ZVfU 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 AA 000 768 814 6
 
 <z ~^^-^/%^^ 
 
 A BRIEF 
 
 / /&? 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 HOLY APOSTOLIC 
 
 CHURCH OF ARMENIA 
 
 THE REV. P. H. JACOB, 
 
 Armenian Priest in Calcutta. 
 
 CALCUTTA: 
 
 PRINTED BY H. LIDDELL, WHITEAAVAY'S PRESS, 
 
 1895.
 
 This brief Sketch has been written in response to the request of 
 several friends, who desire information about the Armenian Church. 
 The facts stated in it arc mostly taken from such well-known writers as 
 Moses Khorencnsis, Michael Chamchiav, and the late Khoren Narbey, 
 Archbishop in Constantinople. 
 
 This Sketch has in substance appeared in the April and July numbers 
 of the " Indian Church Quarterly Review " for the current year. 
 
 Calcutta, 
 
 o P - H - J- 
 
 August, 18Q5.
 
 SBtF OC 
 
 fi BRIEF HISTORICAL 3KETGH 
 
 OF 
 
 THE ARMENIAN CHURGH. 
 
 THE Armenians received the holy Religion of Christ through the 
 Apostles SS. Thaddaeus and Bartholomew, who preached the 
 Gospel in Armenia and laid the foundation of the Church of 
 Christ there. This Church of Armenia was the first Christian Church 
 established among the heathen nations. The Armenian King Abgar* 
 had fixed his capital at Edessa, and ruled over Mesopotamia. He was 
 troubled with a disease (leprosy), which proved to be beyond the skill 
 of all physicians. He heard from certain officers of his — whom he had 
 sent to Palestine to secure for himself the interest of the Roman 
 general Marinusf with the Emperor — of the wonderful cures wrought 
 by Christ ; and so he sent messengers ( see Note A) to Him, with 
 a letter asking Him to come to Edessa and cure him. Our Lord 
 replied that He could not do so, but that after His Ascension one 
 of His disciples would go and cure him (see Note B). In accordance 
 with this promise, after the Lord had ascended to heaven, in the year 
 A.D. 36, the Apostle Thaddseus went to Edessa, taking with him the 
 SpearJ with which Christ's sacred side was pierced on the Cross. 
 
 Saint Thaddseus cured Abgar, and having preached the Gospel 
 baptized the King and all his household as well as the people of Edessa, 
 and thus established the Church of Armenia. Abgar was accord- 
 
 * Abgar is a contraction of Avag-ayr, i.e., greater man. 
 
 f There had for some time been great confusion in Persia consequent on the dis- 
 pute for the kingdom between Artaces and his brothers. Abgar went to Persia and 
 succeeded in establishing peace, placing Artaces on the throne. This visit was mali- 
 ciously misrepresented by Herod and others to the Emperor Tiberius. Abgar sought 
 the aid of Marinus to put matters straight with Tiberius. 
 
 X This Spear has by a wonderful Providence been preserved to this day — in the 
 Cathedral Church of Edjmiatzin along with other precious relics. It is brought out 
 on all solemn occasions, and specially on the day on which the holy Chrism — which 
 is distributed through all the Churches of the Armenian obedience for the purpose of 
 being used in the act of Confirmation ; in consecrating clergy, crosses, and pictures for 
 the altar ; in anointing the forehead and palms of a deceased priest — is consecrated 
 with much pomp and grandeur by the Catholicos.
 
 intrly the first Christian monarch ; he lived a consistent pious 
 life, which, unfortunately, was cut short after three brief years. His 
 Church has ever regarded him as a Saint, and with grateful love 
 keeps a yearly feast in honor of him. Historians bear ample testimony 
 to his faith and zeal. He wrote to the Emperor Tiberius as well as to 
 Artacesy King of Persia, in favor of Christ's Divine Mission, 
 and invited them to become believers in our Saviour. These most 
 interesting letters are still preserved in the annals of Armenian 
 history. 
 
 The Apostle St. Thaddseus, having accomplished his work in 
 Edessa, desired to go into other parts of Armenia ; he received a 
 letter of commendation from Abgar to his nephew Sanatrook, ruler 
 of Inner Armenia. Having consecrated Adde — a silk mercer, who 
 had been appointed manufacturer of the King's crowns by Abgar, a 
 post of great honor — Bishop of Edessa, St. Thaddseus set out for 
 Shavarshan, the capital of Sanatrook's province of Artaz. His 
 labours for the Lord in Artaz were blessed with as much success as 
 in Edessa, and King Sanatrook was baptized together with his virgin 
 daughter Sandookht and a great number of chiefs and of the common 
 people. The Apostle consecrated a Bishop (Zachariah) for this pro- 
 vince too, and then proceeded to other parts of the country. Mean- 
 while Ananc, the son of Abgar, apostatized, and put to death 
 Bishop Adde. Sanatrook also had given up his belief in Christianity. 
 St. Thadda3us, hearing on his return to Armenia of Sanatrook's 
 infidelity and fearful cruelties, determined not to go to Shavarshan ; 
 he went to Cappadocia in Csesarea, and planted the Church there, 
 consecrating Theophilus as its first Bishop. Thence he went to Meso- 
 potamia, purposing to go on to Edessa. 
 
 On the journey the Apostle met five princes and nobles coming 
 from Rome on an embassy to Sanatrook ; he converted and baptized 
 them and consecrated the chief of them, Woski,* a priest : they took 
 from their chief the name of Woskians, to whose martyrdom reference 
 is made below. Sanatrook on learning of the conversion of these 
 ambassadors summoned St. Thaddseus to Shavarshan, and there put 
 him to a cruel death. Failing in repeated efforts to turn Sandookht 
 from the Faith, ho mercilessly caused her to be put to death. 
 
 * The real name of this person was Khyrsos, i.e., gold ; in the Armenian language 
 the word for gold is woski.
 
 Sandookht accordingly stands forth as the first virgin martyr in the. 
 roll of the martyrs of the Christian Church ; she is known in 
 Armenian Church literature as Shushan anushabuir, i.e., "The sweet- 
 scented lily." Truly, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the 
 Church ! The martyrdom of this holy, virgin immediately led to 
 the conversion of one of Sanatrook's chief ministers and of all his 
 household : he, however, had himself soon to share the fate of San- 
 dookht. His death was followed by the baptism of a noble lady, Zar- 
 mandookht, and of her connexions, etc., numbering in all 200 persons. 
 This enraged Sanatrook all the more, and he lost no time in killing- 
 the lady and her people. 
 
 About this date, A. D. 49, the Apostle Bartholomew came to 
 Armenia, bringing with him the portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
 (see Note C). He preached the Gospel in the province of Andzevad- 
 ziadz, and set up a cross* on the site of the temple of the goddess 
 Anaheet or Diana ; later on he built a Church there, dedicating it to 
 the Blessed Virgin, and placing the sacred portrait in it ; he also estab- 
 lished near it the convent of Hoghiadz (souls), of which he appointed 
 a princess Mary abbess. He converted many in Lower Armenia, and 
 among them Thagoohee (which means a queen, and henee she is known 
 in some accounts as Regina), the sister of Sanatrook. The latter, there- 
 fore, had her put to death, and commanded the Apostle to be flayed 
 alive ; this being done he was crucified in the city of Arevbanus — the 
 modern Aghbak — where he was buried. It is said that St. Jude the 
 Apostle also visited Armenia, where, in the city of Urmi, he was put 
 to death and buried. Other Apostolic men also laboured and were 
 martyred in these parts, among whom was Eustathius, one of the 
 Seventy-twof, and Elisha, a disciple of Thaddseus, who had been 
 consecrated Bishop by St, James, the brother of the Lord. 
 
 - Christianity gradually spread throughout the country by the 
 labours of the Church, and the advance was doubtless to a great 
 extent furthered by the very persecutions with which Sanatrook and 
 others purposed to crush it. Artavazd II (129-131 A.D.,) ordered the 
 
 * S. Gregory the Illuminator carried about this cross with him in his preaching tours 
 and with it worked many miracles. It was eventually placed on the tomb of Tirdat 
 the King. - - 
 
 f In the Authorized Version of the English Bible the number (S. Luke s 4 1 ) is 
 given as seventy. The Revised Version has a note in the margin — " Many ancient 
 authorities add, and two.'" I ■ ■
 
 massacre of the Woskians, who since their conversion had lived as 
 hermits, and by their life and preaching had helped in the propagation 
 of the Faith ; they succeeded in baptizing 17 members of the royal 
 family of the kingdom of Alans, who were known as the Sukiasians, 
 from the name that the chief of them Bahadras took at his baptism, 
 viz., Sukias. The Sukiasians shortly afterwards shared the fate of the 
 "Woskians (see Note D). Khosrove I (214-259 A.D.) persecuted the 
 Christians, making them labour in public works with but little 
 remuneration, and put many to death on account of their Faith. 
 A great sum of money was offered for this monarch's life by his 
 enemy Ardasheer, the founder of the Sassanian dynasty in Persia. 
 A chief Anak tempted by the reward undertook to kill Khosrove, and 
 for this purpose came and settled in Artaz, near the very spot where 
 lay the mortal remains of St. Thaddaeus. Here, we are told, his wife 
 Whogohe conceived, but before the child was born Anak had removed 
 to Vagharshapat, where Khosrove had taken up his abode. There he 
 accomplished his fell purpose (257 A.D.) and fled, but being 
 pursued drowned himself ; his family were all massacred with the 
 exception of the new-born infant, who was taken to Caesarea, the home 
 of his nurse. This child was destined, in the purpose of God, to be 
 the great Illuminator of Armenia. He was there baptized and 
 named Gregory in accordance with Divine revelation. Sophia, his 
 foster-mother, caused him at the proper age to be married to Mary 
 the daughter of one David ; of this marriage were born two sons, who 
 afterwards succeeded to his Apostolic chair. 
 
