GREEK CHURCH is that part of the church which is established in Greece, Russia, and various parts of Turkey. It is so called, in contradistinction from the Latin or Romish church; also the Eastern church, in distinction from the Western. The Romanists call the Greek church the Greek schism; because the Greeks do not allow the authority of the pope, but depend wholly, as to matters of religion, on their own patriarchs. They have treated them as schismatics ever since the revolt, as they call it, of the patriarch Photius.

The Greek church may be considered under two main divisions, i. e. that which maintains religious communion with the patriarch of Constantinople, and that which is established under its own synod, bishops, and rulers, in Russia. The Georgians and Mingrelians also adopt the doctrines and ceremonies of the Greek church; but are independent of all jurisdiction of the Constantinopolitan prelate.

That part of the Greek church connected with the patriarch of Constantinople, is divided, as in the early ages of Christianity, into four large districts or provinces; Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem; over every one of which a bishop presides, who has also the title of patriarch, and whom the inferior bishops and monastic orders unanimously respect as their common father. This prelate has the privilege of nominating other patriarchs, though that dig. nity still continues elective, and of approving the election that is made; nor is any thing of moment undertaken or transacted in the church without his express permission, or his special order. Indeed, in the present decayed state of the Greek churches, whose revenues are small, and whose former opulence is almost annihilated, their spiritual rulers enjoy little more than the splendid title of patriarchs.

The spiritual jurisdiction and dominion of the patriarch of Constantinople are very extensive, comprehending a considerable part of Greece, the Grecian Isles, Walachia, Moldavia, and several of the European and Asiatic pro vinces that are subject to the Turks. The patriarch of Alexandria resides generally at Cairo, and exercises his spiritual authority in Egypt,

Nubia, Lybia, and a part of Arabia. Damascus is the principal residence of the patriarch of Antioch, whose jurisdiction extends to Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and other provinces. In Syria there are three bishops who claim the title and dignity of patriarch of Antioch. The first is the bishop of the Melchites, a name given to the Christians in Syria who follow the doctrine, institutions, and worship of the Greek church: the second is the spiritual guide of the Syrian Monophysites; and the third is the chief of the Maronites, who hold communion with the church of Rome.

The patriarch of Jerusalem comprehends, within the bounds of his pontificate, Palestine, Arabia, the country beyond Jordan, Cana in Galilee, and mount Sion.

The episcopal dominions of these three patriarchs are indeed extremely poor and inconsiderable; for the Monophysites have long since assumed the patriarchal seats of Alexandria and Antioch, and have deprived the Greek churches of the greatest part of their members in all those places where they gained an ascendant. And as Jerusalem is the resort of Christians of every sect, who have their respective bishops and rulers, the jurisdiction of the Grecian patriarch is consequently confined there within narrow limits.

The right of electing the patriarch of Constantinople is vested in the twelve bishops who reside nearest that famous capital; but the right of confirming his election, and of enabling the new chosen patriarch to exercise his spiritual functions, belongs only to the Turkish emperor. But this institution is subject to the grossest perversion and abuse by the corruption and avarice of the reigning ministers. The power of this patriarch among a people dispirited by oppression, and sunk into the grossest superstition by extreme ignorance, must be, and actually is, very considerable and extensive. Besides, his own prerogatives are numerous; for he not only convenes councils by his own authority; but by the special permission of the emperor, he alministers justice and takes cognizance of civil causes among the members of his communion. His influence is maintained on the one hand by the authority of the Porte, and on the other by his right of excommunicating the disobedient members of the Greek church. The revenue of this patriarch is drawn particularly from the churches that are subject to his jurisdiction; and its produce varies according to circumstances.

The Greek church acknowledges as the rule of its faith, the Holy Scriptures, and the decrees of the first seven general councils; but no private person has a right to explain, for hinself or others, either the declarations of Scripture, or the decisions of these councils; the patriarch and his brethren being the only pe sons who are authorised to consult these oracles. and to declare their meaning. The Nicene and the Athanasian creeds are allowed by them, and they hold the doctrine of the Trinity, but with this qualification, that the Holy Ghost pro ceeds from the Father only, and not from the Father and the Son. The invocation of saints is

