king's attorneys at Athens, and a new prosecution commenced on the accusation of proselytism brought against him in the
" Orgies," and a great number of persons, perhaps two hundred, as he was informed, were examined by the king's attorney at the criminal court, in order to find evidence to establish the charge. The " Orgies " purported to be a description by an eye-witness of shameless scenes and ceremonies, such as the very name suggests, and carried on at night in Dr. King's house, under the guise of religious observances. Of Simonides it should be said, he seems to have been an unprincipled adventurer, used as a tool by the Arch deacon Leontius R. of Constantinople, the real author of the " Orgies." Simonides himself was set aside as a wit ness in one of the courts, as being "a servant dismissed by his master for stealing." In 1849 this same man brought forward some parchments which he said he had found in a monastery, and which he tried to palm off as writings of Homer, Hesiod, and Anacreon, more ancient than any others extant. These manuscripts attracted much attention. A committee of Greek scholars was appointed to examine them. This committee pronounced them to be forgeries, executed with great skill. Although masterpieces of calligraphy, the writer had failed, in some cases, to preserve the distinctive spelling or the form of letters peculiar to each epoch, and thus the deception was discovered. Thus too, did God still fur ther vindicate the cause of Dr. King. The testimony of a man, proved to be a forger of ancient writings, could not be received concerning modern events. Dr. King's enforced absence from home gave him opportunity to witness for Jesus in Italy and Rome it- 310 5'ONAS KING. self; so that the truth was the "more abundantly scat tered abroad." His name was already known ; for this persecution, though a " thing done in a corner" of Eu rope, could not be hid, and attention everywhere was called to it. Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Chester of New York, Dr. Riggs and the Count de Gasparin all wrote, suggesting a visit to America: but this idea, though a tempting one, was after a few months abandoned. In 1848, in consequence of the great revolution in France, the ministry at Athens was changed, and the new Minister of the Interior being friendly to Dr. King he ventured to return to Athens, where he arrived from Malta in June, and again resumed his missionary labors. Not wishing that there should be any appearance of his being in Athens in a clandestine way, he called on the ministers of state, and was received by them very cordial ly. By advice of friends however, he did not hold pub lic services until September. March, 1851, Dr. King was appointed United States consular agent. The hand of God appears in this, just in time of need ; for popular excitement had again been aroused in regard' to the preaching of pure Bible doc trines. Saturday, March 22, the journal has this simple en try : " Opened a tin-box, which was sealed, and took out the American flag, which at the request of Mr. Dioma tari, consul, had been sent from Washington for the American Consulate at Athens." The same evening Dr. King learned that some mem-
bers of the House of Representatives, perhaps even its president or vice-president, would probably attend his service the next day, that they might judge themselves as to his teachings ; but he told his informant that would make no difference, his sermon was prepared and he should make no changes. The next morning, Sunday, he says, " I felt calm, and committing all my concerns for time and eternity into the hands of my Creator, feeling that if my life should be taken, I should go to be with Christ which is better than to be here, I went down to my service. On entering the room I found it crowded to overflowing. More than a hundred, perhaps a hundred and fifty, were present. All arose. I bowed to them and took my seat as usual. At my right hand, and close to me, I observed a soldier with a short sword, and the thought entered my mind for a moment, that perhaps he had come to do me harm. Near him was a secretary from the House of Representatives. In the room there was no place for the females, not even for my wife." After two or three minutes, Dr. King arose, offered prayer and went on with the usual services. As soon as the benediction was pronounced, a student in the university, who was a nephew of the late patriarch of Constantinople, came for ward, and said he wished to make one remark. Dr. King answered, "If it is with regard to my discourse to-day, and nothing that will bring on a discussion, well ; if not, I do not wish it." " He said, ' Yes, with regard to what was said to-day,' and began by saying, that I had remarked that Cain killed Abel, because his own works
were evil, and his brother's righteous ; and that all that persecute and kill their brethren because they believe in Christ and are good people, are actuated by the same spirit by which Cain was actuated ; that in this remark I had intimated that they were such because they perse- cute me. • " Here I interrupted him and said, ' I spoke of no one in particular, but in general ; but if what I had said fitted any one here, of course he might receive it.' " He then began to speak of what I had said on other Sundays contrary to the dogmas of the Holy Eastern Apostolical Church ; but I again interrupted him, saying, that if his remarks were not confined to my discourse this clay, I did not wish them : that if he wished, I would ap point some other day when all might come, and hear what he had to say. " At this, different voices were heard saying, ' Now, now, let him speak ! We wish it now ! We are all con cerned in this business; it is an affair of religion,' etc., and many became somewhat noisy. " At this juncture my wife made her way through the crowd to the table at which I was standing, and told the priest, or deacon, or monk, that she would not have him talking here in this manner; that this was our house, and not a theatre or public place in which he could take such liberty. I finally thought it would be best, per haps, to let him speak, and said so to my wife; but she said ' No ;' and then I said to the audience that as my wife did not wish it he must desist ; that this was a private house, and not only so, but the Consulate of the United
