opinions and practices that have infected the Greek C E N T. and Latin churches [x]. XVI. SECT. III. XVI. In the earlier ages of Nestorianism the PARTI. various branches of that numerous and powerful Their pa sect were under the spiritual jurisdiction of the triarchs. same pontif, or catholic, who resided first at Bagdat, and afterwards at Mousul. But in this century the Nestorians were divided into two sects. They had chosen, in the year 1552, as has been already observed, two bishops at the same time, Simeon Barmana and John Sulaka, otherwise named Siud. The latter, to strengthen his interest, and to triumph over his competitor, went directly to Rome, and acknowledged the jurisdiction, that he might be supported by the credit of the Roman pontif. In the year 1555, Simeon Denha, archbishop of Gelu, adopted the party of the fugitive patriarch, who had embraced the communion of the Latin church; and, being afterwards chosen patriarch himself, fixed his residence in the city of Ormia, in the mountainous parts of Persia, where his successors still continue, and are all distinguished by the name of Simeon, so far down as the last century, these patriarchs persevered in their communion with the church of Rome, but seem at present to have withdrawn themselves from it [y]- The great Nestorian pontifs, who form the opposite party, and look with an hostile eye on this little patriarch, have since the year 1559, been distinguished by the general denomination of Elias, and reside con stantly [x] See the learned dissertation of Assemanni de Syris Nestorianis, which occupies entirely the fourth volume of his Biblioth. Oriental. Vatican. and which seems to have been much consulted, and partly copied, by Mich. Le Quien, in the eleventh volume of his Oriens Christianus, p. 1078. [y] See Jos. Sim. Assemanni Biblioth. Orient. Vatican. tom. i. p. 538. and tom. ii, p. 456. XVI. CETstantly in the city of Mousul [x]. Their spiritual SECT. III. dominion is very extensive, takes in a great part PART of Asia, and comprehends also within its circuit. the Arabian Nestorians; as also the Christians of St Thomas, who dwell along the coast of Malabar [a]. The re ancient sects, XVII. Beside the Christian societies now men. mains of tioned, who still retained some faint shadow at least of that system of religion delivered by Christ and his apostles, there were other sects dispersed through a great part of Asia, whose principles and doctrines were highly pernicious. These sects derived their origin from the Ebionites, Valentinians, Manicheans, Basilidians, and other separatists, who, in the early ages of Christianity, excited schisms and factions in the church. Equally abhorred by Turks and Christians, and thus suffering oppression from all quarters, they declined from day to day, and fell at length into such barbarous superstition and ignorance, as extinguished among them every spark of true religion. Thus were they reduced to the wretched and ignominious figure they at present make, having fallen from the privileges, and almost forfeited the very name, of Christians. The sect, who pass in the East under the denomination of Sabians, who call themselves Mendai, Ijabi, or the disciples of John, and whom the Europeans entitle the Christians of St John, because they yet retain some knowledge of the gospel, is probably of Jewish origin, and seems to have been derived from the ancient hemerobaptists, of whom the writers [x] A list of the Nestorian pontifs is given by Assemanni, in his Biblioth. Orient, Vatic. tom. iii. par. I. p. 711. which is corrected, however, in the same volume, par. P. CML.-See also Le Quien, Oriens Christianus, tom. ii. p. 1078. 11. [] The reader will find an ample account of the Christians of St Thomas in La Croze, Histoire du Christianisme des Indes. See also Assemanni loc. citat. tom. iii. par. II. cap. ix. P. Ccccxiii. XVI. writers of ecclesiastical history make frequent C E N T. mention [a]. This at least is certain, that that sECT. III. John, whom they consider as the founder of their PART I sect, bears no sort of similitude to John the Baptist, but rather resembles the person of that name whom the ancient writers represent as the chief of the Jewish Hemerobaptists [b]. These ambiguous Christians, whatever their origin be, dwell in Persia and Arabia, and principally at Bassora; and their religion consists in bodily washings, performed frequently and with great solemnity [c], and attended with certain ceremonies which the priests mingle with this superstitious service [d]. XVIII. The [a] The sect of Hemerobaptists among the Jews were so called from their washing themselves every day, and their performing this custom with the greatest solemnity, as a religious rite necessary to salvation. The account of this sect given by Epiphanius in the introduction to his book of heresies, has been treated as a fiction, in consequence of the suspicions of inaccuracy, and want of veracity, under which that author too justly labours. Nay, the existence of the Hemerobaptists has been denied, but without reason; since they are mentioned by Justin Martyr, Eusebius, and many other ancient writers, every way worthy of credit. That the Christians of St John were descended from this sect, is rendered probable by many reasons, of which the principal and the most satisfactory may be seen in a very learned and ingenious work of Dr Mosheim, entitled, Moshemii De Rebus Christianorum ante Constantinum Magnum Commentarii, p. 44. [b] See the preceding note. [c] The Mendæans at present perform these ablutions only once in a year. See Mosheim, De Rebus Christian. ante Const. Mag. Comment. p. 45. [d] See the work of a learned Carmelite, named Ignatius a Jesu, published at Rome, in 8vo, in the year 1652, under the following title: "Narratio originis rituum et errorum Christianorum S. Johannis: cui adjungitur discursus, per modam Dialogi, in quo confutantur xxxiv errores ejusdem nationis." Engelb. Kaemferi Amanitates Exotice, Fascic. II. Relat. XI. P. 35.