The Life and Times of St. Gregory the Illuminator. By
the Rev. S. C. Malan, M.A. (Rivingtons.)—Mr. Malan has busied himself with translating a number of documents illustrative of the history of the Armenian Church. In this volume we have an instalment, as much, we are told, as will be borne by the temper of the times, in which there is much talk about union with Eastern Churches, but not enough en- thusiasm to buy books. We have accordingly a short account, drawn from Russian sources, of the Armenian Church and people, the acts and martyrdom of St. Thaddeus the Apostle, and, which occupies the greater part of the volume, the life of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of Armenian Christianity. This last is a very curious and interesting document. It gives a sketch of what we know very little about, the internal condition of the Parthian kingdom about the close of the third century after Christ. St. Gregory was himself one of the Arsacidw, the son of one Arcale, who murdered Chosroes I., the father of Tiridates, at the instigation of Ardashir, the first of the family of the Saponifies. The story of the conversion of the King who was restored by the Romans in 259 abounds with the usual marvels. Gregory suffered twelve tortures of the most incredible severity, and Tiridates, who was a most obstinate sceptic, had to be turned into a wild boar before he could see the truth. It is a noticeable fact that among Gregory's successors in his patriarchate are his two sons and a grandson.
Previous page
