The Holy Spirit had evidently been their teacher, and the doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone, was the foundation of their hopes.

The joy with which they greeted the missionary of the cross for the first time, was most gratifying to him, as was the earnest attention they gave to his instructions.

Compared with their countrymen in the same place, they might be called intelligent men, and some of them were in very easy circumstances.

The two converted priests, Der Vertanes and Der Haritun, became afterwards well known in the mission.

Of their own accord they removed to Constantinople, and were placed together in charge of a village church on the Bosphorus; and the Patriarch Stepan, being an old acquaintance, spent several weeks with them, and generally assented to the views advanced by them in their free conversations.
We now enter the year 1839, which was a year of severe persecution.
Of this persecution, in which the Porte itself became a party, I am now to give a brief account.
The missionary force at Constantinople had become unusually small.
Mr.Dwight was absent until September, on a visit to the United States.