Subjoined is a copious appendix, chiefly pertaining to matters purely nautical, the mysteries of which only a few of our readers would wish to be developed; and the whole is enriched with illustrative charts and engravings, beautifully executed, and judiciously chosen. Some will be deterred by the size, and many by the subject, from a perusal of Captain Parry's book: and indeed it seems, at first, to require some portion of the courage and perseverance of that distinguised commander, to reconcile us to so laborious a task. But those, in whom the natural appetite for truth is not vitiated by fiction, whose minds are not enervated by the exclusive contemplation of beauty, and whose love of knowledge extends beyond the limits of dilettanti criticism, will rise from the volume amused and instructed, with a just impression of the simple elegance of its style, and the authentic character of its narration. ART. V.-PRESENT STATE OF THE GREEK 1. Considerations sur la Doctrine et l'Esprit de l'Eglise Ortho- 3. Four Russian Discourses, translated from the Manuscripts of the Most Reverend Michael Desnitzski, present Metropolitan of Novogorod and St. Petersburg, and first Member of the Holy Synod. 8vo. Westley. London, 1820. THE Greek church has for many ages been in chains at Constantinople; but at present she is seated on the throne at Petersburg, and is resuming her proper rank in the universal church. Until of late years, little comparatively has been known concerning this branch of the Christian church. Dr. King's Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church in Russia,' published in 1772, present an interesting, though somewhat prolix account of her worship and discipline, and a brief, though not very satisfactory notice of the doctrines professed by her: but it was not until Mr. (now Dr.) Pinkerton translated Platon's Summary of Christian Divinity' from the Sclavonian, and M. Stourdza published his Considerations,' that we had any authentic account or standard of the faith and morals of the Russian church. The Orthodox Doctrine or Summary of Christian Divinity' of the venerable Platon, late Metropolitan of Moscow, is divided into three parts, treating, 1. Of the knowledge of God as derived from nature, being subservient to the belief of the gospel: 2. Of the faith of the gospel: and 3. Of the law of God. Each of these parts is subdivided into sections, which are illustrated with numerous apposite passages of Scripture; and the whole is drawn up with great simplicity and perspicuity. The translation of Dr. Pinkerton, it may be proper to inform our readers, made its appearance in the year 1814: but as it supplies some valuable historical facts not noticed by M. Stourdza, we have been induced to call their attention to our countryman's very interesting volume. The Considerations' of M. Stourdza, though they bear the date of 1816, have only been lately imported into this country: they are drawn up in a manner somewhat different from that which is adopted by Platon, and are divided into three books. The first treats on the doctrines professed by the orthodox church; the second is appropriated to the subject of rites and discipline; and the third contains an historical notice relative to the eastern and western churches. The author of this work is a counsellor of state to the present Emperor of Russia, who distinguished himself among the political circles of the continent by a memoir on the real state of Germany, which he presented to the congress at Aix-la-Chapelle, and which is said to have produced a deep sensation among the publicists of that country. A similar sensation, we understand, was produced among those diplomatists, who are particularly connected with the court of Russia, by the publication of the Considerations,' which was regarded as an official piece, composed by command of the Emperor Alexander. From the French, it was speedily translated into German by Kotzebue, who has since fallen a victim to the assassin Sandt, and who, it is well known, was the political resident of the Russian sovereign in Germany. M. Stourdza's volume, he informs us, was occasioned by the attempts made by certain heterodox persons (so the Russians term the Roman Catholics), who were domiciled in Russia, to disturb the consciences, and excite doubts in the minds of the faithful concerning the doctrines professed by the eastern church: in consequence of which proceedings the Jesuits have been expelled from the Russian dominions. But their restless spirit of proselytism, it is added, is not confined to those cities where an asylum had been granted to them. Several islands, in the Archipelago, in which some Latin monks have succeeded in introducing themselves, present