Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-22
description of the religion of the Greeks,

| he snOuIu nOlu MS own convictions abOV
the ordinances OF others The Greeks hav
religious liberty, whose idea is rather tn
that people may believe much as the
please, provided they adhere outwardly t
the church. The reason assignedfor this i
that any change in the form or discplin
of this church would weaken the bone
that unites the Greeks out Of Greece prop
er with those within her limits. Thi
outward compression and inward latitud
is always a dangerous symptom. Itpoint
to practical Irreligion, an overwhelming
distance between a mans inward convic
tlons and his outward practice. Passing
this by, however, let us have a few words
on the familiar aspect and practical work
ing of the Greek Church as at present
Like other bodies polite and individual al
ready known to us, it consists of recon
ciled opposition, which held within bounds
secures its efficiency. The same, passing
those bounds, would cause its humiliation
Like other churches, it is at once aristo-
cratic and democratic. 1t binds and loos-
es. 1t is less intellectual than either
Catholicism or Professionalism; perhaps
less intolerant than either, so far as dog
ma goes. | still think it narrower than
either in the scope of Its sympathes, lower
than either in It's social and individual
standard. Taken with the others. it
makes up the desired three Of human
conditions but before it can meet them
harmoniously, it has long way to 90.
Refusing images, but clinging to pic
lures !; allowing the Scriptures to the com
mon people, but discouraging their use of
the same with an unmarried hierarchy of
some education, and married secular
clergy Of nonc-the Greek church seems
to me to be too fatty in contradiction with
itself and with the spirit Of the age to
maintain long a social supremacy, NOR
al efficiency. The department of the clergy
last mentioned have no other support than
that Of the contingent contributions of the
people, paid in small sums, as the wages
Of services better withheld than rendered.
Exorcisms, benedictions, prayers recited
over graves, or secured as cure for sick
cattle-these are some Of the sacerdotal
acts by which the lesser clergy live. Those
who wish to keep these resources open
must of course, discourage the reading of
the New Testament, whose great aim and
tendency are to substitute a religion of life
and doctrine for religion of observances
Congregations reading this book for them
selves, no matter how poor OF ignorant in
other matters, will ask something other of
the priest than the exorcism Of demons or
the cure ofcattle.
OF the higher clergy some have studied
in Germany, and, reversing Mr. Emer-
sons sentence, must know, one thinks.
better than they build Orthodox their
will may be, firm their adherence to the
establishment, strict their administration
oft But they must be aware Of the linn
It's that it sets to religious progress. And
so long they cannot preach to their con-
gregations the full sincerity and power Of
their inward convictions, their ministration
loses III moral power-the house Is divided !
against itself.
[ visited the Cathedral Of Athens but
once. 1t IS 4 spacious and handsome
church, in what [ should call Il modern
Eastern style 1t was on Sunday and
mass was on The middle and right aisles
we're filled with men, the left aisle with
women | do not know whether | have
elsewhere that in the Greek and
Russian, as in the Quaker church, men
and women stand separately ly-stand, for
seats are neither provided or allowed. .
found a place among the women, com
a view Of the high altar. The
archbishop. a notwithstanding man, in
gold brocade and golden head-dress, went /
through various functions, which though
not identical with those Of the Romish mass (
seemed to amount to about the same thing.
There were bowings, appearings and retlr-
ngs, the swinging of censers, and the pre-
Of tapers fixed in silver candela
bras, and tied in the middle with black
ribbon, so a. to form sbeaf. These
the archbishop from time to
lime took one under each arm, and made
a step or two towards the congrega ton
The dresses Of the assistant priests were
very rich, and their heads altogether Ori-
entail in aspect One of them, with his
face and golden hair, looked
ike pictures of st. John. The vocal part
IF the performance consisted OF sort of
;h ant, with responses intensely nasal and
This psalmody, which is lit
lie relished by Greeks Of culture, Is yet
like the discipline, intact,
est the most trifing amelioration should
weaken the tie of Christian brotherhood
the free Greek church and the
,hurch that is in bondage with her chill
lren TO one familiar with the pretexts
1t conservatism, this plea of union before
Improvement is not new nor availing. One
aughs, and remembers the responsibilities
who tried to paralyze the American intel
ect and conscience in order to save the
Union, which after ALL was saved only by
the measures they abhorred and denoun
ced. | had soon enough of what | was
able to hear and see Of the Greek mass. As
[ stole softly away passed a sort of lesser
altar, before which was burning a circular
row of tapers An old woman had similar
tapers on a small table, for sale, | sup
pose. [ was invited, by gesture, to con-
summate pious act by the purchase of
some Of these, but declined, not without re-
that | was some time since
elected a lay delegate from a certain Uni
tartan church to a certain Unitarian con-
ference. This fact, if communicated,
would not have heightened my standing in
the appreciation of the sisters who then sur
rounded me. What, no candle ?" said
their indignant glances. | was silent, and
fed
PROTESTANTIsM IN GREECE.
In the prese nee Of the contradictions al /
uded to above, the position of the Greek /
church and of American Protestant mis- /
sionaries becomes one Of mutual delicacy /
and difficulty The church allows religi- |
)us liberty, and assumes religious toler