# The Nestorians and their Rituals/Volume 2/Chapter 28

CHAPTER XXVIII.
OF SPEAKING IN THE CONGREGATION IN SUCH A TONGUE AS THE PEOPLE UNDERSTANDETH.
"It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the Primitive Church to have public prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not understanded of the people."—Article XXIV.
All the ancient rituals of the Nestorians are written in classical Syriac, which has long ceased to be spoken in its purity throughout the East. The vernacular tongue of the mountain Nestorians, and of the Chaldeans of the plains, is a dialect of the Syriac, called Soorith or Fellehi, and differs so widely from the written language of the rituals, that only those of the laity who are tolerably well educated, (and of such there are but a very few,) can understand them; indeed many of the clergy are in the same deplorable case, not having any certain knowledge of what they read in the churches.
This practice, however, so far as the Nestorians are concerned, is opposed to the principles inculcated by their standard authors, and sanctioned by the authority of their provincial synods; but they are at present reduced to so low a state of intelligence, and learning has for so long a time been neglected among them, that they seem quite unable to exert that energy which is requisite to bring about a reformation in this respect. Even the Chaldeans manifest little sympathy with the custom of the Church of Rome censured in the Article, for they have translated the Epistles and Gospels into Arabic, which they write in the Syriac character, and this version is read in all the churches at Mosul, and wherever the people are better acquainted with that language than with the Syriac. Different ​parts of some of the other offices, such as the office of Baptism and of Matrimony, have also been translated by the Chaldeans into Arabic for the use of their people. The Nestorians, whose only vernacular dialect is the Soorith, are far behind the Chaldeans in this respect, for they have not hitherto made any attempt to reduce that dialect to writing; but if the officiating priest is capable of the task, he generally reads the Gospels and Epistles in the original, then translates them into Soorith vivâ voce, and not unfrequently adds a comment of his own.
The following canon affords the clearest proof that the Nestorians in by-gone days were very anxious that education, and more especially the study of the holy Scriptures, should flourish among them.
"Above all things it is the duty of pastors and overseers of churches to be very zealous in establishing the teaching of the Church, and in appointing learned and God-fearing teachers in all the churches, who shall use all diligence to bring up the scholars committed to their care, so that the fruits of their instruction may appear in the children as early as possible. And it is their duty to oblige the faithful to send their children to be instructed in the fear of God, which is the foundation of Christianity, and to recall to their minds the words of the heavenly apostle: 'Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' For these [pastors] must know that the church which is without scholars is like a barren woman who has no children, whose inheritance is transferred to strangers, and that according as education is promoted faith is confirmed and increased, and that in the degree in which ignorance increases the fear of God decreases, and Christianity languishes and fades away. Therefore we must revere the teaching of our Lord above our life, and whosoever is neglectful of these things is the enemy of Christ, and is under the interdiction of our Lord's word, and let such an one be held in no esteem in the holy Church." Canon II. of a provincial synod convened by Mar Timataos, as contained in the Sinhadòs.