Olympia. It likewise ratified a new treaty concluded with the Laurion Mining Company, and, in April, was adjourned by the Government. The Opposition, which had remained absent to the close of the session, protested against the legality of the proceedings, and, when the King sanctioned the resolutions submitted to him by the ministry, they raised against them charges of violation of the Constitution and high-treason.

In order to calm the extraordinary excitement prevailing in the country, the King again tried the formation of a new cabinet. The Greek embassador in Paris, Konduriotis, to whom the task was at first assigned, failed in his attempt, and the new cabinet was then formed under the presidency of C. Trikupis, one of the leaders of the ultra-Democratic party. Another leader of the same party, C. Lombardos, assumed the Ministry of Finance. The new ministry issued a proclamation to the Hellenic people, announcing that the Constitution would be restored and would henceforth be faithfully respected. The most urgent laws, which admitted of no delay, would be provisionally issued by royal decree, but they would be submitted to the new Chamber for ratification. Immediately after its organization the new Chamber would be called upon to designate the members of a definite cabinet who would be acceptable both to the majority and to the King. A royal decrce ordered the dissolution of the Chamber, and the holding of new elections on July 20th. The new Chamber was to meet on August 23d.

Very exciting rumors about this time not only agitated Greece, but produced a sensation throughout Europe. It was reported and very widely believed that the King was determined to resign, and that a regency would be appointed to govern the country during the minority of the heir-apparent to the throne, the young Duke of Sparta. The Russian Government was said to have sent to the Piræus three shipsof-war to take Queen Olga on board and bring her home. Part of these rumors was speedily contradicted, but it was generally admitted that the condition of Greece was most deplorable and that a severe crisis might be expect ed at almost any time. Since the failure of the Cretan insurrection, no foreign questions and hopes for a remodeling of the map of Europe and an extension of the limits of Greece have any longer diverted the attention of politicians from home matters, and, thus circumscribed by the narrow limits of a small kingdom, the parties have become more captions and intolerant than ever. The narrower the subject of controversy, the more fiercely it has been discussed, and the Opposition spies out with microscopic eye defects in every existing institution, in everything that the Government does or proposes to do. The nature of the Athenian politician renders administration almost impossible. The place-hunting of Greece makes that of every other country insignificant, and

the aspirants to office pursue one another with a ferocity which neither patriotic feeling nor the authority of the sovereign can restrain. One cabinet succeeds another only to be overthrown in its turn. The number of men who have held the highest offices is almost incredible; those who have been placemen of an inferior degree are not to be reckoned. The Chamber consists of 190 deputies, and is generally so divided as to make a majority hopeless. Five distinct parties are reckoned in it, and each of these sections has its chief or chiefs, and each aspires to rule. Each of them has had its turn at one time or another, and each has succumbed.

The new elections took place in July, without any pressure being brought to bear upon the electors by the cabinet. In the new Chamber, Kumunduros was believed to have 58 trustworthy adherents; Deligeorgis, 40; Zaimis, 30; Trikupis, 30; and Bulgaris, 17. The session of the new Chamber was opened by the King on August 23d. In the speech from the throne, the King promised that a new ministry would be formed from the ranks of the majority of the Chamber, that the Constition would be conscientiously observed, the real estate taxes reorganized, and a military education provided for all citizens. The speech was well received by the country. The Chamber elected Kumunduros as President by 136 against 17 votes, a mark of confidence which induced the King to intrust to him the formation of a new ministry. Kumunduros had in the new ministry, in addition to the presidency, the Department of the Interior. The other members of the ministry were: Kondastapulos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in one of the former cabinets Minister of Justice; Colonel Karaiskakis, son of one of the leaders in the War of Independence, Minister of War; Airerino, Minister of the Navy; Papazafiropulos, Minister of Justice; Milissi, Minister of Public Worship; Sotoripulos, Minister of Finances. The new premier, in the name of the ministry, fully explained his plan of government, and announced bills for employing the monastic property for the establishment of agricultural banks, for introducing a landwehr, for improving the electoral law, and for making the ministers responsible. The new President of the Chamber, Zaimis, assured the ministry that it would be strongly supported by the representatives of the people. In November the Chamber resolved to impeach all the members of the cabinet of Bulgaris for violating the Constitution. Two of the members, Valassapulos and Nikolopulus, were moreover charged with having accepted bribes at the appointment of three bishops of the state Church, and Delyannis, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with having appointed embassadors for whom the budget had not made any appropriations. of the laws passed by the former Chamber during the absence of the Opposition, twenty-one were declared to be invalid on the ground that

