The Central Congregational Church

The funeral services were attended at the Central Congregational Church, with which Dr. Goodell was connected. They were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Edward Hawes, assisted by the Rev. E. R. Beadle, D.D., pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, and formerly a missionary of the American Board to Syria; and by Rev. George W. Wood, D.D., one of the secretaries of the Board, who had been associated with Dr. Goodell as a missionary at Constantinople.

His dust now sleeps in the Woodlands Cemetery, West Philadelphia.

Mrs. Goodell, the loving and faithful companion of his entire ministerial and missionary life, who had shared in all his toils and trials, who had been with him in all his perils, who had accompanied him in his journeys by land and by sea, and who had lived to return with him to their native land, and now to see him depart to “a better country, even an heavenly,” was to tarry a little longer before being permitted to join him in the mansions above.

She continued to reside with her son, Dr. William Goodell, in Philadelphia, until the summer of 1871, when, in the seventy-second year of her age, the summons came for which she had been hopefully waiting. During her last illness, which, though short, was severe, she spoke freely of her departure; and even before it was thought by others that her end was near, she said, that, while she was in possession of all her faculties, and was able to express her thoughts, she wished to say that she was very happy in the thought of dying. Her trust in the Redeemer and her peace of mind were unbroken to the last.

Mission work on the banks

The day before she became unconscious she was permitted to embrace once more her son and daughter, the Rev. Herman N. Barnum, D.D., and wife, with their children, who had returned to this country for a brief season from their mission work on the banks of the Euphrates. Her last prayer was now granted, her last desire fulfilled, her work on earth was all done; and early on the morning of the 11th of July, from the same chamber from which the spirit of her beloved husband had ascended to heaven, from which, on the 7th of March, 1870, her daughter Isabella had gone up to meet him, she, too, went up to join her beloved, and to meet, in the home of their Father, the many from the lands of the East whom they had been instrumental in turning to righteousness.

Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

In your hands I leave the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which, with the important help of some of you, I translated into Armeno-Turkish for the benefit of those of you who use only or chiefly that language. With these Scriptures you have also a Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, which also with your aid I prepared for you in the same language. And I am now putting into the hands of the printer more than forty of the sermons which some of you may recollect to have heard me preach to you, in order that you may better “ remember the words I spake unto you while I was yet with you.” And whether these words be “ the words of truth and soberness ”; whether they be in strict conformity to God’s holy word, — you must search and see for yourselves. Blessed be God! you now have the whole Bible in your native language, and you need not, and must not, remain ignorant of its holy doctrines and sublime teachings.

When we first came among you, you were not a distinct people, nor did we expect you ever would be; for we had no sectarian object in view, it being no part of our plan to meddle with ecclesiastical affairs. Our sole desire was to preach Christ and Him crucified. Our object was precisely the same as that of the missionaries to that ancient church in Persia. The labors of those missionaries have produced no separation in that church; but they have been permitted to labor side by side with the bishops and priests, to preach in their houses of worship, to assist in supporting and superintending their schools, and to do much in every way to enlighten and elevate that whole community.

Civil powers for protection

But if instead of giving the missionaries a cordial welcome among them, they had anathematized and persecuted to the death all those who loved the truth and wished to live a godly, conscientious life, the consequence would have been, that those persecuted suffering ones would have been forced to appeal to the civil powers for protection, as you had to do here. And the civil power there might have found it necessary, in order to afford this protection in conformity with ancient usage, to separate those persons from their former connection, and acknowledge them as a distinct community, entitled to all the protection and privileges of any other community in the empire. This you know was the case here. The Sublime Porte, to save you from perishing, was compelled to separate you from the old Armenian community. This is your present condition; and this condition you should “ accept with all thankfulness,” and use it for your own and your children’s good.

The Mohammedan faith might be seen

“ lint to the Protestant communities here, and to all who will live godly in Christ Jesus, this Ilatti Ilumayoun is a boon of priceless value. Heretofore its principal use was to secure us from the molestation of these corrupt churches, but we have now begun to test its importance with reference to the Mohammedans themselves. Only a few years since the headless bodies of apostates from the Mohammedan faith might be seen ‘ lying in the streets of the great city; and for three days and a half their bodies were not suffered to be put into gravesand, unless flight from the country was possible, nothing better than this was ever expected.

