The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-04-26
THE GREEN CHURCH.
It's Church Government Doctrines Sacra
meats, &c.

meas, DC.
Some interest having been excited in re
gard to this chusch, on account of the claims
set forth by Nicholas for the protection of its
members in Turkey, and the allies, in their
war upon Russia, having seemed disposed to
do rs little justice to the Russian Church as
the Russian State, we cOndense for the bene.
mt of our readers, some facts. of the most en-,
tire and perfect reliability, in regard to the
Greek Church. which are embodied in an ar.
ticie in the Church Review, and derived from
An Apology for the Greek Church." by
Judge Edward Mason, Scotch Presbyte.
ran, and from other learned works by prom
inent 6ivines of the English and American
churches,
The Greek Church embraces within its
pale ever sixty millions of souls. ITS eccle
siastical government is Episcopal. 1t denies
the supremacy of the Pope, and asserts that
the only hierarchal authority which can ex-
tend its sphere of action over the universal
church is general council. The Roman
Church, on its part. while it pronounces the
Greek Church in state of schisn, admits
the validity OF its orders, ard that it possess
es the apostolical succession. In order to
know what this Greek Church, which is by
some represented as idolatrOus and debased,
does in fact teach, we ask attention to the
following extracts from her Symbolic Books.
nc l6E ny
the Russian Synod, and which all her children
have been taught from an early period to the
present hour, contains, among other essen
TALLY orthodox instructions, "a Brief Cathe.
cism'' intended for children and the very il.
literate, a few quotations from which will
shew the character of the practical religion
tau hit in the Greek Church:
"0usston. Of what does this creed first put thsei in
mind
FEF jI4Ixa
world and governs and preserves me and ell the
world and therefore my conscience continually TO.
mincs ne that ! ought to love Him with al, my
heart; worship him In sincerity, aud belieye that
then only can think act WELL when think and
act as His holy law commands.
Q Is it enough to have this knowledge and con-
ception of God, and then do thou pleasest2
A. By DO means; as have this knowledge of God,
90 should also live sgresably thereto for instance
if know that Goa is just should fear to do evil,
lest fall under His Just and lose the bles-
sings of His mercy and goodness; if know that Tod
Is merSful, ought to repent me Of all that have
done amss, in the hope that He will not reject my
repentance; If He is Omnipressnt and Omniscient,
l ought neither to do nor even think any evil, but
strive to serve him always with a pure conscience
Q. IsFsith alone. without good works. enough for
salvation?
A. BY no roea ans; for Faith without works is dead
Q: Where hast thou rules prescribed for good
worksl
A. In the law of Gcd. which is contained in the
following Ten Commandments.
@. What needest thou to enable thee to keep these
A. The assistance of Gods grace, which like every
good thing is to be obtained by hearty prayer And
psyer is the Lifting up OF our minds and hearts to
necessary and profitable fer our souls"
Can anything be more complete and perfect than
the following Introduction TO the "Shorter Cate.
chism:
20. What learning is most needful for all men?
A Christian learning.
q. Why?
4. Because it leads us t, God, to everlasting saliva.
ton or, in other words, to everlastng happiness.
q. How can we draw near to God
A. By thought, wish and deed.
q Who draws near to God by thought?
A. He who rightly believes ia him.
q. Who draws near to God by wish
A. he who prays to him.
Q. Who draws near to God by deed2
A. He who walks after Gods will and law.
q. Whence may wa learn to believe arght2
A. From the Creed. -
f. q. Whence may we learn to pray?
A. From the Lords Prayer.
Q. Whence how to walk after Gods will and law?
A. From the Ten Commandments"
And again, what can be more "orthodox''
the n the foliowi extract from the longer
catechism, of which similar quot .ions might
be multiplied indefinitely: tsA0
O. What ia necessary in order to please God and
ones own sou.f
A, In the first place, knowledge of the true God
and right faith in him; in the second place, life
More importance, it is true, is assigned by
the Greek Church to tradition than by Pro
testant Churches. The following are ex-
tracts from their catechism, on this head
@. How IL Divine Revelation soread among men,
aud preserved in the true Church!
A. By two channels; Holy Tradition and Hol J
o Which is the more ancient. holy Tradition o,
Holy ScIipture2
A. The moat ancient and original instrument for
spreading Divine Revelation Is Holf Tradition =
From Adam to Moses, there were no sacred books
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself delivered His divine
doctrine and ordinances to his dsciples by word and
example, but NOS by writing The same method was
followed by the Apostles also at first, when they
Of Christ The necessity OF tradition is further evi.
dent from tkis that books can be available to only
email part of mankind. but tradition to all;
@ Why then was Holy Scripture given?
A. To this end, that Divine Revelation might be
preserved more exactly and unehangeably.
Q Must we follow Holy Tradition. even when we
A. We must follow that tradition which agrees
with the Divine Revelation and with Holy Scripture,
q. tsaght Us by Holy serPtul itself Ths apostle
hold the traditions which ye have been Taught whe-
ther by word or our epistle." 2Thess Ii: Is
O. Why is tradition even necessary nowf
A. Asa guide to the right understauding of Holy
Scripture for the right ministratons OF the bacfa-
and the preservation OF sacred rites ana cere
monies in the purity of their original institution
This is followed by the Canon of Scripture,
III Which, tue APVSiJPu~ 40 - -
forming any part of the Canon. In regar,.
to Traditions, great pains is taken to set forth
that they are to be regarded as subordinate
to the Word of God. Says living Russian
divine: 5l.
TRADITIONS which sdducsd concerning dognss
of faith and practice involved neither formally noi
virtually in Scripture, should have no weight sno
ought to be rejected. lst Because Scrpture aione
s the base Of Theology I'd Because the ssio
Scripture necessary that the faithful caI ara"
all things belonging to the attainment OF salyaton
from no other soutce except from itself 3D. b
cause 1t il SO perfect that it contains all dogmas ne
cessery to salvation"
In the "Duty of Parish Priests" is the fol
lowing:
but neither the writings of the Holy Fathers
nor the Traditions of the Church to be confound
ed or eoualIed with the Word of God and His Com
mandmeDts; for the Woyd Of God is one tting but he
tcrifings of he Holy Fathers and Tradition Ecetes
dsticdl are another"
In regard to the Sacrament of the Lord s
Supper, the Greek Church maintains the real
presen se of Christ in the Eucharist, but does
rot attempt to define the manner or mode OF
the presence In regard to the honor paid
to pictures and the invocation of Saints,
Judge Mason, the eminent Presbyterian wri.
ter, ia his Apology for the Greek Church, I"
says !:
.Ths belief and practice of the Greeks have been