The Washington herald., 1909-06-05


Egypt The Copts are the only iineal
descendants Of the ancient Egyptians;
they have been Christians since the days
when the apostles were still preaching
Jesus as eyewitnesses TO His matchIess
me- They are to-day a peculiar people.
The moral condition Of their church Is
low they have absorbed much OF the
forms and ceremonies OF Islam. and their
religion is embalned in a dead language.
For all OF that their church IS an in
teresting study.
Services are still held every Sunday in
an ancient church in Old Cairo, on the
site Of a stiu older city on the confines
OF Memphis. owned by a congregation 10
which there IS good historical reason 10
DelleVe the gospel was preached by ST.
Peter and ST. Mark. The church is named
Bablon, and has been identified by an
Gent papyrus documents with the church
Babylon. from which St Peter wrote his
First Epistle. and from which he con-
Feyed the messages Of St Mark 10 the
cnurch al Jerusalem COptic church
also marks the place where the infant
Jesus was laid when brought 10 Egypt by
Joseph and Mary. but the Authenticity OF
mat site has little or no historical sup
port.
CSA l1Ah u IS LAat the cAQrcu n AFRICA
was founded and ministered TO by St
Mark. He was the first patriarch or
bishop Of Alexandria, and there his bones
were buried for many years until they
were stolen away by Venetian pirates,
and carried to Venice TO be buried in the
magnificent cathedral which bears his
name The successor 20 the see OF St
Mark. the patriarch Of Alexandria. now
has his seat in Cairo He is the supreme
r-e~
or the Church Of Abyssinfa The Cop
tic Church has had a separate existence
since A D. 81 After the Council OF
ChalcedOn. held In that year the Afri-
can church seeded from the general
orthodox body II was the century
Of schisms and the era OF subtle
ooctrinal disputes The Africans held
that Jesus Christ had but one ma
ture, which was ar once human and
divine. The council had held that Jesus
had but one will. The Africans declined
to admit the logic which held that a man
with dual nature could have but a
single will. and so led the great schism
1t is difficult for Christians OF the tyven-
ueth century 20 appreciate the vital i'm
portance OF such subtle differences Of
theological definitions, but il is q far
cry from the ffth 70 the twentieth cen
,uries.
Christianity some OF its greatest men in
the days Of the early fathers St An
Inony. ST. Augustine. and 81. Chrysos-
tom VIII keep alive It's name forever. The
monastic principle was born under the
wing Of the African church. and the hoary
monasteries Of the wilderness Of Sinai
to-day attest the ancient glory of this
church.
The Copts did not have peaceful
church Theological disputes were backed
with the sword in these early
days, and the green Valley Of the Nile
was FLASHED with the blood OF Christians
who believed that Jesus had a single na-
ture. put to the sworn by Christians who
believed that Jesus had a dual nature.
The ernperors OF the East supported their
clergy with their armies and for years
Egypt was overrun and the Copts parse-
cutc6.
When the green flag and the crescent
OF conquering Islam was seen 10 approach
across the desert from Arabia, the Copts
welcomed the invaders that they might
be rid Of their Byzantine Oppressors-
The Moslens took possession OF the coun-
Try az the beginning Of the eighth cen
tury, and have held It ever since. The
Copts were well treated at first. as they
were allies. But the militant spirit OF
Islam did not brook the prosperity Of the
inidels. The Copts soon were being
forced 10 adhere 10 the Prophet on pain
OF death.
Then came King David OF Abvssinia
who controlled the sources Of life IN
Egypt. Ie told the Caliphs that the
persecution Of the COpts must cease. OF
he would divert the waters OF the Nile
and fertile Egyp- would become a vast
desert The threat had its effect. and
the slaughter OF the Copts was stopped. /
Yer through ali the twelve centuries since |
the Arab conquest, the Copts have suf-
fered deprivations and humiIiations from,
the stronger AIohammedan race. No one
can fail 10 admire the zeal and devotion
the self-immolating faith, which has kept
the church Of the Copts alive
Yet the Coptic church Is so bound I'D /
with Oriental conservatism that II con- !
fers upon its people very few Of the ad- /
vantages Of enlightenment with which /
one associates the name Christian" in /
this era. The church services are CON
Quoted In the ancient Coptic language
which bears the same relation 10 the 1
Egyptian language Of tn edavs Of Ra-
meses, that the English Of Shakespeare /
bears TO that Of Chaucer The Coptic !
language has been dead for several cen |
turies, and very few Of the clergvn1en /
who intOne the liturgy. know the mean /
ing Of a word OF H. The higher classes /
OF the clergy can read and write It. but /
no living man can converse in It. The /
sermon when there IS one is preached in /
Arabic. The church service on SUNDAYS /
and on Holy Days Is about three or four
hours long. As the people stand through 1
all OF 1t. A Copt on his way 10 church i
may be seen carrying a crutch, which /
he uses 10 support himself through the /
rfrlny ordeal In r-iarr n -
Is all the more remarkable that the Copts !
are devout and faithful churchgoers.
The church interiors are much the
same as those Of the Greek Orthodox \
faith. There are no images. which are 4
held 20 be idolatrous, but the priests l
have great pride in their pictures. The \
Madonna and Child. St joseph. ana the 4
infant Jesus. St. George. and the Dragon.
and the Child Jesus. in the temple. are
favorite subjects for sacred art. Some
OF these pictures are many centuries old /
The Copts themselves are a distinct 4
race from all other inhabitants OF Egvnt
Their descent from the ancient no1u-
ment builders Of glorious Egypt has been
admitted by the great ethnologists. and
Il Is proved 20 the laynan by the strik-
ing facial resemblance between q Coptic
clerk OF to-day and the monuments Of /
Rameses. Set. and the ancient kings
Partly from necessity and partly from
superior adaptability, the Copts have
been the clerks and scribes OF Egvpt
since soon after the Arab conquest. The
Arab despised the clerk with his pen and
ink and account books. The Copt was
quick and accurate; so he took the place
Of bookkeeper-in-chief 70 the nation. An
Arab. after centuries OF inaccurate think
ing and no instruction in numbers. can
not be certain about anything which in
wolves the multiplication table. Very few