But now such apostates may be seen at all hours of the day, walking these same streets without any apparent danger, urging the claims of Christianity even in the very courts of the royal mosques, and teaching and preaching in the chapel, and in the private circle, and sometimes even in the palaces of the great, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And all this wonderful security is, under God, owing entirely to the Ilatti Ilumayoun.”

Mention was made in a previous chapter of a young Greek who welcomed Dr. Goodell on his first arrival at Constantinople, and who was soon after taken into the service of the mission, in which he remained a faithful and devoted laborer, until he was removed by death, March 11, 18G1. The following tribute to his precious memory, written by Dr. Goodell at the time of his death, deserves a place in his own memoirs, as well for its historical as for its personal interest: —

Panayotes Constantinides

“ Mr. Panayotes Constantinides was called to the knowledge of divine truth, and to trust in Christ, about thirty years ago; and through all his subsequent life his path was that of the just, shining more and more unto perfect day. During this time he was variously employed, sometimes for months together, as dragoman to the American legation, but more generally as a teacher, a translator, or a preacher of the Gospel of Christ, under the direction of the missionaries of the American Board. Some of the best of the Armeno-Turkish hymns were composed by him. All the early petitions which the Protestants presented to the Porte, in the terrible persecutions they suffered, setting forth their grievances and asking for redress, were drawn up by him.

Naturally be awakened throughout the whole length

What a spirit of prayer would naturally be awakened throughout the whole length and breadth of our land! What copious effusions of the Spirit might be expected to be poured out from on high! ‘ God, even our own God, would bless us.* And even the very feeblest of our churches in the far West, who now think their very life depends on receiving, might find a world of meaning in ‘ the words of the Lord Jesus, how lie said, It is more blessed to GIVE than to receive.’

“ In conclusion, let me say, I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Then ‘ be strong, quit yourselves like men/ and ‘ do exploits.’ ”

The following paper on “ Aggressive Movements ” was written for the annual meeting of the mission. His observations upon the condition of the churches in this country at the time of his visit are eminently just, and his suggestions are not inappropriate at the present day, although we may believe that the church has become more decidedly aggressive in its spirit: —

The older churches and congregations

“ In my recent visit to America, I was struck with the fact that the work there was not, as it appeared to me, sutliciently aggressive. In all the older churches and congregations, it did not in general seem to be the expectation of the ministers to do any tiling more than to keep things along, without going backward. The additions which were made to the church or congregation were just about sufficient to counterbalance the removals. The Gospel was not carried to men, and urged upon them, as it is in a new enterprise, in a new place, or where a new society is just formed; but, if they wanted it, they must come after it. The minister was ready to meet them at the appointed time and place, and preach to all who were willing to come and hear; and having done this, he felt that he had discharged his duty.

Inhabitants of other worlds

When our race departed from God, and we were cut off in a great measure from intercourse with one another, perhaps we were then cut off from all the intercourse we may have heretofore enjoyed with the inhabitants of other worlds, and confined to our own narrow limits, that we might not corrupt others by our example; but as missionaries are sent forth, and the nations return to God and to duty, who can tell but we may yet be permitted to find the means of holding inter course with our neighbors in other planets, or our fellow-beings in the stars. But you will probably prefer to let your neighbors go, till you hear something of your own relatives at Constantinople.

Dear brother, let us live for eternity, for time will soon be no more. Let us pray for each other, and for each other’s families.

Your brother,

WILLIAM.

He writes in his journal: —

“February 18, 1812. On account of the encroachments of the Turks on the Frank burying-ground, I had to remove the body of our beloved boy. The grave, contrary to the custom of the country, had been dug deep, and the colfin was scarcely damp. Every thing was sweet and still. The new grave which we have prepared a few rods distant was also deep and dry; and there we laid the body, to rest in its quiet bed till the resurrection morning. Beloved child, farewell! ”

Mr. Goodell was original in almost every thing that he did or sa.’.d or wrote. The following letter of introduction is characteristic. It was superscribed: —

“ To the Rev. Messrs. Temple, Adger, Riggs, Van Lennep, and Calhoun, Smyrna, introducing one of those that resemble the children of a king: ” —

PKRA, March 5, 1842.

