Chap.XX. 
Malabar and CoromandeL 
639 
Where the 
Chriflians 
of S. Tho 
mas inha- 
bit. 
Tijeh DoC' 
tifiie. 
ManySe^ls 
in theEzd. 
i. The 
Greeks. 
2.r/;eMeI- 
chices. 
ceph. ////?. 
Eccl.\. 8. 
c.$8. & 1. 
28. C.45. 
The Chriflians oiSt.Thomas inhabit for 
the moft part on the Coaftof Malabar^ a- 
bout Cranganor^ Cochin^ Coulang^ Travan- 
cor, and fome in Coromandel, amounting in 
all to a conliderable Number. Before they 
were united with the Church of Rome^ 
thty were infedted with the Nejlorian He- 
refy, as fome arc ftill to this day ; whence 
it is that they deny the two Natures in the 
Perfon of Chrift. This Neftorm was Bi- 
ftiop of Conjlantinopk^ and Eutyches Ar- 
cbimandrit was Abbot in the fame City. 
His Dodlrine was received at firft in the 
Council of Epbefiis^ by the Intereft of 
Chryfapm ( to pleafe Eudoxia the Era- 
prefs) Lord Chamberlain to Tkoio/Jrw the 
Emperor ^ but Chryfapiiis being (lain at 
the Inftigation of Pulcheria^ the Sifter of 
the Emperor, the fame was afterwards 
condemned in another Synod of Ephefus 
held in the Year 43 ( . two Years after the 
Death of St. Aujlin^ w herein Cyril Bifliop 
of Alexandria prelidcd \ as the before- 
mention'd Council of Ephtfm^ and the 
Dodtrine of Eutycbes was condemned in 
the Council of Chalcedon 45 r. 
For the reft, the antient Chriftians of 
St. Thotnas did adrainifter the Holy Sa- 
crament in both Kinds, uung Salt, Bread, 
and the ufe of Raifins inftead of Wine. 
It was a very antient Cuftom among 
them, not to baptize their Children till 
they were forty days old, except in cafe of 
imminent danger of Life. Theyufed no 
Undion, neither any Images, except that 
they had CrofTes in their Churches, Their 
Priefts were forbid to marry a fecond 
time. They were declared Enemies of 
Cyril of Alexandria^ a great Antagoniffc 
of the Nejloriam^ but reverenced Nefto- 
rius and Diofconis as Saints. They did 
not acknowledg the Superiority of the 
Pope of Rome^ and ufed the Syriac New 
Teftament in their Churches. 
As divers Religions have been broach'd 
of late Years in Europe^ To there are ma- 
ny Seds of antient ftanding in the Eajl. 
The chiefeft of thefe are the Greeks.^ who 
acknowledg the Patriarch of Conftanti- 
nople for their Head, viz.. thofe of Na- 
tolia ( except Armema and Cilicia ) Cre- 
cia^ RuJJla , Bulgaria , Servia , Bofnia^ 
Walachia^ Moldavia, Podolia and A4uf co- 
ma. 
The next are the Mdchites^ the moft 
numerous of all the Seds in the Eaft ; 
they are call'd Syrians from Syria^ and 
Melchites by their Enemies, becaufe they 
conformed themfelves in their Religious 
Worlhip, according to the Emperor's 
Orders. ^ They acknowledg for their 
Head the Archbilhop of DamafcuSy who 
fianso 
$.The Nc- 
l^orians. 
antiently had his Refidence at Antiocb. fS-/w«^? 
The third Sedt is that of the Georgians^ Baldaiu. 
inhabiting the antient Iberia between the 
Euxine and Cafpian Seas. Some would 
have them to be call'd Georgians^ becaufe, 
as they fay, they reverence S. George as 
their Patron j but erroneoufly, the Geor- 
gians having been raention'd both by Pliny 
and Mela^ion^ before 5 George was known. 
They are of the ft me Religion with the 
Creeks^ and have eighteen Bifhops of their 
own, befides a iMetropoIitan. 
The fourth Sed is the Ruffians^ who 
likewife profefs the Greek Religion, de- 
nying with them the Proceeding of the 
Holy Ghoft from Father and Son, the 
main Point in queftion betwixt the Eaf- 
ternand Weftern Churches. 
The fifth Sed of the Nejlorians^ fol- 
low the Heretical Dodrine of Nefto. 
rius^ and live for the moft part among 
the Pagans and Mahometans, in Babylon, 
Ajfyria, Mefopotomia^ Panbia^ Aledia^ &c. 
Nay, Paulus rtnetus affirms, that they 
are found from the North fide of Cataja^ 
to the moft Southerly Parts of the In- 
dies , fo that on the Eaft fide beyond the 
River Tigri^^ fcarce any other Chriftiaa 
Sed is to be met with: The reafon 
whereof they alledg to be, that Cofroes 
King of Perfta^ a declared Enemy of the 
Emperor Heraclius^ forced all his Subjeds 
to embrace this Dodrine. The Patriar- 
chal Seat of the Neflorians is at Muz.al^ a 
City of Mefopotamia upon the River T/- 
gris, now fubjed to the T 'Arks notwith- 
ftanding which it has 40000 Chriftians 
and I y Churches. Some of the Neflori- 
ans did fubmit to the Roman Jurifdidion 
under Pope Julim III. who was created 
Pope 1550. and reign'd five Years. And 
the Patriarch Abdiefu^ v/ho was inverted 
with the Epifcopal Dignity by Pope Pi- 
us IV. was prefent at the Council of 
Trent. 
The fixth is that of the Jacobites, hav- The Ta= 
ing got their Name from one Jacob a Na- cobiteb, 
live of Syria, and a Follower of the Doc- 
trine of Eutycbes, 530. according to Ni- 
cepborus and Damafcemis. They inhabit 
for the moft part in Syria, Aleppo, Cyprus, 
Mefopotamia , Babylon , and Palefiina\ 
whence the Patriarch of Jerufalem is alfo a 
Jacobite ; but the Patriarch of the Jaco- 
bites refides at Caranut, an antient noted 
City in Mefopotamia. They acknowledg 
but one Nature in Chrift, make the Sign 
ot theCrofs with one Finger only : they 
mark their young Children v;ith the fign 
of the Crofs by means of an hot Iron j 
ufe both Baptifm and Circumcifion, and 
rejed the Purgatory, it being their Opi- 
nion 
