illegitimate. Seven days after baptism, the child is brought to the church, in order to be washed, and the priest not only washes the infant's shirt, but cleans his body all over with a new sponge, or a linen cloth, prepared for that purpose, and then finishes the ceremony with the following words :“Thou art now baptized, surrounded with a celestial light, fortified with the sacrament of confirmation, and sanctified and washed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

With respect to confession, it must be made to a priest canonically ordained, and one who has the bishop's licence for acting in the capacity of a ghostly or spiritual father. He who intends to confess his sins, applies to the priest, who withdraws along with him to a remote corner of the church. The penitent there sits down with his head uncovered, and the priest assures him that the angel of the Lord is there present to take down his confession. "Take heed therefore (says he) that neither through shame, or from any other motive whatever, thou art any ways tempted to conceal thy sin; I am a man and a sinner as well as thyself." Whilst the penitent is at confession, the priest continues to exhort him not to conceal any thing from him, as that would be the highest hypocrisy in the sight of God, and endanger the happiness of his soul. Penance is then enjoined him, which, for the most part, consists in fasting for a few days, giving some alms to the poor, or going on pilgrimages to the shrines, or rather tombs of some saints; but this latter part of the penance is generally dispensed with.

After confession, the priest pronounces the following absolution: "By virtue of the power and authority which the apostles received from our blessed Lord himself, and which they have transmitted down to the bishops, and by the commission which I have now received from my bishop, I absolve thee in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and I do hereby declare and pronounce, that thy portion is among the number of the just." After this he reads a prayer, and the penitent gives him a small gratuity in money.

When they excommunicate a person out of their communion, the Greeks carry their bigotry and superstition to a very great height. They call down all the curses of heaven upon him, and even prohibit his interment after death. The awful apprehension of the effects of such dreadful curses, contributes much towards keeping the modern Greeks in a state of obedience, and imprint upon their minds a lively sense of their duty. To this we may add, what they assert concerning those excommunicated persons, namely, that their bodies never dissolve or

moulder away till the excommunication is taken off. They believe that the devil enters into their lifeless corpse, and makes them subservient to his will and pleasure. They add further, that at the end of a year, after they have been interred, their bodies sound hollow as a drum, and that if set upright on their feet, they will stand without any support. All such excommunicated persons (say they) turn black, their hair grows dark, and their nails white. Their bodies, however, will dissolve, if the priest reads several prayers prescribed in the liturgy, but for doing this, he must be paid his fee, according to the circumstances of the deceased.

It is common with the Greeks, after the priest has repeated such prayers as tend to absolve the excommunicated person, to open the grave, and to take up his body, to see whether the absolution has had the desired effect; and if they find it corrupted, they are satisfied, but if otherwise, then the priest must repeat the prayers once more. But it is not only with the dead, that the devil makes himself so free in Greece; it frequently happens that he visits the living, by taking possession both of their souls and bodies. In such cases they are obliged to have recourse to exorcism, which is done in the follow

manner.

The patient is chained down to a post fixed in the floor, after which, several priests dressed in their sacredotal vestments, read to him for six hours together, select passages taken out of the four gospels, and these priests generally fast one day at least be fore they begin the ceremony.

If the devil does not depart the first day, they repeat the ceremony on the day following, while it frequently happens, that the person possessed, curses his maker, and speaks such blasphemy as is not proper to be mentioned. That there are some tricks played by the Greeks, as well as by the Roman ca tholics, concerning persons said to be possessed with the devil cannot be denied; for it frequently happens, that when they have repeated their prayers two or three days, the supposed possessed person is thrown into the most violent convulsions and distortions of body, and afterwards becomes calm and serene. Thus we find, that in the art of deception, so far as it can be carried to blind the vulgar, the Romish and the Greek priests are the same. Of this we have a remarkable instance, as related by Mr. Keysler in his travels.-When that gentleman was at Turin in 1732, the whole city was in an uproar concerning a young woman possessed by the devil. The priests had undertaken to drive the devil away to his own habitation, but to enhance the value of the miracle, the farce was protracted, and

exorcisms

exorcisms were used every day. All ranks of people flocked daily to see the miracle that was to be wrought, and among the rest an English gentleman, who saw through the deceit. He told the prince of Piedmont, late king of Sardinia, that he would unravel to him the whole mystery, so as no injury should happen to him. The prince acquiesced, and they both went together to the scene of action. The English gentleman asked the priests if the devil could speak all languages, to which they answered in the affirmative. Upon that he spoke to the devil in English, and the young woman reputed to be possessed, threw herself into the most violent distortions. The priests, finding the Englishman had put the trick upon them, said in excuse, that the devil never spoke in the language of heretics, while they were exorcising him with the prayers of the church. Now this argument made use of by the priests was rather silly, because it is certainly true, that birds of a feather will flock together, and if Heretics are the children of the devil, as the Roman catholics say, why should not their father understand their language.

Of the Marriage of the Greeks.

