at the Porte, they kept the bishopric in their hands. They were more rigid in the observance of fasts than the opposite party: yet the latter attended more to that point of supposed duty than the generality of Roman catholics. The Armenians were still more scrupulous in this respect; and some, it is said, would rather perish for want of proper sustenance during illness, than solicit a dispensation from the rigors of abstinence. Like the Greeks, they were divided into orthodox and schismatic Christians. The advantage of number was on the side of the former; but the others had the superiority in point of opulence. The Maronites continued to be attached to the Romish church, retaining, however, some doctrinal and ritual differences. They had a higher opinion of the sanctity or the convenience of a monastic life than the other Christians of Aleppo; but they had no monasteries in that city. The priests of these three communities were in general so poor, that those who had families were obliged to have recourse to some branch of temporal business for the augmentation of their income.

The state of the Greek church, in point of doctrine and practice, may be thus briefly exhibited. Its chief sacraments are baptism and the Lord's supper. To the former, which is deemed necessary to salvation, is annexed the chrism, or unction; and the child is dipped under water three times, in allusion to the Trinity. In the eucharist, three liturgies are used; but the ordinary one is that of St. Chrysostom. This sacrament is administered, even to the laity, in both kinds; and children are allowed to receive it. Transubstantiation is not a decided doctrine in this church. It is apparently maintained in one of the public confessions of faith; but the words used in the service itself seem merely

b Natural History of Aleppo, by Alex. Russell, M. D. vol. ii. chap. ii.

The prayer is, that God the Father would send down his Holy Spirit to sanctify the elements, and make them the body

to imply, that the supposed change is an act of the mind, not a physical conversion of the sacramental elements into the body and blood of Christ. The gross absurdity of supposing it to be an actual change of substance, does not appear to have formed a part of the early creed of the Greeks, but was, in all probability, borrowed from the wild fancies or artful inventions of Romish priests, the notorious corruptors of primitive Christianity.

The Romish notion of purgatory is denied by the votaries of this church: but they offer up prayers for those who have been removed from the world, and therefore seem to think that the soul has some place of residence from the day of death to the final judgement. They invoke a multitude of saints, and even burn incense to them. Next to Christ, the Virgin Mary and the twelve apostles are particularly honored. Works of super-erogation are disallowed. Faith and good works united are deemed requisite to produce justification.

Confession is practised, but not considered as a sacrament. It is enjoined four times in the year; but, in general, it is performed only once in that time. The penitents, however, are not required, as in the church of Rome, to make a full disclosure of all their sins, or to give a minute detail of cir

cumstances.

Marriage is regarded as a very important object, yet not as an indissoluble obligation. Three offices or services are used in its celebration; namely, that of betrothing, crowning the individuals, and dissolving the crowns. All the clergy, except bishops and monks, are allowed to enter into this union. Beyond a third time, all renewals of marriage are forbidden; and even second marriages are discountenanced. No solemnisations of matrimony are

and blood of Christ, for pardon, grace, and salvation, to all who devoutly receive them.

The idea of dissolving the crowns may seem ominous; but it is the ceremony which indicates that the marriage is concluded.

permitted during the fasts, which are usually kept with great strictness.

The ecclesiastical body consists of five orders, if readers and sub-deacons be reckoned among the number: the others are, deacons, presbyters, and bishops. The ordination of the highest class is a very impressive ceremony. It terminates with a prayer from the officiating archbishop, that Christ will render the new prelate an imitator of himself, the true shepherd; that he will make him a teacher of infants, a leader of the blind, a light to those who walk in darkness; that he may shine in the world, and at last receive the great reward prepared for those who boldly contend in the cause of the Gospel, and persevere in the service of God.