 Meanwhile Ardasheer subjugated Armenia, and ordered the 
 massacre of all the sons of Khosrove. The youngest, Tirdat, alone 
 was saved, as well as a sister Khosrovidookht ; the former was taken 
 to Rome, where he was kindly looked after by the Emperor, and 
 the latter to the fortress of Ani, in Armenia itself, where she was 
 brought up in secrecy. Tirdat acquired much fame in the Roman 
 army ; we are told that Gregory went to see him at Rome, but did 
 not disclose himself. Having gained the favor of Diocletian by over- 
 throwing Hurrche, King of the Goths, Tirdat was given the throne 
 of Armenia by the Emperor as his own rightful possession. 
 (286 A.D.) He soon discovered his sister in the fortress of Ani. He 
 prepared to offer sacrifices to the goddess Anaheet, and invited Gre- 
 gory to join him in doing so ; the latter of course refused and was
 
 subjected to fourteen modes of unheard-of intolerable tortures. 
 Coming to know that Gregory's father had been the murderer of his 
 own father, Tirdat ordered him to be cast into a deep pit full of 
 poisonous snakes and reptiles, where he passed thirteen long years, 
 supported by a small daily supply of food from a pious Christian 
 woman. The next act of Tirdat was quite as horrible a deed as the 
 above. The nun Rhipsime, famed for her angelic beauty, had been 
 obliged to leave her Nunnery at Rome, in company with its Abbess 
 Gaianne and 68 inmates, in order to escape being compelled to 
 become the Queen of Diocletian, who was already notorious as a 
 persecutor of Christians. The fugitive Nuns were put to various hard- 
 ships and were scattered over several countries, carrying the sacred 
 treasure of the Gospel wherever they went. Gaianne" and Rhipsime 
 with 35 Nuns eventually took shelter in a vineyard outside the 
 city of Vagharshapat. The Emperor Diocletian, having been informed 
 through the officers he sent in search of them of their having taken 
 refuge in Armenia, wrote to Tirdat informing him of the extraordin- 
 ary beauty of Rhipsime, and requesting him to send the party back 
 to Rome at once, and, in case he failed to effect this, recommending 
 him to make Rhipsime his queen. Tirdat tried every means in his 
 power of doing so, but signally failing ordered the poor innocent 
 Christian women to be put to death with abominable cruelties 
 (see Note E). He was much chagrined at the loss of Rhipsime, and 
 to lead his mind away from these thoughts he set out on a hunting 
 expedition. While yet in the city of Vagharshapat Divine punishment 
 overtook him, and he became possessed with evil spirits, and like 
 Nebuchadnezzar was transformed into an animal — the hog. Similar 
 punishment fell upon other princes and nobles of Tirdat's court. It 
 was revealed to Khosrovidookht, the sister of Tirdat, that St. Gre- 
 gory was still alive, after a stay of thirteen years in the Pit, and that 
 he alone could cure the King. The dream proved correct ; St. Gregory 
 was rescued from the Pit, partially healed Tirdat, and preached 
 to the King and his people for 65 days, during which time they 
 fasted ; he then ordered them, in accordance with a vision he had 
 seen, to build tombs for the remains of the martyred Nuns : this was 
 forthwith done the King and royal family helping in the work,* while 
 
 * On this spot there now stand three Convents named after Gaianne^ Rhipsime^ 
 and one of the other Nuns who was slain in the winepress.
 
 Gregory himself interred the remains. Gregory had in vision seen 
 Jesus Christ descend near this spot ; the site was walled round 
 and a cross set up : before this the people lay prostrate and the holy 
 man prayed with deep earnestness that God might restore the King 
 and his people to perfect health : his prayer was heard and Tirdat 
 was completely restored. When the work was finished St. Gre- 
 gory set out on preaching tours, taking with him the King, whom 
 he had persuaded to pull down all the temples of the idols in the 
 country. Alongside this work of destruction there went on the 
 constructive work of preaching the Gospel, though Gregory had not 
 yet administered to any of the people the rite of holy baptism. On 
 their return to Vagharshapat a great national assembly was called, 
 and, in dutiful accordance with the Divine will as revealed to Tirdat 
 as well as to Gregory, the latter was elected for the exalted office of 
 chief Pastor. Tirdat wrote to Ghevond^ the Patriarch of Coesarea 
 (the successor of Theophilus, the disciple of St Thaddseus), all 
 details of Gregory's work, and requested that he should be conse-. 
 crated Supreme Patriarch of Armenia. Gregory was accordingly 
 consecrated in 302, and thus became Heir and Successor to the holy 
 Apostles, Thaddseus and Bartholomew. Ghevond (Leon) the Patri- 
 arch o-ave St. Gregory some precious relics — those of St. John the 
 Baptist * and of Bishop Athanagenus (Bishop .of Sebastia, martyred 
 in the persecution of Diocletian : he is said by some historians to be 
 the brother of Mary, the wife of St. Gregory). St. Gregory now. 
 returned homewards, visiting Sebastia and other places and gather- 
 ing a company of bishops, priests, and monks ; ordering temples 
 to be pulled down, building churches ; and working many miracles. 
 Meanwhile King Tirdat with his household and retinue had proceeded 
 to Bhagrevand to await the arrival of the holy man. When he came 
 he again preached to them and appointed a fast ; a Church was built 
 at the place, and in it were deposited the sacred relics brought from 
 Caesarea. All being now ready for baptism the King and his retinue 
 received the holy rite in the waters of the Euphrates. It is said that at 
 this time the course of the river was stopped, that a pillar of light 
 brighter than the sun with the cross on the top of it was seen, 
 and that the holy chrism shone brightly on the surface of t he 
 
 * This had been taken by Polycarp to Epbesus at the command of St. John the 
 Evangelist. During the persecutions of Dacus, Pirmilian, the Bishop of Ephesus, fled 
 with it to Caesarea.
 
 water. St. Gregory was assisted by a very large number of clergy 
 in administering Baptism to the people for the next seven clays, and 
 the total number of the baptized is given as four millions. " 
 
 They all now returned to Vagharshapat, and immediately set about 
 building the great Church of Edjmiatzin* on the spot that had been 
 walled round. On the completion of it a great feast was ordained, 
 which is observed yearly on the Saturday preceding the Sunday of the 
 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The history of St. Gre- 
 gory from this point onward is one long chapter of toils and labours 
 for the Church of Christ in Armenia. He built several churches, 
 established monasteries and nunneries, founded seminaries and alms- 
 houses, and consecrated four hundred bishops and several hundred 
 priests. He thus proved himself the true Apostle of the Church of 
 Armenia. Having advanced in years he consecrated his son Aristakes 
 his successor ; this Catholicos having attended the Council of Nicsea 
 brought back the Creed adopted at that august assembly. St. Gregory 
 approved of it, and appended a doxology to it.f He returned to Mount 
 Siepooh where he lived ' more as an incorporate cherub than as a 
 human being'. Here he died. in seclusion, and was buried by shep- 
 herds, who pastured their flocks in the neighbouring plains. His 
 body was afterwards found by Garrnick, a hermit, to whom its rest- 
 ing-place was revealed : it was brought with great honours to Vaghar- 
 shapat, and was distributed as relics to all the Churches of Armenia. 
 
 The Armenian nation by way of gratitude to St. Gregory vowed 
 eternal fidelity to the Gospel of Christ; it has always continued 
 during Mass and other services of the Church to solicit his interces- 
 sions with God. There is an yearly celebration of his entry into 
 the Pit during Lent and of his exit from it after Easter ; the discovery 
 of the Saint's relics is solemnized with great pomp in Edjmiatzin and 
 all Armenian Churches, and this feast has a place in the Calendars of 
 the Greek and Roman Churches. Armenia was the scene of the 
 •labours of the two Apostles Thaddaeus and Bartholomew, who by 
 'their teaching and martyrdom established the Faith there, and thus 
 
 * This word means ' the descent of the only begotten", and the sacred spot was so 
 called because of the vision of our Lord's descent mentioned above. 
 
 f " But we will glorify Him, who was before the worlds, by worshipping the 
 Holy Trinity and one Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost ; now and ever, world without end. Amen"
 
 8 
 
 caused confusion and disorder to be replaced by rest and peace. 
 This peace was however not unbroken, for many kings persecuted the 
 Church, in spite of which — and perhaps in consequence of its numer- 
 ous martyrdoms — the Church maintained her Apostolic Succession 
 uninterrupted till it devolved upon the great Illuminator, who though 
 consecrated in Caesarea in Lower Armenia established his seat in 
 Major Armenia at Vagharshapat or rather at Edjmiatzin. The founda- 
 tions of the Church in Armenia were laid indeed by Apostolic hands, 
 but the Armenian Church owes its final constitution and proper organi- 
 zation to this most revered Teacher and Bishop. Since St. Gregory 
 was the successor of the two Apostles mentioned above and the Heir 
 of their Throne, Edjmiatzin became an Apostolic seat,and it has ever 
 since been occupied by his lawful successor — the Catholicos of Holy 
 Edjmiatzin, the Mother-see of the Armenian Church. 
 
