Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/226

 HISTORT OK ARMENIA. 19)

immediate superiotendence of bis deacon, whose name was Khad, a native of the village of Margo, in the province of Carin. The holy St. Nierses himself was unremittingly employed in further- ing the welfare of his church, the whole of his time being taken up in visiting the cities, villages, churches, convents, and hermitages, throughout the kingdom. King Arsaces, and the nobles of ^ >>• 36tf. Armenia, having observed the ^eal of their holy pontiff, convened a meeting, in which they de- termined to constitute him high pontiff of their religion, anxious to reward him by this high title, though it gave him no more power than he had before. From this period the pontificate of Armenia, which had been created by St. Silves- ter, for St. Gregory, became entirely uncon- nected with other christian churches. The head of it was deemed by the nation supreme in all spiritual concerns, and no longer obliged to receive consecration at Cesarea, that ceremony being performed thenceforward by the Arme- nian bishops.

In this year the emperor Valentinian sent ambassadors to Arsaces, to prevail upon him to renounce obedience to the Persians, and to place his kingdom under the protection of the Greeks. Arsaces despised the exhortations of the ambas- sadors, and drove them away from his court with disgrace. He determined to rule his kingdom

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