alike received in the Greek and Roman communion. The Greek church admits the use of pictures to instruct the ignorant, and to assist the devotion of others by those sensible representations. In the Greek church there are seven mysteries, or sacraments, as they are called in the Latin church, viz. baptism, the chrism, or baptismal unction, the eucharist, confession, or dination, marriage, and the holy oil or extreme unction. As to baptism, they practise the trine immersion. Chrism is called the unction with ointment, and extreme unction is cailed the consecration with holy oil. The chrism is a mystery peculiar to the Greek communion, and holds the place of confirmation in the Roman. It immediately follows the immersion at baptism, when the priest anoints the person baptised on the principal parts of the body with an ointment, consecrated with many curious circumstances for that purpose by a bishop; this ceremony is always used at the reception of a proselyte from any other church. Children immediately after baptism may receive the communion. Predestination is a dogma of the Greek church, and a very prevailing opinion among the people of Russia. The Greek church admits prayers and services for the dead as an ancient and pious custom, and even prayers for the remission of their sins; but it disallows the doctrine of purgatory, and determines nothing dogmatically concerning the state and condition of departed souls. It also pays a regard to the relics of saints and martyrs of which too superstitious a use is made. Supererogation, indulgencies, and dispensations are utterly disallowed in this church; nor does it affect, like the Latin, the character of infallibility.

The best modern summary of its doctrines and pratices is that published by Platon, late metropolitan of Moscow; and which Mr. Pinkerton some years ago translated. We shall avail ourselves of his labors; and particularly of his description of that most important part of this church, the Greek church of Russia.

On the introduction of Christianity into Russia, the first dignitaries of the church were the metropolitans, who were chosen by the grand princes and the bishops, and ordained by the patriarch of Constantinople. Hence the patriarchs, not unfrequently, without consulting either the Russian princes or clergy, sent them metropolitans and bishops of their own choosing, though the grand princes generally opposed such an infringement on their prerogative, and often sent them back again to Constantinople; and even some of the grand princes, in place of applying to the patriarch, commanded the Russian bishops to ordain their own metropolitans. But, in general, the person chosen to be metropolitan of all Russia, went to Constantinople for ordination; and this usage continued till the taking of that city in 1453 by the Turks, when a final stop was put to the free communication which had so long subsisted between the patriarchs and the Russian church. On this account, Tzar Theodore Ioanovitch, in 1588, appointed his own patriarch in the Russian church; in which appointment the four patriarchs of the east having acquiesced, Jeremias, the patriarch of Constan

tinople, came into Russia, and ordained Job, the metropolitan of Moscow, patriarch of all Russia, conferring upon him equal authority and powers with the eastern patriarchs. This office lasted till the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the disturbances which had taken place in the preceding reigns between the princes and the patriarchs, induced Peter the Great to abolish this office, in order the better to carry into effect his plans of reformation, both in church and

state.

When Peter the Great ascended the throne, the power of the patriarch was almost equal to that of the tzar, after whom he took the first seat, and had a chief voice in all the affairs of the empire, both civil and religious. Without his blessing, neither war was undertaken, nor peace concluded. From these peculiar privileges, and the influence he possessed over the clergy and people, an influence which was oftentimes augmented by his own extensive domains and family connexions, it not unfrequently happened that the patriarch opposed his voice to that of the tzar and nobles, in national affairs of importance, for no other reason but because he had not been previously consulted. On this account, Peter, on the death of the last patriarch, Adrian, in 1700, abolished the patriarchal office, and appointed an exarch, or vicegerent of the Holy See, with limited powers, who could do nothing without the consent of the other bishops, and was obliged to refer all affairs of moment to the decision of the tzar himself.

The person appointed to the exarchy was Stephen, metropolitan of Rezan, under whose presidency the schools of the clergy were much improved, the priests and monks more strictly looked after, and arrangements made for that further reformation in the government of the church which soon followed.

In 1721 Peter abolished the exarchy also, and, in place of it, instituted the Holy Legislative Synod, and furnished it with instructions, for the government of spiritual affairs, under his own particular cognizance. This spiritual council was at first to consist of twelve members, chosen from amongst the Archirès, Archimandrites, and Protoirès; but the number is now indefinite, and the choice and appointment of its members depend entirely on the will of the sovereign.

At the head of the Holy Legislative Synod there is always a layman, denominated the Ober Procurator, who is considered as sitting there on the part of the crown, and has a negative on all its resolutions till laid before the emperor.

The Russian clergy are divided into regular and secular. The former are all monks, and the latter are the parochial clergy. The superior clergy are divided into metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops, who are indiscriminately styled Archirès; but the title of metropolitan or bishop is merely personal, and not properly attached to the see; and, though there is some difference among the superior clergy in denomination, rank, and dress, yet it scarcely ever hap pens that one archirè is subordinate to another.

