his priest, and after his decease, his passport in his hand, his immediate reception into heaven is in their opinion infallibly secured. The priest always recommends the deceased to the favour of St. Nicholas. To conclude, the coffin is nailed up, and let down into the grave; the face of the deceased is turned towards the east, and his friends and relations take their last farewel in unfeigned tears, or at least, in seeming sorrow and concern, exprest by mourners who are hired for that purpose. They frequently distribute money and provisions among the poor, who hover round the grave. But it is a very common custom amongst them, to drown their sorrow and affliction in metheglin, and in brandy. It is well known that the Russians and several other nations, particularly those of the north, have retained the custom of funeral entertainments; and it happens too often, that even some of the politest nations in all Europe will get drunk on those public occasions, in commemoration of their deceased friends. During their mourning, which continues forty days, they make three funeral entertainments, that is to say, on the third, the ninth, and the twentieth day after their interment. A priest, who is contracted with for that purpose, must spend some time in prayer for the consolation and repose of the soul of the deceased every night and morning, for forty days together, in a tent, which is erected on that occasion over the grave of the deceased. They comme morate their dead also once a year, which ceremony consists principally in mourning over their tombs, and in taking care that they be duly perfumed with incense by some of their mercenary priests, who be side the fee or gratuity which they receive for their incense, or more properly the small quantity of wax, with which they incense such tombs, make an auvantage likewise of the various provisions which are often brought to such places, or of the alms which are left there, and intended by the donors for the relief and maintenance of the poor. The alms given to the poor at these funerals, are considered as an expiation for their sins; but in vain do they think to appease the divine being, by offering sacrifices out of what was sought after by covetousness, and obtained by illicit practices. That wretched notion will perhaps for ever prevail in the minds of men, of entering into engagements with the Deity-but God abhors that which has been obtained by unjust means. With respect to the state of the dead, the Russians believe, that neither the righteous nor the wicked go into everlasting happiness or misery till the resurrection; but they believe that the one long for the resurrection day, and the other dread its coming. In this sentiment they are countenanced by all the fathers who lived before the emperor Constantine the Great, and it is almost certain, that this was the opinion of the ancient Jew. FRO Of the GREEKS of St. THOMAS, in the East Indies. ROM the circumstance of there being Christians in this part of the world, it will appear, that the gospel in the most early ages was more universally taught that many persons are apt to imagine. those of the Nestorians, and as that Heretic lived about the latter end of the third century, consequently we are naturally led to discover the time when the gospel was preached in this remote part Their sentiments are much the same as of India. Not that this was the first time of its be ing preached here; for if any regard can be paid to tradition, St. Thomas the apostle not only preached to the Indians, but he also suffered martyrdom No. 15. among them. But as Nestorius lived many years after, so it is probable that a correspondence was kept up between the Christians of the Lesser Asia, and those in the Indies, even long after the time of Constantine the Great. In consequence of that communication, there was nothing more easy than that of the Nestorians sending emissaries into the Indies, and as some of their notions were very agreeable to the desires of men in a state of corrupt nature, so their being readily embraced is easily accounted for. This much however may be added, that altho' they cannot with propriety be said to hold the true principles of the Christian faith, yet they are not so corrupted in many 4 U many things, as some of those we have already mentioned. The popes of Rome have frequently sent their missionaries thither, but more particularly since the establishment of the Portuguese in that part of the world. But Alexis Menesius, of the order St. Augustine, who was constituted archbishop of Goa, and took upon him the character of primate of the east, was the most zealous, and laboured more abundantly than all the rest, to bring about a reconciliation between the Christians of St. Thomas, and those of the church of Rome. As his history has been compiled from his own memoirs, and the accounts of those who travelled with him into those parts, as well as from several Jesuits who have travelled thither, we may form an adequate idea from thence of the constitution, and religious principles of those people, at the time of that remarkable mission in the year 1599. There were several who attempted before Alexis to reconcile the Christians of St. Thomas with the church of Rome. Don John Albuquerque, of the order of St. Francis, was the first archbishop of Goa; and under his patronage and protection there was a college erected in the year 1546, at Cangranor, for the instruction of youth in the latin ceremonies. But the Jesuits, who were men of penetrating judgments, soon perceived that the young Chaldeans, thus grounded, were of no manner of service; and that there were no hopes of making proselytes of these people without a perfect knowledge of the Chaldean, or Syrian language. They erected, therefore, another college in 1587, about a league from Cangranor, for the improvement of youth in the Chaldean tongue, in order, that when they were grown up, and duly qualified, they might be admitted as true Chaldeans into the ministry. But this project met with little