Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-01-09
ANCIENT ARMENIA.
The Cradle of Primitive Christianity
Claims Made by Its People.

The Cradle of Primitive Christianity
Claims Made by Its People.
The Armenians claim that their
country was the birthplace of the hu
man race and that their nation was
the first TO embrace Christianity. The
Garden of EGen is supposed to have
been situated in Armenia, among the
highlands between the Euphrates and
the Tigris rivers, which have their
source there. Here. too, Noah is be
| lieved to have landed after the flood
in the mountains of Ararat, and the
old mines, midway between Trebizond
and Erzeronm. have been identified by
some scholars as the Ophir whence
| Solomon fetched the gold to decorate
his temple.
The people claim to be the oldest on
the earth and that Togarmah, the son
of Noah, (see Genesis X. 81 was their
House of Togarmah" that is referred
to so many times in the Bible. From
the landing OF Noah to the coming of
Christ, because of the geographical
location and remarkable fertility, it
was the battle-ground of all the war
riors who fought for the control OF Asia
Minor. Alexander, IL son of Mark An
tony and Cleopatra, was Governor of
| the country when Christ was born.
Then the old dynasty was restored
and Abgar, a grandson of Tigranes the
Great, was placed upon the throne.
Until the middle of the fifth century
the Armenians acknowledged the
sovereignty of the Church of Rome.
They accepted the DEGREES of the Coun
ellis of Nice CA. D. $3.50 and Ephesus, "a.
D. 49, but rejected the declarations
of the theologians at the Council of
| Chalcedon concerning the personality
and spirituality of Christ, whereupon
they were denounced as heretics by
both the Greek and the Roman
Churches. Since then the Armenian
| Church has been independent, and the
head of the organization is known as
the Catholics or Patriarch, who re-
sides III the monastery of Etchmiadzin,
in the province of Erivan, in Northern
Armenia, which, since 1928, has been
within the territory and under the
jurisdiction of Russia.
! Under the Catholics are arch bishops,
who reside at Sis, Jerusalem and Con-
stantinople, the inhabitants of Armenia
proper recognizing the latter as their
jspiritual director They have bishops,
priests, deacons, &C., as in the Roman
Catholic Church. The 1900, 900 of Ar
| menians who are scattered over the
world have carried their religion with
them, says the Chicago Record, and
their churches are to be found in near
ly all large cities. In India they are
especially strong and have a bishop.
The creed of the church is nearer
that of the Greek than the Roman
Catholic Church. and the former has
always shown them much sympathy.
They are very liberal in their com
muniOn, and admit to the sacrament
all Roman and Greek Catholics, and
even Prouestants who have made a
confession of their sins and have been
baptized. They believe in the distri
button of the Holy Scriptures among
the people, and in the literal accep-
lance of them as the word of God.
From the second to the seventh cen
turtles the Armenians were allowed to
enjoy their religion in comparative
peace and were the bulwark of Christ
ianity in Asia, but their prosecutions
began again with the rise of Moham
mechanism and have continued to the
present day.
Professionalism was introduced il
Armenia in 1926 by American mission
aries, and is recognized as collateral
sect by the orthodox Armenian Church
There are about 80, 900 Protestant com
municants in the country, with many
native preachers and schools and col
lege.