see. Armenian Roman Catholics- Latins, or Frank Roman Catholics- GREEKS. THE Greeks, of the proper Oriental Church, are numerous in some parts of Syria. The Greek Patriarch of Antioch resides generally at Damascus: the Greek Patriarchs of Jerusalem have, for more than a century, taken up their residence at Constantinople; where they have been accustomed to assist the Patriarch and the Synod of that In Aleppo, Damascus, and Jerusalem, these Oriental Greeks are in considerable numbers: from the maritime towns they have found it expedient to withdraw during the present revolution, although some remain. In Mount Lebanon they are not tolerated, the Romish influence being there predominant and exclusive: but, to the south, towards Jerusalem, the Greeks probably far outnumber the Roman Catholics. Their standard of faith, it is almost superfluous to repeat, is that which the author has mentioned in his former volume of Christian Researches; being formed according to the First Seven General Councils, together with the Holy Scriptures. They have been found, as in Asia Minor and Greece, so also in Syria and Palestine, favorably disposed to the labors of the Bible Society. ARMENIANS. BETWEEN Syria and the British possessions in the East Indies, there is a vast tract of country, of the actual religious condition of which comparatively very little is known. If we except a small portion of Roman Catholic Greek influence in the more western parts of this immense region, it will be found to be occupied, so far as Christianity is concerned, by Armenians, Jacobite Syrians, and Nestorians, more or less scantily distributed among the native Mahommedan population. The Armenian church holds the opinion of the Monophysics, concerning the incarnation of Jesus Christ; in such a manner, however, as to differ from the Jacobites, with whom they do not hold communion. "They are governed," observes Mosheim, " by three Patriarchs. The chief, whose diocese comprehends the Greater Armenia, resides at Echmiazin. The second resides at Cis, a city of Cilicia. There is a third, residing at Aghtamar, but who is looked upon by the other Armenians as the enemy of their church." Besides these, there are other prelates dignified with the title of Patriarch, although not fully of the same rank; those, namely, of Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Caminiec in Poland.* SYRIANS. THE Nestorians do not so properly come under the denomination of bodies existing in Syria, belonging rather to Mesopotamia.* The Jacobite Syrians have also their residence chiefly on the banks of the Tigris; but their Patriarch, who lives near Mardin, not unfrequently visits Aleppo, where many rich Jacobite Syrians reside. He claims also to be styled Patriarch of Antioch : although, at Mosul, resides another Jacobite Prelate, who is styled, sometimes, the Maphrian. sometimes the Primate, of the East; in dignity inferior to a Patriarch, but superior to a Metropolitan. The Jacobite Syrians have also a chapel at the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem. They hold the Monophysite heresy in common with the Copts in Egypt. It was about the commencement of the sixth century that this heresy was promulgated by Severus, a Patriarch of Antioch. A very short time afterwards, he was expelled from Syria; and the orthodox faith was re-established in that country. Ere long, however, a follower of his, James Baradæus, successfully reared again the Monophysite standard; and, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, they have ever since maintained their opinions, receiving, from this second advocate of Monophysitism, the title of Jacobites. The following remarks of the Jesuit missionaries in Syria relative to this body will describe their sentiments, and the tenacity with which they adhere to them : "We could greatly wish that the fruits of our mission were more abundant among the heretics; but it is extremely difficult to recover them from the error into which they are gone. The Syrians, otherwise called the Jacobites, are most deeply attached to their peculiar error. They are very numerous. They are named Jacobites from one of the disciples of Eutyches and Dioscorus, called Jacob. This disciple revived the error of his masters in the beginning of the sixth century; and taught publicly, that there was only one nature in Jesus Christ, composed of two natures, the onc divine the other human. "It is true that the chief part of these Jacobites do not undertand what is the point in question; but their schismatic bishops and priests boast to them so often the pretended sanctity and the profound doctrine of Dioscorus and Barsamas, that the common people of this sect, prejudiced as they are in favor of these two heresiarchs, cannot imagine that these two men, so celebrated among them, should have been capable of falling into error. Thus their priests sounded continually in their ears that these two apostles of their sect namely, Dioscorus the successor of the great St. Cyril in