GRE
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GRE
Art it was before unacquainted with: But, at length, the Incurfiona of the Barbarians, and efpedally the Invafion ot the Turks, wrought much more confiderable Alterations. See Modern Greek.
The Greek has a great Copia or Stock of Words : Its In- flexions are as remarkable for their Variety, as thofe of moft of the other European Tongues, for their Simplicity. See Inflexion.
It has three Numbers, Singular, Dual, and Plural. See Numbers 5 and abundance of Tenfes in its Verbs, which makes a Variety in Difcourfe, prevents a_ certain Drinefs which always accompanies a too great Uniformity, and ren- ders the Language peculiarly fit for all Kinds of Verfe. See Tense, gfc.
The Ufeofthe Participles of the Aoriftus, and Preterit, together with the compound Words, wherein it abounds; give it a peculiar Force and Brevity, without taking any thing from its Perfpicuity.
The proper Names, in the Greek Language, are fignifi- cative, as in the Oriental, as well as in molt of the modern Languages, where the Learned {till find fome, tho' remote, Character of their Origin. See Name.
The Greek was the Language of a polite People, who had a Tafte for Arts and Sciences, which they cultivated with Succefs. In the living Tongues, are {till preferved a vaft Number of Greek Terms of Arts : Some defcended to us from thzGrccks, and others form'd a-new. When a new Invention, Machine, Rite, Order, Instrument, &c. has been difcovercd, Recourfe has commonly been had to the Greek for a Name ; The Facility wherewithWords are there compounded, readily affording us Names expreffive of the "Life, Effect, &c. of fuch Inliruments. Hence Areometer, thermometer , Barometer, Micrometer, Logarithm, Tele- fcope, Microfcope, Loxodromy, &c.
Modern or Vulgar Greek, is the Language now fpoke in Greece.
There have been few Books writ in this Language, from the taking of Constantinople by the Turks 5 fcarce any thing but fome Catechifms, and the like Pieces, compofed or tranflated into the Vulgar Greek, by the Latin Mifiiona- ries.
The native Greeks are contented to fpeak the Language without cultivating it. The Mifery they are reduced to under the Dominion of the Turks, renders them ignorant, ofneceffity; the Turkifh Politicks not allowing any of the Subjects of their Eftates, to apply themfelves to the Arts and Sciences.
Whether it be out of a Principle of Religion, or Politicks, or Barbarifm, they have induftrioufly deft roy'd all the Mo- numents of antient Rome 5 defpifing the Study of a Lan- guage which might have render'd them polite, their Em- pire happy and flourifhing, and have macfe the People for- get their former Mailers, and their antient Liberty.
In this, widely different from the Romans, thole antient Conquerors of Greece, who after they had iubdued the Country, applied themfelves to learn the Language ; in or- der to imbibe their Politenefs, Delicacy, and Tafte for Arts and Sciences.
'Tisnot eafy to aflign the precife Difference between the vulgar, and the antient Greek : It confiifs in the Termina- tions of Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, and other Parts of Speech, which make a Difference between thofe two Languages much like that obfetved between fome of the Dialects of the Italian or Spanijh : We inttance in thofe Languages, as being the moft known, but we ought to have faid the fame of the Hebrew, Sclavonic, Ike. Dialects.
Befide, the modern Greeks have divers new Words not in the antient $ particularly feveral Particles which appear as Expletives, and which were introduced to characterize certain Tenfes of Verbs, and certain Dictions, which would have the fame Meaning without fuch Particles, had Cuftom difpenfed with them 5 Divers Names of Dignities and Offi- ces, unknown to the antienr Greeks ; and abundance of Words borrowed from the vulgar Tongues of the neigh- bouring Nations.
Accordingly, one may diftinguifh three Ages of the Greek Tongue ; The firft ends at the Time when Conjlantinople became the Capital of the Roman Empire 5 Not but there were feveral Books, efpecially of the Fathers of the Church, wrote with great Purity after that Time 5 but, as Reli- gion, Law, and Policy, both civil and military, began then to introduce new Words into the Language, it feems neceffary to begin the fecond Age of the Greek Tongue from that Epocha ; which lafted to the taking of Conjlantinople by the Turks* where the laft Age commences.
Greek Wine. See Wine.
Greek. Orders in Architecture, are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian-^ in Contra-diftinction to the two Latin Or- ders, the Tujcan and Compofite. See Order 3 fee alfo Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
Greek Rite, or Ritual, is diftinguifhed from the La- tin. See Rite and Ritual.
Greek Church, is that part of the Chriftian Church which is eftablifhed in Greece, extending like wife to fome other Parts of Turky. See Church.
