Another name brother of Togarmah and the son of Gomer. which they themselves give to their country is Doon Torkomah, the "House of Torkomah" or Togarmah. St. Martin well says (vol. i, p. 254), “If we fix our attention on the names of the people who are mentioned in Jer. li, 27, it seems very probable that the posterity of Askenaz inhabited a portion of Armenia." These statements are confirmed by the traditions of the people. We have frequently asked uneducated Armenians, in the villages in Armenia, who was their great ancestor, and the immediate reply has always been "Turkom," which is but another form of Togarmah. Without entering more fully into the subject, we may say in general that there seems no reason to doubt that the Armenians have occupied Armenia ever since the nations were dispersed over the face of the earth, and that they retain, to a great extent, the early characteristics of the This is not more remarkable in their case than in the case of the Nestorians, the Kurds, or the Arabs. The Kurds have undoubtedly the same characteristics which they had when Xenophon marched through their country on his retreat from Mesopotamia more than 2,000 years ago. Strabo tells us that the horses of Armenia were held in high esteem (xi, 529), and the prophet Ezekiel says (chap. xxvii, 14) that the people of Togarmah (Armenia) traded with Tyre in horses and mules. Herodotus (Book i, 194) describes the manner in which the people of Armenia descended the Tigris on rafts to Babylon. Another proof of the antiquity of the race may be found in their language; but upon this we will not dwell. race. It may be thought that we have spoken at too great length in regard to the origin of the Armenian race; the subject, however, is not only interesting in itself but it helps to illustrate the character of the people. It surely is worthy of note that, amid all the revolutions of the eastern world, they have preserved their existence as a people and have retained their national characteristics, and form to-day one of the links that connect the immediate present with the remote past of human history. In physical structure the Armenians are of medium height, squarely built, complexions rather dark, hair a glossy black, dark and beautiful eyes, their frames firmly knit so that they are capable of a great amount of physical labor. Many of the men have great strength. The marriage relation is guarded with the greatest sanctity; illegitimate births are almost unknown among the Armenians; marriage ties are seldom broken or marriage vows violated; for many centuries intermarriages of relations have been prohibited both by law and custom. These causes, combined with a bracing climate, have produced a people remarkable for health and physical strength. Many of the females of the higher classes, especially in youth, are very beautiful. The Armenians have a high degree of mental capacity; this is shown in their ready mastery of the details of business; in the rapid progress they make in study whenever the opportunity is presented to them; their young men generally take a high stand in scholarship when admitted into the schools and colleges of Europe and America. Though fond of pleasantry, as a rule they are sober, thoughtful, somewhat suspicious and jealous of each other, but all animated by a true national pride which often degenerates into national vanity and conceit. They are strong and tender in their attachments, while, under the hard discipline of the Turks, they have learned to suppress their feelings of hatred and dislike to a remarkable degree. They have a sincere reverence for the aged, and delight in recounting the deeds of the great heroes of their race. In comparing them, in respect to their mental characteristics, with the civilized nations of the west, we should remember their history, a history which, for several hundred years, has been one sad tale of oppression and sorrow. If we bear this in mind we shall wonder at the great amount of mental life and activity now existing among this interesting people. They enjoy social life to a greater degree probably than any other race in Turkey; their habits are simple, the family relation is maintained with religious sacredness; the great masses of the Armenians, in the interior of the country, are poor and obliged to earn their support by hard labor; but they are industrious, frugal, temperate, and virtuous. Of course, exceptions to all these statements may be found; we speak, however, not of the few exceptions, but of the great mass of the people. If we turn to the religious history of the Armenians, we shall find it one of peculiar inter est. It is difficult now to ascertain the precise form of their religion previous to their conversion to Christianity. According to St. Martin (vol. i, p. 305), the Armenians who preceded Tiradates had a religion which was the same as that of the Parthians, a mixture of the opinions of Zoroaster, somewhat changed, with the worship of Greek divinities and with certain superstitions brought in from Scythia. "The gods whom the Armenians regarded as most powerful were Aramazt, the same as Ormuzd of the Persians and Jupiter of the Greeks; the goddess of Anahid or Venus and Mihir or Mithra." That they were idolaters is admitted by all, but what was the precise form of their idolatry is not well understood. This much is certain, that the nation never returned to idolatry after it had once embraced Christianity. No greater insult can now be offered to an Armenian than to call him a "Karabasht" or “Pütparest,” i. e., a worshipper of idols. Christianity was known in the country in the second century, but did not obtain a firm foothold until the beginning of the fourth century.* In 302 Tiradates an Armenian king, the last of the Arsacidæ, and many Armenian nobles were baptized by Gregory the Illuminator.