Although the head of this church has lost his controlling authority over the ecclesiastical establishment of Russia, he still has the gratification of reflecting, that the doctrinal prevalence of the system which he superintends, includes that great empire. The Russian clergy had long enjoyed important immunities; and, although these were in some measure abridged by Peter the Great, the order still can boast of considerable privileges. Among these we may mention an exemption from taxes; and we may add, that ecclesiastics are so far favored in a judicial process, as not to be amenable before a temporal judge, unless commissaries of their own order be assessors at the trial. Before the year 1791, the commandant or chief magistrate of a district used to send to the bishop, on every new occasion, for commissaries; but, since that time, clerical deputies have been regularly and permanently appointed for that function, by a general order of the holy synode.

Under this synod, in the reign of Catharine II., were thirty-one eparchies, or spiritual governments. That council, in 1789, was composed of two metropolitans, three archbishops, two bishops, a regular

e Tooke's View of the Russian Empire, vol. ii.

and a secular proto-pope, or chief priest, an archimandrite, or abbot, and some inferior officers. To each eparchy belonged a consistory, formed of an archimandrite, some priors, and secular clergy, The titles of metropolitan and archbishop were not attached to a particular see, but were distinctions merely personal.

The roskolniki, or schismatics, as those were called who objected to the prevailing system, which they said, involved various corruptions of the doctrine and discipline of the ancient Greek church, were not only discountenanced, but were sometimes cruelly oppressed, before the time of Catharine. Many of them were put to death by the unchristian barbarity of the clergy; and it is particularly recorded, that, in the year 1722, whole families of those unfortunate sectaries, unwilling to submit to the emperor's demand of a renunciation of their opinions, enclosed themselves in barns, and perished in the flames kindled by their own hands. At the time of this persecution, the chief ecclesiastical adviser of Peter, was Theophanes, bishop of Pleskoff, afterwards archbishop of Novogorod, whose liberality of mind, however, must have rendered him averse to the murder of reputed heretics. This prelate distinguished himself by writing against the multipli cation of ceremonies, the practice of idolatry, the rigors of monastic seclusion, and the various absurdities of superstition; and, while he exhorted the people to be content with praying, singing psalms, and reading the Scriptures, he advised the clergy to preach sermons of practical utility, rather than of doctrinal refinement f.

Historico-Geographical Description of Russia, Siberia, and Great Tartary, by Philip John von Strahlenberg, chap. viii.The Catechism prepared by this prelate was stamped with the approbation of the holy synod, and published in the year 1766. A summary of Christian Divinity, compiled by Plato, archbishop of Moscow, was about the same time recommended to general use.

This schism has continued to our times. Catharine treated the sectaries with lenity; and we do not find that they have been persecuted since her decease. Her chief attacks, in point of persecution, were directed against the abettors and advocates of democracy; and her son Paul, in that respect, followed her example.

The Russian plebeians and peasants are remarkable for superstition. Many absurdities are related of them in that particular: but it will be sufficient to mention the practice of having about the person, or in the apartments of a house, representations of saints (called gods) painted on boards. These pictures are viewed with an air of high respect and reverence; and, on entering a room, persons bow to them, and repeatedly cross themselves. Even many of the opulent have these little idols in their possession, and court the favor of these imaginary gods.

Among the multiplicity of tribes subject to the Russian emperor, are many Mohammedan and Pagan communities. The former are indulged with a toleration of their worship; and missionaries are employed to convert the latter, without dragooning them into the adoption of Christianity.

In Armenia, the majority of the people are still Christians, of the Monophysite sect. They appear to be more addicted to fasting than the professors of any other religion whatever; for it is said, that they have one hundred and fifty-six fast-days in the year. Their festivals also amount to a surprising number; but it is not true, that all the days in the year are appropriated to one or other of those opposite observances. Many of the natives of Armenia are dispersed over the different countries of the East, being tolerated as sectaries, and encouraged as traders, The Georgians were accustomed to steer between the doctrines and practices of the Greeks and Armenians: but, as they are now subject to the sway of the Russian emperor, they lean more to the former system.