the insurrection of the Christians in European Turkey.

The appointment of a Roman Catholic archbishop for Athens by the Pope created great dissatisfaction, and the Government refused to sanction the appointment, on the ground that the Minister of Public Worship should have been consulted in such a matter.

A convention was concluded on April 25, 1874, between the Governments of Greece and Germany, by which the latter was authorized to undertake excavations at Olympia. According to the articles of the convention, all the objects that may be found will be the property of Greece, but Germany, which defrays all the expenses of the excavations, has for five years the exclusive right of taking copies and imitations of all the works of art that may be found. The results of the excavations will be published in Germany in the German language, and at Athens in Greek. After the sanction of the convention by the Greek Chamber, in 1875, the excavations began on October 4, 1875, and early in January, 1876, Prof. Curtius and the architect Adler published the first account, embrac ing the important discoveries which had been made from October 4 to December 31, 1875.

GREEK CHURCH. The population connected with the Oriental Greek Church of Russia was in 1871, according to the "Statistical Year-book of the Russian Empire" (vol. ii., 1871), about 58,000,000, divided as follows: European Russia, 53,139,000; Poland, 30,000; Caucasia, 1,930,000; Siberia, 2,875,000; Central Asia, 131,000; Finland, 34,000. Turkey numbers about 12,000,000 inhabitants belong ing to the Greek Church, of whom 4,275,000 belong to Roumania, and 1,295,000 to Servia; Austria, according to the census of 1869, 3,050,000; the kingdom of Greece, 1,440,000; Montenegro, 125,000; Germany, about 3,000.

All sections of the Greek Church take a profound interest in the union movements which for some time have been going on between the Eastern, Old Catholic, and Anglican Churches. A Russian theologian, who, as a prominent representative of the Greek Church, took part in the Union Conferences held at Bonn, stated in a letter, addressed to a Greek theologian, very clearly the negotiations which have thus far taken place between the Greek and Old Catholic theologians, and the present condition of the question so far as the Greek Church is concerned. As the movement is still progress ing, and one of the prominent ecclesiastical questions of the day, the letter of the Russian theologian, which has been received by the organs of the Greek Church with general approval, will be useful for reference. It is as follows:

DEAR SIR: In compliance with the request which you have done me the honor to make, I hasten to give you some information touching our relations with the Old Catholics.

Immediately after the Old Catholic Congress (the second) held at Cologne, in 1872, a committee of the most learned of the Old Catholics, under the chair

manship of Dr. Von Schulte, laid down the bases on which might be arranged, in the future, unity between the Old Catholics and the Orthodox. These bases were accepted by us (who took part in the discussion), and by the Anglicans. They are as follows:

Man.

1. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, the only-begotten Son of God, and the God2. We believe in one Church founded by Him. 3. The criterion of Christian truth is quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus creditum est. The sources of information as to the teaching, the worship, and the discipline of the divinely-founded Church are the following: (a) The Holy Scriptures; (b) The writings of the Fathers of the Church; c) The decrees of the Ecumenical Councils.

4. In the discussions and investigations the historical method should be followed as the only one which is safe and entirely impartial.

The orthodoxy of these bases is, I suppose, undoubted, and in all that we have done we have had

that in view.

The dogmatic differences are as to the following questions:

1. Concerning the Church and its Head.
2. Concerning the Holy Ghost.
3. Concerning the Holy Virgin Mary.
4. Concerning God's Works.
5. Concerning Sin.

