tenets, through Egypt, Syria, Arabia, India, Tartary, and China. In the twelth century, they won over to their faith the prince of Tartary, who was baptized John; and because he exercised the office of presbyter, was, with his successors, called Prester John. They made converts also of the Christians on the coast of Malabar, who, it is supposed, received the Christian faith from the Syrian Mar Thomas, in the fourth or fifth century.

They formed, at one time, an immense body; but dwindled away before the Saracen power, and the exasperated heathen priests and jealous Chinese emperors. They acknowledged but one patriarch until 1551, who resided first at Bagdad, and afterwards at Mousul. But at this period, the Papists succeeded in dividing them, and a new patriarch was consecrated by Pope Julius III. and established over the adherents to the Pope, in the city of Ormus. The great patriarch at Mousul, called Elias, has continued, however, to be acknowledged to this day, by the greater part of the Nestorians, who are scattered over Asia.

Throughout this long period, they have maintained considerable purity of doctrine and worship, and kept free from the ridiculous ceremonies of the Greek and Latin churches. Of their present number, and religious character, we know but little. Probably they are very ignorant, debased, and corrupt. Dr. Buchanan visited the churches on the Malabar coast, in 1806, and found fifty-five much discouraged and distressed. Their doctrines differed but little from the doctrines of the church of England. Surely they are interesting objects for missionary effort. Towards them the English Church Missionary Society, has of late directed its attention, and they are improving in doctrine and in morals.

The MONOPHYSITES at first received some encouragement, but were soon suppressed by the Grecian Emperors. They found, however, a father in Jacob Baradeus, an obscure monk, who died in 588, bishop of Edessa, leaving them in a flourishing state in Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia, and other countries. In honour of him they are, to this day, called Jacobites.

For a long period, this great body of Christians have been divided into three portions, the Asiatics, the Africans, and the Armenians.'

The Asiatics are subject to the patriarch of Antioch, who, since the fifteenth century, has borne the name of Ignatius, to show the world that he is a lineal descendant of Ignatius, an early bishop of Antioch. He resides at the Monastery of St.

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Ananias, near the city of Morden. Some of them in the seventeeth century subjected themselves to the church of Rome, but, through the influence of the Turks, were soon brought back to the dominion of Ignatius. But the condition of the whole body is miserably debased.

The Africans are divided into the Copts and the Abyssinians, and are all subject to a patriarch, who resides at Cairo.

The Copts are in number about 30,000. They reside in Egypt and Nubia; and, oppressed by the Turks, are destitute of almost every comfort of life, and are deplorably ignorant. They have a liturgy in the old. Coptic tongue, which is now obsolete. Their priests understand but little of it. During their service they are continually in motion. They have many monasteries and hermitages, but are in a state of beggary.

The Abyssinians are in every respect superior to the Copts. We know little of their history. In the middle of the fourth century, Frumentius it has been observed, preached among them with great success, and they were well esteemed at Rome, until they adopted the system of the Monophysites. In 1634 the learned Heyling, of Lubec, a Lutheran, went into Abyssinia with pious purposes, and recommending himself to the Emperor, he rose to high offices in the state. He returned to Europe for missionary aid, but perished on the way. The duke of Saxe Gotha sent one Gregory, an Abyssinian, who had resided in Europe, to succeed him; but he was shipwrecked on his voyage. One Wanstel offered to supply his place, but his conduct was villanous, and these missionary efforts ceased. The Jesuits made several attempts to bring them over to the Church of Rome. The Moravians, every where else successful, have been obliged to abandon their enterprises here. The Emperor is nominally Christian, and exercises a supremacy in the church. The highest spiritual officer is the Abbuna, or bishop, appointed by the patriarch at Cairo. Their religion is a strange mixture of Judaism, Christianity, and the most debased superstition. Polygamy is common. The king has as many

wives as his pretended ancestor Solomon. But the Abyssinian church acknowledges but one as the lawful wife. They pay the greatest reverence to the Virgin Mary; some even declare her to be a fourth person in the Godhead. In the number of their saints, and strictness of their fasts, they even exceed the Roman church. About half the people can read, though they have no books excepting in the Ethiopic, which is to them a dead language. They have a great veneration for the word of God, though they have it only in an unknown tongue, and are in great darkness respecting it.

24*

The late Abbuna was expelled for drunkenness, and the King resolving to receive no more from the Coptic church, sent an ambassador in 1827 to the Armenian church, to solicit a patriarch from them. At Cairo, he was met by two missionaries from the Church Missionary Society, who were on their way to Abyssinia, and whom he earnestly invited to accompany him home. From this circumstance, much good is expected. The Abyssinians have churches in Persia, Russia, and Poland.