or no success; for it was not a sufficient qualification to be master of their language; a harmony and agreement in point of principle with their prelates being absolutely requisite to entitle them to the privilege of preaching in their churches; whereas, their sentiments and manner of arguing, as they had been brought up under the Jesuits, were quite different from those which were generally received throughout the country. For which reason it was impossible for theJesuits absolutely to abolish all their ancient customs, and dissuade them from paying their submission to the patriarch of Babylon, who was independent of the pope as well as the bishops who were under his jurisdiction. The best course, therefore, that in their opinion could be taken, was to secure one of their bishops, whose name was Mar Joseph, and who was sent thither by the patriarch of Babylon, in order that, the people having no pastor, their scheme might the more easily meet with the desired effect. This bishop, Mar Joseph, indeed, ordered and directed, that mass should be celebrated according to the form, and in the habiliments of the latins; nay, that they should make use of the same wine, and the same wafers. But notwithstanding all this he still persisted in his Nestorian principles, and instructed the Portuguese who attended him, to call the Blessed Virgin, Holy Mary Mother of Christ, and not Mother of God which obliged the archbishop and the vice-roy to have him seized, in order to send him away to Rome. But at his arrival in Portugal, he so artfully managed his affairs, that he procured proper credentials for his return to his archbishopric of Serra. In the interim, however, they had substituted another bishop, called Mar Abraham, in his place, who, in order to establish himself in his bishopric, went afterwards to Rome to pay his homage to the pope, where, after making a public recantation of his errors, he was re-ordained, and obliged to take all his degrees from the very tonsure to the priesthood; afterwards he was consecrated bishop, and his holiness granted him bulls for his government to the church of Seira, and added thereto his letter of recommendation to the vice-roy, which however proved of very little service to him; for the archbishop of Goa, upon his arrival, examined his bulls, and perceiving that the pope had imposed upon by Mar Abraham, confined him, under that pretence, in a convent, till an answer could be had from Rome. He fouud means to make his escape, and conceal himself within the churches of his own diocese, where he met with a favourable reception from the Nestorians, who despaired of ever having another bishop amongst them appointed by their patriarch. Mar Abraham, however, who was always distrustful of the Portuguese, withdrew into the country; and to demonstrate that he was perfectly reconciled to the pope, re-ordained all those whom he had before ordained, in order to act in conformity to the Romish ceremony; and used his utmost endeavours to convince both Rome, the vice-roy, and the archbishop, that he was inviolably attached to the Latin church. Notwithstanding all these formal proceedings, he zealously preached up, and inculcated the doctrines of Nestorius, in the church of Serra, and would by no means suffer his followers so much as talk of the pope, as supreme head of the church, acknowledging no other patriarch than that of Babylon. On the other hand, Mar Joseph, the preceding bishop of Serra, was charged with preaching up, and inculcating the heresies of Nestorius, and being examined thereupon, he, with an undaunted resolution, replied that he had a revelation from the Almighty, that the religion which he had imbibed from his forefathers, was the only true religion. Upon this declaration he was immediately taken into custody, and sent to Rome, where he ended his days. From this history it is very minifest that the Nestorians were persecuted with abundance of rigour by the Portuguese, on account of their profession; that the missionaries, who had but a superficial knowledge of the eastern theology, were very vexatious, insisting on the observance of several ceremonies, which were of little or no importance; and that thereby they had obliged the Nestorian bishops to dissemble for some time and introduce innovations, or new ceremonies into their churches by dint of force and compulsion. And it was by these very means that Mar Abraham, out of regard to a brief, or letter which he had received from the pope, and out of fear of offending the vice-roy, who granted him a passport, in order to be present at a council, was obliged to renounce a second time all his errors, and make a public profession of the apostolic and Roman catholic faith. No sooner, however, was he returned to his own church, but he preached up, and inculcated the Nestorian tenets with as much zeal and vigour as he had done before; and, at the same time, he wrote a letter to the patriarch of Babylon; to assure him, that his assistance at the Synod of Goa was not the result of his own choice, but the absolute compulsion of the Portuguese. The sequal of that history gives still further proofs of the outrages which the Nestorians suffered from the measures taken to reconcile them to the church of Rome, and to oblige them to subscribe to pope Pius the fourth's confession of faith, under the before-mentioned Alexis de Meneses, archbishop of Goa, who went to India with a brief or letter from Pope Clement the eighth, to complain of and inform against Mar Abraham. The ardent zeal which the Nestorian Christians in this country professed in the defence of their religious principles, is conspicuous throughout this whole narration; wherein we find, of the church of Rome, which is but one particular church, or the church of St. Peter, but not of St. Thomas; obstinately persisting in the opinion, that they were two distinct churches, and altogether independent one on the other. Moreover, they strenuously opposed the sacrament of confirmation, which archbishop Meneses attempted to administer