Incorruptible inheritance

DEAR BRETHREN, — I have much pleasure in introducing to you and to your good families Mr. Marshall, a fellow- countryman of ours, “ a fellow-citizen of the saints,” one of the royal family, born to a great estate, even “an incorruptible inheritance,” and possessing, also, no inconsiderable portion of comfort and convenience, on his way to the “ better country.” Having said thus much, I need not say more to bespeak your attentions and civilities to one of such high and noble extraction, and of such boundless prospects for eternity.

And with Christian salutations I venture to subscribe myself, by the grace of God,

A fellow-heir,

W. GOODELL.

The threatening of annihilation

On the one side were falsehood and cursing and blasphemy; the thunders of anathemas, the threatening of annihilation, the cutting off of bread and water, the driving out of families and individuals from their inheritance and their homes, from their shops and their business; the wresting by force from them of their necessary protective papers, and thus the exposing of them, without the possibility of redress, to all the insults and frauds of the most unprincipled and villainous of “ the baser sort,” and consigning them to a filthy Turkish prison, where some of them are now lying.

On the other side sat patience and meekness, peace and truth. There was serenity of countenance, and there was joy in tribulation. There was the voice of prayer and praise. The New Testament was in their hands, and all its blessed promises were in their hearts. There was no haste, no perturbation. They wrote a very appropriate and manly letter to their patriarch, making fully known their faith; and, when their letter was not received by him, they sent copies of it to all “ the mighty men,” and they have since lithographed it, and scattered it through the nation.

They sent to the Sublime Porte, to give notice of their situation, a document drawn up with so much care and judgment as to secure the immediate attention of the whole Turkish divan and to command the admiration of some of the very ablest diplomatists in the political world. To individuals known to be friendly, to this and that priest or vartabed, they wrote a long letter, calling upon them either to stand up in their own church and protest against the superstitious and wickedness of the times, or else to leave at once, and take their open stand with the persecuted friends of truth, choosing rather to suffer affliction with them than enjoy all the pleasures of sin and the honors of the world, with the divine indignation resting upon them. They had days of public fasting and prayer, and the spectacle was an affecting one.

Even women and children

Their songs of praise from the whole congregation went up like the sound of many waters, and reminded me of the singing of the ancient Bohemian brethren amidst the raging fires of persecution. And, indeed, to see them stand from day to day with such firmness on the Rock of eternal ages, unmoved and undismayed; to see them manifest such unshaken confidence in the power and wisdom and faithfulness of Christ; to see them take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they have in heaven a better and an enduring substance; to see them called up, one after another, from time to time, even women and children, and going alone, single-handed, cheerfully and fearlessly, into the presence of the greatest and craftiest of their enemies, and there witnessing a good confession, to the utter confusion of their inquisitors,— was a spectacle for angels and for men.

Thus far I have used the imperfect tense, and said “ teas,” but I now use the present, and say “ is;** for the end is not yet. On the contrary, the night is every moment growing darker and darker, and the storm is raging more and more furiously, and there is not a single gleam of hope to be seen from any quarter of the horizon. Every outward ray is now entirely extinguished; and those who have not eyes to see far enough to discern the “ rainbow round about the throne” must remain in utter darkness visit bulgaria. JII short, the combination of all nations and kindreds and tongues against the truth is so formidable, nothing now remains for its friends to hold on to but the power and faithfulness of Christ.

Full efficacy of prayer in their behalf

Ayat Him all is light, all is plain; “all things are possible.” Hero may our persecuted brethren continue to cling with both hands! And will not all the beloved churches at home, if they have never done it before, for once try the full efficacy of prayer in their behalf? I have myself for several days been holding on to Judges xiii. 23; for surely, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, would He have sent here Ilis word, His Spirit, and His converting grace, and shown us so much of His love and mercy in quickening the dead in sin?

Your brother in the Lord,

AY. GOODELL.

