of black felt,* and are never promoted to a higher dignity than that of proto-papas of the church in which they serve. The regular clergy, we are told, are generally men of a certain education; whereas the seculars are of the meaner sort, and illiterate in the extreme.

The Caloyeri, or Greek monks, almost universally follow the rule of St. Basil; the convents of females are now few in number; but in both sexes the degree of ascetic proficiency is marked by peculiar habits.

COUNTRIES WHERE FOUND, NUMBERS, &c.-As the Greek church is of the highest antiquity, so, including all its branches, its doctrine prevails at this day over a greater extent of country than that of any other church in the Christian world, and supposed to be professed by about 30,000,000 of souls. It is professed through a considerable part of Greece, the Grecian islands, Walachia, Moldavia, Sclavonia, Egypt, Nubia, Lybia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine; all which belong to this article,t being comprehended within the jurisdiction of the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. At least one half, if not two thirds, of the inhabitants of European Turkey are Greeks; and if all these be Christians, their number must be very considerable, notwithstanding the harsh treatment, and many hardships to which for several ages they have been exposed.

Among other grievances, all the Greek males, above fourteen years of age, are subject together with all other ragas, i. e. all who are not of the Mahometan religion, to a capitation tax, called Carach, which" varies," says Mr. Dallaway, “in three degrees, from four to thirteen piastrest a-year; nor are the nobility liable to any other personal tax but individuals frequently suffer greatly in their property, without redress."

On the other hand, the Greeks in Turkey enjoy several privileges; for, besides the patriarchate, to which they may aspire, the Ottoman government has, for some ages past, conceded to them four posts of the greatest honour and emolument that a subject can enjoy, viz. the dignity of hospodar, or governor of the two fertile provinces of Moldavia and Walachia, with the title of prince, and the offices of body physician, and chief drogoman or interpreter, of the imperial court. Yet the value of these appointments must be much lessened, from the the circumstance of their being held only at the pleasure of the Sultan.

Mr. Dallaway observes, that they likewise "wear long beards universally;" a practice which formerly was common, if it does not still extend, to all the clergy of all orders and descriptions.

Yet the exact number of Christians who are members of the church now under consideration cannot easily be ascertained, as no inconsiderable proportion of the Christians within these bounds belong to the other Eastern Churches, or to other communions.

A piastre is equal to about 4s. sterling, or somewhat more,

The Greeks have not, properly speaking, any universities; and the chief seminaries of education for the members of their church are established on Mount Athos, in Macedonia, now called Monte Sancto, or the Holy Mount, where there are twenty-two monasteries, and about 4000 monks, and at the monastary of the Apocalypse, in the island of Patmos ;" but I am credibly informed," says Mr. Dallaway, "that the latter contains, at this time," (1797)" three professors only, and less than 100 students."

1

Nothing can be conceived more deplorable than the state of the greater part of the Greeks, ever since their subjection to the oppressive yoke of the Ottomans. Since that fatal period, almost all learning and science, human and divine, have been extinguished among them. They have scarcely any schools, colleges, or any of those literary establishments that serve to ennoble human nature; and the ignorance that reigns among them, has the worst effect upon their morals. Those few that surpass the vulgar herd in intellectual acquirements, have derived this advantage, not from having studied in their monasteries, but from the schools of learning in Sicily or Italy, where the studious Greeks usually repair in quest of knowledge, or from the perusal of the ancient Fathers; and more especially," says Mosheim, "of the Theology of St. Thomas, which they have translated into their native language.'

Yet, notwithstanding these assertions are built upon the clearest evidence, and supported by testimonies of every kind, many of the Greeks deny, with obstinacy, this inglorious charge, and exalt the learning of their countrymen since the revival of letters.

It is a fact, however, that, within a few years past, schools of various kinds have been established by the Greeks, some of them Colleges for a liberal education, which are furnished with able instructors, and are in a flourishing state. No portion of Christendom is in a more interesting state, at the present day than the Greek church. At the fall of the Turkish Empire, which seems to be an event not far distant, this church will probably take the lead in the re-establishment of Christianity in the ancient countries of patriarchs, prophets and apostles.

SECTION II.

Eastern Churches not subject to the Patriarch of Constan

tinople.

THE RUSSIAN GREEK CHURCH.

RISE, HISTORY, AND CHANGES INTRODUCED BY PETER THE GREAT. Of those independent Greek Churches which are

governed by their own laws, and are in communion with the patriarch of Constantinople, but are not subject to his jurisdiction, there is none but the church establishment in Russia that is of any note in the Christian world; the rest, i. e. the Georgians and Mingrelians, "are sunk in the most deplorable ignor ance and barbarity that can possibly be imagined."*

The accounts which have been given of the introduction of Christianity into Russia, are so fabulous and ridiculous, that they are sufficiently refuted by their own absurdity. Some have pretended, that the country was converted by the apostle St. Andrew. Another tradition, equally groundless, and still more absurd, reports, that St. Anthony of Padua, converted them to the Christian faith; and adds, that the saint swam over the Levant upon a great mill-stone, and then rode to Novogorod upon it! Another account says, that Wladimir was convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, by seeing the book of the New Testament thrown into a large fire, and from thence taken out unburnt and unhurt. What we learn with most appearance of probability is, that the Grand Duchess Olga, or, as her name is pronounced, Olha, grandmother to Wladimir, was the first person of distinction converted to Christianity in Russia, about the year 955, and that she assumed the name of Helena, at her conversion; under which name she still stands as a saint in the Russian kalendar.-Methodius, and Cyril the philosopher, travelled from Greece into Moravia, about the year 900, to plant the gospel; where they translated the service of the church, or some parts of it, from the Greek into the Sclavonian language, the common language, at that time, of Moravia and Russia; and thus it is thought that this princess imbibed the first principles of Christianity. And, being herself fully persuaded of its truth, she was very earnest with her son, the Grand Duke Sviatoslav, to embrace it also; but this, from political motives, he declined to do. In the course, however, of a few years, Christianity is said to have made considerable progress in that nation.

