Countries and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. THE GREEK REPUBLIC AND IONIAN ISLES. The Greek Republic is indeed but newly formed, but has fixe seat of government at present at Tripolizza, in the Morea, wi Congress is now sitting, (Aug. 1823) whereof Prince Mauro Mi is President, Prince Maurocordato being President of the Rep It is intended to include the Greek Isles, (not Ionian) the M Epirus, Thessaly, and, in fact, as much of the antient Greek ter as they can gain the possession of. The Ionian Isles, namely ( Cephalonia, Zante, and four others, were ceded to Great Brit 1814, and their population was reckoned at about 206,000. Pe the whole population rent from Turkey, and calling them Christians of the Greek Church, cannot be reckoned at more two millions and a half. TURKEY IN EUROPE. The empire is Mahometan, and toleration is purchased payment of a capitation tax. Of Christians, those of the Greek ( are far the most numerous, and in some parts have been admi places of trust and honour. The Greeks, in general, are sub the Patriarch of Constantinople in ecclesiastical matters; but are many Armenians, Copts, Nestorians, &c. The Jews are numerous, and subject to a chief of their own nation. The earthq with which this country has been lately visited, at Aleppo and A were last year very alarming and destructive. M. Hassel, au e German statistical writer, estimated the population of Tur Europe, before the defection of the Greeks, at nearly nine and a half, of which he considers the Mahometans as less tha third in number. Deducting two millions and a half, as abo the revolted Greeks, the European population of Turkey may rated at about seven millions. RUSSIA IN EUROPE. The Greek Church is the establishment in this country, with toleration to Raskolniks, or Russian Dissenters, as well as to Cas Protestants, and Jews. The Church is governed, not by the p of Constantinople, as formerly, but by a grand national co Ecclesiastics, in which the Emperor has a layman of high rans representative. (See Russian Church in the Dictionary.) T empire is said to form a square of 2000 miles; to be divided in provinces, or governments, and to extend so far in Europe that when it is noon in the west of the empire it is midnigh east. The monarchy is absolute, but administered with just humanity. The Jews were formerly excluded from this coun in 1805 the Emperor Alexander published an Ukase, which. other privileges, granted them the liberty of educating their either in the schools and universities of the empire, or in Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. THE GREEK REPUBLIC AND IONIAN ISLES. The efforts of the British and Foreign Bible and Missionary Societies ve, of course, been greatly checked by the war between the Greeks 1 Turks, which has been carried on in the most ferocious manner. o, particularly the city, has been totally depopulated and destroyed, h churches, hospitals, and an extensive college, containing between nd 700 youths. Out of the whole population of the Island, which reckoned at 130,000 souls, not more than one thousand are rening throughout the Island. A subscription was raised even at stantinople, to supply them with bread; and the British and Foreign le Society has furnished them with the bread of life. The Bible Missionary Societies at Malta have been very active in relieving spiritual wants of this country, so far as circumstances would admit. Ionian Bible Society has been formed at Corfu, where also the don Missionary Society have a station. Lancasterian Schools are ed in all the Seven Ionian Islands, particularly at St. Maura. TURKEY IN EUROPE. t is hoped that among the Greeks, as well as Protestants, y scattered over this empire, may be found the seed of a future stian Church, whenever it may please God to open a door for the bel to enter this country. Some account of the Greek, Armeand other Christian Churches, will be found in the Dictionary, r those different heads. Several Societies have turned their tion toward a Mission to Jerusalem. The American Board of ons are already engaged in it, as is also the Protestant Missionary ety of Paris, Mr. Wolff, a converted Jew, and other learned iduals. RUSSIA IN EUROPE. Pinkerton, who has visited, and some time resided in this ry, gives a pleasing account of the orthodoxy of the Greek h, as to the main points of the Christian Religion; and mentions denominations of Raskolniks (or Dissenters) who discover of the life and power of religion, of whom an account will be in the Dictionary, under "Russian Church, Raskolniks," &c. Russian Bible Society at St. Petersburgh was founded in 1813, e noble manner in which it has been patronized by the Emperor ader and Prince Galitzin, has extended its influence throughout nmense empire. This Society has 57 Auxiliaries and 110 ations, and has been the means of circulating the Scriptures, le or in parts, in thirty different languages. Under the same ›us patronage, a model School has been formed at Petersburgh > boys, which may be a means of training up masters well ted with the Scriptures, in sufficient number for spreading the through the country. A Charity School also, for 150 boys Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. supported and conducted by themselves. In 1817, special privi were farther granted, with portions of land to such Jews as s embrace Christianity. There are now probably more than millions of the Jewish nation in the Russian empire, the whole p lation of which, exclusive of Poland, may be taken at thirt millions; and yet the population of the capital, Petersburg, iss under 300,000. II.