which it would not be difficult to accomplish, as the county governments would be likely to second any efforts for 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." 2. The Syrian Roman Catholics are those who were constrained, after a long struggle,to join the Latin church, and who still continue in her pale, though distinguished from her in this, that they are allowed, by a dispensation from the pope, to perform all services of the Church of Rome in the Syro-Chaldaic language." "The Hindoos have a much greater respect for the Christians of the original church, than for the converts of the Latin communion." "Their priests," we are also told, "act under the direction of the Church of Rome, and leave no means unessayed to draw over their primitive brethren to the Romish communion." These priests are spoken of as being very ignorant. "They read prayers in Malabar, according to the ritual of the Church of Rome." Dr. Kerr closes his Report with some general observations." It appears," he observes," from the foregoing statement, that pure Christianity is far from being a religion for which the highest cast of the Hindoos have any disrespect; and that it is the abuse of the Christian name, under the form of the Romish religion, to which they are averse." No candid man can read the above Report, without perceiving that the Syrians spoken of by the Society's missionaries in their journals, are identified with the Roman Catholic part of the Syrian Christians described by Dr. Kerr; and it would be just as fair to judge of the Church of Ireland by the sentiments of those who had apostatized from her communion and joined the Romish church, as to judge of the Syrian church of Malayala by the opinions or conduct of those who had quit ted her pale and conformed to the Roman Catholic ritual. The journal of the missionaries accords entirely with the Report of Dr. Kerr, if we allow that they refer, not to the Syrian church of Malayala, but to the Romish converts from that church; but otherwise these documents are directly at variance. But Dr. Kerr's Report is not the only recent and authentic information we possess on this subject, and with which the Society might have collated the obsolete and unsatisfactory hear-say statements of their missionaries. An account of the Syrian Christians was published in India in 1807, by the Rev. Dr. Bu chanan, after his return from Travancore, part of which was afterwards re-published in England by the late Bishop of London. It also appeared in the Christian Observer for 1807, p. 654. The following is an extract from this account, which contains some particulars not mentioned in the Christian Researches. "The Syrian Christians are not · Nestorians. Formerly, indeed, they had bishops of that communion, but the liturgy of the present church is derived from that of the early church of Antioch, called Liturgia Jacobi Apostoli.' They are usually denominated Jacobita, but they differ in ceremonial from the church of that name in Syria; and, indeed, from any existing church in the world. Their proper designation, and that which is sanctioned by their own use is Syrian Christians,' or the Syrian church of Malayala.' The old Syrians have continued till late ly to receive their bishops from Antioch *." We have understood from Dr. Buchanan's private communications, since he came to this country, that he had found a few of the Syrian priests who held that tenet of Eutyches, which asserts, that Christ had but one, and that a divine nature; but even these seemed to explain it away in words, for they spoke of Christ's human nature like Protestants. Their bishop never once mentioned the subject, although he knew that Dr. Buchanan held a contrary opinion; and, as for the bulk of the people, they seemed to know no more of Eutychian doctrine than the common people in England; and they are probably as little acquainted with it as our population is with the Arian or Socinian doctrine. In his discussions with the Syrians, Dr. Buchanan appears not to have thought it fit to canvass with them difficult points of doctrine. He wisely made it his chief object to forward the translation of the Bible, knowing that this was the fountain of light; and that if they were once possessed of this, it would be easier to adjust particular doctrines. Under the peculiar circumstances, indeed, in which this people are placed, it is impossible that their minds should not be in a somewhat fluctuating state with respect to doctrinal points. The nation in general are called St. Thomé Christians. This is their name in all parts of India, and it imports an antiquity that reaches far beyond the Eutychians or Nestorians, or any other sect; but in process of time certain Nestorian, and after them certain Eutychian, bishops obtained the supremacy among them † ; and now the Roman Catholics constantly Account of Syrian Christians, p. 3. Calcutta, 1807. It surely would be unfair to infer the character of any church; of our own, for example, from the character and doctrinal sentiments of individual bishops or priests. What ay our Articles? What says our Liturgy? assail them whenever an opportunity offers. Much allowance was, therefore, to be made for them; and Dr. Buchanan, finding them placed in such interesting circumstances, holding fast the few Bibles and fragments of Bibles they possessed, and resisting the antichristian spirit "which had deceived the nations," he appears rather to have sought, in what things they might agree, than in what they might differ; how he might do them good by the communication of scriptural light, than how he might find reasons to justify his exclusion of them from the pale of Christian fellowship. In following such a conduct, we think Dr. Buchanan acted wisely and well. In giving an account of them in his Christian Researches, he has chiefly confined himself