the gates of mercy for you, and may He increase His favour and blessings, and His gifts on all of you, and may He grant you favour and prosperity in both worlds, peace in this world and life everlasting. Favour me always with news of your condition, and do not reprehend us for not having entered your name; the reason is that no correspondence has, as yet, passed between us (we therefore know it not). This letter was proper to be written on account of your friendship, after giving you our blessings. [Written 29th Tisreen 2d, A.D. 1823. Rubeeoosani 1239, Hejree.] TO MAR ATHANASIUS. [As translated into Syriac by Messrs. Robinson and Mill.] Calcutta, December, 1825. To the excellent and learned father Mar Athanasius, Bishop and Metropolitan of all the Churches of Christ, in India, which walk after the rule of the Syrians, Mar Reginald, by the grace of God, Bishop of Calcutta ; grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I have earnestly desired, beloved brother in the Lord, to hear that the Lord hath prospered thy journey from Bombay, and that thou farest well, and art in good health in the land of Malabar. (I hope that they have rejoiced at thy coming even as they rejoiced at the coming of Mar Basilius, Mar Gregorius, and Mar Johannes *.) The last Syrian Bishops, (before Mar Athanasius in 1825,) who went to rule the Church in Malabar, in 1751; all the Metropolitans after them (called Mar Dionysius, or Cyrillus, or Philoxenus severally,) being Indian Bishops of their ordaining. And my prayer to God for thee is, that even as He led Patriarch Abraham from his country, and from the midst of his kindred, through faith, to a strange and distant land, He may even thus guide, protect, and prosper thee, and give thee health and grace, and every good gift, and increase unto thee the love of thy flock, and that the fruits of the Spirit may be multiplied to thee from them; as it is written, "Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Especially I have been desirous to hear from thee of the good estate of our brethren, the faithful, in Malabar, the Bishops, presbyters, and deacons; and also of my own children in Christ, the English presbyters who sojourn among you at Cattarjam: may God reward you according to your kindness towards them, and may the brotherly affection between you and them be daily increased and strengthened! Furthermore, I make known to thy friendship that the desire of my heart, and my prayer to the Lord, is, that the holy name of Jesus may be yet further known among all nations; and also, that all that love the Lord may love one another, to the intent that they which are without may behold the unity and peace that is among you, and glorify God in the day of visitation. Like as was the desire of heart and prayer to God of the blessed Thomas Middleton, who fed the Church of Christ in this Episcopate before me, whose memory is blessed among the saints of Christ, whether they be of the family of England or of India; but they are not two families, but one, which is named after the name of the Lord Jesus, who sitteth at the right hand of God, in whom all nations, tribes, and languages are united, and shall be glorified together. I also pray thee to write me word of the health of thyself and all that are with thee, likewise of the health of my own children, the presbyters of England, and what is their conversation among you. Furthermore, I hope, if the Lord will, to pass to the cities of Madras, Tanjore, and Trichinopoly, visiting the Churches there that are subject to me. And I desire, with God's pleasure, to pass on thence to salute thee, my brother, and the Churches under thee, that I may be filled with joy while I behold your order, and am a participator with you in prayers. And if there be any thing more which I have not written, it may be told when I come to thee, for (the daughter of the voice is better than the son of the ink; and) it is a good time when a man speaketh face to face with his friend. This letter is sent unto thee by the hand of a learned and faithful English presbyter, John Doran, one of the presbyters from before me, who proposeth if thou givest leave, to sojourn in Cottayam, even as the presbyters Benjamin Bayley, Joseph Fenn, and Henry Baker, have sojourned until now with licence of the godly Bishops of the Church of Malabar, to teach learning and piety to all who thirst after instruction, doing good, and giving no cause of offence. And I beseech thee, brother, for my sake, and the sake of the Gospel of Christ, that thou wouldest receive him as a son and as a faithful servant of our Lord, who is alone, with the Holy Ghost, most high in the glory of God the Father; to Him, therefore, be all honour and dominion for ever. Amen. Moreover I entreat thee, brother, to beware of the emissaries of the Bishop of Rome, whose hands have been dipped in the blood of the Saints, from whose tyranny our Church in England hath been long freed by the blessing of God, and we hope to continue in that freedom for ever; of whom are the Metropolitans of Goa, the Bishop of Cranganor, and he at Verapoli, who have, in time past, done the Indian Church much evil. (I pray that those of thy Churches in Malabar who are yet subject to these men may arouse themselves, and be delivered from their hands.) Howbeit the Lord desireth not the death of a sinner, but His "The daughter of the voice," in Syrian, means no more than a word. It is a very usual expression for it. i. e. All Churches of the Syro-Chaldaic ritual, one half of which are under the Romish yoke imposed by the Synod of Diamper. mercies are over all His works, and He is found of them that sought him not. Our brother Mar Abraham, a Bishop of the Armenian nation, who is sent from his Patriarch at Jerusalem, (may God rescue his holy city from the hands of the Ishmaelites,) salutes thee. He also brings a letter which was sent by his hand to thee, from the Syrian Patriarch at Jerusalem, and has not found means, hitherto, of forwarding it to thee at Malabar, and has therefore requested me to send it now to thee. All the Church of Christ that is here salute thee. Salute in my name thy brethren Mar Dionysius, and Mar Philoxenus, with the presbyters and deacons. (William Mill, and Thomas Robinson, presbyters, that write this epistle, in the Lord salute you.) The blessing of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be with you evermore. Amen. (Signed) REGINALD, BISHOP. Written also in Tamul. By the help of God let this letter go to the region of d The Ex-metropolitan, who resigned the chair to the last Mar Dionysius, and now lives in voluntary retirement at Codangalongery, or Anhur in the north. LETTER FROM FATHER ABRAHAM OF JERUSALEM (AN ENVOY SENT WITH VISITORIAL POWERS, BY THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF ARARAT, TO THE EASTERN CHURCHES OF THAT NATION IN INDIA,) TO MAR ATHANASIUS; SENT WITH BISHOP HEBer's SYRIAC LETTER, BY THE HANDS OF MR. DORAN. Jan. 6, 1826. Abraham, a servant of Jesus Christ, from the holy see of Jerusalem (appointed Bishop and Nuncio on a spiritual visitation to the Churches of the Armenian nation in the East Indies,) unto our beloved brother in the Lord, the Right Rev. Mar Athanasius, Metropolitan of the Assyrian nation on the coast of Malabar, and to all the communicators in the true religion of Jesus Christ, and to all the beloved brethren attached to the Church, sendeth greeting; Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, the most High; and from our blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Inspirer Holy Ghost! I had the gratification to understand from our most beloved brother in the Lord, the Right Rev. Reginald, the Lord Bishop of the diocese of India (over the Christians of the Established Church of England) the good ministry, and adherence to the charge committed unto you by your superior, in being overseer to the flock of God, for whose redemption's sake Jesus died. This hath afforded me the greatest pleasure, and I always render my thanks to God for His grace, which is given to good Christian ministry by Jesus Christ. Permit me to remind you, ye brethren in the Lord, that according to Scripture the last days I see are come, when many false prophets and false Christs were to have risen, who dissemble in sheep's clothing, but in reality are wolves; such as some of the followers of the Roman Catholic Church are, who try to find access unto the flocks (embodied in the Church of Christ,) by the |