-Asia. As this is the most extensive, and was the first inhabited the world, so is it of course the most populous; and, upon the the most interesting. Here it was, unquestionably, that the were created, and located in a terrestrial paradise. Here it committed that first sin which" brought death into the work. our woe." Hence was selected the chosen family; and her descendants sojourned for many centuries, until, for their unbe crucifixion of the Son of God, who had made the capital of P. the scene of his labours, suffering, and triumphs, they were abroad upon the face of the whole earth. This event, though a judgment upon the Jews, has been a to the world. They have borne, reluctantly, a testimony to Chri as well as against idolatry and polytheism, throughout all the of the earth. They have preserved, as a living tongue, the language in which the Scriptures were originally delivere guarded them from sinking into corruption or disuse. The list as respects the Greek Scriptures, arose from the various sects and parties into which the eastern Church was divide effectually prevented their loss, or any material corruption i Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. 50 girls, the children of foreigners of different nations, was lately ned by Mr. Knill, Missionary from the London Society, and cones to flourish, as does also the English congregation to which he ches. The Military Schools, which indeed suffered a temporary ension, have been re-opened, and several villages on the estate of nt Romanzoff, are enjoying the benefits of education on the same ciple. At Odessa, on the borders of the Black Sea, there are two sionaries, from the Edinburgh Society for the Jews, of whom there supposed to be 30,000 in the neighbourhood of Breditshew. In Crimea also, a peninsula of European Russia, (the residence of Sultan Kategerry, lately in England,) the Scottish Missionary ety have two agents, who hope to form a seminary; a few female ar children having been already intrusted to Mrs. Carruthers, to one of the Missionaries. he Princess Meshtchersky (nearly related to the Emperor) has lated several English Tracts into the Russ language, great numof which are printed and circulated. An English Minister, it is is about to proceed to Moscow, to preach to his countrymen, and ote the spread of the Gospel among the heathen in the regions ad. II.-Asta. E Paradisaical, Mosaic, and Christian Institutions, had all their in this quarter of the globe. "The word of the Lord went from Jerusalem," which was the centre of the first Missions, hence spread itself into Greece, and into all parts of the Roman re, which comprehended the then known world. Christianity, ver, has long been at a very low ebb in Asia; and European tians, particularly Britons, have felt it to be their duty (as cerit is) to send back to Asia, in all its purity and simplicity, the el received from thence almost eighteen centuries ago. eral concurrent causes have led to this happy issue. The extraɩry zeal and peculiar talents of Dr. Carey, led to the institution ampore, for the translation of the Scriptures into the various ages of the East. The British and Foreign Bible Society formed ndon, afforded pecuniary support upon an enlarged scale, and raged the study of the Oriental languages. The various MissiSocieties in England, Scotland, and other countries, combined means and energies; and lastly, the formation of the Asiatic at Paris, in 1822, for the Cultivation of Oriental Literature, i its primary object be merely literary, will lend the most imt aid to naturalizing the Bible (if we may so speak) in all the 3 of the world. y Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. TURKEY IN ASIA. Palestine, or the Holy Land, the scene of so many wonders, S Mesopotamia, and other countries famed in sacred history, are! subjected to Mahometan delusion; and the Cross of Jesus has cumbed to the Crescent of Mahomet. Both Jews and Christia different denominations are, however, tolerated by paying th and the different sects are even suffered to live under the gover of their own patriarchs or primates. There are also supposed t million of Jews in this country. Jerusalem-the principal object of Christian curiosityconsidered as a specimen of the population of Judea. The resident, Mahometans, Jews, Greeks, Catholics, Armenians, St and Copts. The Papists accord as little with other sects of Ch as with Protestants. The priests alone, among most of the have copies of the Scriptures, and though the laity would like them, not a fourth part of them can read. Schools are much and upon the plan of the British and Foreign School would ceptable. Dr. Richardson, in his late tour, reckons the po of Jerusalem at 20,000; viz. 5000 Musselmans, 5000 Christian 10,000 Jews. Beside the countries above named, the Turkish embraces Natolia, or Asia Minor, Karamania, and Turcomania. was formerly part of Armenia. The Turks have probably lost 1 subjects by the insurrection of the Greeks; but as population is where on the increase, we may safely state that of Asiatic Tur in our last edition, at ten millions. ARABIA Is generally connected with Turkey, and has been by some phers considered as a Turkish province; the authority of the Porte is, however, little more than nominal, except as respec religion, which is Mahometan, the reputed holy cities of Me Medina lying both within this country: but beside Mahometans are the Wahabees, and a great number of Zabians, both which will be found explained in the Dictionary. A great part of the lation is however migratory, and therefore the more difficult calculated; ten millions seems a moderate estimate, and considered as distinct and additional to the above. RUSSIA IN ASIA. The Russian empire in Asia is of vast extent, including Russian Tartary, (or Tatary) and Georgia, (or Gurgistan) w united to the Russian empire in 1801. The Greek Church Established Religion in all the civilized provinces; but with a toleration. A great part of the inhabitants of the Desart are Tartars of the Samman religion. (See Sammans in the Dict |