Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/340

286 ren we have already formed into a school of fourteen boys and seven girls, the former superintended by Mr. Fletcher, who also teaches them English, and the latter by Mrs. Badger. A Nestorian priest and deacon are engaged in reading Syriac with them, and another ecclesiastic instructs them from a small catechism which I have lately had translated into the vulgar dialect for that purpose, with the approbation of the Patriarch. The Clergy attend prayers regularly with Mar Shimoon in his private room, and on Sunday our little chapel is crowded with Nestorians, the Patriarch and his clergy being always present at the service, from the commencement to the end of the liturgy, which we celebrate every Lord's day. The Church will at once see, that this estimation of our services by Mar Shimoon paves the way for our ready reception by his people: and I have no doubt, should the will of God be so, that if once restored to his country and Patriarchate, future messengers from us will be welcomed by the Nestorians, and their efforts to assist them will be received with joy and gratitude.

"Kash' Auraha, the Patriarch's archdeacon, has made a perfect revision of the [so-called] Syro-Chaldaic Gospels, printed by the London Bible Society, as well as of the Acts and Epistles published by the American Dissenters at Ooroomiah. We have now consequently from his hand a complete exemplar of the New Testament ready for the press. The archdeacon is also assisting me in revising the Syro-Chaldaic Old Testament and Apocrypha, no part of which has ever yet been printed."

About this time we received a letter from the committee of the Gospel Propagation Society, informing us that we might soon expect to be withdrawn from the sphere of our labours. The reasons given for this step were as follows: 1. The want of funds. 2. Because the Society was not prepared to sanction the principle of direct interference with the Eastern Churches.