 Owing to political circumstances the Armenian Patriarchate had 
 at times to be transferred to metropolises and to other principal 
 towns of Armenia. In the year A. D. 452 it was removed to Dwin, 
 in 993 to Ani, in 1114 to Romklah, and in 1294 to Sis. The 
 Kingdom of Cilicia becoming extinct, and, we having no more a 
 kingdom and no longer a capital town, it was natural and proper 
 to re-transfer the See to its own original place, as the entire 
 nation unanimously desired it. Accordingly, in the year 1441, it was 
 decided by an ecclesiastical meeting that the seat of the Catholicos 
 should return to Holy Edjmiatzin, where to this day has been pre- 
 served the proper unbroken succession from our Apostles and from 
 our holy Father, St. Gregory the Illuminator. 
 
 At the time of the ecclesiastical Council above referred to, in the 
 year 1441, the Patriarchal Chair at Sis was occupied by Gregory 
 Moosabegiantz, who, unwilling to submit to the decision of the Coun- 
 cil, refused to go to Edjmiatzin, and was therefore dismissed from his 
 office as Catholicos, the Bishop Kirakos being elected in his place. 
 Gregory remained Patriarch at Sis, and on his death the people 
 elected Bishop Carapiet in his place, and continued to elect suc- 
 cessors. Thus Cilicia has continued to this day to possess a Patriarch 
 of its own, but the nation recognises him as Patriarch of Cilicia 
 only. His jurisdiction is limited, and he is subject to the Mother See 
 of Holy Edjmiatzin.
 
 9 
 
 In the time when the dynasty of Ardzeroony reigned over 
 Armenia the seat of a new Catholieos was established by their help at 
 Akhthamar, an island in Lake Van, in the year 1114, and Bishop 
 David Tornikian was anointed as the first occupant of that Chair. 
 Thus began and has continued to this day the seat of the Catholieos of 
 Akhthamar. The Dioceses oftheCatholicosesof Cilicia and Akhthamar 
 are connected (chiefly as regards political matters) with the 
 Patriarchate of Constantinople, but ecclesiastically they are under 
 the jurisdiction of Edjmiatzin. Upon the conquest of the Grecian 
 Empire by Fatten Sultan Mahomed, he appointed Bishop Joakim 
 as the representative and chief of the Armenians at the capital which 
 he had just conquered, and nominated him Patriarch. This was in 
 the year 1461, and his successors to this day govern the Church in 
 Turkey. In 1860 the Armenians in Turkey drew up a regular 
 constitutional scheme, which receiving the sanction of the Sultan 
 secured certain rights and privileges from the Government, though 
 hardly adequate to the services rendered by them to the State. 
 
 Besides the above dioceses there is yet another Patriarchate — 
 established at Jerusalem. Ever since the earliest days of Christianity, 
 and more particularly after the reign of Tirdat, Armenian pilgrims 
 frequented Jerusalem, and naturally Sanctuaries and Convents 
 sprung up. In fact history says that Tirdat himself built Convents 
 and Churches in Jerusalem, and his example was followed by the 
 princes and nobles of Armenia. We gather from the history of the 
 holy places as well as from tradition, that about the tenth century 
 there existed no less than 70 Armenian Convents and Churches in 
 Jerusalem. Most of these have disappeared, but their early existence is 
 beyond doubt. It may be mentioned that about twenty-five years 
 ago the Russians bought a plot of land about thi-ee miles behind 
 the Mount of Ascension with the purpose of building a Church 
 on it. In digging the foundations they discovered the lower part 
 of a Church : the floor was laid in mosaics, and the walls shewed 
 beautiful architecture and designs ; an inscription was found around 
 it in Armenian, dating back 800 years. The Russians have pre- 
 served in tact and guard with great care this grand relic of antiquity. 
 In the year 622 Bishop Abraham received the title of Patriarch 
 of Jerusalem, the Convent of St. James which triumphantly raises its 
 towers on the famous Mount Zion being his seat ; here was built a 
 
 2
 
 10 
 
 magnificent Patriarchal residence by the Patriarch Johannes. *The 
 Patriarch of Jerusalem is an Abbot over the brotherhood of the Con- 
 vent of St. James, and superintends over those Sanctuaries of 
 Jerusalem, which are the property of the Armenian nation. The 
 surrounding Armenian dioceses and populations are under his 
 Patriarchal supervision and government. It may be added that the 
 Convents in the Holy City belonging to the ancient Assyrian, 
 Abyssinian, and Coptic communities are in friendly intercourse with 
 this Patriarchate (see Note F). 
 
 This division of the Armenian Church into two Patriarchates 
 (Jerusalem and Constantinople), and two dioceses of Catholicoses 
 (Cilicia and Akhthamar), besides the supreme Seat of Edjmiatzin, 
 may be thought detrimental to the good government of the Church. 
 But the Armenian nation can proudly assert that these divisions 
 and sub-divisions are but the natural effects of merely social causes, 
 and as a matter of fact do not at all interfere with the unity 
 of the one Apostolic Church of Armenia, which possesses every- 
 where the same faith in Christ, the same Apostolic doctrines, 
 the same rites, and the same traditions. The dioceses of Cilicia 
 and Akhthamar preserve their unity with the Mother-See of Holy 
 Edjmiatzin, and the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople 
 acknowledge its authority and supremacy. The Church of Armenia 
 is, therefore, one united Church. 
 
 We proceed to say few words about the independence and ortho- 
 doxy of this Church. The Catholicos of all Armenia is — (1) the 
 supremo guardian and protector of the Church of Armenia ; (2) he 
 is the head of the Armenian Catholicoses, Patriarchs, and Bishops ; 
 (3) he ordains the Bishops for all Dioceses except those directly 
 under the jurisdiction of the Catholicoses of Cilicia and Akhthamar ; 
 (4 J he blesses and consecrates the Holy Chrism ; (5) in consultation 
 with the Holy Synod, following the canons of the Apostles and of the 
 Fathers of the Church, he governs the whole Armenian Church. The 
 occupant of the Apostolic chair of Holy Edjmiatzin is designated 
 the Chief of all Bishops, Hyrapiet {Chief Father), Supreme Patri- 
 arch and Catholicos of all Armenians ; and as such he is absolute and 
 independent of all other ecclesiastical authority (such as the Church 
 of Home or of Greece), just as absolute and independent as were our 
 holy Father Gregory the Illuminator, and his holy predecessors the
 
 11 
 
 Apostles Thaddyeus and Bartholomew, and all the Apostles of Christ. 
 The Armenian Church glories in four principles, which are the signs 
 and proofs of her orthodoxy, viz., Unity, Holiness, Catholicity, 
 and Apostolicity. 
 
 The Unity of the Armenian Church is seen in the fact that in 
 whatever part of the globe Armenians are found, whether clergy or 
 laity, there exists inward spiritual unity between them, and they have 
 the same faith, services, rites, canons, traditions, &c, in accordance 
 with those of the Apostolic See, which is the centre of the union of the 
 national Church. She has unity with the universal Church, because 
 her Faith is founded on the same Holy Scriptures, because she 
 believes in the Holy Trinity and One God, possesses the same 
 Creed and the same seven Sacraments of the Church, and because 
 she has for her foundation Christ and the Apostles, and for her 
 head Jesus Christ God, the Saviour of the world. She main- 
 tains her spiritual unity with Christendom by daily praying for the 
 peace, glory, and victory of the Church over darkness and heathenism. 
 
 The Holiness of the Church of Armenia is proved : — (1) by her 
 holy and orthodox Creed, as has been acknowledged by the Popes 
 of Rome and by the Greek Church at different times, and subse- 
 quently to these acknowledgments no change whatever has been 
 introduced into her doctrines ; (2) by her moral teachings and by 
 her well-organized Church regulations, which are holy and pure, 
 and in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures ; (3) 
 by the multitude of her Saints and Martyrs, who down to the 
 last Martyr Joakim (who suffered death in Constantinople in 1843) 
 have by the profuse shedding of their blood anointed the Cross of 
 Christ.* 1 cannot refrain from quoting a short paragraph in this 
 connexion from the recent excellent work of the Rev. F. D. Greene 
 on The Armenian Crisis : — " By nature the Armenians are deeply 
 religious, as their whole literature and history show. It has been 
 a religion of the heart, not of the head. Its evidence is not to be 
 found in metaphysical discussions and hair-splitting theology as in 
 the case of the Greeks, but in a brave and simple record written 
 with the tears of saints and illuminated toith the blood of martyrs." 
 
 * We can no longer speak of Joakim as the last martyr, for the roll of martyrs 
 has heen considerably increased in the present day by the awful massacre of Sassoun. 
 A short account of this massacre will be found in Note G.
 
 12 
 
 The Catholicity of the Armenian Church is proved : — (1) by her 
 marvellous perseverance, permanence, and stability. For, being estab- 
 lished as she was by the Apostles Thadda3us and Bartholomew, 
 she has ever continued to keep up her one uninterrupted Succession 
 defeating not only all the persecutions of the heathen nations, but 
 also the troubles (some indeed very severe) she has had to suffer at the 
 hands of her Christian persecutors — the Roman Catholics, the Greeks, 
 and the Protestants ; (2) by the fact of her children being scattered 
 through the world and keeping up the teaching and rites of their 
 Mother Church ; and (3) by her spiritual communion with the 
 Universal Church, which is the Body of Christ. 
 
 The Apostolicity of the Church of Armenia, as has been seen 
 above, is evident from the facts : — (1) that she is founded upon the 
 preaching of the Apostles Thaddseus and Bartholomew; (2) that she has 
 kept, and continues to keep, the Orthodox Apostolic belief and Creed 
 in accordance with the Holy Scriptures ; (3) that the Episcopal Suc- 
 cession of the Apostles in Greater and Lesser Armenia continued down 
 to the Holy Illuminator, and from him the uninterrupted chain of 
 succession has been handed down to us, and is this day represented by 
 our most respected and beloved Father Mgirtich I, the Catholicos of 
 all Armenia, now sitting on that very seat of the Apostles Thaddaeus 
 and Bartholomew and of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Edjmiatzin. 
 
