There are in all 21 Roman Catholic monasteries, formerly belonging to the orthodox Christians; of which 17 are for men, containing 336 monks, and 4 for women, having 82 nuns. Roman Catholic schools and institutions, established long ago, 13; 2 printing presses; 6 houses of charity. Roman Catholic families, living in Syria, in all 9775. The number of Maronites amounts to 15,860 families, living in Syria and on Mount Libanus. Maronite schools 4. The Missionaries of the Roman propaganda use every possible means to add to their numbers; they establish schools, and printingpresses; the books printed therein are distributed gratis to every Syrian; they build alms-houses and hospitals; take churches and monasteries from the orthodox Christians; they persuade their adherents to have no communication with orthodox Christians, and to look upon them as worse than Jews and Mahometans; the latter, as masters of those parts, are liberally bribed to persecute and oppress the orthodox Christians; under colour of benefactions they are furnished with small sums at the Jewish interest of 10 per cent. a month; securing the loan by taking immoveable property as a pledge; their possessions are taken from them by force of law, and then the destitute person is left the choice either of remaining for ever without them, or of acknowledging the popish dogmas and thus receiving back his property. The persecutions exercised by the Pope's missionaries against the orthodox Christians are excused by their zeal for their order.—The Protestant missionaries, who come from England and even America, act also in their own interests. Seeing the extreme misery of his flock and the rich means of the adversaries, Methodius the 151st Patriarch of Antioch, now residing in Damascus, has resolved to address a petition to the Russian Emperor, that he should permit the Church of Antioch to stretch out her hand to his pious nation with a blessing and a prayer for succour. The Emperor has consented, and Methodius the Patriarch has sent off to our capital, Neophytus the Metropolitan of Heliopolis and Mount Libanus, having furnished him with the following letter: Methodius By the Grace of God Patriarch of Great Antioch. Our humility, together with the Holy Council of Archbishops under the jurisdiction of our most holy Apostolical and Patriarchal See of Antioch, announces by this recommendatory letter, that in consequence of a proposition of the most holy Governing Synod of Russia, His Imperial Majesty the pious Sovereign of all the Russias,-may his Empire be invincible and glorious for ever,-moved by compassion, has been pleased to grant his Imperial and most prudent permission for the coming into his orthodox Russian Empire, of one of the Archbishops of our poor See of Antioch, with his brotherhood, for the purpose of collecting alms, in order to establish schools and printing presses; to restore in Damascus the church of our Father Nicolas Thaumaturgus who is among the saints, to repair other old churches and monasteries, and to erect indispensable public Christian edifices; wherefore in consequence of the decision of the council, ratified by us, we have appointed and despatched, as bearer of this letter, Neophytus the Metropolitan of Heliopolis and Mount Libanus, and our beloved brother in Christ; with him are sent the brethren, father Sophronius the most reverend Archimandrite of our See, Anthimus the Priest-monk, and Mr John Papandopolo, Secretary of our See. The Apostolical See of Antioch has long suffered under the heavy yoke of infidel thraldom, from which during this long and bitter subjection, it has borne and still continues to bear such multiplied and heavy oppression as we cannot describe in words. During the time that creeds contrary to our orthodox Eastern church have been propagated and strengthened here, our blessed predecessors the Patriarch and Archbishops, as well as we ourselves and our Archbishops, have suffered and still suffer innumerable oppressions and persecutions in various forms. Our much oppressed See beholds around it a deplorable sight: at present the Roman Catholics are strengthening and extending their doctrines in Syria; they violently take the best monasteries and churches from the orthodox Christians; nor are the church sacristies and libraries of our See less exposed to their plunder; they even take the precious and sacred sacramental vessels and coverings, vestments and books, which have been preserved here from time immemorial. Of the churches and monasteries which in former times served as asylums for our orthodox Christians, some have fallen into decay, others have been deserted, and those which still exist are deprived even of the common vessels and sacramental coverings; and the Christians for want of orderly schools, teachers, and other public institutions, are wallowing in the most pernicious ignorance and barbarism. All these shocking evils proceed from the great want of means by which all might be rectified. Having stated our condition as well as we could, we apply to all you orthodox inhabitants of the Russian Empire, that, moved by heartfelt pity and Christian compassion towards the shocking misfortunes of the most ancient See of Antioch, you would graciously receive our above mentioned deputed Archbishop and his fellow-travellers, and that you would be generously pleased to afford succour in so important and saving an action as that of supporting Orthodoxy in Syria, each according to his means, in order that we may be enabled to renew and repair the churches and monasteries which have decayed and been deserted, to establish printing presses, and to institute Christian schools for the education of the clergy and other orthodox Christians, that we may not appear in every respect the last among other nations. And we, with our holy Archbishops, lifting up day and night our supplicatory hands to the gracious and bountiful God, will implore His boundless goodness, to grant you perfect health, constant prosperity, a long life, and