642 
A Defcripion of the Coajls of 
r\.A^ been too much neglefted hitherto, the 
Baldam, we have had feveral opportunities given 
o-^rx. us by the Eaflern Chrillians to embrace fo 
ufeful a Defign. Thus ( as Camerarm 
A Cone- tells us) the Greeh of Conflantimple did 
ffondenci encourage the Bohemians and Hulfites a- 
Sern J S^inft the Roman Catholkks. Jofcph Patri- 
chrifliam Conjlantinople^ fent one Demetri- 
n:ci-ffiry. US a Deacon to Wittembergh^ to confer 
with the Divines there concerning an 
Union, who carried a Greek Co^^y of the 
yiuguflan Confellion back with him to 
Conjlaminople. At the Synod of Thorn in 
Poland 1595. certain Deputies fent by 
the Greek Chriftians appeared to exhort 
to a Unity, and endeavour a Reconcili- 
ation betwixt the Calvinijls and Lutbe- 
ram. And in the Year 161 5. Cyril Pa- 
triarch of Alexandria, fent one of his 
Prk9:s to George u4bbot the famous Arch- 
bifiiop of Canterbury.^ in order to have 
him inflruaed in the Univerllty of Ox- 
/oj-t/inthe true Principles of the Prote- 
iiant Churches. Neither ought we to 
pafs by in filence the Confeffion of Cy- 
ril Patriarch of Conflantinople.^ of his 
adhering to the Dodrine of Calvin, 
which drew upon him the hatred of the 
JeJuHs, who could not reft fatisfy'd till 
they had underhand procured his Death 
1638. 
His Letter, writ upon that Subjeft to 
a certain Friend of his, and preferved by 
the Learned Andrew Rivet., is as fol- 
lows. 
pErcio ho voluto fcriver a V. R. e 
^ proteflarvi che mi fiate teftimo- 
nio fe jo more, que jo more Catholico 
Orthodoxo, nella fede del N. S. Jefu 
Chrifto nella dottrina Evangelica con- 
*' forme la ConfeJJione Belgica la confeflio- 
ne mia e le altra delle chiefe Evangelice 
che foni tutti conformi. Abhorrifco 
" li errori delli Papjii, e le fuperftitio- 
ne delli Greci., provo e abraccio la dot- 
trina del dottore meritiflimo Giovanni 
" Calvino e de tutti che fentono con lui, 
" in quefto voglio che mi fiate teftimo- 
nio, per che con fincera confcienza cofi 
*' tengo, cofi profelTo e confefTo como 
anco la mia confeflione moftra, e re- 
'^^ commando a vos quefto depofito, cafo 
" che morlTi, di fame partecipi Tutti li 
fratelli Chriftiani Orthodoxi e mi re- 
'■^ commando allc preghiere di V. R. Al- 
*' li 15. 25, Marzo. 
Cynlio Patriarcha di ConJlantimpoU. 
Which tranflated into Engli/Jj runs 
thus : 
" Therefore I was willing to declare r,,,., 
to you, and defire you to be ray Wit- the Fatn- 
" nefs, that in cafe I d'lz Orthodox C a- auh of 
thoUck.^ and in the Purity of the Faith <^onfraii- 
" taught by jefuf Chrift, agreeable to the 
Confcjjhn of Faith of the Church of 
*' X.[\QVnited Provinces., mine being alco- 
" gether the fame vv'ith theirs, and with 
" the other Evangelical Churches. [ 
abhor the Errors of the Roman Church, 
" and the Siipcrftitloas of the Greek., but 
" approve and embrace the Dodrine of 
" the moft Wovthy John Calvin y and of 
all thofe that have the fame Senti- 
" ments with him. 1 call you to witnefs, 
" that 1 believe, confefs, and atteft 
" the fame by thefe Prefents, recom- 
mending this my Confeflion to your 
" care, in order to communicate the 
fame, (in cafe of my Death) to all 
" truly believing Brethren, and my felf 
" to your Prayers. 
The 15.25. Anarch. 
Cyril Patriarch of Conjlantinopk. 
As the preceding Letter is a convinc- 
ing Proof of the ftedfaftnefs ofC7n7,in bis. 
adhering to the Dodrine of Calvin \ {'o 
out of what hath been laid before, it is 
evident that moft of the Eajlern Chri- 
ftians have an averlion to the Roman Re- 
ligion. And I remember that Benjamm 
the Jew in his Travels, makes the fame 
Obfervation in particular, in refped of 
the Patriarch of Conjlaminople. In the 
Year 1664. being at Cochin, I addrefted 
my felf to Mr. Jacob Huftart our Gene- 
ral, to grant leave to the Arch-Deacon, 
or Chief of the Chriftians of S. Thomas 
in Ecclefiaftical Affairs, to come thither, 
in order to have a free Conference with 
him : Which being readily granted, he 
fent his Letter to the Arch-Deacon for 
that purpofe ; but he excufed himfelf, al- 
ledging (and not without reafon) that 
we having given fo extraordinary a Re- 
ception to the Roman Bifliop, Jofeph de 
San^}aMaria,hQcou\d not appear in Perfon 
among us, without his Prejudice, to my 
great Diflatisfadion, being extremely fer- 
ry it was not in rny power to perform my 
Promiie made in my Letters to the 
States General 1662. And upo;i this 
occalion I can't, without praiie, men- 
tion the generous Zeal of the States Ge- 
neral, who at their own Charge did 
order 