 The Armenian Church, thank God, has been always singularly 
 free from heresy and schism. There has been, and is still, per- 
 haps in some quarters, a vague suspicion that the Armenian Church 
 is tinged with the heresy of Eutyches.* Such a suspicion cannot 
 but be most painful to her members, and, to say the least, it is in 
 a great measure due to the want of accurate information on the 
 part of certain writers, and to the general ignorance that prevails 
 with regard to Oriental branches of the Church of Christ. It 
 may be as well in this place to make the matter perfectly clear. 
 This baseless opinion is, we believe, to be traced to the fact that 
 the Armenian Church did not take part in the Council of Chalcedon. 
 The fact is that the Armenian Church had not yet recovered from the 
 consequences of the recent holy war and was at the time badly perse- 
 
 * A statement of this kind is found in Dr. Cutts' Turning Point* of General 
 Church History (S. P. C. K., 1884, p. 176): "After the Council of Chalcedon the 
 Armeuian Church unhappily embraced the Monophysite heresy." It is sad to note 
 other similar in accurate statements in such a book regarding the Armenian Church.
 
 13 
 
 cuted by the Persians, and it was as much as they could do to protect 
 the Church at home and abroad from the hands of the Zoroastrians, 
 who, had they succeeded in conquering Armenia, would have passed 
 over into Europe and done much havoc to the Church at large. 
 Besides they had been deeply wounded at the treatment Chris- 
 tian refugees from Persia had received at Constantinople at the 
 hands of the Emperor ; instead of protecting them with Christian 
 sympathy, he most cruelly sent them back to Persia, and is sus- 
 pected of having made an alliance with the Persian King, Hazguerd, 
 who set about -persecuting Armenia with all the greater vigour 
 now that he no longer feared the combination of the two Christian 
 kingdoms. It must also be borne in mind that since the Council of 
 Ephesus great confusion had prevailed in the Church. The Bishop 
 of Alexandria was opposed to the Bishop of Constantinople, while 
 the Pope of Rome was steadily working in the direction of gaining 
 the supremacy by endeavouring to have Councils assembled in Italy. 
 The " Concilio latrocinum ", as it is known in history, had assembled 
 at Ephesus, and was famous for its disorderly character ; cries of 
 " drive out, burn, tear, cut asunder, massacre all who hold two 
 natures " rung through this assembly of Churchmen ! Reports of 
 all this reached Armenia, and tended to keep the Armenian Church 
 from mixing itself up in such unseemly discussions and gatherings. 
 Further, the official reports of the decrees of the Council, which 
 reached Armenia were so very imperfect and incorrect, in fact here- 
 tical, that the Bishops assembled in Synod were obliged to decline to 
 accept them. This led to the idea that the Armenian Church favoured 
 Eutychianism, which the Council of Chalcedon condemned. But 
 nothing is farther from the truth : it was after a long lapse of time, 
 when things had gradually quieted down, that the Armenian Church 
 formally pronounced against the heresy — when it was made clear 
 what the heresy was. The Armenian Church solemnly adheres 
 to the decrees and canons of the (Ecumenical Councils of Nicasa, 
 Constantinople, and Ephesus, at which her Representatives were 
 present. That the Armenian Church repudiates Eutychianism is 
 conclusively proved from the fact, that particular mention is made 
 of Eutyches among the heresiarchs whom the candidate for Bishops' 
 or Priests' orders is required solemnly and publicly to anathematize 
 in the presence of the consecrating Catholicos or ordaining Bishop
 
 14 
 
 and of the congregation on the evening previous to the laying on of 
 hands. Further, the Armenian Church also had grounds to suspect 
 the attitude taken by the Roman and Greek Churches in thus gather- 
 ing what they intended to have the dignity and binding force of a 
 universal Council, for the purpose of condemning a heresy that 
 had risen in their portion of the Church. Had the Armenian 
 Church been in a position to accept the invitation to attend this 
 Council of Chalcedon, she would have practically allowed them the 
 supremacy for which they longed and which they tried hard to acquire. 
 
 To return to the troubles caused in Armenia by the Zoroastrians. 
 It is not difficult to see why they were so anxious to subjugate 
 it, for besides the religious zeal of setting up their own faith, they 
 were incited by political considerations. Hazguerd, having defeated 
 the Emperor Theodosius II, invited the Armenians to accept Zoroas- 
 trianism. The leaders of the Armenian nation assembled at Artax- 
 ates, and drew up a noble Confession of Faith, which ended with 
 such words as these : "No one can shake our faith, neither angels, 
 nor men, nor the sword, nor fire, nor water, nor blows, be they ever 
 so hard And if you ask something else after this great testi- 
 mony, we are ready to do it ; we surrender our whole body to you ; 
 do quickly what you like with it. From you torture, from us resig- 
 nation; to your sword our necks."* Infuriated at such determination 
 Hazguerd ordered the conversion of Armenia to Zoroastrianism at 
 any cost, but was heroically withstood. He nevertheless pursued 
 his ruthless course, and Armenia had to seek the aid of Marcianus, 
 who through fear sided with Persia. A mighty struggle ensued, and 
 Armenians had to defend not only their own homes, but were obliged 
 to help their fellow-Christians in Georgia and Albania. 
 
 At length the great national hero Vardan Mamiconian raised 
 the national flag, and G6,000 Armenians volunteered their services, 
 and a most desperate battle was fought in the plain of Avarair (June, 
 451). They prepared themselves for this battle by observing the 
 rites of tbe Church. On the previous evening Vardan exhorted the 
 people and read to them passages from Holy Scripture, especially the 
 record of the deeds of the Maccabees. Fonts were then prepared 
 at sunset, and all unbaptized children belonging to those who had 
 
 The full history of this holy war is given by St. Elisha, a contemporary.
 
 15 
 
 joined the army received holy baptism. They continued in united 
 prayer and praise, and at the hour of cock-crowing the Holy Mass 
 was offered and all received the blessed Sacrament. They then 
 with one accord exclaimed, "Let our death be as the death of the 
 saints, and the shedding of our blood as that of the holy martyrs ; 
 and may God be pleased with our willing sacrifice, and not deliver 
 His Church into the hands of the heathen." Vardan fell after having? 
 performed many grand deeds of valour, and the number of those 
 slain with him amounted to 296 ; 740 Armenians were taken prisoners, 
 and immediately put to death ; the Persians, though conquerors, 
 had many more slain. This resistance was followed up by other 
 efforts, and the Sassanides were effectually prevented from spreading 
 Zoroastrianism in Asia Minor. The Armenian Church has placed 
 Vardan and his 1,035 companions on its list of martyrs, and on their 
 yearly commemoration (the last Thursday before Lent) two hymns 
 are sung which were composed by that great Singer of the Arme- 
 nian Church, the Catholicos St. Nierses the Graceful. We quote a 
 prose translation of these from the Armenia in a Note as a specimen 
 of that class of literature in which the Armenian Church is specially 
 rich (see Note H). 
 
 This holy war with the Zoroastrians is the first of a long series 
 of conflicts which Armenia has had to wage with the Arabs, Tartars, 
 Egyptians, Turks, and in our own days Kurds, in defence of their 
 Church and nation. Fresh difficulties and troubles occurred in 
 consequence of the Crusades. The Crusaders were not very well 
 received by the Greek Church, but the Armenians heartily wel- 
 comed them as champions in the cause of the Cross. Havino- thus 
 made common cause with them, they were all the more hated by 
 the Saracens, and earned the enmity of the Egyptian and other 
 kings who had hitherto been friendly. When the Crusaders re- 
 turned home, the Armenians were severely pressed by the infidels, 
 their hospitality to their fellow-Christians, the Crusaders, being the 
 real cause of their downfall and ruin. Leo VI., the last King of the 
 Rubenian — the fourth and last Armenian — dynasty, was attacked by 
 the Egyptians. After every attempt to resist the attack, he was 
 obliged to submit, and was taken captive with his queen — Mary, said 
 to be a member of the family of Lewis Charles, King of Hungary — 
 and family to Cairo (A.D. 1375). He had frequently applied to the
 
 16 
 
 Pope and to the King of Spain for help, but though large promises had 
 been made, and though all Armenia's troubles were due to the friendly 
 feelings she had shown the Crusaders, very little material aid was 
 given. After a period of captivity of seven years — that might 
 have terminated any day on which they consented to renounce the 
 Christian Faith — they were eventually released through the interven- 
 tion of King Juan of Spain. Leo then went to Jerusalem for the 
 purpose of offering thanks to God, and leaving his family there he 
 went to Rome, where he was kindly received by the Pope Urban 
 VI, and thence to King Juan. It is interesting to note that the Arme- 
 nian King was requested by the Pope to further the work of recon- 
 ciliation between the Kings of England and France (who at that time 
 were at feud), for which purpose he had already sent an embassy. 
 King Leo after repeated attempts failed to reconcile these Kings, nor 
 could he obtain any help from them in the cause of his persecuted 
 country, to which he was not permitted to return, as he died shortly 
 afterwards in Paris. Visitors to Paris are shown the magnificent 
 tomb erected in the Convent of Celestine over his remains. 
 