all the blessings desired by your pious souls; the names of those who afford succour, names so sacred to us, will be inscribed in the churchbook of our Apostolical See, as an eternal memorial. May God who is rich in goodness, write your names in heaven in the Divine book of eternal life; may He reward you for your benevolence, by His heavenly gifts and bounties; may He deem you worthy of a blessed death, granting you in Paradise His Kingdom of Heaven. May His grace and boundless goodness with the prayers and blessing of our humility be with you. Amen. In the year of our Lord 1842, September. (Signed) Methodius, Patriarch of Antioch, prays in Christ for you all. Archbishops: METHODIUS of Emesa. BENJAMIN of Beiroot. JOANNIKIUS of Tripoli. ARMEMIUS of Laodiceia. ZACHARIAS of Arcadia. Metropolitan: ISAIAH of Tyre and Sidon. Let us here repeat the words of our Eastern guest, the representative of the Church of Antioch, words which have already been printed in the Moscow journals. "God grant that the orthodox Christians of all the Russias may under the reign of our victorious and pious sovereign, the father of nations, be preserved in peace a long, long time-if there is nothing eternal on earth; and may they, as each is inclined, give a part of their superfluity to their foreign brethren, who have enlightened them with the light of Evangelical doctrine, whereupon is founded the power, glory, and peace of their dear fatherland." I shall think my Weak will be a word from me after these words. self happy, if this information about the Church of Antioch, her origin, struggles with infidels, her relations with us, and her present condition, shall serve to excite sympathy in my fellow-countrymen, and Christian zeal to afford her affectionate succour in her great sufferings. APPENDIX. III. STATE OF THE PATRIARCHATE OF ANTIOCH IN 1850 (Translated from the Russ). THE SYRIAN CHURCH. THE Syrian Church which has suffered so much, had early experience of powerful enemies of Christianity, and carried on with them a continual, sharp and unequal struggle during the course of 18 centuries, and is still carrying on the same in our own time. She begat and nurtured numerous children, but the greater part of them have rejected her doctrines, her traditions and discipline, have separated from her and persist in their errors (viz. the Nestorians, Jacobites, Maronites and Uniats). HIERARCHY. The Orthodox Syrian Church is governed by the Patriarch of Antioch. According to the fixed rule of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, he must be elected by the clergy and people, and must be a Syrian ecclesiastic. This rule was adhered to almost universally down to the beginning of the last century. But from that time he has been elected from the Greek clergy by the Patriarch of Constantinople and his Synod-in consequence of the growth of the Unia in Syria. In order to form a well-grounded judgment both of the right of the Great Church to elect the Patriarch of Antioch, and of the canonical limits of this right, it is necessary to take notice of the following events in the history of the Syrian Church. § 1. In the middle of the fifth century, the Christians of Antioch and their Clergy, in place of the Patriarch Domnus, who had been expelled by Dioscorus, received Maximus who was chosen and consecrated for them by the Patriarch of Constantinople Anatolius, contrary to the canons then in force in the Ecumenical Church. The Pope of Rome Leo I. objected against this infringement of the canons, but ineffectu ally. In the time of the Emperor Zeno the successor of the Patriarchs Anatolius and Gennadius of Constantinople, ordained and sent to Antioch Kalandion: Pope Simplicius condemned him for this, but again without any result. In the reign of Justin there was sent from Constantinople an orthodox Patriarch named Paul, to take the place of Severus the heretical Patriarch of Antioch. § 2. In the first half of the seventh century, when the Caliphs had become masters of Syria, the Patriarchs of Antioch Macedonius, George and Macarius, all three Monothelites, and Theophanes who was crthodox, were consecrated at Constantinople: from thence they governed their flock, and there they died. It is manifest that at that time necessity justified a departure from the canons. § 3. After the death of Theophanes, who has been just mentioned, the Syrian Bishops elected from their own clergy Stephen, by birth and language a Syrian, and from that time the Patriarchs of Antioch were all in succession natives, till Antioch was taken from the Caliphs by Nicephorus Phocas, Zimisces and Basil. But after the union of this city to the Greek Empire, there were some Patriarchs who were consecrated at Constantinople, as Agapius, John, Elias and George. However, the inhabitants of Antioch themselves asked for these Patriarchs from the Emperors. § 4. After the Crusades, from the thirteenth century to the eighteenth, the Patriarchs of Antioch were elected and consecrated by the Synod of the Syrian Bishops. It is true that in troubled times, when there were hierarchical schisms in the Syrian Church, some of the Patriarchs were consecrated at Constantinople. But this was done only upon requests made from Damascus. § 5. From the beginning of the eighteenth century, which was marked by the grievous struggle of Orthodoxy against the Unia, they began to elect and to consecrate at Constantinople Patriarchs from the Greek clergy: but again this was not done arbitrarily, but on the request of the Syrian Bishops who could not agree among themselves in the election of Patriarchs on the spot. In this way it was, that the chair of Antioch was filled by Silvester, and after him by Philemon, and after him again by Daniel, etc. From all these facts it appears, that the Church of Constantinople took part in the affairs of the See of Antioch for various reasons: but at the same time that it also preserved this See; and that it has a right to take part in the election of the Patriarch of Antioch, when the |