-Sale's Preface to his English Translation of the Koran, p. 15.-Assemanni Biblioth. Oriental. tom. iii. par. II. p. 609.-Thevenot, Voyages, tom. iv. p. 584.-Herbelot, Bi blioth. CENT. XVIII. The Fasidians, or Jezdæans, of whose Scr. I. religion and manners many reports of a very PART I doubtful nature are given by voyage-writers, are The Jasidi- an unsettled wandering tribe, who frequent the ans, or Jez-Gordian mountains, and the deserts of Curdistan, a deans. province of Persia; the character of whose inhabitants has something in it peculiarly fierce and intractable. The Jezdæans are divided into black and white members. The former are the priests and rulers of the sect, who go arrayed in sable garments; while the latter, who compose the multitude, are cloathed in white. Their system of religion is certainly very singular, and is blioth. Orient, p. 725.-The very learned Bayer had composed an historical account of these Mendæans, which contained a variety of curious and interesting facts, and of which he designed that I should be the editor, but a sudden death prevented his executing his intention. He was of opinion (as appears from the Thesaurus Epistolicus Crozianus, tom. i. p. 21.) that these Merdans, or disciples of St John, were a branch of the ancient Manicheans; which opinion La Croze himself seems to have adopted, as may be seen in the work now cited, tom. iii. p. 31, 52. But there is really nothing, either in the doctrines or manners of this sect, that resembles the opinions and practice of the Manicheans. Hence several learned men conjecture, that they derive their origin from the ancient idolators who worshipped a plurality of gods, and more especially from those who payed religious adoration to the stars of heaven, and who were called, by the Arabians, Sabians or Sabeans (Sabini). This opinion has been maintained with much erudition by the famous Fourmont, in a Dissertation inserted in the eighteenth volume of the Memoires de l'Academie des Inscriptions et des Belles Lettres,' p. 23. But it is absolutely groundless, and has not even a shadow of probability, if we except the name which the Mahometans usually give to this sect. The Mendæans, themselves, acknowledge that they are of Jewish origin, and that they were translated out of Palestine into the country they at present inhabit. They have sacred books of a very remote antiquity; among others, one which they attribute to Adam, and another composed by John, whom they revere as the founder of their sect. As these books have been some years ago added to the library of the king of France, it is to be hoped that they may contribute to give us a more authentic account of this people than we have hitherto received. XVI. is not hitherto sufficiently known; though it be CENT. evidently composed of some Christian doctrines, SECT. III. and a motely mixture of fictions drawn from a PART 1. different source. They are distinguished from the other corrupt sects, that have dishonoured Christianity, by the peculiar impiety of their opinion concerning the evil genius. This malignant principle they call Karubin or Cherubim, i. e. one of the great ministers of the Supreme Being. And if they do not directly address religious worship to this evil minister, they treat him at least with the utmost respect, and not only abstain, themselves, from offering him any marks of hatred or contempt, but moreover will not suffer any contumelious treatment to be given him by others. Nay, they are said to carry this reverence and circumspection to such an excessive height, that no efforts of persecution, no torments, not even death itself, can engage them to conceive or express an abhorrence of this evil genius; and that they will make no scruple to put to death such persons as express, in their presence, an aversion to him [e]. XIX. The [e] See Hyde, Historia Relig. Veter. Persarum in Append. P. 549.-Otter, Voyage en Turquie et en Perse, tom. i. p. 121. tom. ii. p. 249. In the last century, Michael Nau, a learned Jesuit, undertook to instruct this profane sect, and to give them juster notions of religion (see D'Arvieux, Memoires ou Voyages, tom. vi. p. 362, 377), and after him another Jesuit, whose name was Monjer, embarked in the same dangerous enterprize (see Memoires des Missions des Jesuites, tom. iii. p. 291); but how they were received, and what success attended their ministry, is hitherto unknown. Rhenferdius, as appears from the letters of the learned Gisbert Cuper, published by Bayer (see p. 30), considered the Jesuæans as the descendants. of the ancient Sethians. But this opinion is no less improbable than that which makes them a branch of the Manicheans; which is sufficiently refuted by their sentiments concerning the Evil Genius. Beausobre, in his Histoire de Manicheisme, tom. ii. p. 613. conjectures that the denomination of this sect is derived from the name of Jesus; but it seems rather to be borrowed |