The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-03-02
TIFF CARS RELIGION.
From the Presbyterian
- J.,


A. tho nresent Eastern war Is ostehs'o,y
unnn The mart of Russia, contest Tor Tue
religion of the Greek Church. "". ,s;n,,J
NAV not be unwilling to become "I 80
with the tenets of that crelssI,'a''o,n ~ :.
which has for ages dlspnteu '"e s%"y ,,';,I'
LARGE portion of the Eastern nrll'sP"I I,I,.'h
the Papal hierarchy. nc u'eoN j.,
or;oinat,d in a schism ylriua,'t oe0"'5 y"
the fifth century, though hotiu''! o""Hu"','l'-
Tod until much later, IN what "'S 'n1i '"I
C,,bolic Church, dividing II lnto the or'e'I''
G,,ek. and the Occld .nta' or l'atln, the
r',m,r having its centre in the Patrlarch OF
Eo"st,ntinople, and the latter IN the bIshop
ofRomc. Originally the Greek division &C.
srnisd as its territory East lllyrla, Greece
nrdnrr. with the Murca and Archipelago, ASIA
tI;nor and Syria, with Palestine, Arabia, and
E~pt: but tile ris, and progress OF Molam-
,edinism afterwards deprived it OF almost
Ill liz provinces in Asia and Africa; and even
IN Europe the number of its adherents has
h,en diminished By the Turks. This loss
boweyer. was somewhat repaired by the ac
ces,ion of several OF the Scavonc nations,
and cspeciaIly of Russia in the 10th century.
Since that time, the latter has been the chief
temporal power by which the Oriental church
has ocen upheld. The Greek Church has
never displayed the vgor and nggressiveness
which have been characteristic OF ROme-shc
b.s seemed rather to be fossil handed down
from one generation to another, than living
organization, aiming 10 extend her power,
and keep pace with the advancing footsteps
of nations and of civilization. Though usu-
sllv regarded us purer than the Papal hler.
arcbv. she holds virtually the same tenets,
practices many of the same ceremonies, and
il equally guilty of betraying the truth by
overIaying il with heretical dogmas and I'M
meaning forms Both acknowledge the Bible
and tradition as tile sources of doctrine; both
hold to the seven sacraments: both regard
confession as Indispensable, though in the
Greek division the priest must he married;
both practice the invocation of saints and the
worship of the Virgin and regard with ado
ration eros ses, relies, &c., and both deny sal
walton to all who reject their tenetS. In the
observance of saints days, tasis, festivals, &r.,
there il a similar agreenent--the holy days
in the Greek Church being 50 numerous us
10 leave but one hundred and eighty work
ing days out Of the three hundred aud sixty
five. ....
The Greek Church differs from that of
Rome in allowing the marriage OF the clergy,
and. TO some extent, the use OF the Scriptur
and in the abscencc of instrumental music in
the services, and ostensiby in denying tran.
substantiation anu purgatOry, and iorbldding
the use of images. As 10 the latter, however,
paintings are profuscly substituted, and are
regarded, apparently, with the same alteration
~ tho Romanist pays to his statues. AL
though they have been regarded as DENYING
transubstantlat,on. one of their councils has
declared that "lbe bread il chanrrd-tran.
Observation-Disclosures in.
10 the bodv and blood of our Lord" sand
that the wine is converted and transubstanti-
.ied into the blood az our Lord" They have
M masses for the deod. but Tn. same council
aIud.d To. DECLARES probation for certain
classes Of the dead and IN three separatr
DAYS nr,vers nre said Mt the ornv. If the de.
ceased in hnholf Of his snnl The priests
too Jaim--,o,ns avon bevond Rome--ppy.
ar If ahsoluiion Tar IN. dcnd. NJ well ns the
Iiving The conf ssion,l also virtually EXISTS.
monsstcries nhnnnd md In. nriests are eouol'
Iv ;ndoleni ;annrant and nroa;gote with
tbosc If Romn. tho Srrinturss are nroctirallv
nnLnown f. tI, noonIeT ;ndped .oU Scrin
,ur." !. f,rh;ddon IN ha sro,d hv ,ba un,r,in.
Cd" inr,llibilitv il nyolvad in tI,ir doom,s
and thev hove M lass than siytv. seven litur'
n;.. i, Rns.;a 40 ,,',II .. thu connt,ios
she ,r,yors nrs m,,arsd in einht tones and
two hnG,. v,Jnm.s ors n,cassarv IN nrpscrihe
these vsr;,tions .It ia hardly creditnbl.."
saws n writer nm tbe snL;ert ,vet n nosi,iye
f,ct tho, 'hannes NJ the service for each dav.
and for almost every devotion for each day,
nr.uny twenty folio volumes. and these vol
nm.s ,o,da, n.cosv,rv another called sThe
Ranu,a,inn, os a sort Of indy n them. The
Whale system or the Eastern Church is thus
r,n.sd int ondla.. n,r,;culnn,i.s mr. rather
nusr;Iitcs and II ia no ,,sv task ia discrimn.
s,e nync,Iv ihe measur. If ils orthodoyy
amid such encumbrring rubbish" As to
r,rr;,,,o all ,ho nr;.st. oxcont tho monks
az" '"ooO P'""'"'Nu ''oii '''N' '"'""N' W