the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and Barsamas that famous Monk his Arohimandrite, have taught them that the divine and human nature make but one sole nature in Jesus Christ, they + The author is, however, uncertain whether this * Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. Century xvi. Sec. 3. Part chapel belongs to the Jacobites or Nestorians. It 1. chap. 2. is called, generally, the chapel of the Syrians. obstinately hold to that sentiment; and, if you time, they call themselves Christians, and dress as combat them, they only answer by invectives, such. All their Christianity, however, consists in making the sign of the cross with only the middle their dress; and in the circumstance that they finger of their hand, holding at the same time the have their children baptized. There is seldom other fingers closed, in order to make you under- seen at church any of their sect, excepting a stand that they acknowledge only one nature in couple, whom they send regularly, in order to Jesus Christ, and that you shall never make them avoid the accusation of never appearing at the believe the contrary. church. They also have a Jacobite ecclesiastic, "Their obstinacy, great as it is, does not, how-to assist at the interment of their dead; but they ever, shut our mouth. As their conversion de- do not allow him to enter the house, till the coffin pends particularly upon that of their bishops, we wait upon them as often as possible, in order that they may be induced to come near us; and that we may have the opportunity of explaining to them what the Catholic faith teaches us, and what we are obliged to believe in order to be saved. "Happily for us, in the visits which we pay them they are the first to put us upon those articles of their belief which are contrary to ours; as, for example, the procession of the Holy Spirit, and the union of the two natures in Christ. is closed, when he follows the corpse to the burying-ground of the Shemsy. I heard nothing positive concerning their religious tenets: the Christians at Mardin told me that they always build the principal door of their houses toward the East, and that they always turn their faces toward the sun when they pray." Niebuhr, Voyage en Arabie, &c. Vol. II. pp. 321, 322. NOTE ON THE NESTORIANS. HAVING had occasion incidentally to mention the "Our custom is, to answer them simply with the Nestorians, I cannot pass on without observing, Holy Gospel, which we have in our hand. We op- that, of the different bodies existing in the East, pose to them those texts of Scripture, which clearly this is one peculiarly interesting as an object for decide the question; and the decrees of the council religious research and exertion. They are deof Calcedon, which formally condemns their errors." nominated, variously, Nestorian, Chaldean, or AsLettres Edif. et Curieuses, Vol. I. pp. 145-148. syrian Christians; and they are very numerous. If the following statement be in all circumstances The fullest account of them is to be found in the correct, it apparently argues an extreme laxity on fourth volume of Assemann's Bibliotheca Orienthe part of the Jacobites, in attaching to themselves talis, which he has entitled, Dissertatio de Syris half-made proselytes. Under the head of " Obser- Nestorians. Their Patriarchs are three; those, vations made at Mardin," Niebuhr thus remarks- namely, of Mosul, Ormia, and Amida. Of these, To the communion of the Jacobites belong the last-mentioned Patriarch has connected also the SHEMSY. These seem still to have pre-himself with Rome: the others have, at different served a religion which has been patronised, not times, treated with Rome; but still remain unonly by the Mohammedans, but also by the Chris-connected with her communion. In the abovetians. An old man assured me, that, in his youth, mentioned work of Assemann, who devotes 962 he knew many villages in the mountainous parts folio pages to this subject, various reconciliations of the country hereabouts, which professed this of this extensive branch of Christians with the religion. At present, it is believed, there are none Romish See are diligently recorded. One chapter of the Shemsy in the country; but, at Mardin, is devoted to the recapitulation of these events. there still exist about a hundred families, in two It is entitled, Conversio Nestorianorum ad fidem different quarters. Formerly but a few years ago, orthodoxam. (Chap. viii.) It might, however, these existed as a separate communion: but when more properly have been denominated, "Occasionthe idea came into the mind of the sultan Mus- al conversions of a part of the Nestorians, to the tafa, to compel all the Christians and Jews in the church of Rome:" for the learned author enumeempire either to become Mohammedans or to quit rates not fewer than five such events, which took the country; and all the grandees of the kingdom, place in the following periods, viz. A. D. 1247, not even excepting the Mufti, refused their assent 1288, 1552, 1616, and 