A History of Protestant missions in the near East

Protestant Missions in Turkey and Armenia 175
government can grant toleration only in so far as the genius
of the people permits. That, further, though the hatti
humayoun was intended to grant religious
liberty to all, yet
it did not sanction either public attacks on any of the existing
religious bodies nor deliberate proselytizing. That it was the
right and duty of the Porte as the guardian of the public
peace to prevent such things, and, if necessary, to suppress
them by force. The Bible might be distributed like the
Koran, but it must not be hawked about in the streets (colportage).
The missionaries must exercise patience and give
expression to their opinions only with due regard for the
opinions of others. Open propagandism was forbidden. The
fact is that there was no longer a vigorous Lord Stratford
Canning representing Britain. In his place was Sir Henry
Bulwer, a weak man, who did not conceal his disapproval of
" renting places for religious addresses, nor of hiring men to
go among the Turks in order to read to them books which try
to prove that the Koran and its Prophet are full of errors and
absurdities." With a man of such principles in power, the
Protestant Mission was indeed delivered over into the hands
of the fanatic reactionaries.
The mission has never recovered from the effects of this
blow. Dr. Pfander died in Kichmond, London, on the 1st of December,
1865, and, soon after, the three most faithful Turkish
agents, Mahmud Effendi of the Society for the Propagation, of
the Gospel, and Selim Effendi Williams and Abdi Effendi of the
Church Missionary Society also passed away. Dr. Koelle remained
in the service of the Church Missionary Society until
1877, and, after retiring from active service, lived quietly in
Stamboul, trying to win his neighbours, but with only small
success.
Only thrice did he experience the joy of baptizing
converted Muhammadans. "Proselyting efforts," he wrote
in
" 1875, offend both the religious and the political susceptibilities
of the Mussulmans. . . . An European missionary
could not visit in Muhammadan houses without rousing suspicion.
No church for the public Christian service of Turks
would have any chance of being authorized by the govern-