St. Thome, or Jacobite Christians. "These people, who still retain their ancient creed and usages, consider themselves as the descendants of the flock established by St Thomas, who is generally esteemed the Apostle of the east. Their ancestors emigrated from Syria, and the Syrio-Chaldaie is the language in which their church service is still performed. They admit no images within their churches, but a figure of the Virgin Mary, with the child Jesus in her arms, whch is considered merely as an ornament, and not a subject for idolatrous worship. They are generally denominated by the country people, Nazaranee Mapilles. Nazaranee is obviously derived from Nazareth; but the origin of the word Mapillah is variously accounted for; by some it is ingeniously supposed to refer to the Virgin and Child,, the only image admitted within their churches; as Ma implies Mother, in various languages, derived from the Shanscrit; and Pillah, Child. Others again, construe the term to indicate the rank originally confered on these christians by the sovereign of Mala bar. Poolah signifies a class, in a state synonymous with our secretaries. Ma or Maha signifies great or superior. The term Mapillah is indiscrimately applied to Jews and Musselmen as well as to these christians, distinguishing each by the prefix of the Jew, Syrian, or Nazarene, or Musselmen. It is certain that grants of honor and emolument were formerly possessed by these christians, given to them by a king of Malabar, named Peremaul, engraven on copper, five of which engravings are still in existence; a fac simile of which I have seen in the possession of the resident of Travancore. "It has been long believed, that these christians held the tenets of the Nestorian heresy, and that they were obliged to leave their own country in consequence of persecution however it appears that the creed which they now follow denies that heresy, and seems to coincide in several points with the creed of St. Athanasius, but without its damnatory clauses. : "Baron Von Wrede has written a memoir on the subject of these christians, which appeared in the 7th volume of the Asiatic Researches, and which has the merit of calling our attention to these people; though it is no better than a lame transcript of information which may be fully and satisfactorily obtained in La Croze's book, from whence every material part of that memoir is obviously taken; indeed, wherever the Baron departs from his author, he becomes less interesting, or misleads his reader. That the Christians in Malabar were early taught the tenets of Nestorius, is proved by La Croze, on the direct authority of Cosmas, an Egyptian merchant, (himself a Nestorian,) who published his voyage to India in the year 547. It seems, however, not improbable that Christians had been planted on the shores, long before the time of Nestorius, and, I am inclined to regard the tradition of its having spread hither in the age of the Apostles, as very far from fabulous.* "With respect to their religious tenets, writers may and will disagree: upon such subjects human reason avails nothing. The disputes which on these points have agitated the world, are in general no better than the perverse offspring of verbal differences. The following is a version of the present creed of these people, being a written communication from the Metropolitan to the Resident at Travancore: "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, We, the Christians, believers in the religion of Jesus Christ, subject to the Jurisdiction of Mar Ignatius, patriarch of Antioch, being loyalt Jacobians, hold the following creed: * Eusebius informs us, that there were Christians in India as early as the year 189, who had the Gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew, which they declared was received from St Bartholomew. Eastern Christians, who renounce the communion of the Greek church, who differ from it both in doctrine and worship, may be comprehended under two distinct classes. To the former belong the Monophysites or Jacobites, so called from Jacob Albardai, who declare it as their opinon, that in the Saviour of the world there is only one nature; while the latter comprehends the followers o Nestorius, frequently called Chaldeans, from the country where they principally reside, and who suppose that there are two distinct persons or natures in the Son of God. The Monophysites are subdivided into two seets or parties, the one African and the other Asiatic. At the head of the Asiatics is the patriarch of Antioch, who resides for the most part in the monastry of St. Ananias, which is situated near the city of Merdin, and sometimes at Merdin his Episcopal seat; as also at Amida, Aleppo, and other Syrian cities. The government of this prelate is too extensive, and the churches over which he presides too numerous, to admit of his performing himself all the duties of his high office; and, therefore, a part of the administration of the pontificate is giv en to a kind of colleague, who is called the Maphrain, or primate of the east and whose doctrines and discipline are said to be adopted by the eastern church beyond the Tigris. This primate used formerly to reside at Tauris, a city on the frontiers of Armenia; but his present habitation is the monastry of St. Matthew, which is in the neighbourhood of Mousul, a city of Mesopotamia. It is further observable, that all the patriarchs of the Jacobites assume the denomination of Ignatius-Mosheim, vol. 4. Section xi. Page 257. "We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three persons in one God, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance, one in three and three in one. "The Father generator, The Son generated,-and the Holy Ghost proceeding. "None is before nor after other in majesty, honour might, and power: co-equal, unity in trinity, and trinity in unity. "We do not believe with Arius and Eunomius, that there are three different and separate substances. "We