the most striking contrast between the two modes of worship. The few families, which have embraced hete rodoxy, are represented as being agitated by the most deplorable fanaticism. From the warmth, indeed, with which our author expresses himself concerning all who are connected with the church of Rome, we suspect that her missionaries have been more successful than he is willing to admit. Subjugated by the missionaries, they are (he says) averse from intermarrying with the orthodox Christians: every possible expedient is made use of to disunite the nearest relatives, to effect abjurations by surprise, to administer baptism by sprinkling, either by force or persuasion, and to authorize the most antisocial prejudices. The consequence is, that these emissaries of the see of Rome are held in detestation throughout Greece: and in different parts of his work our author combats the errors of the Romish church with considerable success. That we may not extend this article to an unnecessary length, we shall confine our attention chiefly to those points of doctrine or discipline, in which the Russian church differs from the Protestants and Roman Catholics; and shall draw our information from the volumes of Platon and M. Stourdza, according as either appears to have stated them with the greater perspicuity. 1. We commence with the doctrine of the Trinity, concerning which the Greek church differs both from the Protestant and from the Romish churches. There are few articles of the Christian faith, respecting which so many crude speculations have been hazarded, because there is none perhaps on which the uninspired mind of man has less to offer. Into this error M. Stourdza appears, in our judgment, to have fallen. Having stated generally that this doctrine is indicated in various scattered passages of the Old Testament, and that it was developed by Jesus Christ, he proceeds to offer the following theory of it; which we shall give in his own words, lest we should misrepresent any of his ideas by translation. L'antiquité avait pressenti les proprietés et la destination du nombre ternaire. Ou plutôt elle possédait une tradition confuse transmise par les premiers âges du monde. Soit que l'on veuille envisager ce nombre comme un simple signe; ou que l'on consente à lui attribuer une signification et une valeur intrinsèque, il n'en est pas moins vrai que le mystérieux triangle contient l'emblême du principe divin et humain. Son sommet est l'unité génératrice du nombre deux, qui par ces deux côtés tracés en ligne divergente caractérise la série des êtres croissante à l'infini. En le considérant sous le point de vue opposé, il devient l'emblême de l'association primitive de deux êtres qui engendrent par leur fusion un nouvel être. A cela près, on ne saurait se défendre d'un mouvement de surprise et d'admiration en retrouvant cette combinaison du nombre ternaire, dans toutes les harmonies de l'intelligence et de la nature. On n'en citera ici que quelques unes. trois facultés de l'ame, d'après Platon et autres philosophes, les trois Les imperfections de l'homme, qui y correspondent, les trois actes de la nature humaine, c'est-à-dire la perception, la détermination et l'action, La triple division du tems qui correspond à tous les instans de. notre existence, et produit en nous le souvenir, la conscience de nous mêmes, et la prévision. Les trois membres qui composent le syllogisme; les trois ramifications de la faculté sensitive représentative, je veux dire, le désir, la jouissance et sa réproduction imaginaire qui constituent les trois élémens du bonheur, les trois vertus théologales, les trois principes d'existence, la création, la conservation, la réproduction, les trois régnes de la nature, les trois dimensions de la matière et autres harmonies. Peut-on de bonne foi considérer ces analogies comme fortuites; et surtout lorsqu'on en fait l'application à ce sublime passage de la Genèse, qui est la clef de toutes les découvertes que l'esprit humain puisse faire dans les régions supérieures. "Dieu créa l'homme à son image et ressemblance. "Or l'homme est évidemment ternaire, soit qu'on le considère moralement comme le produit de la raison, du sentiment, et de la volonté ; soit qu'embrassant tout son être on retrouve en lui, le principe pensant, le principe de vie, et les formes matérielles; soit enfin, qu'on l'envisage dans ses rapports avec l'univers et avec ses semblables, c'est à dire comme un être essentiellement actif. Dès lors il se manifeste par trois attributs qui embrassent et absorbent tous les autres. Ce sont la pensée, la parole, et l'action. Ici se dévoilent les grandes analogies entre le Créateur et la créature, telles qu'elles sont constatées par les Saintes Ecritures. Tâchons