suspicion on the beneficent views of the government. Even foreign monks came to assist in increasing the accumulating difficulties. Amongst these, a monk of Mount Athos, of the name of Procopius, made himself particularly notorious. He was a man known in early times for his profligate life. He preached under the very eyes of the Regency, in Nauplia itself, resistance to their measures; saying to some that the intention was to make every thing Catholic, to the others that all were to be made Protestants. Just about this time arrived a person, who had been archbishop of Adrianople, and who had been deeply implicated in an infamous conspiracy against his legitimate sovereign, at the taking of Adrianople by the Russians. He had fled to Russia, and from that time forward had enjoyed a large pension from the emperor. He also sought to influence the Greek bishops; and, as he was the inmate of the house of the Russian minister, M. Catacasy, his words had great weight. To this were added expostulations of the Russian Envoy himself, which were understood, at least by the Greek bishops to whom they were addressed, as incitements to

resistance. The public journals also at length began to mix in these affairs. The "Times," the journal of the self-styled Capodistrian faction, spoke entirely in the sense of the prelate who had come from Russia, and of the monk from Mount Athos, against the measures resolved upon. The other journals were in favour of them, but they wished that not only the bishops should be summoned, but the archimandrites, and even the representatives of the priests, the monks and deacons. They also suggested that the deliberations should be public. Several indeed demanded the convocation of a national assembly, in order to decide on this most important matter.

It was clear to the tranquil spectator, that, with all this officiousness, the well-being of the country and of religion had no share in guiding people, but that party views were the springs of their actions. For the intrigues I have mentioned were in marked contrast with what had been told to us in this respect before our arrival, and with what had been constantly desired during the whole of the contest for freedom. But, as just at this time a circumstance

took place, of which there had been no instance since 1821, and which even Capodistrias did not tolerate, viz. the nomination at Constantinople of a bishop for emancipated Greece, who had arrived at Zeitoun to take possession of his diocese, it was time to put an end to these manœuvres, and to bring the affair to a speedy decision.

For this purpose all the metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops in Greece were summoned to Nauplia on the 15th of July, 1833, when they unanimously drew up the Declaration of the Independence of the Greek Church.

On the 6th of August, 1833, the first synod was named, and two days afterwards it was solemnly instituted. The participation in this National Church Festival was very general. Not only the Greek people thronged to it with the loudest acclamations, but, of the foreign missions and officers of the ships of war in the Bay, not a single individual was absent. The Russian embassy and the Russian officers, however, staid away.

The non-participation of the Russian func tionaries in a ceremony so important for the

future welfare of Greece had a very powerful effect. For, amongst many good qualities of the Greeks, we must place in the first rank their nationality. Every Greek was proud to belong to a free and independent church. Every man felt to what point a free Greek Church must necessarily lead the Greek state itself;—a state which possesses that which no other state has ever possessed, a Church which bears the same name with the State!

DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF

THE GREEK CHURCH.

OTHO, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF GREECE.

According to the unanimous wish of the Metropolitan, Archbishops, and Bishops, of our Realm, that we should proclaim the independence of the Greek Church and institute a permanent Synod, we have decreed, by the advice and with the approval of our Ministers, and we do decree as follows:

Art. 1. The orthodox Eastern Apostolic Church, in the Kingdom of Greece, whilst it acknowledges no other spiritual head than the Founder of the Christian Faith, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and recognises, in regard to the guidance and administration of the Church, the King of Greece for its superior, is free and independent of every other power, without prejudice to the unity of the dogma as it has been always recognised by all orthodox Eastern Churches.

Art. 2. The highest spiritual power is vested under the su premacy of the King, in the hands of a permanent holy Synod.

The King indicates, by an organic decree, the department of State which has to exercise this right of supremacy, and to which the Synod is in this respect subordinate.

The Synod holds its sittings in the department of State, and has a seal of its own, the arms of which are the Greek Cross of the Seal of State, with the words, "Holy Synod of the Kingdom of Greece."

Art. 3. The Synod consists of five members.

These are a President and at least two Councillors. The two other members may be equally Councillors; the Government of the State, however, reserves to itself, according to its judgment, to appoint one or two Assessors in their place.