" It seemed to me to be by a peculiar providence that the flag arrived just at this time, and that I had been led to take it out of the case the day previous, so that it was in readiness. "I noticed another peculiar providence. The soldier who sat at my right-hand armed with a short sword, called on me afterwards, with Mr. Katachana, and told me that two or three days since he had heard that some fifteen persons were coming to my service, with inten tions of using personal violence, and that he and another took a seat close by me, for my defence, but that many motions were made that they should begin to beat me." Jonas Ring. 27 3 4 JONAS KING. To the credit of the Greek police, let it be said, that when they heard of the disturbance, they came and took the names of two or three of the ringleaders ; and a military officer also called, and expressed regret at what had taken place. Dr. King adds: "During all this time I felt perfectly tranquil, and should not have left the room, were it not that others beckoned for me to leave, and that I saw no other way to still the tumult but to go up and unfurl the American flag. Blessed be God, who has preserved me and given me such perfect peace of mind and joy in my work." The effect of Dr. King's own glowing description of the power of the "Stars and Stripes" to protect an American citizen, cannot be reproduced here. During his last visit to America, as he told the story before the United States Senate, one may well imagine the thrill felt all through the audience. Every one, forgetting him self for a moment in thoughts of what our country's flag is everywhere able to do, gave loud vent to loyal enthu siasm. But to return to Greece. On the Monday following the above demonstrations, Dr. King, by advice of his friends, sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs a state ment of the disturbance. Petitions were soon made against him to the Greek synod, also to the Senate and House of Representatives, signed by forty or fifty names, and a new prosecution at law was commenced against him ; and after the examina tion of many witnesses, an indictment was made out PE. SECUTiOXS. 315 against him, "for reviling the God of the universe and the Greek religion." In March, 1852, he was brought to trial, and " con demned to fifteen days' imprisonment, to pay the cost of the court, and then to be exiled from the country." In prison he appealed from this decision to the Areopagus, the highest court in Greece, which confirmed the sen tence in all respects, except that the term of imprison ment was reduced from fifteen days to fourteen. On receiving the decision of the Areopagus, he sent to the Greek government a protest in the name of the United States government, against the unjust decision of the courts, and against the execution of it. This brought the Greek government to a stand, and the sentence of exile was not executed, though the Minister of the Inte rior, as Dr. King was told, declared that it should be; and Dr. King, in expectation of this, had all his effects packed ready for departure. In the summer of 1852, the Hon. George P. Marsh, minister resident at Constantinople, came to Greece, by order of the United States government, "to investigate the whole affair of Dr. King's trial and condemnation," and also the affair of a lot of land, of which Dr. King had been deprived the free use for about twenty years by the Greek government, and to make report to the United States government relative to both cases. This investigation he made in the most splendid manner, and as very few men would have been capable of doing, and that on account of his knowledge of various languages, especially Greek, German, and French ; and he trusted 316 , ONAS IiING. to no interpreter, but examined all the documents him self, as well as the laws which were intended to be ap plied to Dr. King. Having done this, he went to Italy and made his report in the case to the United States government, and in 1853, by the order of that govern ment, returned to Athens, entered into correspondence with the Greek government with regard to the settle ment of the case ; but as his presence was required at Constantinople, he went away without bringing the ne gotiations to a close. In March, 1854, the king of Greece, at the proposi tion of Pellicas, the Minister of Justice, who was one of the distinguished lawyers who pleaded Dr. King's cause before the courts of justice which condemned hint, issued an order, a copy of which was communicated to him by the criminal courts, freeing him from the penalty of ex ile imposed upon him by that court, and confirmed by the Areopagus in 1852. So he remained in Greece and continued his labors there, in the same way as previous to his prosecutions and condemnation. The above account is necessarily much condensed. The full record is on file at the rooms of the A. B. C. F. M., and no doubt open to examination. The whole history is to the honor of our country, and to that of the noble men called of God just then to guide our ship of state—Daniel Webster, Edward Everett, Ben jamin F. Butler, Secretary Marcy, President Fillmore, Geo. P. Marsh, and Commodores Porter and Stringham, and others. On one occasion, Commodore Stringham 27*
sending for Dr. King to take tea on the " Cumberland," ordered a salute of nine guns, to give loud testimony of how the persecuted American missionary was regarded by his own countrymen. The real point at issue all through the contest be tween Dr. King and the Greek hierarchy, was freedom to worship God. A precedent has been established not soon to be forgotten, and to God be all the glory. 318 YONAS KING. CHAPTER XXI. TOURS, TRAVELS, AND EVANGELICAL ALLI- ANCE.
