DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12664#0195
184
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
tian Christians. There were no vessels of silver
and gold, no imposing array of costly implements,
to captivate the senses. A broken tumbler, a bot-
tle of wine, and three small rolls of bread, formed
the simple materials for the holy rite of the Lord's
Supper. The three Arabs partook of it, and twice
it was offered to me, but the feelings with which I
had been accustomed to look upon this solemn sac-
crifice forbade me to partake of the consecrated el-
ements ; and never did I regret my unworthiness
so bitterly, as when it prevented me from join-
ing in the holy feast with these simple-hearted
Christians.
In the mean time Paul came in, and the service
being ended,I fell into conversation with the priest.
He was a good man, but exceedingly ignorant,
weak, and of great simplicity of character. I in-
qu red of him touching the number and condition
of the Christians under his charge, and their state
of security under the government of the pacha, and,
among other things, asked him if they increased.
He told me that they remained about the same, or
perhaps rather decreased. 1 asked him if a Mus-
sulman ever became a Christian. He answered
never, but sometimes a Christian would embrace
the religion of Mohammed, and assigned a cause
for this unhappy difference which I am sorry to
mention, being no less than the influence of the ten-
der passion. He told me that in the free inter-
course now existing under the government of the
pacha between Christians and Mussulmans, it often
happened that a Christian youth became enam-
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
tian Christians. There were no vessels of silver
and gold, no imposing array of costly implements,
to captivate the senses. A broken tumbler, a bot-
tle of wine, and three small rolls of bread, formed
the simple materials for the holy rite of the Lord's
Supper. The three Arabs partook of it, and twice
it was offered to me, but the feelings with which I
had been accustomed to look upon this solemn sac-
crifice forbade me to partake of the consecrated el-
ements ; and never did I regret my unworthiness
so bitterly, as when it prevented me from join-
ing in the holy feast with these simple-hearted
Christians.
In the mean time Paul came in, and the service
being ended,I fell into conversation with the priest.
He was a good man, but exceedingly ignorant,
weak, and of great simplicity of character. I in-
qu red of him touching the number and condition
of the Christians under his charge, and their state
of security under the government of the pacha, and,
among other things, asked him if they increased.
He told me that they remained about the same, or
perhaps rather decreased. 1 asked him if a Mus-
sulman ever became a Christian. He answered
never, but sometimes a Christian would embrace
the religion of Mohammed, and assigned a cause
for this unhappy difference which I am sorry to
mention, being no less than the influence of the ten-
der passion. He told me that in the free inter-
course now existing under the government of the
pacha between Christians and Mussulmans, it often
happened that a Christian youth became enam-