 As regards the subsequent history of the Armenian nation it i s 
 up to the present day one long tale of horrors — at the hands of 
 Tamerlane the Tartar, or Melick Omar the Mede, or Shah Abbas the 
 Persian, not to mention present Turkish misrule. The last-named 
 monarch overran Armenia, extorted all the wealth he could, inflicted 
 most cruel tortures, and finally transported 12,000 to 14,000 families 
 to Persia (A. D. 1G05). He is said to have again shortly after brought 
 in 10,000 Armenian families from other provinces. He then, in order 
 to stifle any hankering they might have for their native land and its 
 sacred associations, resolved to destroy Edjmiatzin and to convey its 
 holy stones to Ispahan, and actually brought over the central slab 
 and pillars of the chief altar, the holy font, and other stones of the 
 Church. These sacred relics are regarded with due reverence and are 
 carefully preserved up to the present day, and may be seen in St. 
 George's Church in Julfa in Ispahan. Here in Persia the Armenians 
 had for a long time to suffer persecutions, and had to lay down many 
 a life for the sake of their Faith, but matters have much improved 
 during the last century, and very much so at the present time under 
 the rule of His Imperial Majesty the most benevolent and tolerant 
 Shah Nasr-Ed-din and of his liberal-minded sons and ministers.
 
 11 
 
 Armenians in Persia enjoy freedom and equality, and are trusted in 
 the service of the State. They receive aid for their Churches and 
 Convents and grants for Schools and Seminaries. The kind treatment, 
 which the Armenians in Persia enjoy at the hands of this monarch, 
 cannot but be contrasted with the treatment of the Armenians in 
 Turkish Armenia by his co-religionist the Sultan of Turkey.* 
 
 The Armenian Church has never had a schismatical or heretical 
 sect rising from within her own communion, as have had the 
 Roman Catholic and Greek Churches, but these two Churches have 
 by tyranny and persecution, and through political influences, separated 
 from the Armenian Church small parties of Armenians and affiliated 
 them to themselves. 
 
 A small party of Armenians were, through the tyranny and per- 
 secution of the Greek Emperors, compelled to forego their national 
 creed and rites, and to join the Greek Church. This small community 
 were known as Greco-Armenians, of whom a small number still 
 exist to this day, and are found in the villages around Aken and 
 Nicomedia, but ere long they will be absorbed by the Greek nation. 
 
 During the period of the Rubenian Dynasty the Roman 
 Catholics, having found their way to Cilicia, tried to introduce their 
 creed and rites among the Armenians. Some of these joined them, 
 changed their creed and rites and all national customs, and became 
 completely Romanized. They were called Uniats, i.e., those united 
 with the Church of the Pope. With the end, however, of the 
 Rubenian Dynasty, the Uniat Community gradually decreased and 
 became extinct, and hardly any traces of them were left in Armenia. 
 Again during the last (18th) century, the Roman Catholics, after 
 every possible attempt to entice away Armenians from their Church, 
 finding the task of doing so a fruitless one, contrived to send a 
 number of young Armenians to Rome, and gave them a Roman 
 Catholic training.f These young men on their return from Rome 
 
 * Pull mlorniation of these favours has beea given to the Armenians of this city 
 by His Grace Essaie, Archbishop of Persia and India, wno is now on his episcopal 
 visit amongst us. We understand that an Address of gratitude to H. 1. M. the Shah 
 of Persia is in course of preparation. 
 
 f We learn from (Jhamchian that about the middle of ths 16th century one 
 Paul, who was consecrated Bishop of Nakhijevan, visited America aud India, and 
 collected a large sum of money for tne establishment of a literary seminary in 
 Armenia. Proceeding to Europe he died in Spain, and on his death-bed bequeathed 
 all that he possessed tor the founding of an Armeniau seminary at Home. This, 
 however, was not done, but some Armenian youths were sent to the Propaganda for 
 instruction,
 
 18 
 
 took upon themselves to convert their countrymen to Papistry. 
 With much greater success were favoured the Armenian Papists 
 of the Mekhitarist Convents of Venice and Vienna through the 
 medium of their literary productions and their able preachers. This 
 success was in a great measure also due to the fact that the 
 Pope allowed them to retain their national tongue, calendar, 
 rites, &c. 
 
 In contrast to the behaviour of the ltoman and Greek branches 
 of the Church towards their Armenian sister, the spirit of toleration 
 seen in the Armenian Church towards other Catholic bodies, and in 
 fact towards all Christian denominations, is very striking. (She daily 
 prays for " all holy and orthodox bishops," for " the peace of the 
 whole world and the stability of the holy Church," and joins her own 
 prayers and intercessions to the " prayers and intercessions of all who 
 call upon the Name of the Lokd of Holiness in any country, from the 
 east to the west." We take the liberty of quoting from the well- 
 known journal Armenia some words of the late Archbishop Nerses, 
 Patriarch of Constantinople which well set forth the spirit of his 
 Church : — " The unique glory of the Armenian Church consists 
 in its treating its heterogeneous brethren in the spirit of the 
 Primitive Church — that is to say, with toleration — even if they 
 speak against it out of ignorance and hardness of heart, or through 
 the pride of their prelates." 
 
 These proselytes of the Church of Home, gradually increasing in 
 numbers, tried to free themselves from the jurisdiction and authority 
 of the Patriarch of Constantinople. In the year 1660, through the 
 assistance of the French Government and at the request of the 
 Pope, they formed themselves into a separate small community with a 
 Patriarch of their own, and were called ' the Roman-Armenian Coins 
 in unity.' lioman Catholics are not the only body who have thu- 
 troubled the Armenian Church. Protestants have followed their 
 example in this matter. Protestant Missions from different 
 countries have settled down in places inhabited by Armenians, 
 with whom they have at first formed a friendly acquaintance, 
 but afterwards under this garb of friendship have succeeded in doing 
 incalculable harm by drawing them away from their Mother- 
 Church. Nor can we omit to find fault with the methods em- 
 ployed in this unkind and unchristian work of proselytism.
 
 19 
 
 Free education and medical aid and occasional pecuniary help given 
 to the poor and ignorant cannot but fail to produce such results. 
 Surely this was not the work for which they were sent to those 
 lands ; it would have been far better if they had given themselves 
 to converting the heathen, and had not interfered with the ancient 
 national Apostolic Church. Following in the wake of the Roman Ar- 
 menians, in 1846, a petition was presented to the Sublime Porte, and 
 these proselytes were publicly acknowledged as a separate body under 
 the designation of ' the Protestant-Armenian Community'. Those 
 small bauds who left the Armenian Church, being separated likewise 
 from the main body of the Armenian nation, grew weak in themselves, 
 and, when in their children sprung up those national feelings to which 
 no man can remain indifferent, it was felt by them that if they would 
 remain Armenians they must return to the bosom of their Mother- 
 Church, or else be inevitably lost in foreign bodies, forfeiting the 
 name and distinguishing qualities of the Armenian. 
 
 In the year 1870, under the Patriarchate of Hasoon, a division 
 took place in the Community of Roman Armenians at Constantinople. 
 Hasoon was a devoted partisan of the Pope, and tried his utmost to 
 Latinize his people. The two parties are known in history as Hasoo- 
 nians and Haca-Hasoonians, (i.e. } anti-Hasooniaus). The Hasoonians 
 being more firmly attached to the Church of Rome accepted the 
 dogma of the Infallibility of the Pope, and are ready to abide by 
 his decisions, even if they interfere with the national rights of the 
 community ; whereas the Haca-Hasoonian party, being composed of 
 the more enlightened portion of them and possessing a greater love for 
 national sentiments, urged that the Pope had no right to interfere 
 with the internal government of the Church or with national rights. 
 Naturally the Pope (Pius IX) opposed these sentiments of nation- 
 ality, declaring that Popery recognised neither national rights nor 
 national feelings. As a mark of his approval of the action of the 
 other party he conferred on Hasoon the dignity of Cardinal. 
 
 National sentiments for a little time lulled to sleep began to revive 
 among the younger members of the Armenian Protestant community. 
 Hence, at the present day, Protestant Missions are in a still greater 
 degree weakened by schisms in themselves : a certain number natur- 
 ally remain faithful to the missionaries, while those who are fired 
 with patriotic feelings as naturally wish to free themselves from
 
 20 
 
 foreign influences and strive to throw themselves into the national 
 cause. There is thus a want of unity in this small Armenian 
 Protestant body. 
 
 The Holy Church of Armenia has sustained no very serious loss 
 by the defections of her children, and, in spite of their having made 
 common cause with her enemies, she stands to this day triumphant 
 and victorious over all these troubles, because her Divine Founder 
 and Head Jesus Christ has promised, " And the gates of Hades 
 shall not prevail against her (St. Matth. xvi, 18)." Of the number 
 that have forsaken the Church of Armenia only a small portion have 
 affiliated themselves to other Churches from real persuasion, but the 
 greater part have been led to do so through ignorance of the true 
 position and teaching of their Mother-Church. Not a small portion 
 of them have joined other Churches to flatter their personal pas- 
 sions, to advance their own interests, or in view of political circum- 
 stances. Time has shown that schism from the main body has 
 rendered them insignificant as separated bodies by themselves, and 
 being further sub-divided among themselves they will eventually be 
 absorbed into other nations and be lost. 
 
 The Armenian Church has been the protector and guardian 
 of the Armenians. In her have been centred the faith and the hope 
 of the nation, and she alone is the centre of unity for it. As long 
 as the nation remains faithful to the Mother-Church and to the Creed of 
 Gregory the Illuminator, so long will they be safe and united. Those 
 who leave her weaken the national union, and also injure themselves 
 by losing their national name, rights, and spiritual freedom, and fall 
 under the yoke and influence of foreign nations and Churches. 
 
