WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 



«< they acknowleged as the head of their church, had his feat 

 " near fome mountains, towards the north, in a country called 

 " Cbald^is. He has a council compofed of twelve cardinals, 

 " two bifhops, and feveral priefts : With the affiftance of thefe, 

 « he fettles all affairs relating to religion ; and all the Cbrijlians 

 " in thefe parts acquiefce in his decrees. The priefts are fhaved 

 <' in fuch a manner, as to reprefent a crofs on their crowns. 

 " Tbey adminifter the facrament in both kinds, making ufe of 

 " the juice of preffed grapes, by way of wine, and allow the laity 

 " to partake of both ; but no one is admitted to this folemn 

 " ordinance till he has made a confeffion of his iniquities. 

 " They baptized not their infants till they were forty days old, 

 " except in danger of death. When any one amongft them is 

 " feized with a fit of ficknefs, the prieft immediately vifits him, 

 " and the fick perfon is greatly animated by the holy man's 

 <* fupplications.- When they enter their churches, they fprin- 

 " kle themfelves with holy water. They ufe the fame form of 

 " burial as in other catholic countries : the relations of the de- 

 <' ceafed give great entertainments, which laft a week, during 

 *' which time they celebrate his praifes, and put up prayers for 

 *' his eternal happinefs. They preferve.the facred writinsrs in 

 " the Syrian or Chaldctan language, with great carefulnefs ; 

 " and their teachers are ready in all public places to inft:ru6l 

 *' every one. They keep the Advent Sunday^ and the forty 

 " days of Lent, with great ftri6tnefs, and obferve moft of the 

 « feftivals which we have in our church, with the fame 

 « exadlnefs. They compute their time likewufe in the fame 

 «< manner as we do, adding a day to every fourth year. The 



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