CHAP. VII. MISSION IN RUSSIAN ASIA. IN 1764 the empress of Russia, Catharine the great, issued an edict in favour of the Brethren, and at the same time signified her wish that they would form a settlement on the banks of the Wolga. A general synod of the Brethren's church being that year assembled at Marienborn, a resolution was taken to accept this gracious offer of her imperial majesty. The synod was the more readily disposed to engage in this undertaking, as it induced the hope, that an opportunity might thus be afforded for propagating the gospel in the East, especially among those pagan tribes, who inhabit the confines of Russia and Tartary. The following year, therefore, five brethren went from Germany to St. Petersburg; and then proceeded to the banks of the Wolga. Having taken possession of a suitable tract of land, they began, with the assistance of some Russians, to erect the necessary buildings, to cultivate the land, and work at their trades. To this place they gave the name of SAREPTA. It furnishes a strong proof of their courage, and still more of God's protection, that five defenceless persons, with only a few Cossaks, given them now and then as a guard, resided a whole year in this desert, without suffering the slightest injury, though travellers were frequently robbed in these parts, and many thousand Calmucs were encamped in their immediate neighbourhood. SAREPTA lies near Czarizin, about two thousand miles from Petersburg, on the high road leading to Persia and the East Indies by way of Astrachan. The arrival of several companies of brethren and sisters, in subsequent years, not only increased the number of inhabitants, but in a short period rendered it a very flourishing place. Its si tuation on a rivulet, called Sarpa, near its confluence into the Wolga, led to the erection of mills; and the fertility of the soil amply rewarded their industry in agriculture, and occasioned the building of a small village, called Schoenbrunn, near the settlement, for the accommodation of those families, who were employed in farming and horticulture. The discovery of a mineral spring, at the distance of about five English miles from the bounda ries of SAREPTA, proved an additional source of prosperity. Joachim Wier, M. D. the practising physician in the settlement, having analyzed the water of this spring, and found it beneficial in various diseases, submitted a dissertation on it to the imperial college of physicians, which met with their entire approbation. SAREPTA in consequence received a great many visiters who stayed a longer or shorter time, either in the settlement or at the spa, for the use of the water. In some years the number of patients amounted to two or three hundred, among whom were persons of different nations and of high rank, governors of provinces, generals and even princes with their retinues. This concourse of visiters, the subsequent arrival of several German colonists of the Lutheran, Calvinistic, and Roman Catholic communions, who erected villages on the banks of the Wolga, and its situation on the high road, greatly promoted the commercial interests of the place; so that it is now a very flourishing settlement, enjoying the countenance aud protection of the Russian Government and exciting the admiration of travellers; the more so, as it lies in the midst of a vast and nearly uninhabited territory. The establishment of a flourishing colony, however, was not the primary object the Brethren had in view, when building SAREPTA. They never considered their intention, in erecting this settlement, would be fully attained, unless it should be the means of facilitating their endeavours to propagate the gospel among the heathen, and serve as a place of rendezvous to those brethren and sisters, who might feel disposed to devote themselves to this important service in the East. In order to effect this, they endeavoured to form an acquaintance with the Calmucs in their neighbourhood, and to cultivate their friendship. The Calmucs lead a pastoral life, roving from place to place, in quest of pasturage for their numerous flocks of sheep, cows, horses, and camels; for they never till the ground nor build any villages, but reside in moveable tents, called Kibitke. They are divided into four hordes or clans, viz. the Kohots, Soongars, Derbets, and Torgots; and though they are subject to the crown of Russia, are allowed to regulate their internal government, both civil and ecclesiastical, according to established usage, and to choose their own sovereign, besides whom they have many hereditary lords, or princes. Their religion is rank polytheism. They venerate one supreme Being; but besides him, believe in a great many inferior gods, who, according to their ideas, govern the world in rotation. They likewise pay divine honour to many thousand deified heroes, called Burchans, whose number is yearly augmented by the deaths of holy persons. Those, who are ambitious to obtain this honour, must be well versed in their sacred writings, repeat many prayers, avoid the killing of any creature, be charitable to the poor and perform other good works. None but the priests can lay claim to this distinction after death, and on this account they are treated with very great respect. They are of different ranks; some