Great efforts have been made by the Roman pontiff, to convert the African Monophysites to their faith, but in vain. In 1634, the Abyssinians banished for ever the Jesuits from their country. They have ever displayed an astonishing attachment to the religion of their ancestors. O that they had it in its purity. Here were once some of the best churches of Christ. The north of Africa was consecrated by the prayers, and watered by the tears of Cyprian, Anthansius, Tertullian, Augustine; but now it is the residence of every unclean bird and beast. But Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God.

The Armenians inhabit the vast country east and northeast of Syria. They differ so much from the other Monophysites in faith, discipline, and worship, as to hold no communion with

them

A church was planted among them in the fourth century by Gregory, called the enlightened. This church has remained, though their country has been laid waste and subjected to the Turks, Tartars, and Persians. A vast number of Armenian merchants have, from time to time, settled in various parts of Europe, who have remembered her with affection, and supplied her with the means of knowledge. An Armenian version of the Bible, made about the time of Crysostom, from the Greek of the Septuagint, was printed at Amsterdam in 1664, and dispersed through the country.

The Armenian church at present embraces 42,000 individuals in the Russian provinces; 70,000 in Persia, and in Turkey 1,500,000; 100,000 reside in Constantinople. Her merchants are the bankers of the East. Her clergy are of different orders and very numerous. Their patriarch who resides in a monastery at Ekmiazen, near Erivan in Persia, is said to have an immense income, while his food and dress are on a level with the poorest monk. He has under him three other patriarchs and fifty arch bishops. Their monastic discipline is very severe. By it all their ecclesiastics are qualified for their stations. The Sultan appoints a patriarch in Constantinople and Jerusalem, who have no share in the government of the church, and are

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mere instruments for enforcing his firmans, and collecting the capitation tax, for which they are responsible.

Sumptuous and unmeaning ceremonies, ridiculous traditions, lying wonders, superstitious rites, characterize this crumbling church, while her priests and bishops are sunk in the lowest ignorance and sensuality, and are treated by her enlightened merchants with the greatest contempt. The papists have made constant efforts to bring this church under their dominion, and have persuaded about 4000 in Constantinople to acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope.

A recent event has excited hopes of great changes in the East. A farewell letter of Mr. King, an American Missionary, to the people of Syria, found its way to Constantinople, and produced great excitement. A conncil was immediately convened consisting of all the Armenian monks and priests and bishops and patriarchs, of whom several happened at that time to be in Constantinople, also of all the principal Armenians of the laity, together with the greek patriarchs.-The Bible was produced and examined relative to the truth of statements by Mr. King, and resolutions were passed reforming the convent at Jerusalem, forbidding any additions to the monks or priests for 25 years, and suppressing pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and all attendance upon the pretended miracle of the Holy fire. There is evidently among them a strong tendency to a reformation. May some Luther rise and bring them to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

The MARONITES are a sect of eastern Christians who are subject to the Pope of Rome. Their principal habitation is upon Mount Libanus. They have a patriarch who resides at a monastery on the mount. They were connected with the Monothelites until the 12th century, when they united with the Roman church on this condition, that they should retain all their ancient rites and customs, which they do to the present time. They have many monks, are very ignorant and wretched, and a great tax upon the church of Rome. There are also in the same country Greek Roman Catholics; Armenian Roman Catholics; Syrian Roman Catholics, and Latins or Frank Roman Catholics.

CHAPTER XV.

Divisions of the Protestants. Lutherans. Their residence, rise, system of faith, liturgy, government.

Persecutions. Internal commotions. Synergistical controversy. Attempts at a reconciliation between them and the Calvinists. Syncretistic controversy. Degeneracy of clergy and churches. Pietistical controLiberalsism. Present state of religion in their churches. Swedenborgianism. Theological euridition.

versy.

When the Catholics saw the Reformers contending about points of faith and practice, they derided them for forsaking the infallible head. But time has proved that the decisions of the Pope were of all others the most preposterious and absurd.

Why God does not enable his children to see "eye to eye" is among the mysteries to be unfolded hereafter. A motionless ocean would breed putrefaction and death. It may be so at present, in the moral world. The great Head of the Church, may see it is best for his children to be in perpetual search after truth; best for wave to dash against wave, and billow to roll over billow.

As it had been for centuries in the East, so was it now to be in the West. Those bold spirits who had bid defiance to the thunders of the Pope, and had opened the eyes of half the na tions, were to be leaders or heads of vast portions of the reformed church, and to dash one against another perhaps until the millennium. To enumerate all the different sentiments advanced by the Protestants, would be almost impossible. The great mass of those who came out from the church of Rome, enlisted under Luther and Melanchton, Zuingle and Calvin.

LUTHERANS.

The followers of Luther and Melanchton have resided chiefly in the north of Germany, in Prussia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They have spread also to some extent, in Russia, France, Holland, North America, and the Danish West India Islands. In honour of the great reformer, they have assumed the name of Lutherans.

The Lutherans date the rise of their church, from the excommunication of Luther by the Pope; but do not view it as completely established until the peace of Passau, 1552.