6. Concerning the condition of the Soul after death. The Canonical and disciplinary differences are as to the following questions:

1. Concerning the Creed.

2. Concerning the Sacrament of Baptism. 3. Concerning the Sacrament of Confirmation. 4. Concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist. 5. Concerning the Sacrament of Penance. 6. Concerning the Sacrament of Marriage. 7. Concerning the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Dr. Langen, as chairman of the Committee for Union with the Eastern Orthodox Church, sent to ply concerning each of the points in debate. This us, in the name of the committee, a very careful rereply, although expressing a sincere desire for the attainment of unity, was, nevertheless, very cautiously expressed, especially upon two of the more important questions, of the Filioque, and concerning the authority of the Pope of Rome. It was very evident that the ideas of the Old Catholics were much in advance of what they were at the time of the Congress at Munich, when it was proposed to take a stand upon the Decree of the Council of Trent.

At the Conference at Bonn, in 1874, another step toward mutual understanding. The Old Catholics was taken a step most important for the truth, and made concessions, more or less important, as to all the points of difference, with an independence of spirit doing credit alike to their understanding and their character.

DOGMATIC QUESTIONS.-1. Concerning the Church and its Head.

This question is divisible into two parts-the first, concerning the discipline or the Church, and the position of the Bishop of Rome, to whom had been assigned an honorable precedence (primus inter pares). Concerning this first point, the Old Catholics said that they were unable to make a dogmatio definition, and for this reason, especially, that this question still excites very lively discussion among the Old Catholics themselves.

This answer states that some explanations are needful: let us compare it with the answer which was given in 1874, by the Committee on Unity, of which Dr. Langen is chairman. This said in its answer that, although they denied the infallibility of the Pope, the committee thought that, as primus inter pares, a certain precedence belonged to the Pope, similar to that enjoyed by any one who presided over a gathering of equals.This point, in accordance with a suggestion of Dr. Dillinger, was not discussed,

but will come up for discussion at the next Confer

ence.

The second part of this question, "The Universal Church only, lawfully represented by her Bishops, is the Infallible Keeper of the Faith," was received by the Old Catholics without any hesitation.

It is very evident that this last is the more important of the two. The clear and distinct way in which the Old Catholics expressed themselves concerning it places an impassable gulf between their teaching and that of the Ultramontanes. But, indeed, they could not do otherwise, for the very starting-point of the Old Catholic movement was the decreeing of the Pope's infallibility. The reason whereby some of the Old Catholics show an indisposition to accept simply and clearly the Orthodox theory is, that some of them (e. g., the revered Michaelis) think that to have on earth a Visible Centre of Unity for the Church is a desirable and useful thing.

2. The question concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost was likewise deferred to the approach ing Conference. This question is, evidently, the most difficult of all that divide us from the Old Catholics. In regard to this question, as well as to others, the Old Catholics made most important concessions to the true doctrine. As with the last question, so is it with this, that it has two sides, namely, the material question concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost (the doctrine of the Filioque), and the other touching the insertion of the Filioque in the Creed. To this latter we shall come presently in studying the canonical questions. The former question was deferred to the next Conference. A dogmatic definition as to this will not be easy, but, in regard to this point, the Old Catholics made a most important declaration, namely, that they did not consider the doctrine of the Filioque as of essential importance, or hold that it was necessary to salvation for one to believe it.

It is very evident that the teaching of the Filioque, even as a pious opinion, has no raison d'être. It is indisputable, however, that this way of presenting the doctrine is a great help toward coming to an understanding, when we consider this, also, that the Old Catholics do not mean, in any way, to interfere, through the Filioque, with the teaching of the one ness of the source of Deity (Fons Deitatis), which is God the Father. This was asserted in the most distinet manner. In private conversation with the Old Catholics, they brought forward the pious opinions of the Fathers of the Church (St. Epiphanius. St. Cyril, St. Augustine) of the ages before the Great Schism. We shall come to the question as to the Creed further on.

3. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is rejected by the Old Catholics.

4-5. The doctrine concerning Good Works was satisfactorily expressed by the Old Catholics, who excluded from it everything which could displease the Orthodox, viz., whatever had any relation to the Ultramontane theory of indulgences, to the thesaurus meritorum, and to works of supererogation.

6. The doctrine concerning the temporary condition of souls after death was not formulated in our statement with sufficient precision to form the basis for discussion, but the Old Catholics declared that since they rejected the doctrine of forgiveness obtained after death, etc., they considered that the doctrine concerning the condition of souls after death could give no ground for dissension between the two Churches.

CANONICAL AND DISCIPLINARY DIFFERENCES. 1. Concerning the Cred.-The insertion of the Filioque was declared to be uncanonical, and the Old Catholies even spoke of removing the words from the Creed. It is noticeable, however, that their reason for so doing was, not the incorrectness of the doctrine, all question as to this being adjourned to a future discussion, but because it was uncanonical to insert these words in the Creed. "We have," said

Dollinger, "no objection, in principle, to the removal of the Filioque." But the Anglicans did not see fit to agree with this proposition. The agreement attained was not as to the main point, for the doctrine was kept out of discussion, but an acknow]edgment of the uncanonicity of the insertion of the Fioque was a most important step toward reconciliation and the unity of the Church.

2. Baptism.-The Old Catholics declared that the manner of administering this Sacrament in the Eastern Church was more ancient than the mode of sprinkling, which the Western Church employs, agreeing better with the signification of the Greek word baptisein. They thought, however, that such difference of rite ought to be no longer a cause of division between the Churches, or an occasion of strife.

3. Confirmation.-The Old Catholics declared that this Sacrament could be administered, not only by a bishop, but also by a priest, according to the Eastern usage. They also said that, while the Eastern custom of administering Confirmation to children at the same time with Baptism was more ancient than the Western usage, there were important reasons in favor of the latter, and that, in any event, a change in this matter would be difficult to bring about.

4. The Eucharist.-The question concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist was divided in our statement into four heads:

(a.) The Western custom of using unleavened bread. The Old Catholics said that the Western Church did not think this custom indispensable.

(b.) The Invocation of the Holy Spirit.-The Old Catholics stated that they thought that opinion most correct according to which, in order to the Act of Consecration being performed in its full integrity, there should be a prayer of invocation; that, moreover, in the Western liturgy there was such a prayer; that the difference between the two Churches sprang up while they were yet united.

(c.) The Communion in both kinds.-The Old Catholies showed themselves well disposed toward having the Communion in both kinds, considering it only a question of time.

(d.) Infant Communion.-The Old Catholics stated that, in regard to this question, they must repeat what was said as to Confirmation, that the Western custom began at a very early period, that in neither case did it give ground for division; but that it should be allowed.

5. Penance. The Old Catholics consider this question fully explained by what they say concerning the state of the soul after death, concerning sin, concerning good works (the Ultramontane theory of indulgences, of works of supererogation, and of the

thesaurus meritorum).

6. Concerning Clerical Celibacy.-The Old Catholics showed the greatest reserve in discussing this point, The absurdity of enforced celibacy was evident, and fully confessed; consequently, the partial difference of opinion here cannot be explained, except from the fear lest their enemies might make of this question a weapon of attack, and explain away the whole movement of the Old Catholics by saying that the leaders had gone into this movement simply to get rid of compulsory celibacy. It is known that the Ultramontanes often resort to such measures.

7. Unction.-The Old Catholics declared that they held that Unction could be performed not only for a dying person, but for others who were ill. They suppose that the consecration of the anointing oil by a bishop, according to the Western custom, gave no ground for a separation between the Churches.

All the above-mentioned differences were mentioned at the sixth session of the Bonn Conference, and discussed between the Orthodox and the Old Catholics; but besides these, in the earlier sessions of the Conference, in the discussions between the Orthodox and the Anglicans, many questions were settled according to the Orthodox opinion, on which