to them; boldly charging him with envy and ambition, and with a clandestine design to subvert the religion of St. Thomas, and make them proselytes to the church of Rome, that on the accomplishment of such scheme, he m ght make himself master of all the Indian churches. This they said, was the true and only reason why this archbishop reviled and. traduced the patriarchs of Babylon; while they on the contrary resolutely declared that they would perpa severe in their obedience and submission to their triarch, and never renounce their own for the Romish religion. Notwithstanding all this strenuous opposition of the Nestorians, archbishop Meneses continued incessantly to demonstrate to them, that their patriach was an Heretic, and one that was excommunicated, and consequently, that they could not pray to God. in particular for him. And he was so zealous in his undertakings, that he backed his arguments with very considerable presents to sooth them, which had. their intended effect. Nay, sometimes he would have recourse to compulsion, and had frequently endangered his life to promote his cause; for under pretence of having an absolute commission from the pope, he exerted his authority in all places wherever he went, without any regard to the respective prelates or ordinaries, even before they shewed any inclination to acknowledge his mission.. By these: resolute measures, this envoy of his holiness established the Romish religion in these countries, and. spared no pains or cost to accomplish his designs. He ordained several persons in direct opposition to the diocesan bishops, but first made them abjure the Such as were thus admiterrors of the Nestorians. ed into holy orders, besides their compliance with. his confession of faith, were obliged to swear allegiance to the pope, and to acknowledge no other that they insisted on their receiving the articles of prelates but such as were commissioned by him. It their faith from St. Thomas himself; and they carried their prejudice to so high a pitch, that they clapt their hands Before their eyes at the mass of the Latins, when the priest elevated the host for the people's adoration of it. They testified a peculiar regard and an inviolable attachment to their patriarch of Babylon; and if any is proper now to proceed to the erroneous tenets which Meneses laid to the charge of the Christians, of St. Thomas. 1. They obstinately maintained all the doctrines of Nestorius, and moreover excluded all images out of the churches, except the cross only; for which. indeed they testified a most profound veneration of the church? They replied, that he was the head! one asked them, whether the pope was not head There were several images, however, of particular saints saints to be seen in those churches which were near the Portuguese. wine made with water, in which some few dried raisins only had been first infused. 9. They said mass but very seldom, and he who 2. They affirmed, that the souls of the saints never see the Almighty till after the day nf judg-assisted made use of a kind of stole, over his usual ment. 3. They acknowledged the three sacraments only, that is to say, baptism, ordination, and the eucharist. Their administration of baptism was so irregular, that the ceremony thereof was solemnized after different forms in the very same church: By which means it frequently happened that their bap⚫tisms proved invalid; insomuch that Meneses privately re-baptized the major part of them. There were likewise several, especially such as were in necessitous circumstances, and resided in the woods, who had never been baptized at all, on account of the expences that attended the administration of that sacrament; and yet, notwithstanding this shameful neglect, they went to church and there received the communion. Moreover, they frequently deferred the administration of baptism for several months, and sometimes for several years together. dress, although he was no deacon. He held the censer, or frankincense vessel in his hand, and repeated almost as many prayers as the celebrant, adding thereto several strange and profane ceremonies, which testified, in a peculiar manner, their error, with regard to the nature of the sacrament. 10. They had such a peculiar veneration for holy orders, that there was scarce a family but what had one or more in it devoted to the altar; and the true reason of it was, that there were not thereby rendered incapable of any other preferment, and wherever they went, they were respected and had the pre-eminence. Moreover, they had no regard to the age of such as were admitted into holy orders; for some they ordained priests at seventeen, and others at eighteen or twenty; who after their admission not only married widows sometimes, but upon the decease of one wife took another, and sometimes a third, and it was no uncommon thing to meet with a father, a 4. In the administration of baptism they made use of no holy oils; except that whereas in their rituals there is mention made of unction after bap-son, and a grand son all priests together of one and tism, they anointed their children with an unguent, composed of oil and Indian nuts, or a kind of saffron, without the least benediction whatsoever: And this was looked upon by them as a sacred unction. 5. They never practised the ordinance either of confirmation, or extreme unction: Nay, they were perfect strangers to their very names. the same church. The wives of the clergy had a superior respect shewed them over other women, not only in the church, but in all places of public resort, and they made themselves conspicuous by wearing a cross on their neck, or by some other particular mark of distinction. The usual habit of their ecclesiastics was a pair of white drawers, and over them a long shirt, to which they sometimes added, for the greater decency, a white or black cassock. The crowns of their heads were shaved 6. They abhorred and detested auricular confession, except some few, who were neighbours to the Portuguese. And as to the blessed sacrament of the Lord's supper they received it on Maunday-like those of the monks and regular canons. Thursday, and several other solemn festivals, without any other preparation but not breaking their fast. 7. Their books abounded with very considerable errors (especially with respect to the blessed sacrament) and in their mass there were numberless additions inserted by the Nestorians. 