The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-08
CREEDS IN TURKEY.
A Curious Medley of Christians
and Other Sects.
JEWS AND moSLEms AT PEACE.
The Persecution of the Arrnenians BE-
gun By the Roman Empsrors-The
Queer Religion Of the DruseS.


cept X are 70 be put TO the sword Thus
MohargTe4 and rs immediate SUCCESSORS
thought 70 convert the world Il was not
an original scheme. The propagandis1s OF
other faiths had tried II. ard have tried
X since. Perhaps the AohamDeaans rad
a larger measure OF success with Il than
any one else has ever had II SO, we may
credit the fact TO their physical prowess.
their SURPRISING vRlor and their spiritual
enthusiasm. which for a time had scarce
ly a rival in the world. H0wbelt, for all
that Islam has not succeeded in imposing
its faith upon all. not even upon all in its
Own esepcial land It's caliph rules over
fragments OF many tribes and nations.
suodged beneath the Ottoman yoke. But
religion Is stronger than politics. and all
the scourgings and Sayings since the time
OF the first Murad have not sufficed 20
make a uniformity OF creed throughout
the empire. Half dozen or more Chris
tan sects have maintained their independ-
ence through all the centuries, as stub
. bornly and as yaliantly as Islander held
w the standard OF free CTOlia. And a stern
retrtbution has through these come upon
the Ottoman power. For as they were
brought under that power politically by
war. so they IN turn have brought war
again and again upon their Oppressor. The
wars OF the last century against the Turk
have been religious wars. and when the
Ottoman empire goes down in final ruin IL
VIII doubtless be IN a struggle provoked
by animosit.es OF rival creeds.
The present troubles In Armenia and
elsewhere have such an origin. and they
have served to call renewed attention 10
the strange mixture OF creeds which the
calph and the Shiek-ul-Islam unwillingly
tolerate IN the Ottoman dominions. Il is
circumstance OF Interest TO those who
look for apt condolences and poetic jus
tee that most OF these sects were formed
hos H.
church which Slapped both the spiritual ard
temporal strength Of the Byzantine en-
pire and made II an easy prey TO the ag-
grSssive hosts or Islam: interesting, too,
that the seat OF the trouble is IN Armenia,
on the very soil where. under the renowned
Ertugruhl. the Ottoman dynasty was
founded. But the Armenian church g only
one OF many that refuse 10 conform with
Islam The Turkish government officially
recognizes no fewer than seven, all OF
which are invested with the privilege OF
having their own ecclesiastical rule. These
are the Latlns. Franks. or Roman Catho-
lies: the Greeks, the Armenians, the Sy-
rians and United Chaldeans, the Marontes.
the Protestaats and the Jews. These
names include, but do not adequately rep
resent. all the non Mohammedan sccts in
the land OF Islam, for there are sub-eivi-
sions of soma of them. while others are
really leagued together under a common
tlnct branches of the Greek church, and,
on the other hand, the Maronites are
part OF the Roman Catholic church. Be-
sides all these, too, there are the Druses,
who blend into one strange creed paris Of
the systems OF Christ, Moses. Buddha, 70
rooster and Mohammed.
The Greek Church.
The Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church.
TO give its fun title to what We vaguely
tarr "A 81 &c htr no me
unit. Each country in which It exists has
its own national church, and these are not
only independent OF each other. but differ
not a little IN faith and discipline. There
are Russian. Rumanian. Bulgarian, Ser
Wan. M0ntenegrln, Greek and Austro-
Hungarian organizations OF 1t. besides the
Unlates or United Greeks. who. being sub
Ject 20 the sultan. may be reckoned a
church without a country. Nor are all
these confined to the countries whose
names the bear. The Russian. Greek and
Bulgarian churches have hosts of adher-
ents IN European Turkey. and their con-
ficting claims have had not little to do
with political iutr4gues and disturbances
IN recent years. Macedonia md Western
Thessaly are their especial field of opera
tons. and the serious complications OF a
few years ago over the berats Of the Bull
garian bishops are stu remembered. Greece
claims ecclesiastical dominion there, because
proper and Macedonia. Bulgaria claims It.
toe. because Of her ambition for a Big Bull
gar!a that shall come down 10 the Aegean
and 10 the Adr!atic. and besides. the peo-
pie are as much Bulgar as Greek. As FOR
Russia. she claims it on the easy ground
Of universal authority. deeming herself
the rightful heir OF all Byzantium. There
are also many Un.ates IN the same terri
tory but as they have no political back
Ing their claims are d!sregarded.
Speaking OF all these branches as OF the
Greek church-or Orthodox Catholic East
ern church-as a whole. its story and char
actcr4st.cs may be briefly sketched. Ii be-
gan 10 be estranged from the Roman See
about 3N5. when the latter began 10 enforce
such innovations as clerical celihaCy, and
the use OF unlevened bread IN the Euchar-
lst The actual rupture came in the reNt
century over the words "FlUoQue" In tie
creed The Romanists Insisted upon put
ting them there, and upon the doctrine
thus expressed, that the third person Of
the trinity proceeded from the first and
second. ana not from the Grst alone. From
ms the Greeks q .ssented. and were there
FORE. accommodated by the pope Of
Rome in &Si. Since then there have been
few attempts at reunion. bat general es-
tangemont and hostility. and not few
outbreaks 81 Understandable savageTv. The
doctrines OF the Greek church include seven
sacraweuts. offering. however. in some
important respects from those OF Rome
Baptism IS administered by cripple Inner
SION Confirmation follows Immediately
,lnou baptism Pcrance does not require
auric,ilar confession. In the Eucharist
leavened bread is used and both the eI.-
rnorts are administered Go ali couuuui-
0ants Marriage .s iIsSolghle hy ecclcs 'az-
seal authority. for violation - the seventh
commandment. but only after 2 probation
sr,- rer.of ana cftortsat reconciliation. Tn
a.r.~ s-