also in Persia, and are supposed to number at least twelve millions. Being so numerous and so widely dispersed, should spiritual life be revived among them, a flood of light would illumine the Turkish Empire, and shine far up into Central Asia. The followers of Mohammed would look on with wonder, and perhaps at first with hatred and persecution; but new views of the Gospel would thus be forced upon them, and no longer would they be able to boast of the superiority of their own religion.

"It is true of the Oriental Churches, that they have lost nearly all the essential principles of the Gospel; at least, that those principles have, in a great measure, ceased to have a practical influence. Their views of the Trinity, and of the Divine and human nature of Christ, are not unscriptural; but their views of the way of salvation through the Son, and of the work of the Holy Spirit, are sadly perverted. The efficacy of Christ's death for the pardon of sin, is secured to the sinner, they suppose, by baptism and penance. The belief is universal, that baptism cancels guilt, and is regeneration. They also believe baptism to be the instrumental cause of justification. Hence faith is practically regarded as no more than a general assent of the understanding to the creeds of their Churches. Of the doctrine of a justifying faith of the heart, the distinguishing doctrine of the Gospel,—the people of the Oriental Churches are believed to have been wholly ignorant, before the arrival of Protestant Missionaries among them.

"Being thus freed from the condemning power of original sin, and regenerated by baptism, men were expected to work their way to heaven by observing the laws of God and the rites of the Church. These rites were fasting, masses, saying of prayers, pilgrimages, and the like; and in practice crowded the moral law out of mind. The race of merit was hindered by daily sins, but not stopped, provided the sins were of a class denominated venial. These could be cancelled by the rites of the Church, the most important of which was the mass, or the consecration and oblation of the elements of the Lord's Supper. That ordinance is to be observed in remembrance of Christ, but the people of the Oriental Churches are taught to look upon it as a renewal of His death. On the Priest's pronouncing the words, This is My body,' the elements are believed to be

changed from bread and wine, and thenceforth to contain the body and blood, the soul and Divinity, of Christ; so that He is crucified afresh, and made an expiatory sacrifice for sin, every time the consecration is performed, which, in most churches, is almost every morning in the year. Its merit attaches not only to the offerer and partaker, but to all the faithful, living and dead, especially to those who, by paying the Priest, or by some other service, have their names mentioned in the prayers that form a part of the ceremony. Thus a ministry to offer sacrifices is substituted for a ministry to feed the flock of God with sound doctrine, and the spiritual worship of God is converted into the formal adoration of a wafer. Preaching is nowhere regarded as the leading duty of the clergy, but to say mass. By exalting the Eucharist into an expiatory sacrifice, the partaking of the elements by the people came to be considered quite unessential, and is generally neglected. They need not understand, nor even hear, the language of the officiating Priest. It is enough, if they see and adore. A bell warns them when to make the needful genuflections and crosses. Nor can there be a reasonable doubt, that the adoration of the host (which is required on pain of excommunication in the Romish Church) is the grossest species of idolatry. But there are deadly, as well as venial, sins; and these expose the soul to eternal punishment. When these are committed after baptism, they can be remitted only by auricular confession, or the sacrifice of penance, of which confession forms an essential part. To the efficacy of this ceremony, contrition of heart is supposed, in theory, to be essential; but its necessity is rarely taught, and the great mass of the community go away from the confessional fully satisfied that their sins are cancelled by the mere external form.

