made proselytes.

Under the head of "Observa

tions made at Mardin," Niebuhr thus remarks— To the Communion of the Jacobites belong also the SHEMSY. These seem still to have preserved a Religion, which has been patronized, not only by the Mahomedans, but also by the Christians. An old man assured me, that, in his youth, he knew many villages in the mountainous parts of the country hereabouts, which professed this Religion. At present, it is believed, there are none of the Shemsy in the country; but, at Mardin, there still exist about a hundred families, in two different quarters. Formerly, but a few years ago, these existed as a separate communion: but when the idea came into the mind of the Sultan Mustafa, to compel all the Christians and Jews in the Empire either to become Mahomedans or to quit the country; and all the Grandees of the Kingdom, not even excepting the Mufti, refused their assent to this order, since Mahomet himself had, on condition of an Annual Capitation-Tax, granted protection to the Christians and Jews; the Edict was re-modelled: and, with a view of giving some satisfaction to the Sovereign, it was ordered that thenceforth no persons should be suffered in the country, except those who had Sacred Books; that is to say, Mahomedans, Christians, or Jews. This order gave very little concern to the Druses, Yasidies, and Ansari, and those of other Religions, who had their residence in mountainous countries, and were governed by their own Sheiks and Emirs. But the Shemsy were far too weak: besides which, they dwelt in cities, where the Mahomedan Magistrate could easily have an eye upon them. They therefore submitted themselves to the Jacobite Patriarch of Diarbekir*; and, ever since that time, they call themselves Christians, and dress as such. All their Christianity, however, consists in their dress; and in the circumstance that they have their children baptized. There is seldom seen at Church any of their sect, excepting a couple, whom they send regularly, in order to avoid the accusation of never appearing at the Church. They also have a Jaco

*It is also mentioned by Assemann (Vol. II. p. 291) that the Jacobites freely communicate with Heretics..

bite Ecclesiastic, to assist at the interment of their dead; but they do not allow him to enter the house, till the coffin is closed, when he follows the corpse to the burying-ground of the Shemsy. I heard nothing positive concerning their religious tenets: the Christians at Mardin told me that they always build the principal door of their houses toward the East, and that they always turn their faces toward the sun when they pray.

(Niebuhr, Voyage en Arabie, &c. Vol. II. pp. 321, 322.)

NOTE ON THE NESTORIANS.

Having had occasion incidentally to mention the Nestorians, I cannot pass on without observing, that, of the different Bodies existing in the East, this is one peculiarly interesting as an object for religious research and exertion. They are denominated, variously, Nestorian, Chaldean, or Assyrian Christians; and they are very numerous. The fullest account of them is to be found in the fourth Volume of Assemann's Bibliotheca Orientalis, which he has entitled, Dissertatio de Syris Nestorianis. Their Patriarchs are three; those, namely, of Mosul, Ormia, and Amida. Of these, the lastmentioned Patriarch has connected himself with Rome: the others have, at different times, treated with Rome; but still remain unconnected with her Communion. In the above-mentioned work of Assemann, who devotes 962 folio pages to this subject, various reconciliations of this extensive branch of Christians with the Romish See are diligently recorded. One Chapter is devoted to the recapitulation of these events. It is entitled, Conversio Nestorianorum ad fidem orthodoxam. (Chap. viii.),

It might, however, more properly have been denominated, Occasional conversions of a part of the Nestorians to the Church of Rome:" for the learned Author enumerates not fewer than five such events, which took place in the following periods, viz. A.D. 1247; 1288; 1552; 1616; and 1681. These intermittent attachments to the Romish See might, alone, suffice to argue a very feeble degree of Papal Influence in those quarters. But this is yet more fully developed by Assemann himself, at the close of that Chapter; where, in a tone of complaint, he notices that one of three Nestorian Patriarchs alone continues in his adherence to Rome, while the other two have fallen off. He institutes an inquiry into the causes of this; and himself furnishes a complete answer, full of practical instruction. "Why," he asks, “do not the successors of Elias and Simeon observe in their jurisdictions this concord with Rome, in the same manner as it has been religiously observed by the successors of Joseph?" To this question he replies in the following manner :

For four causes, as it seems to me. First, because, when they entered into communion with the Catholic Church, their Ecclesiastical Books were not purged of the errors with which they abound; namely, their Euchologium and Horologium, or Ritual, the Pontifical, and the Daily and Nightly Offices, and those of the Saints: for, in these, the Nestorian Heresy is everywhere contained, and the memory of Heretics cherished. Secondly, all their books, as well Syriac as Arabic, on Theology and the Canons, which are continually in the hands of their Patriarchs, Bishops, Presbyters, and others, were composed by Nestorian Authors, and consequently infected with the poison of heresy: these are the only books which they read: they have no other book composed in their language by the Orthodox, by which they might be taught the Catholic Verities. Thirdly, the inter

course of Letters and Embassies between them and the Catholic Church is interrupted: had it been continued, and had the Nestorians on the one hand had their Orators at the Apostolic See, and were Rome on the other hand continually to visit them by Letter or by Legates, they would probably never have broken off the union once formed. Lastly, the Apostolic Missionaries destined for them by the Roman Pontiff are, for the most part, ignorant of their languages and of their rites, and scarcely penetrate those regions in which their Patriarchs reside: hence they transact their Mission with Plebeians, not with Patriarchs and Bishops; and not satisfied with instructing them in the Faith, they very often move useless questions about Rites, calculated to disturb, rather than conciliate, men, who are remarkable for a most tenacious attachment to their customs.

(Assemanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, Vol. IV. pp. 412, 413.) In these remarks there is much good sense: there is, however, one circumstance, naturally enough not alluded to by this learned Papal Envoy-THE

SCRIPTURES WERE NOT ABUNDANTLY CIRCULATED AMONG ALL CLASSES OF CHRISTIANS IN THE EAST.

But this could form no part of the policy of the Court of Rome. It may be hoped that the recent publication of the ENTIRE SYRIAC BIBLE, by the British and Foreign Bible Society, will, under the Divine Blessing, be one of the means instrumental in giving Protestant Missionaries a favourable acceptance from an immense body of Christians, as yet almost unknown, because almost unexplored by us, peopling the vast region between Aleppo and Travancore.

COPTS AND ABYSSINIANS.

The Copts and Abyssinians in Palestine are to be found principally in the Holy City; devotion

being the motive which has drawn them to this land. The Copts, from the nearness of Egypt, more easily return to their native country; but the Abyssinians, through extreme want, are obliged to remain. They are very few in number, and of no influence; living in great poverty, and many of them being dependent upon the richer Armenians, to whom they are in some degree attached by the similarity of their religious faith.

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

Having enumerated the different Christian Bodies, which seem to have upheld, in the respective countries of the East, a more proper claim to the title of Oriental Christians; we come to notice those Christians, who, either being Natives, have adopted, or being Foreigners, have introduced, the dominion of the Papacy. The first four subdivisions of this number consist of persons by birth Oriental: the fifth is wholly a Foreign interest, being by birth, as well as in faith, Occidental. Maronites

Greek Roman-Catholics

Armenian Roman-Catholics

Syrian Roman-Catholics

Latins, or Frank Roman-Catholics.

MARONITES.

The Maronites are to be found principally in Mount Lebanon, and the adjacent cities. The residence of their Patriarch is at Kanobin, not far from Tripoli; and this may be considered as nearly the northern boundary of their residence. The