 These defections do certainly injure to some little extent the 
 national cause, but they inflict the greatest loss, politically, socially, 
 and individually, on the defaulters themselves. They have but little 
 effect on the National Church, which has lived through all these 
 troubles, and is, we firmly believe, destined once more to gather all her 
 children under her protecting wings round the holy standard of 
 Edjmiatzin. We heartily endorse the following words in this 
 connexion of one of the worthiest of her living sons : — 
 
 "The Armenian Church is venerable by reason of its antiquity, 
 proud of its orthodoxy, and glorious in the purple mantle of its
 
 21 
 
 martyrdom. Every stone of this sanctuary is cemented with the 
 tears and the blood of its persecuted children ; it is for this reason 
 that the seat of the Illuminator is so firmly established, and with 
 so much vigour raises aloft its five domes — symbols of the five 
 Armenian Patriarchates of Etchmiatzin, Sis, Akthamar, Constanti- 
 nople, Jerusalem. Sentinel of civilization and advance guard of 
 Christianity, the Armenian Church has bravely done its duty on 
 the confines of the Eastern World." 
 
 Note A. — Messengers to Christ from King Abgar. 
 
 These messengers having heard during their stay in Palestine of the 
 wonderful works of Christ were curious to see Him, and having concluded 
 the business on which they had been sent they repaired to Jerusalem, and 
 returned to Abgar with a report of all the miracles they had witnessed. 
 Abgar being led to believe that Christ was the Son of God sent them back 
 to Palestine with a letter to Him. They were accompanied by one 
 Ioannes or Anane, a painter, whom the King instructed to take a portrait 
 of our Lord, in case He did not accept his invitation to come to Edessa. 
 
 These messengers reached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and are to be 
 identified with the Greeks, whose request to see Jesus is recorded in the xiith 
 Chapter of St. John's Gospel. They delivered the King's letter and 
 received a reply to it : the text of these letters is given below. 
 
 The painter having made several fruitless attempts to take a portrait of 
 our Lord from a distance, He was pleased to grant King Abgar his desire 
 in a miraculous manner. He placed a handkerchief on His Blessed Face, 
 and a beautiful picture was imprinted on it. This sacred treasure was carried 
 to Edessa and received by the King with the utmost veneration and joy. 
 
 Note B. — Correspondence between the Saviour and Abgar. 
 
 The King's Letter : — " I have heard of Thee and of the cures wrought by 
 Thee without herbs or medicines ; for it is reported that Thou restoreth the 
 blind and maketh the lame walk, clean seth the lepers, casteth out devils 
 and unclean spirits, and healeth those that are tormented of diseases of long 
 continuance, and that Thou also raiseth the dead : — hearing all this of Thee 
 I was fully persuaded that Thou art the very God come down from heaven to 
 do such miracles, or that Thou art the Son of God and so performeth them ; 
 wherefore I write to Thee to entreat Thee to take the trouble to come to me 
 and cure my disease. Besides, I hear that the Jews murmur against Thee and 
 want to torture Thee. I have a small and beautiful city — sufficient for us both
 
 22 
 
 Our Lord's reply written by S. Thomas : — " Blessed is he who believes 
 in Me without seeing Me, for it is written of Me that they that see Me shall 
 not believe, and they that have not seen Me shall believe and be saved. As 
 concerning the request that I should come to thee, it becomes Me to fulfil 
 all things for which I was sent, and when I have fulfilled those then I shall 
 ascend to Him that sent Me : but after my Ascension I will send one of my 
 Disciples, who shall cure thee of thy disease and give life to thee and to 
 all those that are with thee." 
 
 Note C. — The Portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
 
 We get a great deal of interesting information regarding this Portrait 
 from a letter, which the well-known historian and Father of the Church, 
 St. Moses Khoronensis, wrote to Isaac, the Governor of the Province of 
 Ardzerunis. St. John took this Portrait of the Holy Mother of God on a board 
 of cypress wood, and as the hour of her departure drew nigh the Apostles 
 implored her to bless it so that it might be a source of consolation to 
 themselves and the means of curing diseases. This she did by placing it on 
 her face, and returned it to them with the picture vividly impressed. St. Bar- 
 tholomew was the only Apostle absent when the Blessed Mother died ; and 
 on his return he became most disconsolate at having lost the privilege of 
 being present at that solemn moment. His brother- Apostles, in order to 
 comfort him, gave the Portrait to him. 
 
 At the time of Anane's persecution Bishop Adde secured this Portrait 
 in the wall of the gate of Edessa, where it was discovered at the time of 
 the Catholicos Johannes II. (533 A.D.) In 944 A.D. the Greek 
 Emperor, Romanus, who was by nationality an Armenian, transferred the 
 Portrait, together with the Saviour's letter, to Abgarto Constantinople, from 
 where the former was removed to Rome, all traces of the latter being lost. 
 
 Note D. — The Martyrdom of the Sukiasians. 
 
 Having refused to accede to the request of the King (Artavazd II.) 
 to return home to the country of Alans, and to abjure their faith, they were 
 subjected to terrible cruelties. They were bound and tortured, and their 
 bodies were burned with torches ; in the midst of all this pain they con- 
 tinually praised God and gave Him thanks. Thereupon they were gagged, 
 but even then continued to pray that God may through the shedding of 
 their blood have mercy on their country and grant it the true light. With 
 these prayers on their lips they were made to lay down their necks on a
 
 23 
 
 rock, and soon the cruel sword severed their heads. The dead bodies 
 were cast into a pit, where for many years they remained nncorrupted. At 
 his spot there burst forth a spring, the water of which possessed healing 
 powers. The bodies were discovered in the time of Constantine, who ordered 
 them to be interred in a decent grave. On the spot of their martyrdom 
 Gregory the Illuminator built a Church and established a monastery. 
 
 Note E. — Martyrdom of St. Rhipsime and her Companions. 
 
 Of those who were thus scattered, one Manne became a hermit and lived 
 in Mount Siepooh, in Upper Armenia, where the great Illuminator St. 
 Gregory departed this life. Another, Noonne', introduced the Gospel in 
 Georgia. Gaianne' with Rhipsime and their company took shelter just 
 outside the capital of Tirdat. On receiving the letter from the Emperor, Tirdat 
 sent out officers in all directions to search out this famous beauty, who was 
 shortly afterwards discovered. The most splendid preparations were made 
 to bring Rhipsime with fitting pomp to the royal palace. When all induce- 
 ments and magnificence failed to make her accede to Tirdat's wishes 
 the latter ordered her to be forcibly brought. He did everything in 
 his power to get her to consent to be his queen, and finally resorted to 
 physical force. Even in this respect, famed as he was for his bodily strength, 
 Rhipsime was enabled by the power of the Holy Ghost to resist him. Having 
 got the chance to escape she announced to her companions her marvellous 
 protection and asked them to prepare for her matyrdom, of which she was now 
 certain, and for which she prepared herself by prayer and meditation. Her 
 anticipations proved too true : the very same night Tirdat's executioners arriv- 
 ed with strict orders to put her to death with cruel tortures. They cut her 
 tongue off ; tied her hands and feet to four pegs, placing fire under her body 
 and mangling her flesh with flints ; they then prilled out her entrails and her 
 eyes, and finally hacked her limbs. Thus did the holy virgin St. Rhipsime 
 gain her crown of Martyrdom. Her companions coming forth to inter her 
 remains were slain, their bodies being left to be the prey of birds and beasts. 
 Gaianne was meanwhile in custody in the palace with two companions : the 
 next morning, in accordance with the King's orders, they were executed, 
 having been flayed alive after their tongues had been first taken out from 
 the back of their necks. 
 
 The martyrdom took place in 301 A.D., and they are commemorated 
 in the Armenian Church shortly after Pentecost— the Monday following 
 the first Sunday after Pentecost being St. Rhipsime" s day, aud the next 
 day being St. Gaianne"s day.
 
 24 
 Note F. — Sacred Places in Jerusalem. 
 
 There are in the Holy Land several Convents, Churches, and Sanctuaries, 
 which are in the absolute possession of the Armenian Church, and there are 
 also others, in which this Church has equal right with the Greek or 
 Latin Churches. The book (Armenian) entitled History of the Holy Places, 
 gives a full list and full particulars of all these sacred places. 
 
 In the Holy City itself, owing no doubt to the pilgrimages made 
 thither from all parts of the world, all National Churches endeavoured to 
 establish small Convents of their own. There are at present, among others, 
 Convents belonging to the Assyrian, Abyssinian, and Coptic Churches, and 
 these have been there for centuries. As has been said in the body of this 
 sketch the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem has always maintained a kindly 
 attitude towards those bodies, who have as consistently adhered to it. 
 
 These Convents are independent of each other, each having its own 
 bishop and bodies of monks and keeping up its own liturgy and ritual. They 
 look up, however, to the Armenian Church and its representative the Patri- 
 arch of Jerusalem with regard and reverence. To show the relations that exist 
 between these ancient representative bodies and the Armenian Church, it 
 may be mentioned that on the great festivals, such as Christmas, Easter, &c, 
 the monks of these Convents, vested in their own full vestments, and headed 
 by their own bishops, follow in the procession of the Armenian Patriarch and 
 his bishops, monks, &c. After Easter, when pilgrims are solemnly blessed 
 and dismissed to their homes, twelve Bishops (Armenian) take part in the 
 ceremony. In this number are included the three Assyrian, Abyssinian 
 and Coptic Bishops, (who on this occasion are vested in the canonicals of 
 the Armenian Church) according to a very ancient custom. These Convents 
 always receive from the Armenian Patriarch such friendly help as they 
 require. For instance, the Abyssinian Convent, not having any great 
 resources of its own, has its daily meals (the number of inmates is 
 about 45) regularly supplied to it from the Armenian Convent. 
 