The Greeks, altho' united in most of those fundamental articles, upon which, according to them, salvation depends, yet in many ceremonies they differ, and in none so much as in that of marriage. It has been much disputed, whether marriage should be performed by the clergy or the civil magistrate. In other words it might be expressed, is marriage a eivil or a religious institution? The answer is obvious; it is both civil and religious; it is civil, as one of the bonds of human society; it is religious, being an engagement between a man and a woman, to live in the fear of God, and to promote the tenporal and eternal interest of each other. In the primitive times, when a Christian man and woman agreed to marry, the ceremony was performed privately in their own houses by the bishop of the church, before a sufficient number of witnesses; and this was done in order to prevent the faithful from going before heathen magistrates, who, on all such occassions, made them swear by the gods of the emperors. After the time of the emperor Constantine the Great, the Christian clergy claimed this privilege to themselves, and in time, among other corruptions, it was consi'ered as a sacrament; and this leads us to consider the different forms observed by the Greeks in that ceremony.

In the office of matrimony there is a prayer for the bride, who is to be muffled up either in a veil or a hood. And all those who desire to enter into that holy state of matrimony, which nothing but death can put an end to, are to observe the following ceremonies. The bridegroom stands on the right hand and the bride on the left. Two rings, one gold and the other silver, are deposited near one another on the right side of the communion table, the latter pointing to the right hand, and the former to the left. The priest who performs the ceremony, makes several crosses upon the bride and bridegroom, puts lighted wax tapers in their hands, thurifies, or incenses them, in the form of a cross, and accompanies them to the temple. The choir and the deacon pray alternately that the bridegroom and the bride may prosper in all their undertakings, and be blessed with a numerous and hopeful issue. When these prayers are over, the priest gives the gold ring to the bridegroom, and the silver one to his spouse, saying three times successively, I join (or I tie) N and N. these servants of the Almighty here present in the name of the Father, &c. Having pronounced this form of words, he makes the sign of the cross with rings over their heads, before he puts them on the proper fingers of the right hand. Then the paranymph, or brideman, exchanges these two rings, and the priest reads a long prayer, in which the virtue and dignity of the nuptial rings are typically compared to Joseph's ring, and that of Judah, and of Thamar.

After

While the bride and bridegroom are crowned, the same priest accompanies the ceremony with several benedictions, and other emphatical prayers. that, the bridegroom and his spouse enter the church with their wax tapers lighted in their hands; the priest marches in procession before them with his incense pot, singing, as he goes along, the 128th psalm, which consists of a promise to the faithful Jews of a prosperous marriage. At the close of every verse the congregation repeat the Doxology.

After all these prayers, the priest sets the crown on the bridegroom's head, saying "this man, the servant of the Lord, is crowned in order to be married to this woman." After which he crowns the bride, and repeats the same form, which is followed by a triple benediction, proper lessons, and sundry prayers. The priest, in the next place, presents the bridegroom and bride with a goblet, or large glass, full of wine ready blest for that purpose; after which he takes off their crowns. One prayer more, accompanied with a proper benediction, and several compliments paid to the new married couple, conclude the solemnity.

These

Of Extreme Unction among the Greeks.

According to Tournefort, the monks of Monte Santo, are as covetous and simonical as any of the Greek priests whatever, as well thro' that general and confirmed corruption, which has infected not only their sanctuary, but those who officiate at their altars, as thro' the abject poverty, and profound ignorance of the populace and their instructers: these monks are perfect vagabonds, and wander all over Greece and Muscovy too, to dispose of this oil to the best advantage. They go to private houses to hear confessions, and administer extreme unction, even to such persons as are in a perfect state of health. They anoint the back bone of the penitent on his declaration of each particular sin; provided always that they are handsomely gratified for their oil and their labour. The lowest price of the least unction is a crown: those for fornication or adultery, are held up at a higher rate. Such as make the most regular application of this unction, make use of consecrated oil, and at each opperation, repeat these words of the Psalmist, "The net has been broken, and we have been delivered." And a little further he adds that they administer their extreme unction more frequently to such as are in perfect health than to those who are in a weak and languishing condition. These last they anoint with common unconsecrated oil, on the foreheads, checks, chin, and hands, but on no other parts. After this, they be smear every room in the house with the same, and accompany the ceremony with sundry prayers.

Now from the foregoing recital it is very evident, first, that all penitents, and such as are guilty of any mortal sin, are ordered to be anointed; and secondly, that unction is administered not only to such as are in a weak and languishing condition, but such likewise as are at the point of death. It is plain this last unction resembles the former in the matter only, not in the manner of its administration. The by? shop, or archbishop, assisted by seven pries's, administer this extreme unction, which begins with a prayer. The other unction, as well as this, is called by the Greeks, Apomuron. They derive the origin of this apomuron from the parable of the good Sa maritan; and to render the conformity still more conspicuous, they mingle wine with their Apomuron, because the Samaritan poured oil and wine into the wounds of the traveller that fell amongst the thieves.