Before the time of Peter the Great the bishops were absolute in their own dioceses; and

for the secular priests, to be worn suspended from their necks, together with mitres like those of the archimandrites, and other marks of distinction in dress. These he bestowed on such of them as distinguished themselves in their holy calling.

This emperor, also, in order that the country clergy might have more time to attend to their spiritual duties, commanded that their fields should be cultivated by the peasants belonging to their respective parishes; a regulation, however, which has since been laid aside.

The whole Russian empire is divided into thirty-six dioceses or eparchies, which, in extent, are nearly the same with the divisions of the empire into provinces, or governments. In these there are 483 cathedrals, and 26,598 churches, which are, in general, magnificent buildings. Formerly many of them were of wood, but now they are mostly built of brick; and comparatively few of the wooden churches remain. A foreigner, in particular, is forcibly struck with the elegance of these fine edifices, raising their gilded spires amidst the humble izbas, or huts of the peasantry. Some of the churches are large square buildings, but the most of them are built in the form of a cross. In general, they have five domes, with crosses, which, in monasteries and cathedrals, and even in some parish churches, are gilded, and have a splendid appearance. Adjoining to the church, or near to it, there is always a steeple or belfry, commonly of great height, provided with large bells; and, like the churches, overloaded with decorations.

The church is divided into three parts; first, the sanctum sanctorum, called the altar, and into which females are not permitted to enter. In the middle of the altar stands the holy table, upon which a golden or silver cross, and a richly ornamented copy of the Gospels, are always laid. This part of the church is the east end, so that the congregation always worship with their faces towards the rising sun.

The altar is separated from the nave or body of the church, by a screen, upon which pictures of our Saviour, the Virgin, the Apostles, and Saints, are always painted. This screen is called the ikonostas, in the middle of which are the royal doors, which are opened at different times in the course of the service. Upon a platform before the ikonostas, raised several steps, the readers and singers stand behind a low rail, to separate them from the congregation; and, in the middle, before the royal doors most of the service is performed.

The second division is the nave or body of the church, which properly may be styled the inner court, where the congregation stand; for there are no seats in the Russian churches, neither do the congregation make any use of books. In some of the new churches in Petersburg and Moscow there are pulpits erected to elevate the speaker; but they are unknown in the churches in other parts of the empire, in which the preacher, while delivering his discourse, usually stands before the royal doors, behind a moveable desk.

The third division is called the trapeza, which

is the west end of the church, and may properly be denominated the outer court. This part is usually as large as the inner court, where the congregation assembles; but, on holidays, both these divisions are generally filled with the worshippers.

The inner walls and domes of the churches are covered with scriptural paintings, which is general represent the most interesting scenes of our Saviour's history. The ikonostas is always richly gilded and ornamented, and the pictures of the saints adorned with gold and silver, pears, and precious stones.

The service of the church is contained in upwards of twenty volumes folio, all in the Slavonian language, which, though the ancient language of the country, is not well understood by the greater part of the modern Russians. Twelve of these volumes, one for every mont', contain the particular services and hymns for the festivals of the saints, who are so numerous in the Greek kalendar, that there are more of them than there are days in the year. These twelve volumes are called the Minoon. Tue Octoechos compose two volumes, and are divided into eight voices or tones, each of which contains hymns for the days of one week, that are mixed in the service according to the subjects to which the days of the week are appropriated. Thus, Sunday to the resurrection; Monday to the angels; Tuesday to John the Baptist; Wednesday to the Virgin; Thursday to the apostles; Friday to the passion of Christ; and Saturday to the saints and martyrs. To these two there is a supplementary volume, containing hymns, to supply the deficiency in the Minoon. The Psalter and the Hours take up another volume. The Book of Psalms is divided into twenty parts, one of which is read at a service; so that the whole is read through in the course of a week. The Book of Praver contains the ordinary daily prayers and ectinas for the priest and deacon, in the vespers, matins, and communion service. The Fast Triods are two volumes, which contain particular services for the great fast before Easter, and for the days of Pentecost, when the hymns in the Octoechos are discontinued The four Gospels compose another volume, a portion of which is read at every service. The Book of Offices contains the rites of baptism, marriage, burial service, &c. And, lastly, the Book of Regulation, which contains directions how to use the rest

The lives of the saints are contained in several folio volumes, which are not now read in churches, but are sometimes read in monasteries, at the matins or morning service.

