Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/207

 162 HisToitr or ahmekia.

all those that were afflicted in the same way ; and having preached the Gospel to them, happily effected theircouversioB. St. Gregory afterwards went to Cesarea, where he was consecrated Archbishop of Armenia, by Leondius the metro- politan, in the year of our Lord 302. On hia return to Armenia he baptized the whole nation^ with king Tiridates, to whom he gave the christian name of Johannes* He consecrated four hundred bishops, and an immense num* ber of priests, and erected various churches, convents, nunneries, hospitals, and schools. He also instituted religious feasts and other ecclesiastical ceremonies, and diffused the light

A.D.318. of the Gospel throughout the land. He ap- pointed his son Aristakes archbishop with himself, in order that he might be able to retire at certain times into solitary places for the pur- poses of devotion. This he often did, remaining* for considerable periods, plunged in the deepest meditation. In the course of a short time news reached Armenia that the Emperor Constantino was a convert to Christianity ; whereupon Tiri- dates and Saint Gregory undertook a journey to Constantinople to visit him. On their arrival at Rome an alliance between the two nations was solemnly agreed upon, and Gregory was consecrated pontiff of all Armenia, by Saint

A. D. 319. Silvester, head of the Romish church. On their

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