Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-02-14
The COptie Christians.


In a late book of travels in Italy and the
East, published in London, we notice the
following sketch of the present Copts OF
Erypt, the descendants of the ancient Egyp-
tian Christians, and tle degenerate represcn-
ta,ves of the once celebrated Egyptian
Church:
"The Copts of the present day have en-
trely lost their ancient learning, and are botl
intellectually and socially degraded, though
still retaining proud recollection of their
ancestors. Aher having been thnned by
nges of persecution aud npostncy, they still
amount to some one hundred and fifty thous-
aud nearly 10000 Ofwhom reside in Coiro,lna
quarter specially assigned them. Great mum
ljers live in the district called Faioon and the
remainder are scattered up aud down in the
cities and towns, whero for the most part
they fill the offices of the secretaries and nc
countants. Their language is radically the
samo with the old Egyptian, but with many
foreign admxtures aud additions. 1t is not
spoken, but is still used in their sacred hooks
and public services and it now furnishes a
valuable key to the study of the hieroglypl
ics. From the numerous monnsteres IN the
EAST so many manuscripts in the Coptc and
Sahidic dialects have been discovered 10y the
that n complete copy of the Sacred Scrip
lures has been recently printed, belivo, in
their language. The Coptic tenets are, in
the main, orthodox; but the people are dvi-
ded into various sccts, Jacobites, Eutycans
Monophysites, and Monotheliles. Some OF
their practices are peculiar. They use both
circumcision aud baptism. The former is
not deemed essential but they consider that
II child dying unbnptlZed will be blind in the
future life. Pilgrimnges they highly esteem,
especially to jerusalem, where they have a
convent aud, like the Jews aud Mohanl-
nedans, they abstain MS well from pork as
from things strangled, and from blood. Their
religious orders consist of patriarch, bsl.
ops, nrch.pricsts, priests, dencuns, monks
and nuns. The patriarch is always unmar- |
ried. The bishops are usually so, or widow
crs. The priests are allowed to marry, but
ouly TO virgins. The dcacons have the salnu
privilege, but they are often mere boys
Monks aud nuns make n vow of celibracy, |
and in some religious establishments they |
reside together; and generally speaking, |
marriage is sanctioned only among members |
of their own body. In the ceremonies Of
marriage and burials, and in their general
habits, they differ but little from the Moham
lDednns. Their costume, however, is usual !
ly confined to gray or gloomy colors. Their
feelings are not, of course, friendly towards |
their hloslem opprcssors; but nro less hos
Tile TO them than to Christians of The Greek |
Church--an antipathy which they appear to
have derived from their ancestors of the 17tl
century, and to which may be chiefly attri-
Iuted the success of the Mohammedan inya-
non. The Abyssiui0n Church is an ofl:shoot
rom the Coptic, and is supposed to have
'ecn founded about the middle of the fourth
century. 1t holds the doctrines aud rites
md its chief dboond, or metropolitan, is no.
by the Coptic patriarch"