146 Memoir of St. Nierses Clajensis. [March, 



splendid victories, and the aggrandizement of territories, will be cheerless and 

 evanescent when contrasted with that of restoring peace to the Church of Christ, 

 by blunting the weapons of the incorporate enemy, and suppressing envy and 

 hatred, which like cankers have preyed on the very vitals of our spiritual exist- 

 ence. Our Lord Jesus Christ, viewing the baneful consequences of pride pre- 

 dominant in human nature, had recourse to humility as to an infallible cure of 

 the spiritual infirmities under which mankind were labouring ; and by means of 

 his divine love and meekness, conciliated the hearts of those who were estranged 

 from him by the infringement of his laws and ordinances. In imitation of the 

 example set to us by our blessed Redeemer, it behoves your Imperial Majesty to 

 make your dictatorial authority subservient to mildness and humility, in remov- 

 ing the cause of estrangement that exists between the two nations. As a tree 

 which is bent to the ground is liable to be broken by a sudden and violent effort 

 to restore it to its upright position, so a division amongst the members of Christ, 

 rendered obsinate by time, is incapable of being removed by force. It stands 

 in need of a long and patient application of spiritual ointment, I mean the exer- 

 cise of a kind, mild, and conciliatory spirit on the part of your Imperial Majesty 

 towards the Armenians placed under the sway of your government. 



" Many of your people, to our great national misfortune, consider that the 

 only means of conforming to the laws and justice of God, and of being worthy of 

 inheriting the kingdom of heaven, consist in pouring upon us torrents of abuse, 

 in destroying our Churches, in breaking our crosses, in overturning our altars, 

 in ridiculing our religious ceremonies, and in harassing and persecuting the 

 ministers of our Church. This unchristian animosity is carried to such a pitch, 

 as to shame the horrid cruelties of the worst of unbelievers. Galled and perse- 

 cuted by Moslem despotism, we have hitherto in vain sought protection in the 

 sympathies of Christianity. Hence it must be inferred, that such a course of 

 action not only fails to unite the divided, but tends to divide the united. The 

 first effectual recipe, that can be applied to our spiritual distempers, is to make 

 an exchange of the inveterate hatred for human love and kindness, and as a matter 

 of consequence, to stimulate thereby the inhabitants of Armenia major to an 

 acquiescence in the projected union. We humbly solicit your Imperial Majesty 

 to order special prayers to be offered up in all the Churches throughout your 

 empire, that the Almighty may be pleased to crown our undertaking with suc- 

 cess. We have taken care that similar measures shall be adopted by our clergy 

 in every quarter of Armenia. 



" We have also particularly to request, that in case Providence assist us in 

 discussing matters on the intended union in a general council, no mark of dis- 

 tinction or superiority should be observed between the Greek and the Armenian. 

 Let no tone of authority be assumed by the former in denoting such points of 

 the doctrines of our Church as are not accordant with those of yours, and no 

 fault be imputed to the latter in boldly supporting the truths and dignity of 

 their Church. Marks of distinction are only observable in the discussion of 

 civil and temporal affairs. It is true that you claim pre-eminence in the attain- 

 ment of knowledge and the exercise of earthly power ; yet all those who are 

 strengthened by the graces of regeneration in the baptismal font, are according to 

 St. Paul ' one in Christ Jesus.' If, therefore, it may be pleasing to the Al- 

 mighty to smile on our endeavours, and to bring our undertaking to a successful 

 termination, we shall, in the assembly to be convened for the purpose, lay Christ 