8. They consecrated the sacrament of the eucharist with little cakes, made with oil and salt, and baked in brazen vessels by the deacons and other inferior clergy in a separate apartment built in the form of a turret. Whilst the cakes were baking, Whilst the cakes were baking, they repeated several psalms and spiritual hymns: and when they were ready for consecration, they dropt them in a small basket of green leaves through a little hole that was made at the bottom of the turret. Moreover, in their consecration, they used 11. They met together and preformed divine service every day with an audible voice in the Chaldean language, but did not think themselves obliged to do it on any other occasion; so they had no breviaries for private devotion. 12. They were guilty of simonical practices in the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper; for they assessed, or imposed a tax on all such as were baptized, or received the communion at their hands. For the solemnization of their nuptial ceremonies, they applied themselves to the first priest they could meet with, especially those who resided in the country. Nay, sometimes they never concerned themselves about any priest at all, but married according to the idolatrous customs of their neighbours or fellow-citizens. 13. They testified a peculiar regard and venera tion for their patriarch of Babylon, who was a Schismatic, and the head or principal of the Nestorian sect. On the contrary, they could not endure that the pope should be once mentioned in their churches, which were very often without either curate or vicar, and superintended only by the eldest meinber of the congregation. 14. Though they went constantly to church on Sun lays to mass, they did not look upon it as a duty incumbent on them in point of conscience; so that they were at perfect liberty to attend or be absent; and in some places there was mass said but once a year, and in others again, not one for six, seven, or ten years together. 15. The priests followed mechanical employments, and thereby neglected the regulation, and care of their flock. Their bishops were Babylonians, sent by their patriarch, who lived upon extortion and simonical practices, making a public sale of sacred ordinances, such as the ordination of their clergy, and the administration of the other sacraments. 16. They made no scruple of eating flesh-meats on Saturdays; and they were guilty of an extravagant error, during their Lent and Advent; insomuch, that if they had broke their fast one day, they neglected that duty all the week round, not thinking themselves under any obligation to observe the injunction when once they were conscious of their violation of it. Lent. guilty of wilful murder, or any other enormous Thus have we given the reader a detail of the The archbishop Meneses convened a council at Diamper in the kingdom of Cochin, on the 20th of June 1599, at which the Nestorian deputies were present, in order to deliberate, jointly with the archbishop, on the state of all their ecclesiastical affairs. And hence to make it appear that the Nestorians were indulged in all liberty that was requisite on such public and solemn occasions, and also to procure their assent to all the articles which were then and there to be agreed on: the archbishop attached eight of their most celebrated clergymen firmly to his interest, and communicated without reserve, the secret of his scheme, and the ways and means which were requisite to be taken to render it successful, shewing them copies of all the decrees which were there to be made, and asking in a very familiar manner, their opinion and advice upon each particular article, as if he were not then come to any absolute determination; so that when they should They were very strict in the observance of their But besides that, they kept several other fasts, much after the same manner as the Greeks, of whom we have already made sufficient mention; but such as were sometimes more superstitious than their neighbours, added bathing to their abstinence, which they looked upon as imperfect, if they neglected washing themselves all over in the morning. They bathed or washed themselve also if they happened but to touch any person of an inferior tribe. It is remarkable, that these christians began their abstinence on the vigil or eve of the fast, and ob- attend at the synod, they might there act in the served it no longer than the evening the ensuing day. da uch same manner to the end, that the rest might be inclined, or obliged to follow their example. It was therefore decreed in this synod, that the Such women as were brought to bed of a malechild, never entered their churches till forty days priests, deacons, subdeacons, and all the delegates after their lying-in; and in case of female issue, they. were obliged to absent themselves for four of the respective cities which were then present should subscribe to the confession of faith, which the archbishop himself had made by his private au Score days together. At the expiration of the stated term, the mother attended divine, service with her thority. This was put in execution accordingly, infant in her arms, and made a formal oblation of and all of thein in a most solemn manner, swore alle him to God and to the church. They shewed a peculiar regard for, and an awful dread of, excom giance to the pope, whom they acknowledged to be head of the church; and further, that for the future munication. They could not by the rules of their they would hold no manner of correspondence with church discipline, give absolution to one that was No. 15. the patriarch of Babylon. Moreover, they anathe 4 X matized |