Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-10-06


spoken of ut present.
Whatever good the various missions here
may accomplish, Jerusalem is the last place in
the world where an intelligent heather would
be converted TO Christianity. Were cast here
Isgnorant of any religion, and were to compare
the lives and practices of the different sects as
the means of making choce-in short, to Judge
of each faith by the conduct of its professors
should at once choose Mahomedansm. When
you consider that in the Holy Sepulcher there
are nineteen chapels, each belonging to differ
ent sect, calling itself Christian, and that Turk
ish police is always stationed there to prevent
the bloody quarrels which often ensue them,
you may Judge how those who call themselves
followers of the Prince of Peace, practice the
pure faith He sought to establish. Between
the Greek and Latin churches, especially, there
is deadly feud, aud their contentious are a
scandal, not only to the few true Christians here
but to the Moslems themselves. ] believe there
is sort of truce at present, owing to the set
tlement of some of :he disputes; MS, for instance
the restoration of the silver star which the
Greeks stole from the shrine of the Nativity, at
Bethlehem The Latins, however, not long
since demolished uiet arms a chapel which the
Greeks commenced building on Mount Zon.-
But if the Employment Of material weapons has
been abandoned for the time, there is none the
less a war of words and of sounds still going
on. Go into the Holy Scpulcher, when mass is
being celebrated, and you can scarcely endure
its din. No sooner does the Greek choir begin
its shril chant, than the Latins fly to the as
sault. They have an organ, and terribly does
that organ strain its bellows and labor its pipes
to drown the rival singing. You think the Lat
ins will carry the day, when suddenly the GYM
balls of the Abyssiaians strike in with harsh bra
zen clang, and for the moment triumph. But
there are Copts and Maronites. and Armenians,
and know not how many other sects, who
must have their share, and the service that
should have many-toned harmony, pervaded
by one grand spirit of devotion, becomes dis
cOrdant orgy beftting the rites Of Belia.
A long time ago-I do not know the precise
number of years-the Sultan granted firman
in answer to the application of both Jews and
Christians allowing the members of each sect
to put to death any person belonging to the
other sect, who should be found inside of their
churches or synagogues The irman has new
er been recalled, though in every place but Je-
rusalem it remains dead letter. Here, altho'
the Jews freely permit Christians to enter their
Synagogue, Jew who should enter the Holy
Sepucher would be lucky if he escaped with
his life. Not long since, an Engishman, who
was taken by the monks for a Jew was so Sc
verely beaten that he was confined to his bed
for two months. What worse than scandal,
what abomnation, that the spot looked upon by
so many Christions as the most awful sacred
on earth, should be the scene of such british
intolerance! never pass the group OF Turk
ish officers, quietly smoking their long pipes,
and slipping their coffee, within the vestibule of
the Church without feeling Of humiliation
Worse than the money-changers whom Christ
scourged out of the Temple, the guardians of
this edifce makes use of His crucfxtion and re-
surrection, as means of gain. You may buy
a piece of stone covering the Holy Sepulcher,du-
ly certified by the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem
for about ST.. AT Bethlehem, which | visited
this morning the Latin monk who showed us
the manger, the pit where 10000 innOcents were
buried, and other things had muhc less to say
of the place, than of the injustice of allowing
the Greeks a share in its possessions.
made the round of the Holy Sepelchre on
Sunday, while the monks were celebrating the
festival of the Invention of the Cross in the
chapel of the Empress Helena AS the finding
of the cross by the Empress is almost the only
authority for the places inclosed within the Holy
Sepulchre, | went there inclined to doubt their
authenticity, and came away with my doubt
vastly increased. The building is confused
labyrinth of chapels choirs, shrines, stair cases
and vauts-wthout any definite plan or any
architectural beauty, though very rich in parts,
and full of picturesque effects. Golden lamps
continually burn before the sacred places, and
you rarely visit it without seeing some process
sion of monks, with crosses, censers, and tap
ers, threading the shadowy passages from shrine
to shrine. 1t is astonishing how many loca-
ties are assembled under one roof. AT first you
are shown the stone on which Christ rested
from the burden of the cross-then, the place
where the soldiers cast lots for His garments,
both Of them adjoining the Sepulcher. After
seeing this, you are taken to the Pillar of Flag
elation--the stocks--the place ofcrowning with
thorns--the spot were He met His mother
the cave where the Empress Helena found the
cross--and lastly, the summit Of Mount Calva-
ry. The Sepulchre is small marble building
in the center of the church. We removed our
shoes at the entrance and were taken by the
Greek monk first into sort Of ante-chamber
lighted with golden lamps, and having in the
centre, enclosed in case of marble, the stone
on which the angel sat. STOPPING through a
low door we entered the Sepucher itself For
ty lamps of gold burn increasingly above the
white marble slab, which as the monks say, pro-
tects the stone whereon the body of Christ was
laid As we AGAIN emerged, our guide led us