Corinth—Smyrna—Thebes—Experience with Robbers—Constan tinople—Pesth—Maria Dorothea, Archduchess of Austria—Jewish Converts—Vienna—Baron de Rothschild—Munich Reiche Kapelle—Paris—Geneva—Zurich—Italy—Rome—Sici ly—Malta—Evangelical Alliance at Berlin—King of Prussia—Berlin. THE tours, longer or shorter, which, undertaken in the prosecution of family and missionary duties, or ren dered necessary by persecution, varied Dr. King's life in Greece, always afforded him many opportunities for preaching the truth, besides proving sources of rest and refreshment to himself. Near Corinth, on one occasion, he writes, "On seeing some persons sitting by the side of a hut, I asked them if they had no school in the place. They said, ` Neither school nor priest.' ' What, have you no priest ?' ` No.' ' Well, then,' said I, 'after I have
'Yes, yes.' So I offered a prayer with them, and gave the benediction. It did not occur to me at the time that it was the first Monday of the month, and the hour of prayer for many who love Zion." Going to Syria in 1834, he says, " There were about fifty passengers on board. Read the Scriptures with them, and conversed much on a variety of religious sub jects." In March, 1836, Dr. King, taking his eldest daughter to Smyrna, on her way to America, met ten or more min isterial brethren who were holding meetings there for prayer and conference. It is only necessary to say that Messrs. Bird, Goodell, and Temple, were of the number-to prove how much all must have enjoyed such an inter view. A sincere vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Van Lennep of Smyrna for his numberless attentions, not to those present alone, but to all the missionaries about the Mediterranean and in the East. It is but just to make note of this. The Lord has work for all his children. The Christian merchant as well as the preacher can do much in his own line to promote the cause of Christ on the earth. A gathering of the missionaries was held again at Smyrna, in October, 1837, when Drs. Eli Smith, Dwight, Riggs, Benjamin, Calhoun, Messrs. Adler and Hallock, and Miss Danforth, still further swelled the number present. After the convention had closed, Dr. King, remaining to help settle up the estate of his father-in-law, who had died recently, preached in the Dutch church. A few days after, he received warning from the bishops, through the Uni-
ted States consul, that he could not preach again in Smyrna, except at the peril of his life, for there was great indignation against him. He was particularly struck by this, for his text had been Acts 3 :4: "Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead." The eighteenth verse reads, "And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus." The con sul had been told that Dr. King called on Turks, Jews, and Greeks to renounce their religion ; but Dr. King told him this was not so, but that he had prayed for them all, and warned them to.examine their faith by the Word of God. The Patriarch had issued a strong letter just before this time against the Bible, and Dr. King thought it only right to preach in this manner. His busi ness in Smyrna was soon closed satisfactorily, so that he returned to Athens, and of course there was no further difficulty. In 1838, on his way to another conference of mis sionaries, we find Dr. King stopping to comfort some wretched Sciotes by reading from the book of Job. At Thalamic, a. soldier who had once received books from him at Athens, took much pleasure in showing him around this supposed birthplace of the celebrated Helen. In 1839, being in Thebes, the chief officer of police called and reminded Dr. King that he was formerly a scholar in his gymnasium, and said he was indebted to him for all he knew. This led to Dr. King's being treat ed there with great attention. From the highest peak of Mount Parnassus Dr. King TOURS AND TRAVELS. 321 t counted eight or ten other heights. Each Muse could thus have one to herself without interference from her sisters. At the Castilian fount Dr. King not only drank deeply himself, but his groom talked Of watering the horse also, until deterred by the laughter his master could not repress. The way to Chalcis was infested with robbers. Still, Dr. King deciding to keep on his journey, the governor furnished him with a guard of soldiers. To one of the officers Dr. King had once given a trifle when he was in want, and this officer ordered one of his men to accom pany him as far as Dadi. To him and another soldier of the phalanx Dr. King felt that, under God, he owed his subsequent safe journey, and in connection with this fact was reminded of the text, " Cast thy bread upon the wa ters," etc. It turned out that these very men were con nected with the robbers, but their honor was pledged to defend Dr. King. One of these men confided to him that the members of the band were sworn to each other, that they have their own laws, and that they generally conse crate a part of their gains to some church or some saint. For instance, if there