We were astounded, but the brutal fellow turned to us and said, “yes, and I will then make all the village Protestants, and if I fail, then cut my head off!” We told him that if he did anything of that kind, we would try to get him hung, and the American Consulate would have nothing to do with him.  “Very well,” said he, “I have made you a fair offer, and if you don’t accept it, I have nothing more to say.”  We rebuked him sharply, and gave him a sermon which he did not relish, for he said he was in haste, and bade us a most polite good morning.  He was what I should call an Adullamite.

A Greek priest in the village of Barbara once took me aside, to a retired place behind his house, and told me that he had a profound secret to tell me.  He wished to become a Protestant and make the whole village Protestant, but on one condition, that I would get him a hat, a coat, and pantaloons, put a flag-staff on his house, and have him appointed American Consul.  I told him the matter of the hat, coat and pantaloons he could attend to at but slight expense, but I had no right to make Consuls and erect flagstaffs.  Then he said he could not become Protestant.

In 1866, a man named Yusef Keram rebelled against the Government of Lebanon and was captured and exiled.  The day he was brought into Beirut, a tall rough looking mountaineer called at my house.  He was armed with a musket and sword, besides pistols and dirks.  After taking a seat, he said, “I wish to become Angliz and American.”  “What for,” said I.  “Only that I would be honored with the honorable religion.”  “Do you know anything about it?” “Of course not.  How should I know?” “Don’t you know better than to follow a religion you know nothing about?” “But I can learn.”  “How do you know but what we worship the devil?” “No matter.  Whatever you worship, I will worship.”  I then asked him what he came for.  He said he was in the rebel army, was captured, escaped and fought again, and now feared he should be shot, so he wanted to become Angliz and American.  I told him he need have no fear, as the Pasha had granted pardon to all.  “Is that so?” “Yes, it is.”  On hearing this he said he had business to look after, and bade me good evening.

But you will be tired of hearing about the Adullamites.  If those who came to David were like the discontented and debtors who come to us, he must have been tired too.  So many suspicious characters come to us, that we frequently ask men, when they come professing great zeal for the gospel, whether they have killed anybody, or stolen, or quarrelled with any one?  And it is not always easy to find out the truth.  If fifty men turn Protestants in a village, perhaps five or ten will stand firm, and the rest go back, and frequently all go back.