Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-05-24
IL USSII'S STATE REZIG-
ION.

The services in the Greek chapel
in Second avenue New York we've
conducted in English on Sunday
Father Bierring said that he varied
the custom in order to exp!:i,
distinctly to the American public
the doctrine of the Greek Church
in regard TO the Virgin Mary, the
Sacred Images. The Greek Church,
he said, believes that Mary 2as a
virgin at the time of Christ's birth,
and remained so. The difficulty
with Protestants in considering this
subject is that they regard Mary as
an ordinary woman, whereas no
ordinary woman could he the moth
err of God, nor would such be
selected fol an office so extraordi> :
nary. Mary was chosen for the
divine relation not onl 8 on account
of her own superior merits, but
also on account of the supcrhuman
endowments which those very mer,
It's, through Gods appreciation,
entailed npon her. Mary was the
tree that stood upon the boundary
line between the old and the new
religious dispensations, and which
bore us the fruit of truth.
The saints are tLey who, by the
practice of Gods will, have descrv
cd the especial veneration of the
church, and have secured enemies
in their salvation. Now, as the
Christian religion Of divine love,
and as divine love, once kindled,
burns with an immortal flame, it
must be that the interest that the
saints, while IN this life, took in the
religious welfare of their fellow
men, is continued, if not intensified,
in heaven. So the "Intercession OF
the Saints is naturally Christian
doctrine. A Christian cannot help
believing that he may with profit
pray for the intecession to God OF
those holy men and women who
have attained sainthood. And
Mary, the greatest OF all saints. the
mother of God, is the most power
tul, as we'll as the most sympathetic
intercessor before God to whom s
human being can address prayer.
In the Greek church there is nc
idoIatry of the Virgin, the saints
nor sacred images. God alone il
adored. The others arc vcnerated
The Greek Church believes il
, seven sacraments baptism, absclu
ton (or confession), eucharist, con,
firmation, matrimony, holy orders
! and extreme JUNCTION, Baptism
cleanses the soul from the origina
) sin in which all meh are born, be
, cause of Adams fall, and immed;
| atcly places its recipient in the true
, Church Of Christ. So etfications is
: this sacrament that after having
| received baptism the child, toe
young yet to know tho difference
5 between good and evil, may par
!; take of the eucharist although i
cannot appreciate it. Absolutior
is the forgiveness of sins that the
priest, representing God, bestow'
through the confessional. The
eucharist is the sacrament that gives
its recipient the real flesh and blooC
; of God at the communion table,
Confirmation is the sacrament tina
anneints and confirms the baptized
, member of the Church as soon a
, he attains the age of discretion il
q other words, confirms him as al
. Intelligent member of the Church
! Holy orders is the sacrament tha
. confers the priesthood, and anolnt
S the recipient as "a priest toreve
: according to the order of Melch
i isedec." Extreme nnction is the las
3 sacrament, wherein the limbs anC
organs of the sense of the dying art
: anointed with holy oils as a sym
bolcal prayer that if God considers
it unmee. to restore their use, ht
will at least cure the dying sonl o
its remaining infrmities.
The Greek Church does no
boast that it is the only church 0
God. Father Bjerring continued
/, but it does claim to have the truth
r and to have inv;olatcly preserved
it. 1t acknowledges the errors o
{ conduct of these protesting its faith
: and even of those representing th,
/ church. But these it claims, bav,
!; always been errors Of conduct anC
e not variations of tho truth. The
Q Greek Church docs not believe tha
Christian faith was intended to b,
c a fixed quantity. It believes il
: progression, in keeping up will
i the advances Of civilization. Th,