"It is,' he replied,' the universal idea.' After other remarks, distinguished for candour, and expressive of the miserable follies into which our nature has plunged us, he used these decisive words- Abuses have entered into the church, which former ages might endure; but the present must put them down.' Other topics of conversation were, Justification by Faith, Indulgencies, the Prophecies concerning Popery, and the Seventh General Council. Conversing on the last mentioned subject, I was surprised to find, that he did not know that Protestants worship ped God without the use of pictures. The Christian population he considered to be on the increase at Philadelphia: in the last year there had been ten deaths and twenty marriages; the Turks, he said, were decreasing: a large number had marched for Greece, and none had ever returned. In the evening we attended the metropolitan church; but to give a true account of the sad degradation of Christian worship exhibited on this occasion would be equally difficult and painful. We were highly pleased with the engaging manner of Panaretos; his house, also, which is termed, as usual by the Greeks, the metropolis, exhibited a decorum highly suited to a Christian bishop: nor did I witness that fawning and perpetual kissing of the hand, which I have deplored in some other episcopal residences. From the verandah, we had a view over the whole town by day; and, at night, we observed the illuminated minarets spreading their light over the city, as is customary during the Fast of Ramazan.

The

"April 24, 1826.-This morning I visited a public school of the Greeks. There were present thirty or forty children: Greek, Romaie, and Turkish, were the objects of attention. master complained, that the neglect of the parents was a great obstacle to improvement; as soon as a child could write sufficiently for the purposes of commerce, he was removed, and employed in business. I am sorry to say, that here, as in many other Greek schools, the bastinado is an important appendage.

"I found in this school a manuscript

of the Gospels upon parchment; but it is by no means ancient or valuable.

I cannot conclude this brief account of Philadelphia without stating, from personal observation, the remarkable fact, that while Ephesus, Laodicea, and Sardis, the three churches which called forth the denunciation of displeasure on the part of our Lord, are now nothing more than abandoned ruins, this church, together with Smyrna and Thyatira, (and this is also the case with Pergamos, which I have not yet visited,) still contain flourishing communities of Christians.

"The pen of a celebrated infidel bears witness to a circumstance which is worthy of notice in regard to Philadelphia. 'Philadelphia, alone, hast been saved by prophecy or courage. At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompassed on all sides by the Turks, her valiant citizen.s defended her religion and freedom above fourscore years; and, at length, capitulated with the proudest of the Ottomans. Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect; a column in a scene of ruins.' (Gibbon's Decline and Fall, vol. xi. chap. 64.) It may be added, the circumstance that Philadelphia is now called Allah-Shehr, the City of God,' when viewed in connexion with the promises made to that church, and especially with that of writing the name of the City of God upon its faithful members, is, to say the least, a singular concurrence."

"Sardis.

6

"April 26. This morning I have visited Sardis-once the splendid capital of Lydia, the famous residence of Croesus, the resort of Persian monarchs, and one of the most ancient and magnificent cities of the world. Now how fallen! The ruins are, with one exception, more entirely gone to decay, than those of most of the ancient cities which we have visited. No Christians reside on the spot: two Greeks only work in a mill here, and a few wretched Turkish huts are scattered among the ruins. We saw the churches of St. John and the Virgin, the theatre, and the building styled the palace of

Croesus; but the most striking object at Sardis is the temple of Cybele. I was filled with wonder and awe, at beholding the two stupendous columns of the edifice, which are still remaining: they are silent but impressive witnesses of the power and splendour of antiquity. I read, amidst these ruins, the epistle (Rev. iii. 1-6) addressed to the church once fixed here. What an impressive warning to Christian churches! A name to live, while dead!"

"Thyatira.

"Ak-hissar, the modern Thyatira, is situated on a plain, and is embosomed in cypresses and poplars. The buildings are in general mean; but the khan in which we are at present residing is, by far, the best which I have yet seen. The Greeks are said to occupy three hundred houses, and the Armenians thirty. Each of them have a church." "We paid a visit to the church of the Greeks; it is a wretched structure: upon opening the door, we had to descend four or five steps into the body of the building. We found a priest, a native of Milo, who was engaged in hearing the confessions of the people. On returning to the khan, I conversed for a considerable time with four or five Greeks on the study of the Scripturesthe predicted apostacy from true Christianity, and the means which were furnished for detecting it-the inutility of alms for the salvation of man-the necessity of forsaking sin, &c. Nicolas afterward sat up with the same party till midnight, reasoning with them on the most important subjects. I presented the most interesting of these young men with the New Testament, and cannot but indulge the hope that a useful impression has been made on his mind."