† Mr. Gibbon says (vol. ii, p. 275), *There was a Christian church at Edessa, the ancient Ur and the modern Ourfa, as early as 202 A. D., and this church was probably Armenian. In 170 the symbols of Baal had disappeared from the coins of Abgar, the Armenian king of Edessa, and the cross was substituted in their stead. The following appear to be the well authenticated facts in respect to this eminent Reformer. He was born at Vagharchhabed, the ancient capital of Armenia, in 257 A. D. and died about 332. He was the son of Anag, a prince of the royal family of Arsacida. Anag had assassinated Chosroes I, king of Armenis, and was therefore put to death with all his family except Gregory, who was then two years of age. He was taken to Cesarea, in Cappadocia, by a Christian nurse. On becoming of age he married a Christian woman, but after three years they separated by mutual consent, as he wished to devote himself to an ecclesiastical life. He went to Rome, and without disclosing his religion or his parentage he joined Tiradates II, the king of Armenia, who was then in Rome. Gregory accompa nied Tiradates to Armenia; there he refused to sacrifice to idols, and was cast into a dungeon near Antarala; here he remained fourteen years; at the end of this time the king became a Christian and received baptism at the hands of Gregory. Gregory afterwards went to Cesarea and was made Metropolitan of Armenia; he then returned and preached the Gospel both east and west of the Euphrates, dəstroyed many idol temples and built many Christian churches. Having made his son Aristarchus his successor, he withdrew from public life. "The renowned Tiradates, the hero of the East, may dispute with Constantine the honor of being the first sovereign who embraced the Christian religion."* And Dean Milman adds, "St. Martin has likewise clearly shown that Armenia was the first nation that embraced Christianity." There seems no reason to doubt that the Armenian Church for several centuries was thoroughly orthodox and evangelical; so late as the twelfth century the Armenians were not reconciled to the sight of images; in theology they were Augustinian; they adopted the Apostolic, the Nicene, and the Athanasian creeds. In the sixth century, a majority of the church accepted monophysitical views; at that time the following may be said to have been the doctrinal position of the Armenian Church; the majority at least held that the human nature of Christ was absorbed in the divine; that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father alone, in this respect differing from the Latin and agreeing with the Greek Church; that man is redeemed from original sin by the sacrifice of Christ, and this redemption is appropriated by baptism; that redemption from actual sin is secured by penance and auricular confession; they hold the seven Sacraments of the Roman Church, the mediation of the Saints, the doctrine of transubstantiation. They give the communion in both kinds to the common people; deny the doctrine of purgatorial penance, yet think that prayers for the dead will help the departed. The Armenians rejected the authority of the Council of Chalcedon in 536 and renounced all connection with the Greek Church. In 1145 the Armenians were for a short time connected with Rome; in 1323 a portion of the church united with * Tiradates was the son of Chosroes; when an infant his father was assassinated; he was saved by his friends and educated under the auspices of the Roman emperors. Armenia was then in the hands of the Persians. In the third year of Diocletian, or A. D. 287, Tiradates was restored to the throne of Armenia by the Romans; he was received with great joy by the Armenian people. He became a Christian in 302 and was baptized by Gregory the Illuminator. In a few years he was expelled a second time from his kingdom by the Persians. He took refuge in the court of the Roman emperor. Diocletian resolved to support him; he came to Antioch, and the decisive battle was fought east of the Euphrates on the plain of Carrhe; the Romans were defeated, but were subsequently victorious under Galerius, who confirmed Tiradates in his authority. "He died at length," says Gibbon, "after a reign of fifty-six years, and the fortune of the Armenian monarchy expired with him." Rome, and again in 1441 there was another attempt at a union of Armenians and Jacobites with Rome. With these slight exceptions, the Armenians have kept themselves resolutely independent of both the Greek and Latin Churches. At the present time there may be 300,000 Roman Catholic Armenians out of a population of about 3,000,000. The Roman Catholic Armenians are wealthy and influential; they are found mostly in the large cities, as Constantinople, Smyrna, Aleppo, Erzroom, and Adrianople. The Roman Catholic Armenians are restless under the Papal authority; of late years very serious divisions have existed among them, that have called for the active interference of the Turkish Government. One feature in the religious history of the Armenians is worthy of special notice; we refer to their profound reverence for the Word of God. The Bible was translated into their language in the fifth century. As Armenian scholars did not know Hebrew, the translation was made from the Septuagint; so well was the work done, however, that some biblical scholars have called the Armenian Bible the Queen of the Versions. This ancient version of the Scriptures has doubtless been the instrument in preserving whatever of Christian life has remained among the Armenians; certain it is that they have the most sincere regard for God's Word, and have ever held fast to the idea that every man is at liberty to read and understand that Word for himself. Besides the Bible they have an extensive Liturgy in the ancient language; this Liturgy was prepared at an early day and is still used in all Armenian churches.* Many of the Armeni * Those who are anxious to pursue this subject will be interested in a pamphlet prepared by the eminent linguist, the Rev. S. C. Malan, M. A., and published in London by David Nutt, 270 Strand, 1870. It is entitled, "The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church, of St. Gregory the Illuminator;" translated from the Armenian; with an introduction and notes. From this pamphlet we quote the following prayer, as a specimen of the ancient prayers of the Armenian Church. This is a prayer to the Holy Ghost, and is to be offered by the ecclesiastic who officiates at the communion service. "O Almighty, beneficent God of all things and Lover of men, Creator of things visible and invisible, Saviour and Preserver, Protector and Giver of Peace, Mighty Spirit of the Father, we entreat Thee with open arms, with humble, earnest prayer, in Thine awful presence. We draw nigh in great fear and trembling, in order to offer this reasonable sacrifice; first to thine unsearchable power, being, as Thou |