The Russians make no use of a complete cops of the Bible in their churches; they have only extracts from the Old Testament and the Epistles, interspersed throughout the Mineon and Octoechos; and even many of the clergy in the country do not possess an entire copy of the Scriptures. Both in monasteries and parish churches the service is performed three times a day. It begins in the evening of the preceding day, as among the Jews; the vespers at sunset; the matins between four and five in the morning; and the liturgy or communion service between

nine and ten. The greater part of the service consists of psalms and hymns, which, according to the regulation, ought to be sung, but are now mostly read. The length of the service, also, has given rise to the unintelligible manner in which most of it is now performed; for the priests and readers, in order to get the more quickly through it, have fallen into the practice of repeating and reading the hymns and prayers so quickly, and in such a tone of voice, as renders the greater part of them impossible to be understood by the congregation. The Gospel, however, is always read slowly, and in a distinct and audible voice; so that it is much more intelligible, from being thus read, than many other parts of the service.

Our limits forbid us to extract several able passages from Platon's Orthodox Doctrine,' which we had marked with that view. We can only take the following:

Of the death of Christ, he says, "The death of Christ is the true sacrifice. A sacrifice, because Christ offered up himself upon the altar of the cross, as an innocent lamb, slain by the justice of God, and consumed by the fire of love, with which he burned for the salvation of mankind; and his being thus consumed was a spectacle no less wonderful in itself, than acceptable to God, the Father.

'Christ was also the true sacrifice; for all the other sacrifices were nothing, but a kind of types or images of this; and it alone was capable of satisfying divine justice, meriting for us God's mercy, cleansing us from our sins, and of restoring us to our original state of blessedness. The word of God bears testimony to this; But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God!' Heb. ix. 11, 12, 13, 14.

This sacrifice put an end to the sacrifices of Aaron or of the Old Testament, and Christ became the only and eternal priest. The only priest, because another sacrifice is impossible; the eternal priest, for, according to the words of the apostle, He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood; wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' Heb. vii. 24, 25.

"This great high priest is called of God a priest not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. v. 10. Now in this there is a great mystery; in which every one must be astonished to behold revealed three of God's excellencies, mercy, justice, and infinite wisdom. Mercy so great, that the only begotten Son of God, of the same essence with the Father, was delivered up unt: death for us the enemies of Voz. X.

God. Can there be a greater display of mercy? Justice so holy and inviolable, that, without a complete satisfaction, it could not clear us of guilt. Infinite wisdom, that devised such a wonderful plan, not only to satisfy justice, but to pour upon us the whole fountain of goodness. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! This most exalted mystery is to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to us, who are thereby saved, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God: and we, with Paul, will declare, God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ;' Gal. vi. 14.

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"Of faith in Christ.- Verily, Christ died for all.' 2 Cor. v. 15. And there is no one so great a sinner whom his grace alone is not able to save. But, in order that this grace may become effectual in us, faith is requisite, that is, we must heartily receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and without doubting rest assured, that only through him we can be made partakers of the mercy of God. Without the infinite merits of Christ all our attempts are in vain, and man can never be saved. This is clearly taught every where in the word of God, John iii. 15; For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;' and verse 18,

He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.' When we consider faith as essential to salvation, it is to be understood, that we mean faith unfeigned, sincere, and living, that is, 'faith which worketh by love,' Gal. v. 6.

"Of the true church. From the beginning of the world to the present time, and to the very end of time, the church has been, and will be, always one and the same. One, because there is for ever one faith, one foundation of faith, and one head of the church, Christ; one way of salvation, and one hope for all. Thus it is written to the Ephesians, One body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith.' Chap. iv. 4. Hence this church only cuts off all those who either do not receive the word of God, or mix their own improper opinions with it; therefore, the society of such people is not a church, but an assembly holding heterodox opinions, which is governed by the spirit of division, and not by the Spirit of God. Even at the present time, to the offence of Christians, we behold three chief sects or parties in Christianity: Papists, Lutherans, and Calvinists. They are mutually in opposition to one another. Popery, exclusive of its being filled with the most pernicious superstitions, and the edicts of Popes, in contradiction to the word of God, blindly holds the tenet in regard to the proceeding of the Holy Ghost above mentioned, and explains it in opposition to the clear testimony of Holy Scripture. It has also taken away from the common people the cup in the communion, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures. It has further devised some sort of a purgatory fire, has appropriated to itself a power unknown in the gospel, and undertakes to convert gainsayers by fire and sword.

The Lutherans and Calvinists dissented not 2 U