do not believe as Sabellius believes, by confusion of substance. "We do not believe, as Macedonius said, that the Holy Ghost is less than the Father and Son. We do not believe, as Mawney and Marcianus said, that the body of Christ was sent down from heaven. "We do not believe, as Julianus said, that Christ was only man. "We do not hold, as Nestorius, the doctrine of two natures, and two subsistances in the Messiah "We do not believe as the Chalcedonians said, that there are two natures in the Messiah. "But we believe by the doctrine of the Trinity, that the Son is coequal with the Father, without beginning or end-that in the appointed time, through the disposition of the Father and Holy Ghost, without disjoining from the right side of the Father, he appeared on earth for the salvation of mankind-that he was born of the Virgin Mary, through the means of the Holy Ghost, and was incarnate, God and man. So that in the union of the divine and human nature, there was one nature and one substance. So we believe." "The service in their church is performed very nearly after the manner of the church of England: and when the Metropolitan was told that it was hoped that one day an union might take place between the two churches, he seemed pleased at the suggestion. "The present Metropolitan Mar Dionisius, is now old and infirm, but a very respectable character, and of the most venerable and prepossessing appearance. A person has been sent from Mousul, a city in Mesopotamia, These I suppose might be Manes and Marcian. to succeed to his station, in the event of his decease; but this stranger, ignorant of the language of the country, with the character of being violent in his temper, and not averse, as it is supposed, to the views of the Romish church, it is to be hoped will be prevented from ever taking charge of this precious remnant of a pure and valuable people. "The Metropolitan has several archdeacons and deacons under him, who act as vicar-generals. They have fifty-five churches: and the number of their people, as given in to the Resident, is estimated at twenty-three thousand The residence of their Metropolitan is at Candenatte, twelve or fourteen miles inland from Cochin. In some of their churches divine service is performed in the Syrian and Latin ritual alternately, by the priests of the Christians of St. Thome, who have adhered to their ancient rites, and those who have been united to the church of Rome.* When the latter have celebrated mass, they carry away the images from the church before the oth ers enter. "The character of this people is marked by a strik ing superiority over the heathens in every moral excel lence; and they are remarkable for their veracity and plain dealing. They are extremely attentive to their religious duties, and abide by the decision of their priests and Metropolitan in all cases, whether in spiritual, or, as I heard, in temporal affairs. They are respected very highly by the Nairs, who do not consider themselves defiled by associating with them, though it is well known that the Nairs are the most particular of all the Hindoos in this respect; and the rajahs of Travancore and Cochin admit them to rank next to Nairs. Their numbers, it is conjectured, are under-rated in the statement given to the Resident, as it is generally supposed that they may be estimated at seventy or eighty thousand. They are not persecuted; but they are not permitted to make converts, by the governments under which they reside; and it is supposed, that many respectable Hindoos would be happy to join their sect, were it not for this circumstance: but at present they suffer, as far as I can learn, no other hardship. This shows a spirit of toleration and Christian liberality; very differen: from the bigotry of the Romish church, "If good men from Syria could be obtained, not as parish priests, but to superintend and regulate their concerns, I conceive it would be a great blessing to these good people. "The direct protection of the British government has been already extended to them; but as they do not reside within the British territories, I am somewhat doubtful how far it may be of use to them. "To unite them to the church of England, would, in my opinion, be a most noble work; and it is most devoutly to be wished for, that those who have been driven into the Roman pale might be recalled to their ancient church; a measure which it would not, I imagine, be dif ficult to accomplish; as the country governments would, it is supposed, second any efforts to that purpose. "Their occupations are various as those of other Christians; but they are chiefly cultivators and artizans; and some of them possess a comfortable, if not a splendid independence. Their clergy marry in the same manner as protestants. Their residence is entirely inland. Syrian Roman Catholics. "These people, as stated above, were constrained to join the Latin church, after a long struggle for the power of maintaining their purity and independence; and stil! appear a people perfectly distinct from the Latin church, being allowed to chant and perform all the services of the church of Rome in the Syrio Chaldaic language by a dispensation from the Pope. They live under the authority of the Metropolitan of Cranganore and the bishop of Verapoli, and dress differently from other priests. They wear a white surplice, while the priests of the Latin communion wear black gowns, like the Capuchin friars of Madras. The Roman catholic Syrians, it is thought, are much more numerous than the members of the original church. Their clergy are spread through the ancient churches, and by retaining their language, and acting under the church of Rome, they leave no means unessayed to draw over their primitive brethren to the Latin communion. It appears to me, that they are allowed to use their original language, and to frequent the original church entirely with this view: and as far as I can learn their numbers are gaining ground. There |