were ten robbers, they would make eleven shares, of which one was to be the Virgin Mary's, and this they were very careful to pay over; that the robbers with whom he was associated generally had the Panagia of Tenos as a partner, and that when they went out to rob, with her as a partner, they were always suc cessful. This man also said that, by mistake, he and another had once killed a poor man having a wife and six children, instead of a rich man expected to pass on the 322 ,EONAS KING. road, and in the poor man's pocket they had found six teen piastres only. He said he had repented of this a hundred times, and for ten years would not partake of the Lord's Supper. Dr. King talked to him very plainly, telling him to get a New Testament, and learn there what he must do in order to be saved. The man an swered that if anything would do Greece good it was the gospel ; that a soldier at Larnica had a New Testament, and was always reading it, and that it had kept him from much wickedness ; that he himself had been much affect ed by reading a little book about a man that was sold, and put in prison, and interpreted some dreams, and he would give almost anything for a copy of it. The impression made by the above journey was that Greece at that time was desolate and poor. One could ride for hours without seeing a single house or person. A great desire existed in the villages for education. Books were already exerting a very salutary influence. In 1843, on account of ill-health, Dr. King made a journey to Smyrna and Constantinople, and thence over the Black Sea and up the Danube, and visited Hungary, Austria, Bavaria, Switzerland, France, and Italy, and returned to Athens in September of the same year. At Constantinople games in honor of Easter were being celebrated over the graves in the burying-ground. The sultan's procession in honor of Mohammed's birth day, with the carriages for the. women drawn by oxen, the sultan's dwarf, and the barbaric splendor, was a display of this world's pomp not often to be seen. But it was a richer treat to meet at Dr. Goodell's house some of the
true aristocracy of earth, Dr. and Mrs. Perkins, Miss Fidelia Fiske, Miss Catherine Myers, Drs. Eli Smith, Dwight, Schauffler, and Hamlin, and Rev. Messrs. Bliss and David Stoddard. Mar Yohannan also was present, on his way back to Persia from the United States. At Pesth, Dr. King received a hearty welcome from Messrs. Wingate and Smith, Scotch missionaries, who took him to their own lodgings. Having a letter of in troduction from Mr. Schauffler to her imperial highness Maria Dorothea, Archduchess of Austria, he called upon her by appointment, and found her indeed a "nursing mother" to the 'cause of evangelical religion. " Con versed about an hour and a half on the great things of the kingdom of Christ. While with her, her little son came in, ten or eleven years of age, and I spoke to him on the subject of religion. I spoke in French, and the archduchess translated to him in German, as he knew but little French. I said about as follows : ' If one is the son of a king or emperor, he is thought to be happy, be cause he is heir to a throne or to a piece of earth which is called a kingdom ; but when one is born of God he is an heir of heaven, a joint heir with Christ to an inherit ance which fadeth not away. A crown, a sceptre, riches, honors, a kingdom, cannot alleviate one pain of the body, not even of a tooth; but the love of Christ can alleviate even the pains of death. My father was not a king, but he taught me in my childhood to read God's holy Word, and I owe everything to this. It taught me what was better than all the crowns, sceptres, and kingdoms of the whole world. Come to Christ, and you will be happy;
live for Christ while you live, and you will be happy for ever.' The duchess thanked me for what I had said, and brought out her album, and wished me to write something in it with my name. So I wrote the forty-second verse of the tenth chapter of Luke, ` One thing is needful,' etc. Her little daughter also came in. Her name is Maria. I said only a word or two to her, and mentioned to the archduchess that I came from Constantinople to Kus tandy in the steamer which bears her name, and in which I went with my daughter Mary to Smyrna seven years ago, when I sent her to America. At this she seemed delighted, and said, ` The clay it was launched was my birthday, and I prayed to God that many missionaries might be conveyed in that boat.' " She asked me if I was acquainted with the Countess de St. Aulaire; spoke of her in the highest terms, and said she should write to her that she had seen me. When I got up to come away, I said, I am happy to have had the pleasure of seeing you.' She replied, It is a friend ship formed for life.' " My heart was much affected by this visit and seeing her so devoted to the Saviour. From the palace had a beautiful view of the city of Pesth, which is the capital of Hungary, and contains about a hundred thousand inhabitants. On my way back I learned from Messrs. Wingate and Smith that the establishment of their mis sion was in consequence of Dr. Keith's having been de tained Here by illness. The archduchess, in consequence of a dream, was led to seek him out, and to administer aid to him with her own hand, and in return received TOURS AND TRAVELS. 