It is fully ascertained that, about the end of the tenth century, the Christian religion was introduced into Russia, chiefly through their connexion with Greece; and coming from this quarter, it was very natural that the doctrine and discipline of the church of Constantinople should become at first the pattern of the church of Russia, which it still continues to follow in the greatest part of its offices. Hence likewise the patriarch of Constantinople formerly enjoyed the privilege of a spiritual supremacy over the Russians, to whom he sent a Metripolitan* whenever a vacancy happened.

* Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. vol. v. p. 259.

+ Metropolitans had the government of a province, and Suffragan bishops under them, and were so called from their usually being the bishops of the capital city of the province. Mosheim tells us, that in the fourth century, they had likewise the archbishops under them;

Little occurred in the ecclesiastical history of Russia, except perhaps the rise of the sect of the Raskoliki, which excited considerable tumults and commotions in that kingdom, till Peter the Great ascended the throne of Russia; who, in the beginning of the eighteenth century, made some remarkable changes in the form and administration both of its civil and ecclesiastical government.

This great prince made no change in the articles of faith received among his countrymen, which contain the doctrine of the Greek church; but he took the utmost pains to have this doctrine explained in a manner conformable to the dictates of right reason, and the spirit of the gospel; and he used the most effectual methods to destroy, on the one hand, the influence of that hideous superstition that sat brooding over the whole nation ; and, on the other, to dispel the ignorance of the clergy, which was incredible, and that of the people, which would have surpassed it, had that been possible.

To crown these noble attempts, he extinguished the spirit of persecution, and renewed and confirmed to Christians, of all denominations, liberty of conscience, and the privilege of performing divine worship in the manner prescribed by their respective liturgies and institutions. This liberty, however, was modified in such a manner, as to restrain and defeat any attempts that might be made by the Jesuits and other members of the church of Rome, to promote the interests of Popery in Russia, or to extend the jurisdiction of the Roman pontiff beyond the chapels of that communion that were tolerated by law; and particular charge was given to the council, to which belonged the cognizance of ecclesiastical affairs, to use their utmost care and vigilance to prevent the propagation of Romish tenets among the people. All this caution had, no doubt, arisen from the repeated efforts of the designing pontiffs of Rome and their missionaries, to extend the papal empire over the Greek churches, under the pretence of uniting the two communions; and, with this view, a negotiation was entered into in 1580, under John Basilides, Grand Duke of Russia, who seems to have had political ends to answer in pretending to favour this union. But, although the professed object of this negotiation failed, the ministry of Possevin, the learned and artful Jesuit, who was charged with the mission on the part of the Roman pontiff, was not without fruit among the Russians, especially among those residing in the Polish dominions.

Proposals for uniting the two communions had been made by different Popes, as lionorius III., Gregory IX., Innocent IV., Gregory XIII., and last of all, by the Academy of Sorbonne in 1718; but the Russian Sovereigns and the nation have always remained firm and true to their religion at the same time, all religions, without exception, are tolerated in Russia. In the year 1581, in the reign of Czar John Vasilievitz, Pope Gregory

:

but Metropolitan and Archbishop have long been almost synonymous and their offices also much the same.

XIII., proposed to that sovereign that the Lutheran clergy should be banished from Russia; but he was answered, that in that country all nations have a free exercise of their religions; and now in Russia there are Lutherans, Calvinists, Hernhutters, Armenians, Jews, Mahometans, Pagans, Hindoos, &c. &c. Roman Catholics are to be met with in almost every government, particularly in those conquered from the Polish dominions : their clergy are governed by their own rulers, and are totally independent of the Russian ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

Peter likewise introduced a considerable change into the manner of governing the church. The splendid dignity of patriarch, which approached too near the lustre and prerogatives of majesty, not to be offensive to the emperor and burdensome to the people, was suppressed, in 1721, by this spirited monarch, who declared himself (and thus became, like the British monarch,) head of the national church.

The functions of this high and important office were entrusted with a council assembled at St. Petersburg, which was called the Holy Synod; and one of the archbishops, the most distinguished by his integrity and prudence, was appointed as president of it.

The other orders of the clergy continued in their respective rank and offices; but both their revenues and their authority were considerably diminished. It was resolved at first, in this general reformation, to abolish all monasteries and convents, as prejudicial to the public, and unfriendly to population; but this resolution was not put in execution; on the contrary, the emperor himself erected a magnificent monastery in honor of Alexander Newsky, whom the Russians place in the list of their heroes and saints.

DISTINGUISHING DOCTRINES.-This church agrees almost in every point of doctrine with the Greek Church subject to the patriarch of Constantinople. It, of course, receives seven Msyteries or sacraments ; admits no statues or graven images, but pictures only, upon which the name of the saint must always be inscribed. Dr. King assures us, that the more learned of the Russian clergy "would willingly allow no picture or representation whatever of God the Father; for the figure of the ancient of days,' from Daniel's vision, whose 'garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool,' is by them interpreted to be the second person of the Trinity, who so appeared to the prophet; yet it must be confessed, that the common practice is so contrary to their opinions, that, in a great number of churches, as well ancient as modern, this figure, and Jesus, and the Dove, are painted together to signify the Trinity: nay, there is now in the church of St. Nicholas at Petersburg, a picture of an old man holding a globe, and surrounded with angels, on which God the Father is inscribed." Dr. King further observes, that during the reign of Peter the Great, the synod censured the use of such pictures, and petitioned the emperor that they might be taken down ; when he, though