"The sacred writer of the Acts of the Apostles informs us, that Lydia was a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira; and the discovery of an inscription here which makes mention of the dyers,' has been considered important in connexion with this passage. I know not if other travellers have remarked, that even at the present time Thyatira is famous for dyeing. In answer to inquiries on this subject, I was

informed, that the cloths which are dyed scarlet here, are considered superior to any others furnished by Asia Minor; and that large quantities are sent weekly to Smyrna for the purposes of commerce."

"At Thyatira we had very delightful intercourse with the bishop's procurator, and with five priests. Christ crucified was the subject of our conver sation; and Mr. King addressed the children of the school, forty-five in number. We also distributed many tracts, and gave away two New Testaments; and regretted much that we had not with us a larger supply of books, as a great desire for them was displayed. No one surely will doubt the importance of distributing useful books after hearing the following fact, of which we were informed by a Greek of this place. Two missionaries, he said, who were doubtless the Rev. Messrs. Fisk and Parsons, had visited Thyatira five or six years ago, and distributed books: they had presented him with one, which he had actually lent to more than two hundred persons."

The following additional extracts may serve to give an idea of the present state of that district, once so eminently blessed with the personal labours and residence of the "Apostle of the Gentiles," and the "Disciple whom Jesus loved."

Greek Church at Uzunkum. "In proceeding to the village of Uzunkum, we forded the Lytheus, a broad but shallow stream, and entered on the beautiful and extensive Plain of the Mæander. We found a considerable number of Greeks in the village, and the Aga allotted us a lodging in one of their best houses; they were principally natives of Cyprus, whom the changes occasioned by the Greek revolution had transferred to their present abode. I was exceedingly delighted by my intercourse with these poor people, and had an excellent opportunity of addressing them on the most important of subjects; they paid great attention to my remarks; and, after I kad concluded, Nicolas read to them, for a considerable time, from the New Testament; they could not themselves read; but we left a Testament and a

church; and it was in one little better, in the opposite corner, that the bishop of the diocese was then residing."

"Greeks at Chonos.

"After a ride of four hours and a

half from Degnizlu, we reached Chonos, which has long been considered to occupy the site of Colossa: the Christians of this place inhabit 30 houses; the Turks 500: there is one church, and there are three mosques. Here we were sorry to find a total ignorance of modern Greek; a native of Cyprus is the only priest, and the only individual who can speak that language. Where ever Turkish has supplanted Greek, of course the Romaîc Scriptures are of no value; nor does the Turkish Testament supply the deficiency; for, partly because the Greeks are ignorant of the Turkish characters, and partly because the Greeks are jealous of the introduction and use of this volume, it has become necessary to prepare for them Turkish Scriptures in the Greek letter. Whatever publications they possess are of this description; and I noticed, that their inscriptions on tombs are of the same kind. It is a natural inference, which is unhappily too well confirmed by fact, that where the Greeks are only acquainted with Turkish, their know ledge of the New Testament will be proportionably less; indeed, they are almost ignorant of it, Where Romaîc is spoken, its similarity to ancient Greek still enables the attentive to have some knowledge of the lessons of the Gospel which are read at church; but here, such a degree of light is impossible. With regard, then, to modern Colossæ, more than any part of the eastern church which I have yet visited, I find it necessary to leave out the negative in St Paul's declaration, 2 Tim. ii. 9,) and to say, The Word of God is bound."

"Greek Instruction.

"This morning I witnessed an affecting exemplification of the manner in which instruction is conveyed among the Greeks. Hearing the sound of recitation, I followed it into an apartment of the khan, and found a priest

The

The

engaged in teaching his son. youth had before him one of the large volumes employed in the Greek services, and which are written in a language unintelligible to him. From this book his father engaged him in a continual repetition of the words, Arrogant Israel, bloody people, impelled by what injuries didst thou liberate Barabbas, and betray the Saviour to the cross." By dint of such continual repetition, the poor little fellow would, at length, be able to read a book without understanding its meaning. custom of teaching children by means of the ancient language has, I believe, been universal till lately among the Greeks. From the words which I have just quoted, we may observe, in passing, in what manner prayers to saints had their origin: first, the saint was addressed in a rhetorical manner. just as language is above directed to the people of Israel; and, by degrees, what was nothing but bold apostrophe, began to be understood as the language of prayer and adoration."