525 spiritual comfort with regard to the loss of a beloved child. Dr. Keith told her she was violating the eighth commandment by wishing to take from God what he had claimed as his own. This had an effect on her heart. She had mourned excessively. She was converted by means of her mother, her royal highness the Duchess Hen, riette of Wurtemberg, who is also an eminent Christian." With the grand ntaitresse of the palace Dr. King had much serious conversation, and was treated by her with marked respect. He visited with her and the Countess of Brunswick, whom he calls "a lovely Christian sister who had never formally left the Roman-catholic church," an infant school, also a hospital for poor, aged females, which had been founded by the archduchess. There were thirty-seven inmates. One of them, the daughter of a Protestant minister at Wurtemburg, had been bed ridden for fifty-six years, but still seemed very happy. Upon occasion of a second visit to the archduchess, one of the first men of the nation, the leader of the Roman catholics, came in, and Dr. King found opportunity to preach him quite a little sermon. At Pesth a most interesting work was going on among the Jews. Dr. King writes that he heard of and saw here wonderful things, as may be seen from the fol lowing extracts : " Dr. Keith and Dr. Black (Professor at Aberdeen) had arrived at Pesth in 1839, having parted from the Rev. Mr. McCheyne and Bonar at Constantinople. At Pcsth Dr. Keith was taken ill, and obliged to remain there several months. The archduchess, who had long Jonas KIng. 28 326 JONAS .KING. been praying that some one might be sent to preach the gospel at Pest11, hearing that he was ill, said, This is in answer to my prayers ; this is the man !' and went to see him, and attended to him in person. While here, Dr. Keith was much exercised in his mind for Hungary, and often prayed for it. The archduchess said that he spent at one time three hours in prayer in pleading for this people. He went to Scotland afterwards, and made a report, and proposed to the Church of Scotland the establishment of a mission at Pesth, and the Rev. Dr. Duncan of the Scotch church, who had previously devo ted himself to the Jews, was selected for this station, and sent, with his family, accompanied by Mr. Allen and Mr. Smith, in the year 1841. After meeting with some diffi culties, he succeeded in establishing a service for the English, a few of whom were providentially residing in this city. At first very few attended ; but the congrega tion gradually increased, till finally it amounted, of all nations, to forty or fifty. It was soon known to the Jew ish community that Dr. Duncan was a good Hebrew and Arabic scholar, and this induced some of the more learn ed Jews to visit him. For a considerable time not much fruit appeared. Still they labored as they had opportu nity. Mr. Allen taught English. Gradually their influ ence increased. The Jews began to speak of the manner in which Dr. Duncan's household was conducted, accord ing to the Word of God, and different in many respects from all around him. Many of the Jews who knew Eng lish came and attended his English service. The first who was impressed, or showed some signs of life, was TOURS AND TRAVELS. 327 old Mr. Saphir, whom Dr. Keith had known, and with whom he corresponded. Mr. Saphir had projected the principal Jewish school in Hungary, a model school, after which others were formed. In this school about three hundred boys were taught. He was esteemed one of the most learned Jews in Hungary. When he was fifty-four years of age he studied English for the purpose of read ing English literature ; and this became in the providence of God one of the means of his conversion, followed by that of his family and of a number of other Jews. Per secution ensued. Mr. Saphir lost his position, but was accepted as missionary by one of the churches of Scot land at Edinburgh. The secret of the wonderful change is found in the following fact: "There is in Edinburgh a society composed of ladies, and another in Glasgow, for the purpose of sending the gospel to Jewish females by means of schools or otherwise. In Glasgow the wives of thirty-six ministers are in the direction of the society. They meet every Wednesday, from twelve till two, for prayer." There are similar meetings in other parts of Scotland, to pray particularly for the Jews, Money was also raised. One of the converts at Pesth was a young man whom the Jews had begged to write against Chris tianity, and he had actually arranged the heads for a book when he resolved to study the New Testament with prayer. He came to hear Dr. King preach, and seemed much affected—said he believed the New Testament was