He was

We had intended to make some more remarks: as for example to mention that Fejio, the pretended Brazilian bishop, who wrote the work against the celibacy of the clergy, pretty well known in this country, was never actually a bishop, but a very bad priest, who left the holy ministry, married, devoted himself wholly to politics, and wrote this work probably to defend his apostasy and sacrilegious violation of solemn vows. the Talleyrand of Brazil. We wished also to say that Mr. Kidder found schools every where throughout the Brazilian empire, -a pretty severe rebuke to those who are for ever inveighing against "popish" ignorance and superstition. But our paper is filled, and we must conclude, referring those who wish for additional information to the work itself.

XXXI. THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES.*

DR. DURBIN'S OBSERVATIONS IN THE EAST.

The present struggle in the East-The ancient episcopal Sees-Alexandria-Antioch-JerusalemConstantinople-Statistics of the eastern and western churches in the early ages-Ancient glory and present degradation of the Oriental Churches-A picture of desolation-A vast necropolisDecrease of population-Testimonies of Dr. Frankland and Dr. Durbin-Number of Christians in the Turkish empire-Chastisement inflicted on the Greek schismatics-Their present forlorn condition -The only hope for their restoration-Their discipline in regard to the celibacy of the clergy— Their acknowledged agreement in doctrine with the Roman Catholics-Argument founded thereon in favor of the Catholic Church-Protestant missionaries in the East-Have they succeeded?-Dr. Durbin's admissions-His omissions supplied in regard to the Protestant missions of Hasbeja and Oroomiah-Disunion among the Protestant missionaries-Catholic missions in the East-Dr. Durbin's candid avowal-Statistics-The seven Apocalyptic churches-The church of PhiladelphiaDownright popery - Christian charity recommended.

THE struggle for political ascendency, at present going on in the East between the Allied Powers and the Russian Czar, has directed the attention of the civilized world to that quarter, and has invested with special interest whatever is connected with the past history and present condition of the Oriental Christians. It is for this reason that we deem it opportune to republish our remarks on Dr. Durbin's Observations in the East, written some years ago, with such modifications as present circumstances may seem to demand.

Every student in ecclesiastical history is familiar with the early prosperity and splendor of the Oriental Churches. Built up, many of them, by the apostles themselves, or their immediate disciples, and often watered by their blood, they continued to increase and to flourish for centuries, and diffused throughout the entire east, together with the light of the Gospel, the inestimable benefit of Christian civilization. Episcopal sees were erected in all the principal cities; and, wherever they were established, there grew up around them those admirable institutions of learning and charity which have always followed in the train of Christianity, and which have contributed so powerfully to change the face of society. The great patriarchal sees of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and subsequently that of Constantinople, became the radiating points of a new literature and a new civilization, much more useful and permanent, if not more brilliant, than had been those of the ancient classical times. During the first four centuries, Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, was

* Observations in the East; chiefly in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. By John ·P. Durbin, D. D., late president of Dickinson college; author of "Observations in Europe," &c. In two volumes, 12mo. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1845.

the great commercial emporium of the of Christian philosophy and literature.

east, as well as the principal seat Founded by St. Mark, the favored

disciple of St. Peter, the patriarchal see of this city was the first in order and dignity after that of Rome -the see of St. Peter himself. Its Christian school, founded early in the third century, had produced a Clement, a Dionysius, and an Origen; and the see numbered among its illustrious occupants the glorious names of a St. Alexander, a St. Athanasius, and a St. Cyril.

Next in point of rank came Antioch, the ancient capital of Syria, the second city of the east, and the see of Peter during the first seven years of his primacy, before he removed it to Rome under the Emperor Claudius. Its Christians schools were likewise famous throughout Asia, and they exercised a powerful influence over theological studies.' The great St. John Chrysostom had been there trained to virtue and learning, and for many years of his early career, his voice had in this church eloquently proclaimed the magnificent beauties and impressive truths of Christianity; while the sainted Flavians and other great and good men had successively discharged therein the office of patriarch. The third of the oriental sees was that of Jerusalem, founded originally by St. James, and subsequently illustrated by the virtues and learning of the St. Cyrils and the Juvenals.

It was only in the fourth century that Constantinople, till then called Byzantium, attained to the dignity of even an episcopal see; and until near the close of that century, it was content to occupy the fourth place among the episcopal cities of the east, and the fifth counting Rome. It was only by a bold innovation on this ancient order of things, first attempted by the Greek bishops of the second general council held at Constantinople in 381, and pushed still farther by those of the fourth general council held at Chalcedon in 451, that this see was placed second after that of Rome.' The Roman Pontiffs and the western church, however, never approved of this innovation, which they viewed as both unjust to the other patriarchal sees, and fraught with danger to the peace of the Church. The event has, alas! but too sadly proved the wisdom of their forecast, and the justice of their forebodings! These ambitious steps of the Constantinopolitan bishops finally led to the deplorable Greek schism, with all its endless train of evils. But before it took place the see of Constantinople was rendered illustrious by such men as St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. John Chrysostom, to say nothing of many other great names.

The other distinguished episcopal sees of the east, in the early ages of Christianity, were those of Ephesus, Smyrna, Cæsarea, and Edessa; to say nothing of the other churches mentioned by St. John in the first chapters of the Apocalypse, and of those spoken of by St. Paul in his

1 This influence became, subsequently, of a dangerous character, from the growing rationalistie spirit which pervaded investigations allowed in the school. This remark is, to a certain extent, also true of the school of Alexandria. The school of Edessa, under the guidance of St. Ephraim, was much more unexceptionable. See Newman's "Essay on the Development," &c.

