Their monastic discipline is extremely severe. The religious neither eat flesh nor drink wine; they sometimes continue in prayer from midnight till three o'clock in the afternoon, during which time they are required to read the Psalter through, besides many other spiritual exercises.

The orders or regulations by which they are governed are those of St. Gregory, St. Basil, and St. Dominic, the last of which was evidently introduced by the Romish missionaries, who gained a footing in Armenia about the beginning of the fourteenth century. But the abstinence and mortification of conventual ecclesiastics is surpassed by the Gickniahorè or hermits, who devote their lives wholly to contemplation, and dwell on the tops of rocks, confined thereunto almost as closely as Simeon Stylites was to his pillar.

"Of the Armenian clergy in general, the situation is truly deplorable, as the chief part of their income arises from what we call surplice fees, in the exaction of which they are" (said to be) "encroaching and importunate beyond measure. Their extreme ignorance, even of their own doctrine, is palliated, if possible, by their wretched and abject state. A principal function among them is the reading of prayers over the graves of the deceased, continued even for years, and many of these poor

* See below, p. 457.

Sir P. Ricaut says, that in his time there were ten monasteries of Armenian monks of the order of St. Dominic, P. 427.

priests are seen daily at Constantinople so occupied, especially in the Armenian cemetery at the Campo de' morti."*

MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS.Ekmiazin, the patriarchal seat, is sometimes called Ouch Chilse, or the three churches, from the three churches which are built there, in the figure of a triangle, viz. Ekmiazin, Rupsameh, and Gayeneh. It is likewise called Changlee-Chilse, or the church with bells, having a privilege to use them, which is never or seldom granted to Christian churches in the East, unless to those in Moldavia, Walachia, on Mount Athos, and in the peninsula of India.

The superstitious veneration with which the Armenians regard the monastery of Ekmiazin, in which, as already observed, the chief of their religion resides, is supported by legendary miracles. The more devout make a pilgrimage there once in their lives as a point of conscience, like the Greeks to Jerusalem, and the Mohammedans to Mecca, when they receive, in exchange for their offerings, a salutary benediction, and various endowments.†

Surp Savorich, or St. Gregory, is so high in esteem among the Armenians, that their patriarch, Moses the II., in a synod held in the city of Tevin, fixed the year 551, the supposed date of

* Mr. DALLAWAY'S Constantinople, p. 387, where may be seen a remarkable instance of the way in which these mortuary compliments are conducted.

+ See Sir P. RICAUT, p. 396, &c.

his preaching and of the conversion of their nation to the Christian faith, for the commencement of their era, and made astronomical calculations to regulate their moveable feasts. According therefore to their calculation, the currrent year (1808) is 1257.

Some of the Armenian provinces embraced the doctrines and discipline of Rome so early as the fourteenth century, under the pontificate of John XXII., who, in the year 1318, sent them a Dominican monk to govern their church, with the title and authority of an archbishop. The episcopal seat of this spiritual ruler was first fixed at Adorbigana, in the district of Soldania; but was afterwards transferred to Naxivan, where it still remains in the hands of the Dominicans, who alone are admitted to that ghostly dignity. The Armenian churches in Poland, who have embraced the faith of Rome, have also their bishop, who resides at Lemberg.*

* Dr. MOSHEIM's Eccl. Hist. vol. iv. p. 275.

458

THE

NESTORIAN CHURCHES.

NAMES, RISE, HISTORY, &C.-The denomination of Christians now to be considered, who are frequently called Chaldeans, from the country where they long principally resided, derive the name of Nestorians, by which they are more generally known, from Nestorius, a Syrian and patriarch of Constantinople, in the beginning of the fifth century; "a man," says Dr. Mosheim, " remarkable for his learning and eloquence, which were, however, accompanied with much levity, and with intolerable arrogance;" and, it may be added, with violent enmity to all the sectaries.

The occasion of the fatal controversy in which he involved the church, was furnished by Anastasius, who was honoured with his friendship.

This presbyter, in a public discourse, delivered in 424, declaimed warmly against the title of

But

SOTOXOS, or Mother of God, which was then frequently attributed to the Virgin Mary in the controversy with the Arians, giving it as his opinion that the Holy Virgin was rather to be called xpToToxos, i. e. Mother of Christ, since the Deity can neither be born nor die, and, of consequence, the Son of man alone could derive his birth from an earthly parent. Nestorius applauded these sentiments, and explained and defended them in several discourses. both he and his friend were keenly opposed by certain monks at Constantinople, who maintained that the Son of Mary was God incarnate, and excited the zeal and fury of the populace against him, from an idea that he had revived the error of Paulus Samosatenus and Photinus, who taught that Jesus Christ was a mere man. His discourses were, however, well received in many places, and had the majority on their side, particularly among the monks of Egypt, though in opposition to the sentiments and wishes of Cyril, "a man of haughty, turbulent, and imperious temper," who then ruled the see of Alexandria. The consequence was, that Cyril and Nestorius reciprocally anathematised each other; and when there was no prospect of an amicable issue to this dispute, Theodosius the younger called a council at Ephesus, A. D. 431, which was the third general council in the annals of the church. In this council Cyril presided, though he was a

* In a council assembled at Alexandria in 430, Cyril issued twelve anathemas against Nestorius, who excommunicated him in his turn, on the ground of his abetting the Apollinarian heresy, and confounding the two natures of Christ.