It is thus called in Europe, Afia, and Africa, in Contra- diftinction from the Latin, or Romijh Church; as alfo the Eaftem Church, in Distinction from the Wcflern. See Latin.
The Romanifts call the GreekChurch, the Greek Schifm t bceaufe the Greeks don't allow the Authorityof the Pope, but depend wholly, as to Matters of Religion, on their own Patri- archs. They have treated them asSchifmaticks, ever fince the Revolt, as they call it, of the Patriarch 'Photius. See Patriarch.
The Learned are divided as to the peculiar Doctrines and Sentiments of the Greek Church. 'Tis certain many Errors are ufually charged on them, which they are free oK The Point has been warmly contefted between Caucus Archbifhop of Corfu, and the Sieur de Moni, on the one Side ; and Lucas Holfatius, and Leo Allatius, a Greek, on the other ; the two firft accufing, the laft excufing them. Caucus, &c, will have them agree with the Proteftants, in rejecting abundance of the Rules and Obfervances eftablifh'd in the Romijh Church j while Allatius, &c. endeavours to find the fame Obfervances among the Greeks, as among the Latins, only under other Forms, and with other Circum- ftances.
Of the Seven Latin Sacraments, fays Caucus, the Greeks only admit five : Confirmation and Extreme Unction, they fet afide. Allatius, on the contrary, infifts, that they don't properly fet them afide, but only differ as to the manner of adminiitring them. Inftead of confirming long after Bap- tifm, they always join Baptifm and Confirmation together: Befide that Confirmation, among them, is confer'd by the ordinary Priefts. The like Error is charged on Caucus, with regard to Extreme Unction. See Sacrament and Extreme Unction.
But it is to be here added, that from the Anfwcr of Jeremy, Patriarch of Conjlantinople, to the Divines of Wir- tembergh, it appears, that the Greeks, like the Reformed, do really own no more than two Sacraments inftituted by Chrift,?;^. Baptifm and the Eucharift. See Eucharist,^. The Greeks, fays the fame Caucus, offer no Worihip to the Eucharift : Allatius replies, it is true, they don t adore it, as the Romanifts do, immediately after the fpeaking thofe Words, 'This is my Body : Yet do they real- ly adore it after the Words wherein Confecration confifts, viz. after the Prayer call'd The Invocation of the Holy Spi- rit. See Adoration.
As to Confeffion, Caucus is certainly in the right, that they don't hold it of divine Appointment, but only of pofi- tive, or ecclefiaftica] Right 5 which they Hkewife affirm of all the other Sacraments, except the two above-mentioned : yet have they the Ufe of Auricular Confeffion. See Con- fession.
As to Marriage, Caucus is juft to them, in faying, that they do not efteem it an indiffoluble Band j they maintain with great Zeal, the Necefiity and Validity of Divorce. See Divorce.
As to the Primacy of the Pope, Caucus docs them Juftice in faying they deny it. 'Tis certain the Greeks, Melchites, and other Orientals, do not allow the Primacy of the Pope over the other Patriarchs, in the Senfe it is allowed of among the Latins. See Pope, Primacy, &c.
Nor do they allow of more than Seven General Councils. All thofe held by the Latins fince Photius, they fet afide. See Council.
Greek Grammar, ~| c Grammar,
Gky.-e.il Tejlament, > fee <. Bible, Greek Lexicon, J C Lexicon, %§c.
GREEN, one of the original Colours of the Rays of Light. See Colour, Ray, and Light.
If Urine, Citron-Juice, or Spirit of Vitriol, be caft on a green Ribbon, it becomes blew; by reafon the yellow of the Greening-wide is thereby exhaled and confumedj fothat nothing but blue remains behind. See Blue, &c.
Grafs and Herbs, and even all Vegetables in Places ex- pofed to the open Air, are Green 5 and thofe in fubterra- neous Places, or Places inacceflible to the Air, White and Yellow. Thus when Wheat, or the like, germinates under Ground, 'tis White or Yellow ; and what is in the open Air, Green -. Tho' this too is Yellow before it be Green.
Artificial Greens are rarely fimple Colours, but produced by the Mixture of Yellow and Blue. See Blue and Yel- low.
Two Powders, the one Blue, and the other Yellow, well mixed, appear perfectly Greeny tho' when viewed with a Microfcope, we obferve a Chequer of Blue and lellow- The Dyers make divers Shades, or Cafts of Green, as Light-Green, Tellow-Green , Grafs-Green, Laurel-Green, Sea-Green, T)ark-Grceiz, Carrot-Green, and Celadon-Green. All the Greens are firft dy'din Blue, then taken down with Woad, Verdigreefe, f£c. and then grce??d with the Weed,
there
