PART II. ous to make the World believe that the Oriental Churches are like their own, that the fame Writer in his 447th Page affures us, that "Some" Friars of the Roman Church perfwaded the Armenian Patriarch and Bishops at Conftantinople to fubfcribe a Confeffion agreeable to the Tenets of the Roman Faith-a Copy of which Sir Paul Ricaut faw and read, as it was deliver'd to him from the Mertabet, or Armenian Bishop.

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Dr. Smith, in the 6th Page of his above-mention'd Preface, fays, "It is manifeft to all who underftand Antiquity, how much the prefent Greeks "have in feveral Points of Doctrine varied from "the Belief of their Ancestors, and have corrupt"ed the Simplicity and Purity of Religion by odd

Opinions and Fancies." So that 'tis now no wonder if we find fome of their late particular Bishops Latinize fo far, as to run into the Popery of Baptifin by Lay-men and Women.

What Regard then is due to Jeremias the Patriarch's Opinion in this Matter, when he was difpleas'd with the Lutherans for believing "In"vocation of Saints to be vain and frivolous," and for defpifing that Adoration which is paid to their Images and Holy Relicks, as they are called? Mr. Bingham might with as good a Grace have produc'd that Patriarch's Teftimony for thefe Popish Corruptions, as for the other; and the reft of his Inftances are of fo modern a Date, that we have reafon to believe they are no better than the meer Effects, of fome Greeks being too much infected with the Superftitions of the Church of Rome.

* Du Pin's XVI. Cent. Tom. 2, p. 441. Lond.

§ XVIII.

§ XVIII. Dr. Smith tells us, in the 109th Page of his Account of the Greek Church, "They believe fuch an abfolute Neceffity of this Sacrament-as "that they entertain hard and cruel Thoughts of the State of Infants, which by fome Misfortune "and Cafualty are depriv'd of it, to prevent which Mischief, and fecure their Fears, where there is a “real and certain Danger of imminent Death in "the Abfence of a Prieft, who is at all other times the only Lawful Minister of this Sacred Rire, it is "allowed to Lay-Perfons of either Sex, as it is exprefly laid down in their Publick Confeffion of Faith, Written in the Vulgar Greek, and Printed in the Year 1662. "It is not lawful and proper "for any one to baptize but a lawful Prieft, except "in time of Neceffity; and then a Secular Perfon, "whether Man or Woman, may do it." By this we fee, that the Reason of this Practice of fome of the Greeks, is the uncharitable and cruel Opinion which fome of the Romanifts hold of Infants dying without Baptifm, and which thofe Greeks have learn'd from them: That the Practice founded upon that Opinion, is no other than Popish, fince it allows Women as well as Lay-men to baptize; which is a peculiar Practice of the corrupt Church of Rome. And 'tis no fufficient Answer to fay, That this is the Sense of the genuine Greek Church; because 'tis "exprefly laid down in their Publick "Confeffion of Faith, Anno 1662." For it cannot be prov'd that the true Greek Church, without any Mixture of Romifh Priests and Fryars, or Latinizing Greeks, made that Confeffion of Faith; nay, it is moft likely, that Popish Emiffaries had a great Hand in making it: For Dr. Smith, in the 6th Page of his Preface, to the above-cited Book, makes the

bold

bold Determinations of this very Confeffion of Faith, Anno 1662. and of the Bethleemetick Synod, faid to have been Held in 1671. to be fuch Inftances 56 as will incline any fober and confidering Man to "believe, that the Greeks have of late, more than

ever, been wrought upon by the fly Artifices and "underhand Dealing of the fubtle Emillaries of "Rome, who watch continually over the poor Greeks, "and take Advantage of their Poverty and Diftrefs,