to his conversations with their most learned men on important subjects. In regard to the state of the people generally, he has observed" that he perceived all around symptoms of poverty and political oppression; that in the churches and in the people there was the air of fallen greatness; and that they appeared like a people who had known better days;" to which one of their priests replied, "We are in a degenerate state, compared with our forefathers; the learning too of the Bible is very low amongst us." Dr. Buchanan also notices, that "they have some ceremonies nearly allied to those of the Greek church ;" and in his conversation with the Bishop, he remarked, "that there were some rites and practices in the Syrian church which our church might consider objectionable or nugatory." Had the Society thought proper to examine this living witness, they might have found reason to qualify, if not entirely to withhold, their statements. But the most competent authority on subjects relating to the Syrian Christians, is Colonel Macaulay, This is the only fair test. Even supposing that all our bishops and all our clergy are now orthodox, have they always been so? late Political Resident for the British Government, in Travancore; who is now in this country. This officer, we are informed, resided for about eight or ten years in the vicinity of the Syrians, had constant official intercourse with them, saw them very frequently, and often visited and received visits from their metropolitan and chief priests. We also understand this officer to have declared, that the account which states the Syrian Christians in Malayala, who are not in the connection of Rome, to be Nestorians, and that they worship the Virgin Mary, is utterly groundless; for that the metropolitan Mar Dionysius (whom he is said to describe as having been a man of great piety and respectability) had sent to him the Creed of his Church, which disclaims the errors of Arius and Nestorius by name *. Dr. Kerr has stated in his Report, that "the direct protection of the British Government had been extended to the Syrians." This was done through this British Resident (Colonel Macaulay), who, if we are not misinformed, constantly exerted his influence with the Rajahs of Travancore and Cochin, to defend the old Syrian Christians, and also the Syrians of the Romish Church, against the oppression of the Rajah's officers, and particularly of the Dewan of Travancore, the chief who afterwards fomented the war of 1808-9 against the English, which ended in the humiliation of the Travancore power. It was to Colonel Macaulay, also, that the Syrian Bishop entrusted the portions of the New Testament, as he translated them into Malayalim; and the printing of them afterwards at Bombay was conducted under the direction of the same officer. As Colonel Macaulay possesses such indisputable means of communicating to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge and to the public at large the most authentic accounts of the present state of the Syrian Christians, we trust that he will be induced by the importance of the points which have been mooted, to the interests, not only of the Syrian Church, but of Christianity itself, to come forward with a statement on the subject, which may serve to remove all farther doubts respecting it. If the charge brought against the Syrian church be, as we believe, unfounded, he will thus assist in rescuing from an unmerited stigma, a body of Christians, whose This information appears to be confirmed by a statement in our volume for 1807, p. 655, where there is the following note: "In a written communication to the Resident of Travancore, the Metropolitan states their creed" (viz, that of the Syrian church of Malayala) "to be as follows: We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three persons in one God, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the sub-constancy through so many ages in stance; one in three and three in one; the Father generator, the Son generated, and the Holy Ghost proceeding. None is before or after other in majesty, honour, might, and power, coequal; Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. He then proceeds to disclaim the different errors of Arius, Sabellius, Macedonius, Manes, Marcianus, Julianus, Nestorius, and the Chalcedonians, and ends with repeating their belief in the doctrine of the Trinity, and that in the appointed time, through the disposition of the Father and the Holy Ghost, the Son 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 this union of the divine nature, there was one nature and one substance.'" the profession of a comparatively pure faith, while almost every other church yielded to the overwhelming power either of the Latin or Greek superstition, is well fitted to command our highest veneration. In one important particular, the journals of the missionaries confirm the more recent intelligence; we mean, as to the respectable character of the Syrian clergy in their own nation. It is stated, "that the priests claim an equality with the highest cast of that country, the Nairs." It may be expected, that when such shall be led to turn their attention to biblical literature, they should make some proficiency in it. As to their incompetence to instruct pronounce to be " These journals also, as far as they go, shew that there was no unwillingness on the part of the Syrian Christians, not in connection with the Church of Rome, to listen to proposals for an union with Protestants. The only person mentioned in these journals, who appears not to have been of the Romish communion, is one of the bishops with whom the Rev. Valerius Nicolai corresponded on the subject of the Eutychian heresy, and whom he invited to unite "in the true orthodox doctrine." The bishop, Mar Thomas, did not receive this invitation in an ungracious manner; he merely answered, highly unchari-"that he could not reply to the subject until he had received permission from his patriarch in Syria."