The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-04-29

DryennloS was Tor several years Pro-
lessor of Church History at Chalce In
1875 he was appointed Metropolitan Of
Serr@, an ancient see in Macedonia. A
few years afterward he was transferred
to the Metropolitan see of Nlcomedia
(lsmid), once the capital of Diocletian,
the last prosecutor among the Roman
emperors, and of his successor, Constan-
tine the Great, who died there in the
year 337. The Metropolitan of Nico.
media is next in rank to the Metropoli-
tan of Ephesus and the Patriarch of Con-
stantinople, the rival of the Pope of
Rome. His city residence is in the
Greek quarter of the Turkish capital,
near the Monastery Ct the Holy Sepul-
chre. In 1884 he was the most promi-
nent but passive candidate for the vacant
Patriarchal chair of Constantinople, but
another candidate was elected, and he
was obliged to leave the capital and to
repair to his see of Nicomedia. He is
virtually In exile, for reasons unknown.
This learn from friend in CONSTANT
nople who knows him well. In the
spring OF 1884 the University of Edin-
burgh, at its tercentenary celebration,
conferred on him, on Professor Dorner,
of Berlin (who since died), on Pressense,
of Paris, and few Others the honorary
title of Doctor of Divinity, which was
well deserved, and conferred honor on
the giver as well as the receiver.
Bryennios is tall, courteous, digni6ed,
and fine-l looking Eastern prelate, with an
intelligent and pleasant face, high fore
head, black hair, dark and expressive
eyes, great conversational power, and per-
soma magnetism.
His fame as theologian rests or the
discovery and publication of the Jerusa-
lem manuscript of the Epistles of Clement
of Rome, which had been known only in
part, and of the Teaching of the T0eLUe
Apostles, which had never been published
before. He discovered the manuscript
in 1873, and edited it with great care,
learned prolegomena, and notes which
show rare knowledge of the Bible, the
fathers, and modern German divines.
The Teaching of the Z5OelUe APOSTLES
Is small treatise of sixteen chapters, aud
contains summary of catechetical in
struction, and directions concerning bap-
tism, the Lords Supper, the officers of
the Church (apostles, prophets, teachers,
bishops, and deacons), and exhortations
to watchfulness in view of the second
coming of Christ and the end of the world
1t corresponds, as it were, to our cate
chisms, prayer-books, and church direc-
tories 1t gives the Lord Is Prayer in the
very words of Matthew, with the advice
to pray 1t three times day, and three
eucharistic prayers, the oldest extant,
very brief and simple, but allows also free
prayer In public worship. 1t directs the
observance of the first day of the week
as the Lords Day in commemoration of
His resurrection, and of Wednesday and
Friday as tast-days in commemoration OF
His passion and crucifxion. 1t gives
preference to river baptism by INNER
sion, according to the precedent of
Chrlsts baptism in the Jordan, but allows
also:other modes, by affusion or pouring,
In case of scarcity of water. 1t gives
directions for apostles, .. e., wandering
evangellsts or itinerant missionaries, pro.
phets, and other ministers of the Gospel.
Its moral tone is most excellent, and in
full harmony with the Sermon on the
Mount, from which several passages are
taken. 1t sums up the Christian duty in
the royal commandment of love to God
and love to our fellow-me
The treatise as probably written by
a disciple of the A postles, before the close
of the first century, in Palestine or Syria
Its chief value is that it puts us into the
situation of the Church Immediately after
the death of the Apostles, and before the
ecclesiastical consolidation which we find
early in the second century, especially in
the Ignatian Epistles The author was a
Jewish Christian and contemporary of
Clement, the first Bishop of Rome, whose
Epistle to the Corinthians is now fully
in our possession by the discovery of
Bryennios. These two documents are by
far the most valuable among the writ
ings of the so.called Apostolic Fathers.
But when we compare them with the
New Testament, they are merely weak
echo of the words of inspiration, and
furnish one of the best proofs for the
Divine origin of our Gospels and Epistes
Philip Schof, d. d.
italian Evangelisation.