They who had been the honored instruments in the hands of God of effecting that religious reformation which had brought about this persecution were not left without the evidence that God smiled upon them and upon their work. In regard to the school that had been opened at the house of Mr. Goodell, he wrote a few days later: —

Room of Brother Temple

I remember when the room of Brother Temple and myself was filled from morning to night with our classmates and other students, who were anxious to learn what is most important for a sinner to know, but which colleges cannot teach, viz., how the righteousness of God’s beloved Son could become theirs? and when from day to day we laid aside the demonstration of mathematical problems to attend to the more clear and more important demonstrations of the Spirit.

Nor have I forgotten when that interesting young lady, who subsequently became the partner of your joys and sorrows, and who has now gone to join “ the general assembly and church of the first-born ” above, was examined for admission into the church here below, with the various questions proposed to her by different individuals present on that occasion. Oh, what delightful meetings we had in college, and on the Plain, and in all the region round about!

“ Those were golden, happy days,

Sweetly spent in prayer and praise.”

Unbroken and a happy family still

In Mr. Lang’s family I spent many pleasant hours, the remembrance of which is pleasant still. And though, at first, an involuntary sadness begins to steal over the mind in the reflection that the whole family, root and branch, is plucked up and removed for ever, yet the sadness immediately gives place to joy, in the thought that it is an unbroken and a happy family still, and that its removal from all these earthly scenes is not into a darker state, but into one of infinitely greater light and purity and blessedness. Here, to be sure, they enjoyed much, but there they will enjoy incomparably more. Here they inherited a little, there they will “ inherit all things.” Here they had a pleasant abode and many sincere friends, but all these were nothing in comparison with what they find in that “ better country, even an heavenly.”

Why, then, should we ever think or speak of them as being dead, when it is we who are dead, and they — they now have begun to know in reality what it is to “ have life, and to have it more abundantly ”! Oh, what thanks shall we render to Him who came down from heaven for no other purpose but to take us up with Him to His own glorious kingdom above!

Fit only to be burned

In removing, and I have already removed some dozens of times, I always find that a great deal of rubbish has accumulated, which is not worth carrying away, and is fit only to be burned. And when we take our last remove, I fear we shall find that a great deal which we called religion and which we were at the trouble of lugging about with us through our whole pilgrimage, is perfectly worthless, fit only to be burned, and we shall never think of taking it with us to the other world. Oh that we might no longer burden ourselves with such wretched furniture; but might empty ourselves entirely, and trust to our blessed Lord to make all the necessary preparation for us in those mansions above! ”

The following, from a letter to the Corresponding Secretary of the Board, shows his readiness to retrench expenses in a time of need. It also expresses the confidence with which he was anticipating an answer to prayers and labor, in the spiritual reformation of the people by whom he was surrounded, and the wisdom with which he was directing his efforts toward such a result:

Present distresses

“ We sympathize with the Board in their present distresses; but we trust it will in the end prove a great blessing to the cause, to the churches, and to all the missionaries. We find many little things, yea, and some great ones, which can be easily dispensed with, and that without seriously affecting the interests of our mission. And so long as we are not required to make retrenchments in prayer, in faith, and in making known a knowledge of Christ and salvation, I verily believe we shall live and grow. Your circular, instead of leading us to despond, has in fact led us to ‘ thank God and take courage,’ and we feel that now emphatically is the time to labor and pray in earnest.,

“ I see in your letter to Smyrna that, since reading Mr. Boggs’s letter respecting the church missions among the Syrian Christians in India, you feel some doubts as to the correctness of the sentiments you advanced in the instructions to Messrs. H.

Willingness on the part of many Armenians

“ As you already know, we erected His standard at this capital four years ago, and I am happy to report that it is now seen from afar. Many eyes are directed towards it, and not only so, but there is really a gathering round it. Instead of attempting to teach the Bible as heretofore, there is a willingness on the part of many Armenians that the Bible should teach them. They sit down at the feet of Christ to learn of Him, and are, I trust, becoming wise unto salvation. I have never before seen so much tenderness of feeling since I left America, unless perhaps at times in our English congregation at Malta. It seems like the coming over of a cloud, and the first fresh droppings of the rain after a long-continued and most distressing drought. It is like the coming back of the Holy Spirit to dwell with men on the earth, and to fit them to become subjects of the spiritual reign of Christ.