-Now, if the Syrian bishop was willing to give the subject a consideration at the suggestion of an individual, the Dutch minister at Cochin, what might not be expected if our Church were to use her influence to conciliate, and instruct, and reform that nation? If it be true that they are in the low state which has been alleged, the proper inference from this is, that we should use the opportunity, if such be offered, of instructing them. It does not seem possible to be entirely indifferent to a people in their circumstances, who notwithstanding their having had, from time to time, spiritual heads who held erroneous opinions; and notwithstanding the cruel persecutions they have had to sustain from their Romish brethren in former ages, and their no less prejudicial arts of seduction in the present; to say nothing of the sufferings they have experienced from the native powers to whom Now if all this be sound reasoning, as it respects the converts made by the Society's missionaries, why should it not be good when applied to the Syrian Christians? We can see no difference in the two cases; nor, indeed, is there any proof in the journals of the missionaries, that the attachment to cast on the part of the Syrian priests, or their separation from the lower classes, was, in the very slightest degree, greater than what they themselves (be it right or wrong) allow and justify in their own congregations. This bishop seems not to have been aware that he was an Eutychian, until he was informed of it by Mr. Nicolai. The words of the journals are, "The Rev. Vale, rius Nicolai wrote, on the 11th July, 1729, both to Mar Gabriel and to Mar Thomas, and pointed out to them that Mar Gabriel is a Nestorian, and Mar Thomas an Eutychian, and offered his mediation, for to unite them both in the true orthodox doctrine," they are in subjection, have maintained, to this day, a primitive cha racter. Nor would it be a grateful reflection to the Church of England to learn hereafter, that, in consequence of her passing them by (as being called Eutychians) they had at last, after 1600 years or more of independence, and of resistance, for the truth's sake, even unto blood, yielded to the solicitation and local power of the Church of Rome. As to the idea of employing the Syrian priests in the missions of the Society on the east coast of India, it is not for a moment to be entertained: and we cannot help expressing our surprise, that such a plan should have been thought of by the Society. For even supposing that they were qualified, which we believe they are not, the language is quite different. Indeed, it is evident, from all that is said above, that the mis sionaries at Tranquebar and Tanjore know no more of the Syrian Christians of Malayala, of their language, religion, manners, or customs, than the Society's missionaries in Scilly know of the Syrian Chris tians in the island of Cyprus. But, surely, their unfitness for becoming missionaries at present, is no reason for not endeavouring to enlighten and improve them. In regard to a union with the Syrian Christians in India, even supposing it to be at present impracticable, either on account of the political circumstances of the country-they being the subjects of another stateor on account of certain differences of religious opinion or practice; yet surely there is nothing, even now, to prevent a friendly intercourse with them; or, as the late Bishop of London expressed it, "such a connection as might appear to both churches practicable and expedient:" such a connection as should tend to their improvement in scriptural knowledge, as well as to their civil happiness. Such a connection as this, we will venture to add, in the words of that lamented prelate, would CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 122. be "a happy event, and favourable to the advancement of religion." It ought not to be alleged, that we cannot have any intercourse with the SyrianChristians merely because they are denominated Eutychians. believe it to be a fact, and if so it will be allowed to be most important, that both the Syrians in Malayala and the Christians in Ceylon (Romish and Protestant) are, at this time, in a state to become what we may choose to make them. Surely, under those circumstances, it will not be said that we are in no way to connect ourselves either with the Dutch church of Ceylon, or with the Eutychians of Travancore. These are not times when we ought to scan too accurately the nominal creed of our neighbour, particularly in heathen lands: We "that have knowledge," must bear the infirmities of "the weaker brethren." The great dispute in these lands is not between shades of Christian doctrine, but between light and darkness, between the true God and an idol. It will be time enough, at least, to enter on particular points of doctrine, after we have given them the Bible, and can refer to a common testimony. We ought to remember, that our church has even cherished the hope of a union with the Roman Catholics themselves. It is well known, that Archbishop Wake, while president of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, was engaged in a correspondence with doctors of the Sorbonne, the object of which was a union with the Gallican church; and the present Bishop of Durham, in his last Charge, observes, "that there appears to him to be, in the present circumstances of Europe, better ground of hope for a successful issue to a dispassionate investigation of the differences which separate the two churches of England and Rome, than at any former period." Charges, p. 441. And the learned prelate adds, that if, " by persevering in a spirit of truth and charity, we could bring the Roman ca Q |