"Pardon by the Priest is not, however, absolute. Grace is restored, and eternal punishment remitted; but there must be a temporary punishment,-certain penances, such as fasting, alms-giving, saying prayers, and the like. The fasts are merely the substituting of a less for a more palatable and nutritious diet. Alms are more for the spiritual benefit of the giver than for the relief of the receiver. The supposed efficacy of prayer has no connexion with the sincerity of the offerer. For in

none of the Oriental Churches, excepting the Arabic branch of the Greek Church, are the prayers in a language understood by the people. They believe that all who die before baptism, or after baptism with deadly sins unconfessed, are lost for ever; but if one die after confession, and while his penance is incomplete, he cannot be sent to hell, neither is he prepared for heaven. He must first complete his penance in a temporary state of misery. This state the Papists call purgatory; and though the other Churches reject the name, they cleave tenaciously to the thing. As all believe the sufferings of the departed may be shortened by the merit of good works performed by surviving relatives, and imputed to them, prayers for the dead are frequent in churches and over graves, and masses are celebrated in their name. Though the Nestorians renounced auricular confession, they no more looked to the redemption of Christ for pardon than did their neighbours, and they knew of no other regeneration than baptism."

So far we have the opinion of the American Presbyterian brethren, whose uncompromising exhibition of the errors of the Oriental Churches, and their practical influence upon the clergy and people, may be advantageously compared with the too favourable but fascinating sketch by the excellent but ultraliberal Dean of Westminster, Dr. Stanley, in his first Lecture on the "History of the Eastern Churches." The Dean, whose charity hopeth all things," views the Oriental systems at a distance. We may liken these Churches to an eastern city, which from without appears picturesque and inviting: but enter it, and the charm is gone. If Dean Stanley had had a few years' experience as a religious teacher in the East, his views of Eastern Christianity would then probably be found not to differ much from those of the American Presbyterian Doctor.

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(5). SUCCESS OF THE MISSION OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS IN TURKEY, &c. STATISTICAL returns give nineteen churches in Western Asiatic Turkey, with a total membership of eight hundred and ninety-four. Registered Protestants, 4,655.

In the Central Turkey Mission, which embraces districts

around

the north-east corner of the Mediterranean :There are 23 churches in the field, with a membership of 1,934, and 12 native Pastors. Registered Protestants number 7,746.

In the Eastern Turkey Mission, which embraces a wide range of country:-The churches are now 28, Pastors 22, members 1,181; licensed native Preachers, 27; registered Protestants, 7,023. "The Protestant Churches and communities are growing more stable, better educated, and more capable of self-government; and sifting processes are going on, which may seem like retrogression, but which are really important agencies of progress.

It is much to be regretted that the zeal of Bishop Gobat (Jerusalem) for Episcopacy has led him to attempt to plant churches after the Anglican model within the districts occupied by the American brethren. We do not, however, anticipate unmixed evil from the introduction of another Church system, however exclusive in its claims. The ability of the Presbyterian converts in Turkey to judge and discriminate between the merits of opposite ecclesiastical systems, will now, by this rivalry, be called into exercise. This of itself is a step in advance, and helpful to their intellectual growth. Neither can we severely blame the good but narrow High Churchmen who cannot conceive of Christianity apart from Episcopacy, and who consequently feel it their duty to show Presbyterians what they deem "a more excellent way." With such good men it is in vain to reason: we must bear with their peculiar views, and with all the inconveniences which follow their promulgation, whether in Turkey, or Madagascar, or South Africa.

The Missions in Syria and Persian Kurdistan, formerly conducted by the American Board of Foreign Missions, have, since 1870, been placed under the care of the American Presbyterian Board. The Missionaries have already established themselves in Teheran and Hamadan, both of them important positions in reference to Persia and Central Asia.

The American United Presbyterians are carrying on a great work in Syria and Egypt. It is pleasant to know that 9 principal and 13 subordinate Mission Stations, with 1,200 pupils, and 481 Christian converts, are to be found in the land of Ham.

IX. TURKEY IN EUROPE-DANUBIAN PROVINCES (ROUMANIA)-GREECE.

HOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF TURKEY, ROUMANIA, AND GREECE.

TURKEY.-Population vaguely estimated at 11,500,000, not including Roumania. Mohammedans, 3,800,000; Greek Church, 6,970,000; Armenians, 400,000; Roman Catholics, 260,000; Jews, 70,000. The Greek Church comprises-Greeks, 1,000,000; Bulgarians, 4,000,000; Servians, 1,000,000;

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