being called gellons and others lamas. To the latter they pay almost divine honours. The Dalai Lama, or grand Lama of Tibet, is the high priest, or the head of their whole superstition. He is said never to die; and they are continually invoking his name. The common people know of no other means of salvation, but by the prayers of their priests, which they purchase with rich offerings. They believe in the transmigration of the Boul: whoever, therefore, dies in an unholy state, has to pass through several stages for his purification, before he can indulge the hope of finally becoming a burchan. Their temples are nothing else than moveable tents, hung with very costly silk tapestry, superbly decorated with gold, silver and precious stones, and ornamented with the most grotesque representations of their idols. In many of their religious opinions and rites they bear a strong resemblance to the Roman Catholics. For instance, in the use of the rosary in prayer, the celibacy of the clergy, the observance of fasts, the meritoriousness of good works, the masses for the dead, &c. Their sacred books contain many sound principles and moral instructions; but mixed with most ridiculous stories. Many passages appear to have been borrowed from the christian doctrines, but greatly distorted to suit their own superstitious notions. Our brethren frequently detected them in endeavours so to interpret the history, doctrine, and miracles of Christ, as to make them coincide with their own legends and absurd mythology *. On either side of the Wolga are extensive uninhabited plains, called Steppes, overgrown with very long grass. In these Steppes numerous hordes of Calmucs annually pitch their tents, for a longer or shorter period; and as many of them often fixed themselves near SAREPTA, our brethren soon formed an acquaintance with them. They expressed much pleasure at the building of the settlement, frequently attended divine service with marks of respect and devotion, and behaved with great civility. At first they occasioned some trouble, by pitching their tents on the land, belonging to SAREPTA; but their princes, or chans, interfered, ordered justice to be done to the Brethren, whenever they had sustained any damage, and issued a public mandate for regulating the conduct of their subjects, with respect to the land appertaining to the set tlement. The physician in SAREPTA soon got many patients. Among these was a prince of the Derbet horde, who, during the winter of 1767, encamped with his whole retinue on the Brethren's land. On his removal, in the following spring, he invited two brethren, who had frequently visited him, to accompany the horde, promising them his friendship and protection, and every assistance in his power for learning the language. They readily accepted this proposal, and cheerfully submitted to all the inconveniencies of this novel mode of life, living in tents and moving with the horde from place to place. Every one treated them with kindness, not excepting the priests, * Brethren's History, Vol. i. p. 608, Ibid. Vol. ii. p. 140, Per. Acct. Vol. i. p. 105. Ibid. Vol. ii. p. 196. who permitted them to be present at their religious exercises, and raised no objections against their preaching the gospel to the Calmucs *. However, as no benefit appeared to result from this scheme, the Brethren relinquished their wanderings with the horde, and confined their endeavours to instruct them in the truths of christianity, to frequent visits among those who resided in the neighbourhood, and to friendly conversations with them. when they came into the settlement; which was the case almost daily. But, though the Calmucs listened with apparent pleasure to their discourse, the impression made upon their minds was fleeting and evanescent. While the inhabitants of SAREPTA were still concerting measures, and using every exertion, which their limited means allowed, for the instruction of the Calmucs and other pagan nations in that part of Asia, an event occurred, which threatened the entire destruction of the settlement. A very powerful party of insurgents, headed by the celebrated Pugatschef, which had for some time spread terror and devastation over several provinces of the Russian empire, in the summer of 1774 over-ran the government of Astrachan, and took the town of Saratof, A small party of Russian soldiers, sent to oppose the rebels, was completely routed at Praleika, not more than sixty miles from SAREPTA. Some fugitives brought the first intelligence of this to the settlement on the 28th August. The commandant of Czarizin at the same time informed our Brethren, that it was out of his power to protect SAREPTA, and advised immediate flight, as the only mode of safety left to the inhabitants. In conse quence of this communication all the sisters and children, and many of the brethren fled that night, in two parties, the one sailing down the river Wolga and the other travelling by land. Both companies, after enduring many hardships and dangers, reached Astrachan in safety on the 7th of September. Sixty five brethren still remained in the settlement, in order to secure their most valuable property, and see what turn affairs would take. In the evening of September 1st, they received Per. Acct. Vol, i. p. 105-107. |