THE EASTERN OR GREEK CHURCH

THE EASTERN OR GREEK CHURCH.
This church comprehends within its bosom a considerable part of
Greece, the Grecian Isles, Wallachia, Moldavia, Egypt, Abyssinia,
Nubia, Lybia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine·
These are all under the jurisdiction of the patriarchs of Constantinople,
Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. To these may be added the
whole of the Russian Empire in Europe, great part of Siberia in
Asia, Astracan, Casan, and Georgia. The Pope has no jurisdiction
in these countries, which sufficiently refutes the claim of the Roman
Church to catholicity or universality. The pretension is absurd.
This Church denies that the Church of Rome is the true Catholie
Church. It does not baptize its infants till they are 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, nay,
sometimes 18 years of ago; baptism is performed by trine immersion·
It gives the Lord's Supper in both kinds to its members. Lays no
claim to infallibility. Denies purgatory; but prays God to have
mercy on the dead at the day of judgment. It invokes saints as
intercessors with God. It pays no religious homage to the eucharist.
It believes in predestination. It believes in consubstantiation The
head of this Church is the Patriarch of Constantinople, choeen by
archbishops and metropolitans, and confirmed by the Sultan or Grand
Vizier, both Mohammedans!! The Russians are independent on the
patriarchate of Constantinople. The Czar, from his religious connexion
with the Greeks, has no doubt considerable influence in the
Turkish dominions. He is, I think, the Rossi prince of Meshech, and
Tubal, of Ezekiel, who has yet a considerable part to play in the
affairs of the East, which will however end in hie signal discomfiture.