declined conformity with the established holy days of the Episcopal church. The truth is, had they kept their fasts and thanksgivings a single day before or after Passion week and Christmas, it would have broken up the associations of mind, which was the object of their alteration. But in allowing them the sweep of several weeks for such days, they had ample scope to rid themselves of the charge of making a distinction without any difference.

7. Observance by other states. We have now reached the point, where notice should be taken of fasts and thanksgivings in other parts of the United States. It is well known, that, in such portions, as were under Episcopal discipline, these days were kept there, for a long period, according to the prescribed form of the English established church. The Lent and Christmas of those parts of our country were to them, as the periodical fasts and thanksgivings of the Puritans. Their other similar seasons were to them, in some respects, like the additional ones of Congregationalists. As a matter of general concernment to all the British American colonies, they were, as previously expressed, required by the law of England, passed 1606, to keep an annual thanksgiving on the fifth of November to commemorate the discovery of the gunpowder plot. It was subsequently enacted by the parliament, that there should be a fast for the death of Charles I, and, also, a thanksgiving for the birth and accession of Charles II to the throne, every successive year. While these laws were complied with in our Episcopal colonies, they seem to have been neglected, as to their religious observance, by the nonconformists of New England. In the year 1661, the legislature of Virginia incorporated the two last enactments with their laws.* Besides, when any great victory was obtained by England, or any joyful event transpired in her favor, orders were received thence by the colonists of our country, till the revolution of our independence, to keep thanksgivings, which was accordingly and punctually done.

In addition, fasts and thanksgivings, ordered by provincial and national Congresses, have been observed throughout the Union.

Having thus cleared our way of these more general particulars, we will now look at individual sections of our republic. In none of these have the periodical fasts of New England ever been appointed by public authorities. Such occasions have been observed by vari*Laws of Virginia, p. 4.

↑ Since the above was written, the Executive of New York State has designated a general Fast for the present month of April, 1841.

ous denominations of dissenters therein, whenever the exigencies of the temporal and spiritual condition of themselves, or neighborhood, or country seemed to require. Other denominations, who conform with the rituals of their respective churches, have had their holy days in the spring and winter and other established seasons.

As to annual thanksgivings, like those of New England, the only States, which are known by the writer to have had them appointed by their chief magistrates, are New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. They have been observed in New Jersey for not less than a half century. They began to be appointed by De Witt Clinton of New York in 1819, and have been so continued till the present year. For ten years they have been kept in Michigan; for six years in Ohio, and for three or four in Indiana. In these States, we are credibly informed, that thanksgiving is less and Christmas more observed, in proportion to the population, than in New England. As a substitute for thanksgiving in the States, which do not keep it, are Christmas and other similar seasons. The manner of observing these, as described by Lucian Minor, Esq. relative to Virginia, has a particular application to nearly all such States. His language is: "Christmas, a four days' holiday, maintains here its old English character of festivity, being the nearest resemblance to your November thanksgiving. Those four days and one day each at Easter and Whitsuntide, are the only stated holidays amongst us, and these are enjoyed by all colors and conditions, who choose, but mostly by all of the slaves."

Having thus travelled over the diversified course of our inquiry, we are reminded of the long continued customs, which originated in religious opinions of various shades and tendencies. Whatever be the forms or times of worship associated with these customs, so sacred a service-if dutifully performed-is alike beneficial in promoting humility for our sinful deficiencies, and gratitude for our numerous mercies; in exalting the mind to God while an inhabitant of earth, and the soul to heaven, when disenthralled from its clayey tenement. Blessed indeed are they, who so commune with Him in public, as to be partakers of his sanctifying presence in private, and, hereafter, to be filled with His fullness forever.

CHAPTER XXIII.

OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH.

The history of the ancient religious sects of the East, opens an interesting and important field of inquiry, in investigating the rites and customs and discipline of the primitive church. These religious sects, severally, separated themselves at a very early period from the established church; and, in the deep seclusion and sleepless jealousy of Eastern bigotry, they have preserved their ancient religious rites unchanged through the lapse of ages. These their religious rites, therefore, carry us back to a high antiquity, and, with some circumstantial variations, disclose to us the usages and customs of the ancient church.

It would be interesting and instructive, for this reason, to compare the antiquities of some of the most ancient of these religious sects, such as the Armenians, the Nestorians, the Jacobites, the Copts, etc. The author has taken measures to obtain from our missionaries a brief statement of the religious rites of several of these sects, and has the pleasure of laying before the reader one such abstract respecting the Armenian church, from the Rev. H. G. O. Dwight, missionary at Constantinople. This communication from him cannot fail to be alike interesting both to the antiquarian and the Christian.