de les développer, afin que cette étude nous conduise à reconnaître la pureté du dogme enseigné par notre Eglise. "Tout est harmonie dans la création; tout l'est aussi dans la religion révélée. Moyse, au commencement de la Genèse, nous annonce la mystérieuse similitude de l'homme, avec son Créateur. St. Jean, ce disciple chéri de l'Homme-Dieu, nous déclare l'éternelle existence de la parole. Quoiqu'il ne soit pas facile de saisir au premier coup-d'-œil l'affinité de ces deux passages des Saintes Ecritures, il n'en est pas moins vrai, qu'ils servent à s'expliquer mutuellement. Car le même Evangéliste ajoute que rien de ce qui a été fait, n'a été fait sans la Parole. Tout esprit refléchi se demande ce que signifie cette dénomination, employée pour désigner la seconde Personne de la Trinité. Pour pouvoir s'en rendre compte, il faut recourir au dogme de la similitude entre Dieu et sa créature. L'homme est ternaire selon l'archetype de celui qui est. La pensée, la parole, et l'action humaine représentent perpétuellement en lui les trois personnes de la substance divine. La pensée est le Père invisible, générateur de tous les êtres, principe de vie et d'action, inaccessible et vivificateur. La parole humaine c'est le Fils, elle est coëxistante à la pensée, sans cesse engendrée par elle, essentiellement créatrice, seule palpable et accessible, seul point de contact et de rapport entre l'ordre physique et l'ordre intellectuel. L'action dérive souvent de la parole, mais elle ne procéde essentiellement que de la pensée, qui en est l'unique moteur nécessaire, et le principe éternel. En effet la parole inarticulée elle-même, n'est point un médiateur absolu et nécessaire, entre la volonté que j'ai de mouvoir l'un de mes membres et l'action qui suit cette volonté. De même l'Esprit Saint, l'action, l'accomplissement, émane et procède substantiellement de la pensée, du sensorium, quoique le plus souvent elle soit précédée ou provoquée par la parole. C'est l'Esprit Saint, qui accomplit et réalise toutes choses. Le Père, la pensée, ne se manifeste et ne se matérialise que par le Fils, que par la parole, il n'agit que par l'Esprit, qui est l'action." (Stourdza, pp. 33-36.) The This philosophical theory of the Trinity, is utterly useless: as the speculations of a philosopher, some of the thoughts are ingenious, but in an official developement of the doctrines held by the Russian church, they are entirely misplaced. doctrines of the Bible are infinitely above philosophy, and are only disfigured by the most beautiful combinations which the ingenuity of man can suggest. M. Stourdza proceeds to discuss this doctrine at great length, but without throwing any new light upon it; and insists too much on the authority and implicit obedience which is due to the seven general councils.* We therefore turn with pleasure to the summary of Platon, for a perspicuous view of the actual tenets of the Russian church. "The most holy faith of the gospel first teaches us, that God is one in essence, but in three persons: the Father, uncreated; the Son, inexplicably, and from eternity, begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghost from the same Father, incomprehensibly proceeding, served, reverenced, and glorified in one indivisible worship. "The holy faith reveals to us the most exalted mystery of the Holy Trinity, that is, that God is one in essence in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: yet not three Gods but one God, because one in essence. The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Ghost is Lord: yet not three Lords, but one Lord. The Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy Ghost is Almighty: yet not three Almighties, but one Almighty God. I believe in God the Father, I believe in God the Son, I believe in God the Holy Ghost: yet not three faiths, but one faith. I worship God the Father, I worship God the Son, I worship God the Holy Ghost yet not three worships, but one worship, one reverence, one adoration, one glorifying of the Holy Trinity. "The Father is neither created nor begotten; the Son is not created, but begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost is neither created nor begotten, but proceeding from the Father. The begetting of the Son of God is from all eternity; the proceeding of the Holy Ghost is also from all eternity." (Platon's Orthodox Doctrine, pp. 109-111.) The Seven General Councils received by the Greek church are those, 1. Of Nice (the first), A. D. 325. 2. Of Constantinople (the first), A. D. 381. 3. Of Ephesus, A. D. 431. 4. Of Chalcedon, A. D. 451. 5. Of Constantinople (the second), A. D. 453. 6. Of Constantinople in Trullo (the third), A. D. 680; and 7. Of Nice (the second), A. D. 787. |