Before we come to shew the difference which there is between the Greeks and the Latins, with respect to the manner of administering the extreme unction, we shall give a description of the several ceremonies peculiarly belong to the two unctions of the Greeks. The archbishop, or in his absence, the bishop consecrates on Wednesday in Holy week, the oil of unction for the whole year. On Maundy-Thursday, the patriarch or bishop administers the unction publicly to all the faithful. The prelate is anointed first by the economist, after which be himself anoints the whole congregation. The origin of this custom is traced up to the time of St. John of Damascus, but the Greeks carry this ceremony still further. They anoint the dead almost in the same manner as they do the living. Seven priests administer this unction, and each of them takes a. piece of paper, dipped in the oil, and sets it on fire, in order to purify, by this kind of sacrifice, the soul of the deceased, and deliver it from the torments due to its demerits. This superstitious custom must be looked upon as a remainder of the lustrations practised by the Pagans. Some ascribe to the Greeks a strong persuasion, that the unction of the dead has saved many souls from eternal damnation, and ac

to their accounts, the salvation of Trajan, and one Theophilus, an Iconoclast, was purely owing to these specific unguents.

The other circumstances relating to the unction and extreme unction of the Greeks, which are peculiar to themselves, are these, viz. That the priest, after he has dipt his cotton, which is fastened to the end of a stick, into the sacred oils, anoints the peni

tent, or the sick person, in the form of a cross apen

performance.

No. 15.

palms of the hands. After which he pronounces a 4 R

short

short prayer. The seven assising priests, if there he seven present at the ceremony, anoint all the sick persons one after another. The principal lays the gospel upon his head, whilest the others lay their hands upon him.

From these ceremonies we shall now proceed to the difference which have been observed between the unction of the Latins and that of the Greeks. We shall not enter into a controversy between the Greeks and Latins, concerning the different terms used in calling the ceremony of extreme unction a sacrement or a mystery. Many protestant writers have done this already, so that little can be added to what they have said the following we presume will be sufficient. The real differences then are these that follow-One person alone, by the law of the Latin church, may administer the sacrament of extreme unction; whereas the administration of it, in the opinion of the Greeks, is irregular, unless three at leest assist at the celebration of it. By the Latin ritual, the bishop only has authority to consecrate the oil; but the Greecian priests as well as their prelates, are invested with that power. Besides the parts of the body of their sick which are differently anointed, it is customary with the Greeks to anoint their houses also, and sign them at the same time with several signs of the cross.

Of the Funeral Ceremonies of the Greeks.

From their extreme unction, we shall proceed since the transition is regular, to their funeral solemnities, for notwithstanding their sick devotees frequently recover after the administration of extreme unction; yet the intent and design of it are, no doubt, to re over the soul from all her infirmities, which are much more liable to afflict and torment her during the precarious consequences of a long series of sickness, that in the uninterrupted enjoyment of a serfect state of health, at which time but very few allow themselves the leasure to reflect on a future state. Extreme unction was instituted likewise, with intent to comfort and support christians under their bodily afflictions, and to turn their hopes towards eternity.

Ricaut takes notice of several ceremonies of the Greeks, very remarkable in time of sickness. He says, for instance," that the priest bends the head of the patient with the veil of the chalice, and gives him a draught of holy water, in which several odoriferous herbs have been before infused. The water must be consecrated by the touch of a crusifix, or

an image of the Blessed Virgin. This they prescribe to their patients as a specific remedy for the health and welfare of their souls as well as their bodies. When the patient grows worse, and is given over, they have recourse to their extreme unction, which is accompanied with several prayers suitable to the occasion and some lessons out of the New Testament, where mention is made of the resurrection of the dead. The Greeks likewise observe the popish custom of making solemn vows both to the almighty and the saints for the restoration of their health. Such vows are paid, as in the Latin church by the oblation of a golden or silver eye, arm, or leg. This custom was observed by the most antient Pagans, and among others by the Philistines, who, after they had been healed of the distemper with which they were afflicted on account of the ark of the Lord, which they had seized and taken into their possession, sent it back with the representation in gold of the parts affected. The Christians very easily gave into this practice of the Heathens. The substitution of a material oblation, in the room of the sacrifice of the heart, is so commodious, that it is surprising to find it totally erased out of the ceremonies of some certain religions, which provide no other amusement for such of their devotees as are of a heavy cast, than a narrow scrutiny into the actions of others; leaving their minds indolent and unemployed, which in the temple, as well as elsewhere, must needs incline them to censure, and reflect on the conduct of their neighbours.

As soon as a dying man has given up the ghost, the whole family appear like so many actors at the representation of a deep tragedy; all are in tears and groans, The body of the deceased, whether male or female, is drest in its best apparel, and afterwards extended upon a bier, with one wax-taper at the head, and another at the feet. The wife if the husband be the object of their sorrow, the children, servants, relations, and acquaintance, enter the apartment where the deceased is thus laid out, with their cloaths rent, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and even, as Ricaut adds, disfiguring their faces with their nails. The mode of our mourning is not quite so extravagant and romantic; and we are apt to believe, that none of the natives, of any parts of Europe, whether wives, children, or husbands, shew at present any slashes, or the least disfigurement in their faces, as outward marks, or testimonies of their inward sorrow. We are taught by the principles of the Christian religion, to repose all our trust and confidence in God alone and there is no injunction which is more readily complied with in the literal and strictest sense, than that which obliges

us