1681. These intermittent to this order, since Mahomet himself had, on con- attachments to the Romish See might, alone sufdition of an annual capitation-tax, granted protec-fice to argue a very feeble degree of Papal inflution to the Christians and Jews; the edict was remodelled: and, with a view of giving some satisfaction to the sovereign, it was ordered that thenceforth no persons should be suffered in the country, except those who had sacred books; that is to say, Mohammedans, Christians, or Jews. This order gave very little concern to the Druses, Yasides, and Ansari, and those of other religions, who had their residence in mountainous countries, and were governed by their own Sheiks and Emirs. But the Shemsy were far too weak: besides which, they dwelt in cities, where the Mohammedan magistrate could easily have an eye upon them. They therefore submitted themselves to the Jacobite Patriarch of Diarbekir,* and, ever since that It is also mentioned by Assemann, (vol. II. p. 291) that the Jacobites freely communicate with heretics. ence in those quarters. But this is yet more fully developed by Assemann himself, at the close of that chapter; where, in a tone of complaint, he notices that one of three Nestorian Patriarchs alone continues in his adherence to Rome, while the other two have fallen off. He institutes an inquiry into the causes of this; and himself furnishes a complete answer, full of practical instruction. Why," he asks, "do not the successors of Elias and Simeon observe in their jurisdictions this concord with Rome, in the same manner as it has been religiously observed by the successors of Joseph?" To this question he replied in the following man ner: "For four causes, as it seems to me. First, because, when they entered into communion with the Catholic church, their ecclesiastical books were not purged of the errors with which they abound; namely, their euchologium and horologium, or ritual, the Pontifical, and the daily and nightly offices, and those of the saints: for, in these, the Nestorian heresy is everywhere contained, and the memory of heretics cherished. Secondly, all their books, as well Syriac as Arabic, on theology and the Canons, which are continually in the hands of their Patriarchs, Bishops, Presbyters, and others, were composed by Nestorian authors, and consequently infected with the poison of heresy: these are the only books which they read: they have no other book composed in their language by the orthodox, by which they might be taught the Catholic verities. Thirdly, the intercourse of letters and embassies between them and the Catholic church is interrupted: had it been continued, and had the Nestorians on the one hand had their orators at the Apostolic See, and were Rome on the other hand continually to visit them by letter or by legates, they would probably never have broken off the union once formed. Lastly, the apostolic missionaries destined for them by the Roman Pontiff are, for the most part, ignorant of their languages and of their rites, and scarcely penetrate those regions in which their patriarchs reside: hence they transact their mission with plebians, not with patriarchs and bishops; and not satisfied with instructing them in the faith, they very often move useless questions about rites, calculated to disturb, rather than conciliate, men, who are remarkable for a most tenacious attachment to their customs."-Assemanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, Vol. IV. pp. 412, 413. In these remarks there is much good sense: there is, however, one circumstance, naturally enough not alluded to by this learned papal envoy -THE SCRIPTURES WERE NOT ABUNDANTLY CIR CULATED AMONG ALL CLASSES OF CHRISTIANS IN THE EAST. But this could form no part of the policy of the court of Rome. It may be hoped that the recent publication of the ENTIRE SYRIAC BIBLE, by the British and Foreign Bible Society, will, under the divine blessing, be one of the means instrumental in giving Protestant missionaries a favorable acceptance from an immense body of Christians, as yet almost unknown, because almost unexplored by us, peopling the vast region between Aleppo and Travancore. COPTS AND ABYSSINIANS. THE Copts and Abyssinians in Palestine are to be found principally in the Holy City; devotion being the motive which has drawn them to this land. The Copts, from the nearness of Egypt, more easily return to their native country; but the Abyssinians, through extreme want, are obliged to remain. They are very few in number, and of no influence; living in great poverty, and many of them being dependent upon the richer Armenians, to whom they are in some degree attached by the similarity of their religious faith. ROMAN CATHOLICS. HAVING enumerated the different Christian bodies, which seem to have upheld, in the respec tive countries of the east, a more proper claim to the title of oriential Christians; we come to notice those Christians, who, either being natives, have adopted, or being foreigners, have introduced, the