From the Episcopal Watchman for August 16, 1827.

Christ Church, Boston.

the origin, progress, and present prospeTHE following concise statement of rity of this venerable church, is derived from a discourse delivered by the present rector, the Rev. Asa Eaton, in December, 1823, on the day which completed the century since religious worship was there first celebrated:

King's chapel, the first English church in Boston, not being large enough to ac

commodate all who were desirous of

attending worship there, subscriptions for building Christ church were commenced in the latter part of the year 1722. On the 15th of April, 1723, the corner stone of this edifice was laid by the Rev. Samuel Myles, minister of King's chapel, accompanied by the gentlemen of his congregation. The ceremony was concluded with these words" May the gates of hell never prevail against it." The building was completed during the succeeding summer and autumn, and first opened for public worship on the 29th day of De

cember, in the same year, by the Rev. Timothy Cutler, D. D., the first rector of this church. Dr Cutler was educated at Harvard college, Cambridge, and received the honours of that university in 1701. In 1710 he received congregational ordination at Stratford, Connecticut, where he continued in high estimation, as a minister and a scholar, till 1719, when he was appointed rector of the college in NewHaven, now Yale college. "This," says a dissenting divine, "was an auspicious event to that institution, for he was a man of profound learning, and presided with dignity, usefulness, and general approbation." He was, says the same writer, "the first scholar," and, according to the testimony of another, "the most celebrated preacher, in the colony."*

In 1722, Mr. Cutler, with several of the tutors and neighbouring clergy, men eminent for their talents and influ

[* A fund of interesting incident respecting Dr. Cutler, and some of his clerical cotemporaries, will be found in Chandler's Life of Dr. Johnson, a work which no one can read, ohserves the editor, "without being struck with the remarkable fact, that at a time when the episcopal church was unknown in Connecticut, the Rev. Dr. Cutler, the president of Yale college, Dr. Johnson, and other eminent congre gational ministers in that state, were led to examine the subject of episcopacy; and that their researches terminated in a resolution to obtain valid ordination from the hands of bishops. This resolution was opposed to all the prejudices of their education, sanctioned and confirmed by the general belief and practice of their countrymen. It cast the most pointed and obnoxious censure on the religious constiAution of their country, which every motive of interest and reputation urged them to respect. and support. The important change in their views must, therefore, have been a reluctant sacrifice paid to truth. They could have been excited only by that confidence, which a sense of the supreme obligations of truth inspires, to carry into effect a resolution which they foresaw would subject them to many worldly inconveniences, and to general odium and reproach, at a period when the sacred rights of conscience were less understood and respected than at the present day."

The testimony to the character of Dr. Cutler, above quoted, is, we believe, from Dr. Miller's Retrospect of the Eighteenth Century. President Stiles has also made honourable mention of him in similar terms.]

The two highly interesting works above referred to, viz. Chandler's Life of Dr Johnson, and Miller's Retrospect of the Eighteenth Century, are for sale at the office of the Christian Journal, No. 127 Broadway.

ence, having, after careful inquiry and mature deliberation, been led" to suspect, not only the regularity, but even the lawfulness and validity" of congregational ordination, conformed to the church of England. He accordingly resigned the rectorship of the college, and came to Boston, whence, in company with Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Brown, two of the conformists, he embarked for England on the 5th of November. On their arrival in London, "they were received with all possible kindness by Dr Robinson, the bishop of London, and by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; and it was readily agreed that Mr. Cutler should be sent to the new church at Boston." Mr. Cutler was ordained first deacon, and then priest, in March, 1723, by Dr. Green, bishop of Norwich. visiting the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, he received from each the honorary degree of Doctor in Divinity. Having been appointed missionary to this church, he embarked for America in July, arrived in Boston in November, and, on the 29th of December, commenced his labours in this part of his Master's vineyard. The success of his ministry appeared in the increasing number and the exemplary lives of those who attended on his public ministrations.

On