the Word of God. All those who were converted had been subjects of individual prayer, some of them by the Archduchess Maria Dorothea. A servant-girl was 323 JONAS KING. brought in through seeing the change of conduct pro duced in her employer's family through the gospel. When Dr. King left Pesth many friends " accompa nied him to the ship," or rather steamer. His heart was very much affected by the kindness received there, and he stood looking toward the palace and city until the Palatine Island hid them from view. He afterwards kept up some correspondence with the archduchess and other friends in Hungary. On the steamer one of the passengers, about thirty years of age, and having his wife and child on board, expressed much surprise on hearing Dr, King was an American, for he thought they were black and were all cannibals. At Vienna Dr. King was invited to dinner twice by the Baron de Rothschild, who seemed inclined to be very sociable with him ; called the Van Lenneps " Les braves Bens," and listened with earnest attention to what Dr. King told him of Palestine and the needs of the Jews there. Dr. King met here the Metropolitan of all the Greeks in Austria, having ten bishops under him, and had a long conversation with him on the importance of having the Holy Scriptures taught to all the people. He replied that the Roman-catholics consider it a crime for young persons to read the Scriptures, but that he considered them necessary, and that he was about to issue an order that all students who are to be priests should study the Hebrew and Greek, because the Bible was written in those languages. At Munich Dr. King was again introduced into royal 70CIRS AND TRAVELS. 329 circles. He had become acquainted in Athens with the Count Saporte, who was court marshal. Going to the palace to find him, he met him in one of the courts. " He took me by the hand like a brother; took me to his own house, and made arrangements to have me present ed to the queen ; then he went with me to the palace, got me presented to the two younger sisters of King Otho, Hildegarde and Alexandra, and to his young broth er Adelbert." They visited the palace and the curiosi ties together. " With the sisters of Otho I had a good deal of conversation, and was enchanted with them—amiable, intelligent, and easy in manner. Spoke with them on the importance of Christians of all denomina tions uniting to do good ; told them how the first crown their brother received at Athens .was given him by the scholars of my gymnasium." In the queen's reception-room Dr. King was first introduced to the Duchess of Leuchtcnberg, aunt to King Otho, also to the princess royal, a niece of the king of Prussia. "The queen soon came out to see me. We spoke of Greece and Palestine, my mission there, of her Imperial Highness Maria Doro thea, etc., and she expressed her pleasure at seeing me, and said, ' I shall write to my son Otho that I have seen you.' She is just twenty-one days younger than I am, and very sweet and mild in her appearance. Count Saporte showed me the argenterie' of the king. The quantity of gold and silver vessels is immense. Next he sent a man to open the Reiche Kapelle, which is indeed properly so called, for I doubt whether there are greater riches in so small a compass in any part of Europe. The 28*
floor is of precious stones, its walls of mosaic, its altar with all the images of solid silver, as also the pipes of the organ, the ceiling inlaid with gold, several closets full of vases and crucifixes of gold and precious stones. Though I have seen of late so many precious things, yet I was astonished at the riches of this chapel, which is perhaps not more than twelve or fifteen feet square. In different vases were relics, so called : the hands of St. Dionysius, St. Chrysostom, St. John the Baptist, the fin ger of St. Peter, the thigh-bone of St. Matthias, the jaw bone of some saint whose name I have forgotten. In one vase I saw some earth which was said to be stained with the blood of our Saviour when he was crucified. Among other things was a small portable altar which belonged to Mary Queen of Scots, who performed her devotions before it when in prison, and at the moment she laid her head on the block she gave it to an attend ant. I was told there had been offered for this a million of florins. I took it in my hand. It doubles up in a very small compass, and can easily be carried in the pocket, being, say, three inches long, two and a half wide, and half an inch thick. " King Ludwig of Bavaria, though he has a small kingdom, has seventy-five palaces. The University building is the most splendid thing of the kind I ever saw." Leaving Munich, Dr. King took his seat for the first time in a railroad car ; in fact he had never seen a railroad before. Continuing on his way he arrived in Paris in July, 1843, and felt quite overcome there by the associa- TOURS AND TRAVELS. 33 Yüklə 0,75 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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