dominion of the Papacy. The first four sub-divisions of this number consist of persons by birth oriental: the fifth is wholly a foreign interest, being by birth, as well as in faith, occidental. Maronites Greek Roman Catholics- MARONITES. THE Maronites are to be found principally in Mount Lebanon, and the adjacent cities. The residence of their Patriarch is at Kanobin, not far nearly the northern boundary of their residence. from Tripoli; and this may be considered as The titular jurisdiction of this Patriarch, in com mon with that of some other Patriarchs in the east equally recognised by the See of Rome, is ANTIOCH; from which city, as having been visited by Saint Peter, a kind of papal_rank and virtue, supposed to emanate to all his successors in that (secondary, however, to that of Rome,) is by them See. South of Nazareth, the author heard of no resident Maronites. This church is in strict communion with the Romish hierarchy; a connection which was carefully cherished by the Jesuits, as they found, in the ease and security of the mountains, and in the means of forming their oriental seminaries and sidocility of the natives, the most advantageous milar establishments.* In the province, called Kastravan, situate between Beirout and Tripoli, one of their missions was established in the college also been established in this neighborhood by the at Antura, or Antoura. Several monasteries have Franciscans from Europe. Pope Urban VIII. manifested his sense of the value of this station, by forming here, in connection with the propaganda, an institution for oriental learning and Romish missions: from the rules of this establishment some extracts will be given in a future page, under the topics of "The Work of an Evangelist" and "Education." In this place the reader will be sufficiently informed of the origin of the Maronites, according to the tradition most approved by themselves, from the following passage: "The Maronite nation derives its origin and its name from the celebrated Abbé Maron; who must not be confounded with another of the same name more ancient, a Monothelite Heresiarch. The holy Abbé Maron was born in Syria, in the fourth century. He there spent the life of a hermit. He had under his conduct several disciples, who embraced his manner of living. The reputation of his holiness was so great, that St. John Chrysostom wrote to him from the place of his exile, to entreat him to obtain from God, by his prayers, The Maronites had, previously to A. D. 1182, been Monothelites. At that period, they abjured these opinions; and were re-admitted to the communion of the Roman church. (See Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, century VII.) grace to endure his excessive pains with patience and courage. Cardinal Baronius eulogises some letters which the holy Abbé wrote to the Pope Hormisdas, and the book which he presented to the council, an authentic proof of the Catholicity of the holy Abbé. "After he had piously finished his days, his disciples built a second monastery near the river Orontes. The better to recommend it, they gave it the name of their father; and, after that time, it was called the monastery of St. Maron. The emperor Justinian rebuilt their church, and gave it a handsomer appearance than the former one. "In the number of hermits of this monastery, there was one named John: who, having distinguished himself among his brethren by his virtues, was elected Abbé; and in honor of their first father, he was surnamed the Abbé Maron. This second Abbé Maron powerfully combatted the heretics and schismatics. He converted many of them; and so successfully defended his nation against schism and heresy which surrounded it on all sides, that it alone in the Levant has remained constantly and universally devoted to the chair of St. Peter. "The Abbé John Maron, of whom we speak, was the first of his nation who was honored with the title of Patriarch of the Maronites. He received the Patriarchate from the Holy See. His • successors, after their election, never omit, up to the present day, to depute a person to the Pope, in order to receive his confirmation and the Pallum."-Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, Vol. I. pp. 109-111. GREEK ROMAN CATHOLICS. · period of time. The following extract records the reception of the Romish creed, by some dignitaries of the Greek church in Syria, about the year 1717; an event which could not fail, for the time, to throw a great weight of influence into the papal scale; and it is accordingly announced in terms of high gratulation. It may very properly be introduced, as illustrating this section, concerning the Greek Roman Catholics. "The moment is at length come, in which the bandage which hid their eyes from the Catholic truth, has fallen. The Patriarch of Alexandria and the Patriarch of Aleppo have been the first to send to our holy father, pope Clement XI., their profession of faith; by which they protest, that they recognise and revere him, as the vicar of Jesus Christ, the