salvation in every church where "the name of Christ was named;" but in the question of an union, it was to be considered that they had existed a pure church of Christ from the earliest ages; that if there was such a thing in the world as ordination by the laying on of hands, in succession from the apostles, it was probable that they possessed it; that there was no record of history or tradition to impeach their claim. I observed that there was reason to believe that the same ordination had descended from the apostles to the church of Rome. "It might be so: but that church had departed from the faith.' I answered that the impurity of the channel had not corrupted the ordinance itself, or invalidated the legitimacy of the imposition of hands; any more than the wickedness of a high priest in Israel could disqualify his successors. The church of England assumed that she derived apostolical ordination through the church of Rome, as she might have derived it through the church of Antioch. I did not consider that the church of England was entitled to reckon her ordination to be higher or more sacred than that of the Syrian church. This was the point upon which they wished me to be explicit. They expected that in any official negotiation on this subject, the antiquity and purity of Syrian ordination should be expressly admitted.

"Our conversation was reported to the bishop. He wished me to state the advantages of an union. One advantage would be, I observed, that English clergymen, or rather missionaries ordained by the church. of England, might be permitted hereafter to preach in the numerous churches of the Syrians in India, and aid them in the promulgation of pure religion, against the preponderating and increasing influence of the Romish church. And again, that ordination by the Syrian bishop might qualify for preaching in the English churches in India; for we had an immense empire in Hindostan, but few preacherɛ ·

and of these few scarcely any could preach in the native languages. The bishop said, "I would sacrifice much for such an union; only let me not be called to compromise any thing of the dignity and purity of our church." I told him, we did not wish to degrade, we would rather protect and defend it. All must confess that it was Christ's church in the midst of a heathen land. The church of England would be happy to promote its welfare, to revive its spirit, and to use it as an instrument of future good in the midst of her own empire. I took this occasion to observe that there were some rites and practices in the Syrian church, which our church might consider objectionable or nugatory. The bishop confessed that some customs had been introduced during their decline in the latter centuries, which had no neces sary connexion with the constitution of the church, and might be removed without inconvenience. He asked whether I had authority from my own church to make any proposition to him. I answered that I had not: that my own church scarcely knew that the Syrian church existed: but I could anticipate the wishes and purposes of good men. He thought it strange that there was no bishop in India to superintend so large an empire; and said he did not perfectly comprehend our ecclesiastical principles. I told him that we had sent bishops to other countries; but that our Indian empire was yet in its infancy. Next day, the bishop, after conferring with his clergy on the subject, returned an answer in writing to the following effect: "That an union with the English church, or at least, such a connexion as should appear to both churches practicable and expedient, would be a happy event and favorable to the advancement of religion in India." In making this communication, he used his official designation, "Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of Malabar." I asked the bishop if he would permit two of the young Cassanars to go to England to finish their education,

and then return to India. He said he should be very happy to give his permission, if any should be found who were willing to go. I have accordingly made the offer to two youths of good abilities, who are well skilled in the Syriac language."

"Cande-nad, 25th November.

"The bishop was desirous to know something of the other churches which had separated from Rome.. I was ashamed to tell him how many they were. I mentioned that there was a kasheesha or presbyter church in our own kingdom, in which every kasheesha was equal to another. "Are there no shimshanas?" (deacons in holy orders.) None. "And what, is there nobody to overlook the kasheeshas?" Not one. "There must be something imperfect there," said he.* This led to the mention of the different sects. Those which most interested him were the Quakers and Baptists. He said it was an imposing idea to wash the body with water, to begin a new life. He asked whether they were baptized again every time they relapsed into sin and known apostacy. "Are there good men among these sects?" Excellent men almost in all. "I see it is with you as it was in the first ages; new sects were produced by true piety, but it was piety founded on ignorance.. But do not good men in these sects relax à little when they grow old?" Yes, they speak in general less frequently and less dogmatically of their peculiar forms when they are old: one reason of which is, that the smaller sects, who are, for the most part, poor, generally acquire their competence of learning in advanced life. We next had some conversation

It is proper to state for the satisfaction of those who may differ in opinion with the venerable bishop, that in the Syriac translation of the New Testament, there is no proper word for bishop other than Kasheesha. The words kashee sha and shumshana, or properly Me-shumshana, are the two terms for the two orders of bishop and deacon in the third chapter of 1st Timothy The terms Episcopos and Metropolita have been introduced into the Syrian church from the Greek. The bishop seemed to be more surprised at the striking out the acred order of deacon, than at the not finding the order of a superintending priest or bishop...

concerning forms of worship; whether Christ intended that his church should have the same form under the burning line, and in a country of frost and snow."

"Udiamper, December, 1806. "From Cande-nad I returned to the sea-coast to visit lieutenant colonel Macaulay, the British resident in Travancore. He is at present on the island of Bal-gatty, called by the natives the Pepper-Jungle. I have derived much valuable information from this intelligent officer, who possesses a better knowledge of the south of India, than I suppose, any other European. He is a gentleman of a highly cultivated mind, of much various learning, and master of several languages. To these attainments he adds a quality which does not always accompany them. He is the friend of christianity. After residing with him a few days, he accompanied me in a tour to the interior. We first visited Udiamper, or as it is called by the Portuguese writers, Diamper. This was formerly the residence of Beliarte, king of the Christians; and here is the Syrian church at which archbishop Menezes from Goa, convened the synod of the Syrian clergy in 1599, when he burned the Syriac and Chaldaic books. The Syrians report that while the flames ascended, he went round the church in procession, chaunting a song of triumph.

"From Udiamper, colonel Macaulay accompanied me to Cande-nad, to visit the Syrian bishop a second time. He told us he had commenced the translation of the scriptures. He was rather indisposed, and said he felt the infirmities of advanced years, his age being now seventy-eight. I promised to see him once more before I left the country."

"Cranganore, 9th Dec. 1806. "This is that celebrated place of Christian antiqui-, where the apostle Thomas is said to have landed,

when he first arrived in India from Aden in Arabia. There was formerly a town and fort at Cranganore, the Portuguese having once thought of making it the emporium of their commerce in India; but both are now in ruins. There is however one substantial relic of its greatness. There is an archbishop of Cranganore, and subject to him there are fortyfive churches; many of which I entered. In some of them the worship is conducted with as much decorum as in the Romish churches of western Ireland. Not far from Cranganore is the town of Paroor, where there is an ancient Syrian church, which bears the name of the apostle Thomas. supposed to be the oldest in Malabar, and is still used for divine service. I took a drawing of it. The tradition among the Syrians is, that the apostle. continued at this place for a time, before he went、 to preach at Melapoor and St. Thomas's Mount, on the coast of Coromandel, where he was put to death. The fact is certainly of little consequence; but I am satisfied that we have as good authority for believing that the apostle Thomas died in India, as that the apostle Peter died in Rome."

It is

"Verapoli, December, 1806. "This is the residence of bishop Raymondo, the pope's apostolic vicar in Malabar. There is a college here for the sacerdotal office, in which the students (from ten to twenty in number) are instructed in the Latin and Syriac languages. At Pulingunna there is another college, in which the Syriac alone is taught. Here I counted twelve students. The apostolic vicar superintends sixty-four churches; exclusive of the forty-five governed by the archbishop of Cranganore, and exclusive of the large dioceses of the bishops of Cochin and of Quilon, whose churches extend to Cape Comorin, and are visible from the sea. The view of this assemblage of Christian congregations excited in my mind