2 It must be observed, that this regulation had reference only to ecclesiastical rank, and that the famous 28th canon of the latter council was not subscribed by one-half of the bishops, nor by the legates of the Pope.

Epistles, and by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. The great St. Basil, St. Ephraim, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius, the father of Church History, and a host of other illustrious writers, shed a flood of light and splendor on the early history of the Oriental Churches. Their fame is confined to no country and to no age; it belongs to all generations and to all Christendom.

We have no means of ascertaining with precision the Christian population of the eastern church in the fourth and following centuries; or what proportion it bore to that of the west. That it was immense, may be gathered from the fact, that the east then teemed with an abundant and overflowing population, the vast majority of which was Christian. By the beginning of the fifth century, paganism had so far declined, as to be almost reckoned among the things that were. Another fact may serve to give us some idea of the great extension of Christianity at that early period, and may also enable us to estimate the relative Christian population of the east and of the west. Learned Christian antiquaries inform us that, towards the close of the fourth century, there were about eighteen hundred bishops in all Christendom, of whom nearly a thousand belonged to the eastern church. The episcopal sees were then, however, much more limited in extension than they are at the present day, and therefore much more numerous in proportion to the population. This was more particularly the case in the east, and also in northern Africa. Thus we find, that of the eight hundred bishoprics in the west, about four hundred were in northern Africa alone. Yet no one would surely pretend to infer from this circumstance, that the Christian population in that small portion of Africa, was one half of that in the entire west.

Upon the whole we may, perhaps, conclude that, during the first five centuries, the number of Christians in the east and in the west was about equal. After the final conversion of the northern nations, effected successively in the fifth and following centuries down to the tenth, the western Church acquired an immense preponderance in numbers; and, since the final consummation of the Greek schism, in the eleventh century, this preponderance has gone on steadily increasing, until, at present, the western Church has nearly four times as many members as the eastern, including the Russian church and all the oriental sectaries. Ever since the schism, the Greek church has been steadily declining, and the Latin Church has been as steadily progressing.

But the glory of the Greek church during the early ages, belongs to the great body of Christians; for, during all that period, the eastern and the western churches were united into the one Catholic Church, "the one sheepfold under the one Shepherd." Viewing the subject in this light, every Catholic heart must exult at the former splendor, and weep over the present fallen and forlorn condition, of the Oriental Churches. Could the great and illustrious bishops and saints, who once shed so brilliant a lustre upon that portion of Christendom, now arise from their tombs, how sad a prospect would break upon their vision! Would they recognize, in the

present desolate and degraded condition of the Oriental Christians, any traces of that prosperity which they had formerly witnessed, and to which they had, under Providence, so greatly contributed? Alas! how the face. of things has changed. The glory of those time-honored and illustrious sees has faded for ever. For nearly four hundred years, has that once chosen portion of God's inheritance been groaning under an oppressive and a crushing Turkish slavery; many of her once flourishing cities blotted out from the face of the earth, others lying desolate and in ruins, and even those which remain, shorn of half their original splendor. Alas! for the uncertainty of human events! Alas! for those sins which brought down so terrible a chastisement of heaven!

It is, indeed, a sad thought, but one full of instruction for us, that what was once the blooming garden of Christian civilization has now become a dreary waste, a frightful wilderness; all its flowers blighted, all its fruits plucked. Asia Minor, once the Eden of the world, and the most refreshing spot in Christendom, is now strewn only with ruins and with tombs, and it has become a vast necropolis, or resting place for the ashes of the dead! Dr. Durbin draws the following graphic picture of this striking contrast:

"Our road lay directly over Mount Pagus, from the heights of which we descended by an ancient paved way, much broken up, into one of those incomparable valleys of Asia Minor, which to the eye seem to be completely shut in by high, broken gray mountains, and yet are connected with the adjacent valleys by narrow extensions between the mountains.

.. Their wonderful fertility, when well cultivated, may be inferred from the fact that, in ancient times, the smallest of them sustained a city with its dependent towns, and each of the largest was adorned with several cities, some of which were remarkable for population and wealth. The names of most of these are preserved in history, but the sites of many are utterly unknown. Indeed, Asia Minor may be considered one vast solitude, rendered exceedingly impressive by the number of cemeteries which the traveler sees every few hours. No villages or towns are in sight of them. No groves of cypress or terebinth shade them. The former glory and power of the countless millions that sleep in them are indicated by the fragments of marbles, columns, pedestals, richly carved capitals, freizes, and sarcophagi, which lie half covered by the tangled thickets of shrubs, vines, and wild flowers, on which the flocks of the wandering Turkman occasionally browse. Indeed, all Asia Minor appears like one vast necropolis of the unknown and forgotten dead. The cemeteries of towns at present inhabited are usually adorned with groves of evergreens; the cypress is appropriated to the Moslems, the terebinth, or common fir, to the Armenians and Greeks, but the graves of the Jews, either by choice or from coercion, are unadorned even by an erect stone. Their grave-yards throughout the east are naked, stony fields, a striking picture of desolation and distress."

This frightful desolation extends to the very heart of Asia Minor; to the banks of the Hemus, and to the once smiling borders of the Gygean lake. Hear again our Reverend tourist:

"They (the guides) were lost for four hours, during which we literally

1 Vol. ii, p. 118 and seqq.