head of the church, and the centre of unity to the Catholic faith. "The Patriarch of Damascus, named Cyril, the most powerful, and consequently the most in credit of all the Patriarchs in the Levant, was the last to give himself up. He had long lived in schism; but as he is a man of spirit and capacity, he could not refrain from praising and defending the Catholic religion. He frequented the company of the missionaries, and was well pleased that they should have the honor of often visiting him. Far from opposing the conversion of his flock, the schismatic Greeks, he favored, as much as possible, their return to the Romish church. He confessed, even, that he was ill pleased with the Greeks of Constantinople, for having formerly separated themselves. These good discourses, expressive of his sentiments, excited in the Catholics a feeling of affection toward him. They desired and asked of God, on his behalf, strength that he might follow the example, which the two Patriarchs of Alexandria and Aleppo had just given him. God has been pleased to hear their prayers; but mark the final method, by which this prelate to the bosom of the Romish church, the Saviour of men has been pleased to recover which had been so often the subject of his eulo THE Patriarch of the Greek Roman Catholics resides at the Monastery of Mar Michel, near Antoura.*. They have several monasteries in Mount Lebanon and the adjacent cities; among which a principal one is that of the Deir Mhalles, or San Salvador, near Saide. From this place, many are sent forth to occupy the office of paroch- gium. Schism had held him in slavery—to comial priests, in various towns of Mount Lebanon. pel him to quit it, it was necessary for Providence They take to themselves the name of Melchites, to permit his falling into captivity in the manner in the same manner as do the orthodox Greeks of which I am about to relate. Egypt; but this title at first originated in a political, rather than in a religious, distinction. the missal of his church to one of his disciples, "The Patriarch, of whom we speak, confided It may be dificult to trace at what exact period chance entered the shop, found this missal. One to take it to a binder. Some Turks, having by members of the Greek church in Syria first became Roman Catholics. The activity of the Rom- of them seized it; and carried it immediately to ish missionaries in the promotion of such conver- The Bashaw charmed with the opportunity of the Bashaw designing to make his court to him. sions must have been successful, probably, long before the period alluded to in a letter from which making an exaction from the Patriarch and exwe are about to give an extract. It is a letter torting money from him, did not fail, the next mornwithout date, of considerable length, occupying Bashaw then said to him, in a furious tone, that ing, to send and summon him before him. The 159 pages of the "Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses," he had been informed of what he had done to sein the Paris edition of 1780; and is addressed, by duce the Turks and make Franks of them-that the superior of the Jesuit missions in Syria and he had given to one of them a book of his false Egypt, to the superior-general of the order, giving religion, to pervert him-and that, for his crime, a very fuil and minute account of the Syrian mis- he deserved to be burn: to death: then without sions. The letter being without date, and entering into a very great variety of matter, has rather the appearance of being a compilation from the archives of the Jesuit missionaries during a long * See the following Journal, under date of October 21, 1823. waiting for his justification, he committed him to the prison of blood, so called, because it is appropriated to criminals destined to be condemned to death. The Bashaw's order of commitment was executed: but the Patriarch, after some day's confinement, having learnt that for three thousand crowns his liberty would be restored to him, caused this sum to be paid to the Bashaw; and the door of the prison was opened to him, on Whit-Monday, 1717. Scarcely was he out of prison and returned to his house, when he received the brief from Pope Clement XI., in which his holiness expressed to him that he had learnt, with a sensible joy, the protection which he granted to the Catholics, and the proofs which he gave of his esteem for the Romish church; that these dispositions led him to believe that he was not far from the kingdom of God; that he conjured him, as his brother in Jesus Christ, to hear the voice of God that called him, and would use the voice of the common pastor to recover his flock to the fold. Meditate,' said he to him, on those words of Jesus Christ-What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and loose his own soul? Beware lest the fear of loosing some transient and temporal advantages occasion you the loss of an eternal blessing. Follow, rather, the example of the Patriarch of Alexandria and of the Patriarch of Aleppo, who have sent us their profession of faith conformable to the holy councils. We expect,' said the pope to him in conclusion. 