country, is the Greek Church, which, until very lately, has scarcely so much as excited the attention of our best and most studious men. The Hon. Mr. Curson has recently brought it before the learned world; but even he has treated the matter in a rather one-sided, we might almost say superficial, manner. Yet what is the account the learned Doctor gives of this branch of the Church?

'Let us now turn,' he says, 'from the impressions produced upon our minds by the city of Athens, to the consideration of the Greek Church and, first, we must glance backward to the first centuries of the Christian Church. The Greek language was that most in use in the time of the apostles. For this reason, the Gospels and Epistles were written in it. But when the boundaries of the promised land were passed, and the apostolic churches became more extended, each congregation worshipped in its mother tongue, and thus introduced the use of many languages into the one Christian Church. In the West, the Latin tongue was used; and the distinction between the Eastern and Western Churches consisted, at first, only in this difference of language, but it soon extended to other points-so that both Churches began to modify their doctrines and worship according to their respective peculiarities.

'These diversities continued till the time of Constantine; when, by his conversion to Christianity, the boundaries of the Church were considerably enlarged, and a form of government was given it by the Emperor, who instructed the Eastern and Western Churches to hold a common assembly. Here the more sober and sensible character of the West often appeared in opposition to the lively, impressible spirit of the East; and, in the discussion respecting Christian doctrines, the Roman Catholic Western Church (by means of great determina. tion) often obtained the victory over the wavering Greeks, and preserved a greater uniformity than the latter, among whom many sects arose, following this or that strange doctrine-as the Coptic, Armenian, or Nestorian.

The difference between the Churches became at length so great, that at the end of the eighth century the union almost ceased to exist; and, in the twelfth century, the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each other at the same time. Since that period, the Churches have maintained a bitter hatred towards one another, each asserting itself to hold the orthodox Catholic faith. It appears that the Greek Church numbers about seventy millions, and the Roman, a hundred and forty millions, of adherents. The Pope has, nevertheless, succeeded in subjecting to his authority several Greek churches; these are now called Greek-Catholic, while the others style themselves Greek-Orthodox.

With respect to the teaching of this Church, its compendium of doctrine was written towards the close of the eighth century, by John Damascenus, a monk of the Convent of St. Saba, near Jerusalem, and is entitled, "Explanation of the Orthodox Faith." To this the Greek Church has adhered; and, while in the West, under the blessing of God's

STRAUSS'S JOURNEY IN THE EAST.

Spirit, great light has been obtained on the meaning of the Holy Scriptures (although many deviations from the right way have also been permitted to creep in), the Greek Church retains its original constitution. Its principles approximate nearer to the Protestant faith than do those of the Roman Catholics; and it has been less decided in its opposition to the doctrine of justification by faith. If it accepts the seven sacraments, it rejects the theory of purgatory. The Holy Sacrament is administered in both kinds; and a spoon of wine is presented to the communicant, containing a piece of broken bread. One singular custom prevalent among them is, that little children are admitted after baptism to the Sacrament of the Supper, manifestly in opposition to the rule of the apostle, who enjoins self-examination previous to the Communion. The marriage of the lower grade of priests is permitted; the higher ranks of ecclesiastics alone being proBut, much as the hibited from entering into the conjugal state. Greek Church resembles the Protestant in some particulars, the Word of the Lord does not possess that authority which belongs to it, and an individual acquaintance with the Scriptures is almost unknown.

The impediments to the progress of the Church were owing partly to the general decline of the Eastern power; but principally to the severe and widely extended sway of the Mahomedans, by whom the Greek Christians were continually confined within narrower bounds. A want of spiritual cultivation, almost beyond conception, was the result; preaching fell more and more into disuse, until it was at length completely abandoned; and the beautiful liturgy, which the early Church had left to succeeding generations as an inimitable inheritance, became incomprehensible to the people, whose language had undergone considerable alteration.

The poor people sank into gross superstition; and adopted a worship of the saints and their images, more degrading than is often to be found in the Romish Church itself.