 Note G. — The Sassoun Martyrdom. 
 
 TnE Chapter of Horrors in the Kev. F. D. Greene's recent book sets 
 forth the terrible atrocities, which have shocked the civilized world and 
 roused indignation in all parts of the Christian Church. We extract the 
 most complete account from that Chapter, and append to it passages 
 from an account published in the Pioneer of December 27th, 1894. 
 
 That such awful massacres should have taken place in this nineteenth 
 century, under the very eyes of the European Christian Powers, was least 
 expected by the Armenian nation, and consequently cast them into the
 
 25 
 
 depth of grief and despair. They could but resort to mourning over their 
 martyred brethren and give themselves to prayer. As soon as the account 
 of these awful persecutions was published, Armenian Churches throughout 
 the world offered to God special devotions in memory of these deeply 
 lamented new martyrs, and prayed Him to deliver their afflicted nation from 
 the hands of its merciless persecutors. The only bright ray in this dark 
 picture is the universal sympathy, which has been aroused in the minds of 
 all Christian men and women, for which sympathy the whole nation cannot 
 but be profoundly grateful. May we hope that this sympathy will result 
 in such measures as shall prevent the recurrence of such atrocities and shall 
 free a Christian nation once for all from the tyranny of the heartless Turk. 
 
 ACCOUNT GIVEN IN MR. GREENE'S BOOK. 
 
 [This is the most complete account, compiled on the ground, The 
 following document was carefully prepared in common by parties, the signa- 
 ture of any one of whom would be of sufficient guaranty to give great Aveight. 
 One of the party, who is largely responsible for the data given, is a man of 
 high position and wide influence. The material was collected with the 
 greatest difficulty and under the constant espionage of Turkish officials. 
 Armenian Christians, who were known to appear at the place where the 
 writer was staying, were arrested, and some are yet in prison, if they have 
 not met a worse fate already. The documents were sent by secret, special 
 carriers into Persia, and came by Persian post to the United States. They 
 left Turkey about the last of November, 1894. This document alone is 
 sufficient to stir the indignation of a Christian world.] 
 
 C . . ., Nov., 1894. 
 
 There is uneasiness in Bitlis as to the safety of that city. Scrutiny of 
 the mails by the Turkish authorities continues, and some letters addressed 
 to residents and officials in the United States are failing to arrive. 
 
 The Hamedieh soldiers, who are Kourds, and who have been enrolled 
 during the past three years, are uniformed to some extent, but left in their 
 homes. They are committing all kinds of depredations. The Government 
 continues to exact taxes in the plundered districts, sends zabtiehs, or Turkish 
 soldiers, to abide in the villages, and eat the people out of provisions until in 
 some way they manage to secure the money. In the Rashkalla region many of 
 the men find on returning that the Government has taken possession of their 
 property, and refuses to restore it or allow them to remain in their old homes. 
 
 The authorities have taken and are taking every precaution to prevent 
 accounts of the famous massacre of Moosh from reaching the outside world. 
 The English consul, Mr. Hallward, went on a tour in the region affected. 
 He was subjected to constant annoying espionage, and was absolutely unable 
 to penetrate into the devastated region. 
 4
 
 26 
 
 To what extent Armenian agitation has provoked the terrible massacre 
 it is difficult to determine. For a year or more there seems to have been an 
 Armenian from Constantinople staying in the region as an agitator. For a 
 long time he skilfully evaded his pursuers, but was at last caught and taken to 
 Bitlis. He demanded to be taken to Constantinople and to the Sultan, and, 
 it is said, he is now living at the capital, receiving a large salary from the 
 Government. Evidently he has turned State's evidence. 
 
 Facts regarding a Massacre at Sassoun, near Moosh, Turkey. 
 
 Late in May, 1893, an outside agitator named Damatian was captured 
 near Moosh. The Government had suspected that the Talvoreeg villages 
 were harbouring such agitators, and had sent orders to certain Kourdish 
 Chiefs to attack the district, assuming the responsibility for all they should 
 kill, and promising the Kourds all the spoil. 
 
 Not long after Damatian had been brought to Bitlis, the first week in 
 June, the Bakranlee Kourds began to gather below Talvoreeg. As the vil- 
 lagers saw the Kourds gathering day by day, to the number of several thou- 
 sands, they suspected their designs, and began to make preparations. On 
 the eighth day the battle was joined. The stronger position of the villagers 
 enabled them to do considerable execution with little loss to themselves. 
 The issue of the contest at sunset was some one hundred Kourds slain, and 
 but six of the villagers, one of whom was a woman who was trying to rescue 
 a mule from the Kourds. The villagers had succeeded in breaking down a 
 bridge across the deep gorge of a river before a detachment of Kourds from 
 another direction could join in the attack against them. The Kourds thus 
 felt themselves worsted, and could not be induced to make another attack 
 that summer. 
 
 At this juncture the Governor-General set out with troops and two 
 field-pieces for Moosh, and infested the region near Talvoreeg, but either he 
 considered his forces insufficient, or he had orders to keep quiet, for he made 
 no attack, but merely had the troops keep seige. Before leaving, he suc- 
 ceeded, by giving hostages, in having an interview with some of the chief 
 men in Talvoreeg, and asked them why they did not submit to the Govern- 
 ment, and pay taxes. They replied that they were not disloyal to the Govern- 
 ment, but that they could not pay taxes twice, to the Kourds and to the 
 Government. If the Government would protect them, they would pay to it. 
 Nothing came of the parley, and the seige was continued till snow fell. 
 During the winter, while blackmail was rife in the vilayet, several rich men 
 of Talvoreeg were invited to visit the Governor-General, but did not see 
 best to accept.
 
 27 
 
 In the early spring the Kourds of several tribes were ordered to attack 
 the villages of Sassonn, while troops were sent on from Moosh and Bitlis, 
 the latter taking along ammunition and stores, and ten mule-loads of 
 kerosene (eighty cans). The whole district was pretty well besieged by 
 Kourds and troops. The villages thus besieged would occasionally make 
 sorties to secure food. 
 
 The Kourds on one occasion stole several oxen, and their owners 
 tracked their property to the Kourdish tents, and found that one ox had 
 had been butchered. They asked for the others, and were refused, where- 
 upon the villagers left, and later returned with some companions. A scrim- 
 mage ensued, in which two or three were killed on either side. The Kourds 
 at once took their dead to the Government at Moosh, and reported that the 
 region was filled with Armenian and foreign soldiers. The Government at 
 once sent in all directions for soldiers, gathering in all from eight to ten 
 taboors (regiments). Kourds congregated to the number of about twenty 
 thousand, while some five hundred Hamedieh horsemen were brought to 
 Moosh. 
 
 Methods of Procedure and Incidents op the Massacre. 
 
 At first the Kourds were set on, and the troops kept out of sight. 
 The villagers, put to the fight, and thinking they had only the Kourds to 
 do with, repulsed them on several occasions. The Kourds were unwilling to 
 do more unless the troops assisted. Some of the troops assumed Kourdish 
 dress, and helped them in the fight with more success. Small companies of 
 troops entered several villages, saying they had come to protect them as 
 loyal subjects, and were quartered among the houses. In the night they 
 arose and slew the sleeping villagers, man, woman, and child. 
 
 By this time those in other villages were beginning to feel that extermin- 
 ation was the object of the Government, and desperately determined to sell 
 their lives as dearly as possible. And then began a campaign of butchery 
 that lasted some twenty-three days, or, roughly, from the middle of August 
 to the middle of September. The Ferik Pasha [Marshal Zekki Pasha], 
 who came post-haste from Erzingan read the Sultan's firman for extermina- 
 tion, and then, hanging the document on his breast, exhorted the soldiers 
 not to be found wanting in their duty. On the last day of August, the 
 anniversary of the Sultan's accession, the soldiers ivere especially urged to 
 distinguish themselves, and they made it the day of the greatest slaughter. 
 Another marked day occurred a few days earlier, being marked by the oc- 
 currence of a wonderful meteor. 
 
 No distinctions were made between persons or villages, as to whether 
 they were loyal and had paid their taxes or not. The orders were to make a
 
 28 
 
 clean sweep. A priest and some leading men from one village went out to 
 meet an officer, taking in their hands their tax receipts, declaring their 
 loyalty, and begging for mercy ; but the village was surrounded, and all 
 human beings put to the bayonet. A large and strong man, the chief of 
 one village, was captured by the Kourds, who tied him, threw him on the 
 ground, and, squatting around him, stabbed him to pieces. 
 
 At Galogozan many young men were tied hand and foot, laid in a row, 
 covered with brushwood and burned alive. Others were seized and hacked 
 to death piecemeal. At another village a priest and several leading men 
 were captured, and promised release if they would tell where others had fled, 
 but, after telling, all but the priest were killed. A chain was put around the 
 priest's neck, and pulled from opposite sides till he was several times choked 
 and revived, after which several bayonets were planted upright, and he raised 
 in the air and let fall upon them. 
 
 The men of one village, when fleeing, took the women and children, 
 some five hundred in number, and placed them in a sort of grotto in a ravine. 
 After several days the soldiers found them, and butchered those who had not 
 died of hunger. 
 
 Sixty young women and girls were selected from one village and placed 
 in a church, when the soldiers were ordered to do with them as they liked, 
 after which they were butchered. 
 
 In another village fifty choice women were set aside, and urged to change 
 their faith and become hanums in Turkish harems, but they indignantly re- 
 fused to deny Christ, preferring the fate of their fathers and husbands. 
 People were crowded into houses which were then set on fire. In one in- 
 stance a little boy ran out of the flames, but was caught on a bayonet and 
 thrown back. 
 
