to their Protestant subjects the right of
pursuing their lawful callings without molestation. As to sureties
for those who were excluded from their shops and business, he
represented that the demands of the law might be met by their
becoming sureties for one another. He at length succeeded, and
Reschid Pasha, who soon became Grand Vizier, gave orders that the
Protestants be permitted to resume their business on this condition.
A new officer was put in the place of the one who had turned a deaf
ear to their petitions. When summoned before him, they declared
themselves to be Armenians, and he told them it was "Protestants,"
whom he was to allow to open their shops. They had never adopted
that name, as it had been applied to them by their enemies by way of
reproach,--as probably the term "Christian" was to the disciples at
Antioch,--but called themselves the "Gospellers," or "Evangelists."
But now, whether they wished it or not, they were constrained to
adopt the designation of "Protestants."

A letter from the Grand Vizier, written at this time to the Pasha of
Erzroom, also recognized them as Protestants. It was the first
document issued by the Turkish government for their protection, and
began with stating, that certain Armenians at Erzroom, who had
embraced the Protestant faith, were represented to the government as
suffering various forms of persecution, from which they prayed to be
delivered. The Grand Vizier says that the same thing had occurred at
the capital, where the Protestants, having been anathematized by the
Patriarch, were cut off from both social and commercial intercourse
with their countrymen. While the Sultan would not interfere with the
spiritual duties of the Patriarch, he could not allow his Protestant
subjects to be hindered in their lawful pursuits. As the Armenian
Primate had converted the law, requiring every subject entering into
business to provide sureties for his good behavior, into an
instrument of oppression, by refusing to accept Protestants as
sureties for each other, the Pasha was to see that they had the same
liberty, in this respect, as was enjoyed by their countrymen. This
was their privilege at Constantinople, and the Grand Vizier hoped
the Pasha of Erzroom would secure the same for them in his province.

The Patriarch had left no means untried to break up the seminary at
Bebek, and succeeded in taking away seventeen out of the
twenty-seven students. But five of them soon returned,