Nothing but the deliver"Such is the position of the Greek Church. ance of the land from the Turkish yoke, accompanied by a great political agitation, has been sufficient to arouse it from its sleep of centuries. This has been facilitated by its withdrawal from the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople, and its placing itself, after the model of the Russian-Greek Church, in the hands of a holy synod; which assembles at stated periods for the arrangement of affairs, and is représented by a settled committee. Reformatory regulations will doubtless follow this independency.

A theological faculty has lately been instituted by the Royal University, and three professors have been nominated-Pharmakides, Misaili, and Kotogonis. We found in these men, a right cheering acquaintance with the progress of modern theological literature, and a lively interest in science, united with a determined adherence to the old doctrines of the Church. .

If we look back upon the ecclesiastical condition of Greece, we must be rejoiced to see that the Lord's kingdom is advancing in it; and we cannot but observe, that other Greek Churches which have obstructed the advancement of the sister Church, afford little hope of improvement amongst themselves.'-Pp. 14-22.

The voyage up the Nile, which we subjoin, is, perhaps, one of the most graphic and interesting chapters in which the admirable book before us abounds. It acquaints us with some of the habits of the modern Egyptians and Arabs, and forcibly reminds us of the most striking incidents recorded in the Pentateuch. It is in no small degree calculated to confirm our belief in the truth of the statements made in these portions of holy writ

After having given a detailed account of the Coptic Church as it exists in Egypt, the learned traveller says:-

'We became more fully acquainted with the Coptic Church on our voyage up the Nile, which we soon commenced, as, owing to the height of the water and the extent of the inundations, we were advised to delay our visit to the great Pyramids. For the first time we now began to feel ourselves removed from European civilization. . . . 'On the afternoon of the 12th of December, we entered our boat. Besides a covered saloon, it contained two cabins; one appropriated to our baggage, while in the other, two broad divans served as beds by night, and as sofas by day. Two high sails were fastened to the long mast, and from one of them waved our own black and white Prussian flag. The wind was still, and some of the men began to pull the boat; we often proceeded through the sand; or, being carried over by the force of the current to the opposite side, were sometimes driven back in a few minutes to a distance which it was not easy to recover. At the helm we often heard the lively song of the sailors, who were of various shades of colour, from the clearest brown to the darkest black. The others answered the song in a merry choir. The subject of it was generally a religious one, for prayer and expressions of devotion make up a great part of the life of an Arab. A breeze soon sprung up, and our large sails carried the boat swiftly through the rapid stream.

'We had provided ourselves with books, to prepare us for the upper part of the Nile, but the multitude of new sights and new impressions prevented us from reading. Boats, announced by the loud call of the sailors, were flying by us every moment; a glance was cast at the flag, to see whether people of the country or acquaintances approached. The Rais, and the dragoman, greeted their comrades, and each communicated, in a few words, the length and object of the voyage, and in a short time all sounds became incomprehensible: or they succeeded, by means of fast sailing, to overtake a boat, with which a race was commenced, lasting for some hours, or even the whole day.

'Looking towards the shore, a caravan is seen slowly advancing; a dromedary hastens by; it is the post of the pasha, which regularly travels to Upper Egypt. Large droves of cattle are being driven towards Cairo, though scarcely the half arrive there. Palm groves in the distance indicate a village or a town, built under their shade. The women fill their large stone pitchers with the water of the Nile, and, lightly placing them on their heads, bear them gracefully to their homes, carefully concealing their faces from the passer-by. Again, the eye is attracted by an Egyptian, who, by means of water-wheels,

STRAUSS'S JOURNEY IN THE EAST.

"* or goads

in the sweat of his brow, "waters the land with his foot,' on the oxen and asses who draw the wheels. If the zeal of the steersmen or sailors flag, they must be urged forward by a small present of tobacco, or the promise of a fee, or backshish. Suddenly the boat stops, for the constant variations of the water, and the quantity of floating sand, often cause the best navigator to be at fault. The men spring into the water, and soon succeed in making the vessel free again. When Sunday came, we held a service, singing the same choruses, and joining our prayers to those of the churches in the fatherland. The evening, with its glorious sunset, brought us some delightful hours. Short would be such a life in communion with a friend of the heart; and this quiet intercourse had an additional charm for me, after the scenes of unusual activity in which I had been engaged during the past year.

