Henry Martyn, Saint and Scholar : First Modern Missionary to the Mohammedans 1781-1812

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"The people [Persians] -- though not of course their ruler, who is of Turkish origin -- are more tolerant of new sects, such as that of Babism..." "Dr. Robert Bruce, writing to us from Julfa, thus sums up the results and the prospect: 'I believe there is a great work going on at present in Persia, and Henry Martyn and his translations prepared the way for it, to say nothing of his life sacrifice and prayers in this dark land. The Babi movement is a very remarkable one, and is spreading far and wide, and doing much to break the power of the priesthood. Many of the Babis are finding their system unsatisfactory, and beginning to see that it is only a half-way house (in which there is no rest or salvation) to Christianity. Ispahan has been kept this year in a constant state of turmoil by the ineffectual efforts of two moollas to persecute both Babis and Jews. They have caused very great suffering to some of both these faiths, but they have been really defeated, and all these persecutions have tended towards religious liberty. Our mission-house is the refuge of all such persecuted ones, and the light is beginning to dawn upon them.'"