The Turkish Government is growing more strict; in some places everything is scrutinised very closely. On landing at Mersina the police examined our baggage and persons, even feeling down our legs to the shoes, and took all books, papers and writing, even private letters, diaries and bills, to be examined. We were unable to get our Bibles before leaving for Adana, and thus our work in Cilicia had to be done without our Bibles. Bro[ther] Baharian could use the Turkish Bible; but as no English copy was at hand, I had to depend wholly on memory and was thus forcibly reminded of the time when the printed word may be taken from us. When the hour for leaving Mersina arrived, they sent an officer with us, who carried our Bibles in his hand and would not give them to us till we were aboard.
One night’s ride on the steamer brought us to Alexandretta, the port of the province of Aleppo, on the northeastern shore of the Mediterranean. From here we were to go a three days’ journey on horseback into the interior to the city of Aleppo, to visit a man who has for some time kept the Sabbath; but on landing we found that the man in question was in town, the Lord having directed our footsteps to the very hotel where he lodged. For him and us it was a joyful meeting.
This man is a colporteur, in charge of several others in the province of Aleppo, from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean Sea. While selling Bibles, he travels from village to village, to look after the accounts of others. In his journeys he has everywhere published the Sabbath, several interests have been awakened and some have begun to obey. In this province, a short distance beyond the Euphrates, is Ur. Thus, the faith of Abraham has now reached the home of Abraham.
When the colporteur accepted the Sabbath, it made no small stir; for years he had been a faithful worker and had become well known in many villages in three provinces. He was called before a committee of the church and asked to accept a creed of seven articles which they had drawn up. He replied that being Congregationalists they must assemble two-thirds of the church before they could deal with a member (the church numbers several hundred), and when they had called the church together, he would answer before it whether or not he accepted the creed presented. To this they responded, “Do you wish to confuse the minds of others also?” And there the matter remains; but the colporteur expects nothing else than to be dropped from his present work sooner or later, and is prepared for it.
After noon we rode 10 miles up the mountain to a village where some were interested. After taking a room, we walked through the market and were introduced as Sabbatarian missionaries to many by the colporteur, who seemed to know everybody. At the same time, he invited people to come to our room in the evening to hear about the truth.
But prejudice was doing its work. Scarcely had we returned to our room, when we learned that Protestants were already going about delivering us to the authorities as disturbers of the peace, as soon as we should have a meeting. A resident physician, a warm friend of the colporteur, fearing trouble, invited us to transfer the meeting to his house, which was done. His house is near the Protestant church, which is now sealed by the government, as it was built without special permission. One would think that while they themselves are under persecution, these Protestants would desist from persecuting their fellow Protestants.
After a short visit to Antioch, we stopped another night in this village and conversed with quite a number about the truth. One young man who seemed violently opposed the first night now seemed much interested and brought several others to hear. Although we have, so to speak, done nothing here, the truth is working like leaven in this village.
The next day we returned to Alexandretta. Being exhausted, I was unable to labour here, but Bro[ther] Baharian held meetings every evening. Two had begun to keep the Sabbath before we came, and two others were on the point of doing so, and at this writing have begun.
Last Sabbath, a clerk, a Greek whose language is Arabic, kept his first Sabbath. His employer permits him to work Sunday; but his wife is much opposed. Last Sabbath she would not prepare him any food all day, and to make it as unpleasant as possible, engaged in washing.
Every evening from a dozen to 20 came to the meeting. A number of these were from the village we visited. They went home and circulated what they heard and returned to hear more, bringing others with them. They report the whole village as stirred over the truth.
One man keeping the Sabbath in Alexandretta is from a village down the coast below Seleucia, the ancient port of Antioch. Some in town from his village attended part of our meetings, and returned, spreading the news, and already there comes an urgent call for Bro[ther] Baharian to come there. But he must first remain to instruct the new ones in Alexandretta, and then spend some time in Aleppo, where four others keep the Sabbath. They are also waiting for him at Adana and Caesarea, in the heart of Asia Minor. The difficult question is which places to take first. If we had a dozen labourers, there would be a place for everyone.
It is astonishing to see how rapidly news about the truth travels in this country and how ready people are to investigate and accept it. The minds of the people are more simple and less darkened and confused with human wisdom; hence they see the truth more quickly. In teaching the truth, one can go to the very heart of the message at once, without fear of cutting off ears. The relations of society, the different religions, the temperament of the people and the state of the government are such in Turkey that there will be much persecution here; but this will only purify the people.