 Children were frecpiently held up by the hair and cut in two, or had their 
 jaws torn apart. Women with child were ripped open ; older children were 
 pulled apart by their legs. A handsome, newly-wedded couple fled to a hill- 
 top ; soldiers followed, and told them they were pretty and would be spared 
 if they would accept Islam, but the thought of the horrible death they knew 
 would follow did not prevent them from confessing Christ. 
 
 The last stand took place on Mount Andoke [south of Moosh], where 
 some thousand persons had sought refuge. The Kourds were sent in relays 
 to attack them, but for ten or fifteen days were unable to get at them. The 
 soldiers also directed the fire of their mountain guns on them, doing some 
 execution. Finally, after the besieged had been without food for several 
 days, and their ammunition was exhausted, the troops succeeded in reaching 
 the summit without any loss, and let scarcely a man escape.
 
 29 
 
 Now all turned their attention to those who had heen driven into the 
 Talvoreeg district. Three or four thousand of the besieged were left in this 
 small plain. When they saw themselves thickly surrounded on all sides by 
 Turks and Kourds, they raised their hands to heaven with an agonizing 
 moan for deliverance. They were thinned out by rifle shots, and the re- 
 mainder were slaughtered with bayonets and swords, till a veritable river of 
 blood flowed from the heaps of the slain. 
 
 And so ended the massacre, for the timely arrival of the Mushire 
 [Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Army Corps at Erzingan] saved a few 
 prisoners alive, and prevented the extermination of four more villages that 
 were on the list to be destroyed, among which was the Protestant village of 
 Havodorick. This was the formidable army the Government had massed so 
 many troops and Kourds to vanquish. 
 
 So far as is known, not more than ten or fifteen outsiders were among 
 them, and all told it is not likely they had more than one hundred breech- 
 loading rifles. 
 
 The Number op Armenians Slain. 
 
 Even if one were able to visit the district, it would be impossible to get 
 more than an approximate estimate of the number of victims, for many 
 were thrown into trenches, which the rain had washed out, and were covered 
 with earth. Where no such trenches existed the bodies were piled up with 
 alternate layers of wood, saturated with kerosene, and set on fire. But it 
 seems certain that the villages of the whole district were wiped out. A 
 Kourdish Chief coming late with his men, and finding that there was nothing 
 left for him to do, went off on his own hook, and got all the plunder he 
 could from the village of Maineeg, near Havodorick. 
 
 A soldier while in quarantine said he had killed five persons, and he 
 had killed less than anybody else. Another confided to one that he had killed 
 a hundred. A soldier got angry while trading with an Armenian the other 
 day in the Bitlis market, and shouted out that they had slain a thousand 
 thousand, and would turn to those in the City next. 
 
 It seems safe to say that forty villages were totally destroyed, and it is 
 probable that sixteen thousand at least were killed. The lowest estimate is 
 ten thousand, and many put it much higher. This is allowing for more 
 fugitives than it seems possible can have escaped. 
 
 To cap the climax, the Governor-General, through imprisonment and 
 intimidation of various kinds, has forced the chief men in all the province 
 (the city of Bitlis alone excepted), to seal an address of gratitude to the 
 Sultan, that the Governor has restored order in the vilayet ! !
 
 30 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM THE LETTER IN THE PIONEER. 
 
 " One of the refugees .... declares that an Armenian priest named 
 Kevont was killed for refusing to celehrate Turkish rites in his Church 
 at Vartemis .... A priest named Margos and twenty other persons 
 residing in his house were burned alive, not one escaping. The Chief of 
 the village, Chineg, was bound, and with his two daughters, scalded to 
 death. Inexpressible horrors were perpetrated in the village of Sebghant 
 by twenty-five soldiers belonging to the regular cavalry. They violated 
 the girls in the village school and then destroyed the building. 
 
 Similar outrages were committed in the village of Djibran. " They 
 drove out the men and collected the women and the children at Bahlon to 
 the number of about 200. After ravishing the women they killed them 
 all, shooting them and cutting them with swords." 
 
 A writer from Constantinople, under date November 6th, says, that 
 " in the neighbourhood of Moosh 25 Armenian villagers have been ruthlessly 
 massacred, their houses burnt-down by the Hamidize Cavalry. The victims 
 numbered 6,000." 
 
 From a diary of daily events the following account is extracted : — 
 
 " August 22nd — Andakh is again besieged. The inhabitants of Geli, 
 Ischehadzor, and Schmal, leave for Froi-Khar. Grgo, (Gregore) with his 
 followers, strengthens his position and defends it heroically for full six days, 
 generally fighting with stones and daggers. In place of the fallen men 
 women step forward driven to madness. The position becoming unten- 
 able, Grgo decides to leave the defence of Andakh to the women, and 
 goes with his troops to forage for food and ammunition, 
 
 " August 23rd — The women defended their position for 24 hours 
 against the besiegers, but finally yielded to greater numbers. They 
 scarcely left their camps, when they found that they were surrounded on all 
 sides. Their condition was terrible ; many carried their babies on their 
 backs, while the elder children stood by their mothers in the fight. They 
 soon saw that they could never fight their way through the ranks of the 
 enemy. Then the wife of Grgo stepped on a rock and cried, " My sisters, 
 you must choose between two things. Either fall into the hands of these 
 Turks and forget your husbands, your homes, your holy religion, and adopt 
 the Mahomedan faith, and be dishonoured, or you must follow my example." 
 With these words, holding her year-old baby in her arms, she dashed her- 
 self from the rock into the abyss. She was followed by a second, a third, a 
 fourth woman. Without a sound one body fell after the other. The un- 
 happy children followed like lambs the example of their mothers. Very soon
 
 31 
 
 the ravine was filled with corpses, and the last women who leapt fell nnhnrt 
 on their companions' bodies. This scene struck the enemy with horror- 
 About 50 women and 100 children were taken prisoners. The women 
 bore torture silently, and would not betray Grgo and his braves. The heroine 
 who first cast herself from the rock was called Shagheek, and her name de- 
 serves to be known throughout Europe." Might we not add — " throughout 
 all parts of the Christian Church and throughout the civilized world " ? 
 
 Note H. — Hymns of St. Nierses the Graceful in Commemo- 
 ration of Vardan and his Comrades. 
 I. 
 
 " Valiant against adversaries, sufficiently brave to take vengeance 
 against imposture, sufficiently clever to ward off the artifices of the impious 
 by legitimate reprisals, you are victorious soldiers crowned by Christ. 
 
 In exchanging the vanities of this world for the true hope of immor- 
 tality, you have obtained the accomplishment of your desires : purify by 
 blood the stain from the defilement of sin. You are victorious soldiers, 
 crownedby Christ. 
 
 Veritable martyrs of the Holy Trinity, beseech peace for us, who are 
 oppressed by the tyranny of the impious to the end that we may rejoice in 
 your triumph in the combat. You are precious martyrs, crowned by 
 Christ." 
 
 II. 
 
 " Gloriously crowned General of the valiant, thou hast bravely armed 
 thyself with the Holy Spirit against death : Vartan, intrepid hero, who 
 hast repulsed the enemy, thou hast crowned the Church by thy rosy 
 blood. 
 
 Conqueror in battle by the arms of the heavenly King, made wise 
 to an ineffable degree by the Supreme Wisdom, Khoren, endowed with 
 prudence and of good repute, has become a witness of the crucified One, and 
 deserved the crown by the shedding of his blood. 
 
 Filled with the Divine light, the courageous and brave Ardag is 
 bathed in roseate splendour from a purple fountain : having drunk the cup 
 of Salvation, and being baptized in his own blood, he has taken his place 
 among the angels to chant the glory of the Trinity. 
 
 Adorned with shining garments by the heavenly agonothete, strength- 
 ened by the Trinity, having overthrown the strongholds of Satan, 
 Hmaiyag has dedicated himself to the Father, has participated in the
 
 32 
 
 passion of the Son, and by the aid of the Holy SriRiT has triumphed in 
 this war over the impious king. 
 
 He was armed against sin by a knowledge of the essentially Good ; 
 ascended to the skies by ways remote, he was associated with incorporeal 
 beings : Dadjad, become the marvellous temple of the Trinity, was judged 
 worthy of being the seat of the Holy Mystery of the Incarnation. 
 
 Fortified with the buckler of faith, covered with the cuirass of hope, 
 having placed upon his head the sign of the Cross as the all-saving helmet, 
 Vahan looking sublime, bearing witness in the flower of his youth, was 
 glorified by his blood as a martyr of Christ. 
 
 Consumed in a holocaust of agreeable odour he offered himself as a 
 sacifice, consecrating a reasonable victim to the Father Who is in Heaven : 
 the enviable Arsen, enriched by justice, resplendent with wisdom by the 
 seven-lighted grace of the Spirit. 
 
 In the company of two brothers, distinguished heroes, the first and 
 last of the martyrs has excelled them all : by becoming the precursor of 
 the Good, the bold Karekin has received the palm, the prize of the combat of 
 heroes. 
 
 It was a multitude of one thousand and thirty-six men, who suffered 
 martyrdom together in this battle so bravely fought, and who shed their blood 
 to regenerate the Church, by receiving the crown together at the hands of 
 the heavenly Agonothete. 
 
 We sing the praises of the Trinity with thanksgivings, in com- 
 pany with the concourse of those brave men assembled around us who 
 have received the crown. The Churches of the Armenian people have 
 been adorned with splendour, having the martyrdom which they have endured 
 in battle as an aid for ever."