'On the evening of the eighth day, the merry songs of the festival-eve announced the great Bairam. Our sailors would not rest the next morning, until, according to the custom of the country, we had bought a lamb, which was made ready for the evening. At noon we arrived at Manfalut, and the loud sound of drum and fife proclaimed from far the festival-day. Going on shore, we found the people hurrying through the streets to the bazaar, where every one was buying something in honour of the feast. Into whatever house we looked, the inhabitants seemed busy in the preparation of the lamb. A woman came out from one habitation with a basin containing the blood of the slain lamb, which she first sprinkled with her hand on the door-posts, and then poured the remainder on the door; forcibly reminding us of the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover lamb on Israel's departure from Egypt. But no farther connexion could we trace between them.'-P. 60.

Those of our readers who may be anxious to know something respecting the present state of the two mountains from whence our help hath come-Sinai and Golgotha, and the Holy Sepulchre-will find their wishes gratified in the few extracts we here give, and which are worded in a very felicitous and scientific manner, by one of the ablest minds we have the good fortune to be acquainted with. In allusion to Sinai, Dr. Strauss says:

The mountain ruggedly descends two thousand feet; presenting, first, a series of low hills, and then a broad plain, which is of an amphitheatrical form, and served as a place of encampment for the children of Israel. They gazed upon the mountain towering above them, like a gigantic altar. Yes-it stands there like an altar in the holiest of all; the rocky summits encompassing it like the choir of a majestic cathedral, and the blue heaven forming its vaulted roof. A sanctuary of God! All traces of a human hand are far removed. No bird sails through the air-no blade of grass is on the rocks! The sky, the rocks, and the sea, stand the only witnesses to the creating power of that Almighty God who made heaven and earth. ...

With such feelings, we read upon the summit of Sinai the Ten Com

VOL. XXVIII.

Deut. ii. 10.
G

mandments in the original tongue-the surrounding neighbourhood wonderfully corresponding to their strength and simple sublimity. The words penetrated our hearts; and we seemed to hear the thunder of the Almighty, and to catch the tone of the trumpet exceeding loud. was Saturday evening-Sabbath-day. Perfect rest reigned over the face of nature, and no trace of animation was visible. We felt irresistibly raised to a state of holy Sabbath repose. We stood upon the spot which the three great religions of the earth, which confess one true God, amounting to nearly half the human race, have looked with veneration. Jews, Mahommedans, and Christians, here worship the Omnipotent, their God.'-Pp. 121-124.

It is impossible to read these remarks without being deeply impressed with the truth they embody, with the vastness of the subject they embrace, and the fervent spirit of a God-inspired faith which pervades the whole. Truly blessed are they who can think, and feel, and speak as does the pious licentiate of theology! Theirs is that happiness and peace which passeth all understanding, and is the portion only of the children of God.

Among the learned, but chiefly among those who have visited the Holy Land, many doubts have been raised as to the identity of those localities of which mention is made in the New Testament, and which are so intimately connected with tradition. As there are but few authorities to assist the inquirer in unravelling this entangled subject, doubt has, of course, arisen, and the opinions hazarded have been various. Respecting the Sepulchre of our Lord, Dr. Strauss remarks:

'Many disputes have lately arisen as to whether the Holy Sepulchre is really the grave of Christ, and whether the spot shown as the place of the crucifixion is really Golgotha. Some have denied as strenuously as others have affirmed it. But if the precise historical authentication of the spot has not been proved, much less has convincing evidence against their genuineness been produced; and as a probability of their authenticity remains after the closest scientific investigation, we readily follow the almost uninterruptedly transmitted tradition since the death of Christ, and recognise in these holy spots Golgotha and the Saviour's grave. The fact of their now lying within the town does not present the shadow of an objection, since Herod Agrippa, ten years after Christ's death, first enclosed Golgotha within the city, it having been previously situated without the first and second walls; and that both the spots have been included in one church since the time of the Crusades, is not surprising, since, according to the Scriptures, the garden of Joseph of Arimathea was "in the place where he was crucified;" besides which, the towns of the ancients were not so widely extended as our modern ideas lead us to imagine: and, indeed, decided cause must be shown to the Christian Church, ere places can be taken

John xix. 41, 42.