The villages on the beautiful Bosphorus

“ But I was going to tell you of a conversation I had with an Armenian, a friend of ours, who lives in one of the villages on the beautiful Bosphorus, and who can scarcely be less than fourscore years and ten. His limbs shake like those of one afflicted with the palsy, and he cannot even take his coffee without drawing his knees up near to his chin, and grasping the cup between them with both hands. But, strange as it may seem, he is always found working at his trade, and his mind is vigorous and active. As he is sensible that he cannot continue long in this world, his thoughts are much directed to that world of which he is soon to be an inhabitant; and, whenever I visit him, he always has many questions to ask about the momentous concerns of that world, and he always asks them with a serious and tender spirit. It is pleasant to talk with him, and tell him of the fulness and freeness of salvation by Christ.

In the last interview I had with him, something was said ofour conversation/ or, as it should be rendered,citizenship, being in r heaven.’ I told him that during the Greek revolution many respectable families fled to Malta. They lived there several years, but they did not become citizens of Malta. They did not build houses there, nor make any arrangement for a permanent residence there. They did not intermarry nor amalgamate with the people there, but, on the contrary, they retained their own customs and manners, and formed a class by themselves. They were citizens of Greece.

DAVID PORTER

The spirit in which this graceful hospitality was accepted is expressed in the following extract from the journal of Mr. Goodell: —

“ October 19, 1831. Accepted of the kind and pressing invitation of the American Charge d’affaires, Commodore Porter, to spend the winter with him, and removed to his house. He has assigned us four rooms, two of which he has entirely fitted up for us at his own expense. All the return we have it in our power to make him for this kindness is to pray that we may be to him what the Ark was to Obededom, — a blessing to his house. May He who made Joseph useful in Egypt, Nehemiah in the court of Persia, and Daniel in Slmshan the Palace, make us useful in our present residence; and ‘in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, may we have our conversation in the world.’ ”

This was the commencement of an intimacy that continued with little interruption until the death of Commodore Porter, in 1843, while he was yet representing the government of the United States at the Sublime Porte.

The American ambassador for many years took the liveliest interest in the work of the missionary, giving him his protection and the warmest personal friendship; accompanying him on his missionary tours, and affording him material aid in carrying out his plans for the welfare of the people to whom he was sent Ra Harakhti . Still more valuable was the return which the ambassador for Christ made by his Christian counsel and kindness and fidelity and prayers, which never ceased to encircle the Commodore, until he breathed his last while Mr. Goodell was kneeling at his bedside in prayer.

Goodell preached

Sabbath, September 25, Mr. Goodell preached as usual at the house of the American Charge, of which he made special record, as being the occasion of the baptism of his own child, Constantine Washington. This name was given at the suggestion of several American friends then at the Turkish capital, on account of his being the first American child born at Constantinople. Several German, Greek, and Papal- Armenian friends were present at the service.

In the early part of October, Constantinople and the vicinity were visited with one of the most remarkable hailstorms of which we have any authentic record, the hail falling in masses of ice. Mr. Goodell describes it in his journal: —

“ October 5,1831. At seven o’clock this morning occurred the most dreadful hail-storm that I ever witnessed. The roaring of the storm was heard for fifteen or twenty minutes before it reached us, and was at the time supposed to be the rumbling of distant thunder. As it approached, our attention was arrested by the very singular appearance of the Bosphorus. It seemed as if some person was, at intervals, throwing brickbats or paving-stones into it from the roofs of the houses.

Observing, however, the same appearance at a distance from the shore, I concluded for a moment it must be large fish jumping out of the water. But immediately the storm rushed on with awful fury; the stones fell, indeed, thick as hail; almost every pane of glass that was exposed was broken; the tailings of the houses were cut to pieces, and the water came down in streams into our chambers; while the whole surface of the Bosphorus was splashed up into the air in a manner it is impossible to describe.