to bring them to a farther Compliance, and in time "to a downright Subjection." So that upon a ferious Confideration of the whole Matter, Mr. Bingham's producing thefe Modern Inftances of fome particular Greeks allowing of Baptifin by Lay-men, and even by Women, amounts to no more, than if he had given us the like Inftances from the Church of Rome; for 'tis well known, that, that Church has infected Some of the Greeks with her falfe Doctrines and unwarrantable Practices, infomuch as that fome of their late Synodical Determinations, and Confeffions of Faith, have been made by the Inftigation of Popish Priefts, and founded upon Romish Principles, efpecially in fome Doctrines and Practices which were never held or us'd in the Ancient Greek Church, as this of Baptifin by Lay-men and Women never was, before fome of their Bishops and Clergy were too eafily wrought upon by the cunning Craftinefs of Popish Emiffaries in the declining Ages of the Church.

XIX. As for the Mofcovites, Mr. Bingham fays, pag. 109. "Their Rules and Canons give particular Orders about this matter;" and for Proof of this he fays, pag. 110. That "the first Canon of John their Metropolitan, who is commonly call'd "their Prophet, gives this Direction, That Children,

..

in Cafe of Neceffity, Should be baptiz'd without a Prett. And this is all he produces for the Practice of the Mofcovite Churches; one fingle Man's Authority; no Synod or Council mention'd wherein this Canon was made, and yet this muft ftand for the authentick Senfe and Practice of thofe Churches. Strange arguing this! as if the Opinion of One Bishop was the Opinion of all thofe Churches: But the contrary to this is very evident from Mr. Bingham's own Obfervation, in the Words immediately following, which are these, "The People indeed do

not always obferve this Rule, for fome Authors “tells us, many of them think a Prieft fo abfo"lutely requifite to perform this Office, that, what= "ever Cafe of Decelity happen, they will not per "mit it to be done by any other but a Prieft:" From whence 'tis plain, the Mofcovites do not think their Metropolitan to be in the right, tho' he do's fay, That "Children may be baptiz'd" in Cafe of Neceflity" without a Prieft.

◊ XX. But Mr. Bingham replies to this, That we are to judge of the Senfe and Practice of a "Church from the Rules and Canons made by “its Governours, and not by the Practice of the "Vulgar, who often trangrefs their Rules, either "through Ignorance, Neglect or Contempt; in which "Cafe it would be injurious to any Church, to judge of her Doctrines by the contrary Practice of the common People. In return to this I muft tell our Reverend Hiftorian, that there are fome first Principles in Christianity, which when the common People have been thoroughly inform'd of, and accustom'd to, they cannot be easily drawn from them, but will perfift in them, in Oppofition to the contrary Novel Innovations of fome of their mi

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ftaken

staken Governours: It is eafie to conceive upon what Principle fome in high Stations may have been tempted to enact that which they ought not; and which the Vulgar, upon the common Principles of Chriftianity, are bound not to fubmit to: As for Inftance;

"Several Bishops of Lithuania, and RuffiaNigra, who had hitherto continued in the Communion of the Greek Church, wrought upon by feveral "Temporal Advantages and Honours, which they "propos'd to gain in the Diet and Government of Poland, fent Two of their Number to Rome, in the Year 1595, in order to their being reconcílo CC to that Church. But their going thither, "and doing this in the Name of all the Ruthentick

Churches was protested against, and a publick "Act made of it by Conftantine, Duke of Oftorovia, "and feveral others who diflik'd this intended Union." Now 'tis eafy to fee how and upon what Motives thofe Bishops, if they had not been publickly oppos'd, might have caball'd together, and made Rules and Canons in favour of many of the Corrup tions of the Church of Rome, which the Mofcovites were never us'd to Practice; and 'tis as eafie to fee into the Reason, why the People, in fuch cafe, would for a long time have perfifted, in the Practice of what their Bishops and Priefts had all along before taught them, contrary to thofe Innovations: So that the Peoples not obferving fome fingular Rule, made by one or fome few of their Governours, is not always an Inftance of their Ignorance, Negle&t or Contempt of the wholfome Laws of their Church, but fometimes is a Proof of the Novelty and Corruption

Dr. Smith's Account of the Greek Church, p. 242, 243.

of