inaries, and in the forty-four village free schools, was eleven
hundred and forty-two. The call for preaching tasked the capacity of
the mission. The missionaries were free to preach in the Nestorian
churches, and generally found attentive congregations, and they were
aided in the ministry of the word by five intelligent native
preachers. Dr. Perkins thus speaks of a congregation at Ardishai:
"The church was crowded to overflowing. It would have been difficult
for half a dozen more to press themselves into it. Priest Abraham
read the first chapter of the Epistle of James, which we expounded
for more than an hour, to the great satisfaction of the people, who
did not suppress their audible Amen, and ejaculatory comments of
approbation. Priest Abraham spoke very appropriately and feelingly
on the subject of temptations, applying it to his hearers, who are
now so sorely beset by the Jesuits. That crowd of eager listeners
presented a thrilling spectacle. I could not help thanking God for
the privilege of addressing them on the things that pertain to their
everlasting well being."

The efforts of the Jesuits among the Nestorians began in 1838. In
1842, they pushed their proselyting measures so recklessly among the
Armenians of Ispahan and Tabriz, as to lead the Persian King, at the
instance of the Russian Ambassador, to send them out of the kingdom.
A "permanent order" was at the same time adopted, probably on
Russian suggestion, growing out of repugnance to the political
influence of the Jesuits, that no native Christian should be
proselyted from one Christian sect to another. The French
government, after some delay, sent an envoy to Persia to effect, if
possible, the return of the Jesuits; but before his arrival, they
had covertly made their way to Oroomiah, run another race of
proselytism among the Nestorians, and been a second time expelled.
The French agent therefore took cognizance of both expulsions, and
gave the greater prominence to the more recent one, since it had
just occurred, and was fresh in mind, and since the Jesuits were
just then specially intent on adding the Nestorians to their sect.
His demand, however, that they should have leave to return, was
refused. He then required the expulsion of the American
missionaries, as being obnoxious to the same law. The Russian
Ambassador, whose protection the mission had enjoyed since the
departure of the English embassy in 1839, denied that it was the
object of the m