A History of Protestant Missions in the Near East

1560) after he had left his home for his faith's sake, he spent his entire fortune on the translation of Protestant literature, 25,600 books in four years into the languages of the Balkans," hoping that by this means the pure teaching of God's 'Word might be introduced into Turkey and that the All-merciful would in this way smite the Turks with the sword of His almighty power as He had exposed and smitten popery by the hand of Martin Luther of blessed memory" (Christl. Orient, 1897, p. 3ff.). Many German princes and free cities contributed considerable sums to this in its own way great literary mission enterprise. On the threshold of the history of Protestant Missions in the Near East there stands an interesting figure, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucaris (1572-1638). Born in Crete and educated in good schools in Venice and Padua, Lucaris was raised to the chair of the Orthodox Greek patriarchate of Alexandria in 1603. It was here he seems first to have come into touch with Protestantism. He describes the circumstances thus in a letter: Ubi vero Deo placuit misericordi nos illuminare ut animad- verteremus quo in errore versabamur, mature cogitare incepi- mus, quid opus esset facere. Quid ergo feci ? Libris aliquot evangelicorum doctorum quos Oriens nosternon quod nunquam viderit, sed neque utrum essent, obstantibus pontificiis cen- suris, nunquam audivurit, opera et favore amicorum acquisitis, spiritu sancto assiduis orationibus invocato, per tri... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.