'we expect from you such a reply as we desire; and we will then explain to you what you will have to do, and the conduct which you should maintain.' "In terms nearly such as these, the brief was conceived. The Patriarch received and read it with profound respect. The Lord, at the same time, spoke to the heart of the Patriarch; who, touch ed by this invitation of the father and chief of pastors, assembled the missionaries, to declare to them, that he had taken the resolution of sending his profession of faith to the holy father in the terms which he desired. The prelate has kept his word. He, last year, deputed three persons, who carried to Rome his profession, together with presents and his pastoral staff, in order to submit it to the vicar of Jesus Christ. "We doubt not but his holiness would feel a sensible joy at receiving into his communion, and nearly at the same time, the three Patriarchs of the Greek church. God grant that those who succeed them may be the inheritors of their orthodox faith, as well as of their dignity!"-Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, Vol. I. pp. 140-144. ARMENIAN ROMAN CATHOLICS. those Armenians, who have accepted the dignity of the patriarchal title from Rome. "There are, also, on the large and fertile mountains of Lebanon, many Christians, (that is, Romish Christians,) who are denominated Greeks, because formerly they held to the Greek church; but their ecclesiastics are often less acquainted with the Greek, than the Maronites are with the Syriac language, which occasions them to perform their worship principally in the Arabic language. They have also their own patriarchs; but to all appearance, this has only been the case since the time of their union with the Romish church; and I imagine that the other united Greeks, who do not live in the territory of the Druses, pay no respect to this patriarch; but that the Pope simply gives this title to some ecclesiastic of the country here, in order that he may say he has a Greek patriarch in the Levant. In the same manner, there is, on Mount Lebanon, an Armenian patriarch, who is nominated by the Pope, and who, probably, has not much to say for himself. In ge neral, all these self-called European patriarchs live very tranquilly under the protection of the Druses: while the Chaldean patriarch of the pope at Diarbekir, and other apostate ecclesiastics of the east, often suffer great mortifications from the members of their ancient religion, and from the bashaws: for there are still to be found, in all the Syrian villages, many Greeks, Armenians, and Jacobites; who adhere to the patriarchs of Constantinople, Echmiazin, and Diarbekir, as heads of their churches respectively; and who do not regard it with an eye of indifference, that the Pope should give the title of patriarch to apostates, or that the European monks and their disciples should seduce members from the ancient communions, and thereby foment discords, and utterly ruin many good families. The dissensions of the Christians are always a clear profit to the Turkish government."-Niebuhr, Vol. II. pp. 346, 347. SYRIAN ROMAN CATHOLICS. Or this body, which is not numerous in Syria, the Patriarch is generally understood to be Mar Gregorius; the ecclesiastic who visited England in the year 1819, as Archbishop of Jerusalem. Some further account of this body will appear in the following Journal, under the date of October 20, 1823. LATINS, OR FRANK ROMAN CATHOLICS. THE residence of the Armenian Roman Catholic Patriarch is at Ybzumar, situate to the north of Beirout some account of this convent will apTo this number must be referred the consular pear in the following pages, the author having representatives, French, Spanish, Austrian, &c. visited it during his stay in Mount Lebanon. But of the respective Roman Catholic countries of although the Romanists have used very active Europe. These are, generally, either natives of exertions to bring over the Armenians to their their respective countries; or else, if born in the profession, and have long maintained a consider- Levant, they are of immediate European extracable influence with that people, both in Constan- tion. They are usually-perhaps it might be said, tinople and in other parts of the Turkish empire; invariably-professors of the Roman Catholic faith. yet it is not to be supposed, that the proportion of In this respect the church of Rome has never lost these converts is, in any degree, comparable to sight of its exclusive policy. In contrast to this those who have adhered to the ancient national it may be observed, that Protestant England is church of the Armenians. The following remarks often represented in the Levant, in subordinate of Niebuhr will convey a very just idea of this consular situations, by Roman Catholic or Greek fact, in reference both to those Greeks and to agents. This is, however, less the case at pre |