Origin and Progress of the Armenian Church.

Among the sovereigns of the East, at the time of Christ, was one by the name of Abgar, or Abgarus, the seat of whose governmeut was at Edessa in Mesopotamiah. He is called by Tacitus (An. L. 12. c. 12) king of the Arabs, though in the Armenian Chronicles he is placed among the Armenian kings, of the dynasty of the Arsacidae. It is said that this king was converted to Christianity merely by hearing of the wonderful works of Christ, and that he sent a special messenger with a letter to invite Christ to come to his court, where he promised him rest and protection from his enemies. To this request Christ replied that it was impossible for him to come in person, but that after his ascension, he would send one of his disciples, in his place. Eusebius and others relate that our Saviour took a handker

chief and pressing it upon his face, an exact likeness of himself was miraculously impressed upon it, which he sent to Abgar as a mark of favor.

Moses Chorenensis, the Armenian historian, states that our Saviour sent to king Abgar his own likeness, but makes no allusion to the manner in which it was procured.

This last writer also declares, that after the death of Christ the apostle Thomas, in obedience to the command of the Saviour, and agreeably to his promise, sent Thaddeus, one of the seventy, to Edessa, who healed the king of an incurable disease under which he had been suffering for seven years, and afterwards, baptized him in the name of Christ. Many other miracles are said to have been performed by Thaddeus, and "the whole city," says Moses," was baptized."

This is the Armenian account of the beginning of their church, and Eusebius bears his testimony to the same facts in every important particular.

The immediate successors of Abgar, however, apostatized from the christian faith, and by their persecutions Christianity was almost exterminated from the country. It would appear, however, that individual Christians and perhaps small bodies of them, were found in the Armenian territories up to the time of Dertad (Diridates) 2d, A. D. 259, during whose reign Christianity was revived, through the instrumentality of Gregory, and it has ever since been the religion of the Armenian people.

Gregory, called also Loosavorich, the Enlightener, was an Armenian of royal descent, who having been brought up in Cesarea, was there educated in the christian religion.

Having become connected with the king's suite, and refusing to unite in his idolatrous worship, he was grievously tortured, and kept in close confinement in a cave for many years. Being at length delivered, he was instrumental in the conversion of the king, and many of the nobles. He afterwards repaired to Cesarea, where he was ordained bishop, by Leonties, bishop of Cesarea, and returning to Armenia Proper, he baptised the king and multitudes of the people. In short, the nation now became Christian, though some of its chiefs soon afterwards apostatized, and through their means the king of Persia was enabled, for a while, to carry on a persecution against the religion of the cross. At subsequent periods in the Armenian an

nals we read of the most violent and deadful persecutions of the Armenian Christians, by the pagan and Mohammedan kings of Persia, as political changes placed the former under the power of the latter.

In the year 406, the Armenian alphabet was invented, and in 411, the Bible was translated into the Armenian language from the Septuagint.

In the year 491, a synod of Armenian bishops rejected the decisions of the council of Chalcedon, by which act they cut themselves off from the charity and communion of the other branches of the christian church, and they are to this day denominated schismatics and heretics by both the Greeks and the Papists.

As to the progress of the Armenian church in after ages, little indeed can be said, unless we follow the examples of their own historians, and quote as evidences of her prosperity, the number of churches and convents erected, the great increase of religious feast and fast days, and of ceremonies in general, and the astonishing miracles performed by worldly and graceless monks. The people were left in almost total ignorance, while the ecclesiastics were continually embroiled in disputes with the Greeks on points of little importance, or waging intestine wars of ambition with each other, each striving for the highest place. As might be expected, every species of irreligion was rife under such influences.

The only redeeming trait was the unflinching resoluteness with which property, liberty, and life were frequently sacrificed to the Magian and Mohammedan persecutors of the Armenian church.

2. Church officers and government. The Armenians are at present scattered among different nations, and subject to different political governments, by which their ecclesiastical polity is somewhat modified. Originally the church was placed under one head, styled catholicos, who usually held his seat at the imperial residence. Subsequently several different catholicoses were created by parties rising up in different parts of the country, and taking advantage of the disturbed state of public affairs. At present there are three catholicoses, one at Echmiadzin (which is the greatest), one at Aghtamar, in the Lake Van, and one at Sis, in the ancient province of Cilicia. The catholicos is the spiritual head of the church, or of that particular portion of it over which his jurisdiction extends. He only can ordain bishops, and consecrate the sacred oil which is used in various ceremonies of the church.