at Malabar, when it pleased his heavenly Father to call him to himself. The letter was, however, received by Colonel Newall, who immediately sent orders to the Divan of Travancore, to stay all farther proceedings against Mar Athanasius, and to authorize his return to the country. That letter arriving after the death of Mar Reginald, was opened and read by me. But, alas! the news had already arrived from Travancore, that Mar Athanasius had already sailed from Cochin, and consequently that these orders of the Resident came too late. It would ill become me, most reverend Father, to obtrude any counsel of mine upon your Eminency, in an affair where the peace of your Church is so nearly concerned. Suffer me, however, to give you what are not mine, but the ideas of my honoured Father in the Lord, whose nearest wish after the prosperity of his own children, and the extension of the Gospel of the Lord by their means, was to preserve the integrity of the Church, subjected to your Eminency's rule in the land of Malabar. It appeared, then, to Mar Reginald, from very strict and accurate inquiries made into the truth of the circumstances, not only from those resident in Cotym, but from others also, that when the last Prelates (on whom be the peace of God) came from Syria to Malabar, Mar Gregorius of Jerusalem, Mar Basilius Maphiran, and Mar Johannes, they encountered the like opposition from the ambition of the Indian Bishop, Mar Thona and his nephew, that Mar Athanasius has to encounter from the ignorance and prejudice of those opposed

to him. Nevertheless, as disciples of Him who was lowly and meek in heart, and who by His own mouth and that of His holy Apostles, has taught us not to render evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good, they, after more than eighteen years quarrelling, procured the younger Indian Bishop to be submissive to their will, and (Mar Basilius being dead) Mar Gregorius consecrated him and honoured him with the title of Metropolitan, by the name of Dionysius. All this is not unknown to your Eminency, but besides this it is also true that there was a young Indian Priest, who, during all these troubles and contentions, remained faithful to the just cause of the Syrian Prelates from Antioch. Him, therefore, during those troubles, Mar Basilius had consecrated Bishop, by the name of Cyrillus. And it is said also, though with what truth I know not certainly, that when Mar Gregorius had given the title of Metropolitan to Dionysius, and when Mar Dionysius afterwards refused to give him the maintenance he agreed to give, then Mar Gregorius gave the same title of Metropolitan to the aforesaid Cyrillus. However this may be, as to his dignity of Metropolitan, or whatever right this may have conferred upon him, it is the confession of all in Malabar, of every party, that he was truly a Bishop by the consecration of Mar Basilius. That Cyrillus, as is sufficiently attested, consecrated another Priest before his death, A.D. 1805, by the name of Philoxenus, who again, in 1812, consecrated in the same manner him who now lives, and is called Mar Philoxenus. Now, though the title

of Metropolitan is wrongly assumed by that Prelate, and the others whom he has consecrated, and ignorantly allowed them by the heathen governors of the land, it will not be doubtful to your Eminency that they are real Bishops, though there were not the number of Prelates present at the consecration which the Holy Canons ordinarily require. But in a barbarous land, where Bishops are very few, where intercourse with the see of Antioch was interrupted and difficult, it may seem perhaps to your Eminency, as it did to Mar Reginald, that it were better for a Bishop before his death to provide successors for himself, provided the real form of ordination be duly observed, than that the Church should be left entirely destitute of Bishops. More especially when at the demise of the true Metropolitan, more than twelve years ago, there was no provision for the continuance of lawful pastors among the people of Malabar, unless the other successions from Mar Basilius were admitted as true, which continued from Cyrillus to those who are now in Malabar. It was therefore in our blessed Father's mind to entreat your Eminency, and also his right reverend brother Mar Athanasius, to lay aside all prejudices from the reports of ambitious men in India, who often decry in their brethren those things which they only desire for themselves, and that you would consult in these matters what is conducive to the peace, security, and welfare of the Church, not indeed giving place, even for an hour, to those prejudiced or wicked brethren who pretend to set up the

right of the heathen magistrates to name Church Governors, against that of the See of Antioch, but not denying even to the gainsaying and the prejudiced, that character which is allowed them by the nation, if it should appear on due examination and trial by the faithful, the priests, and doctors of Malabar, that the character of Bishop does of right belong to them. By these mild means, and by inviting a fair and impartial trial of all doubtful matters, the peace and order of the Church will be best promoted. Our brethren and fathers of the English Church all look with the greatest interest and affection on the state of the Church of the Apostle St. Thomas, in Malabar; all desire earnestly to see it in peace and prosperity, and its connexion with Syria unimpaired, and they all will hear with sorrow of the violent removal of your Legate from this country. I am now engaged, as is my bounden duty, in giving an account of these transactions, with the whole of the wishes of our blessed Father concerning them, to our venerable Father and Lord Mar Carolus, Primate of England.

&c. &c. &c.

THOMAS ROBINSON,

Priest and Ramban of Mar Reginald the Blessed.

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER TO THE REVEREND WILLIAM

ROY, SECRETARY TO THE MADRAS DIOCESAN COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.

Tanjore, October 19, 1826.

Our dear Father, the late revered Bishop Heber, arrived here early on the 25th of March, and on the day following, which was Easter Sunday, he preached at the Mission Church in the Little Fort a most impressive sermon on Rev. i. 18. "" I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore." The powerful truths that proved the glory of the Saviour, and the most affecting arguments to prevail on every one to trust in Him, and to love and honour Him, made a deep impression on the hearts of the hearers. His Lordship then administered the Holy Sacrament to thirty persons of the English, and fifty-seven of the Tamul congregation. A great part of our native congregation, who understood English, attended the divine service, and although they could not have understood every particular of the learned, yet very awakening sermon of his Lordship's, being, however, much affected by it, after divine service they unanimously prayed his Lordship to grant them a copy of the same; most condescendingly he told them that he would send them a copy of it with some alterations, that they might be able to