The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-05-03

j., solitary copy.of the Bible. and des'i'u'e y,
even upeducated ministry, must have receiseu |
,hs tidnps that henceforth their sP'r''ua'
wants were to be cared for, Their chioten 10
he, educated the word OF God given 10 mem
in, n language they could understand, and thus
heir moral and religious condition improved,
ho,h for this world and that which is 10 come.
But. while truly grateful for the interest thus
shown to them by the.American Church, and
Inc untiring efforts Of the missionaries III their
behalf, tho HISTORIAN Christians felt that they
had sacred treasure to guard. They trace
back the foundation Of their Church, as 1t 1t al
present organized. to the Apostle Thomas, par
i;cularly also Bartholomew and the other APos-
ties, n conclusion, which DIR. Grant, the aSSo-
ciaie iaborer of AR. Perkins, believes 10 70
correct Many of their churches nc soy
bear the name of this Apostle (lnomaSJ' an.
many traces of his. labors among inem app::a,
interviewer in their liturgy. The consIi'u'io ~
of,his Church is Episcopal: 'Ihere nave az
ynys. TO quote again, from DIR. GRANT, 'eHrc'Iu
in it1hese three orders in the mlnis'ry-o,ss"'
ons. Priests and Deacons, and Inc Pecuiia'
movers and duties Of each of these or'ers are
essentially The sumo as IN other EPiscoPai
Churches. They have a liturgy, which, us
tar as we can lcarr, is in all important partic-
ul.rs, the same with that in use in the English
and American Episcopal Churches. In the
arrangement of their ecclesiastical year, their
fasts and festivals, the responsive use OF the
Psaler, in the introduction of stated lessons oil
Scripture. in the repetition of the Creed and
Lords Prayer, in the mode of administering
the Communion in confirmation. as well as IN
tho usual dress of the officiating clergyman,
remarkable correspondence exists between
the HISTORIAN and Protestant Episcopal
Church. The doctrines Of the HISTORIAN
Church harmonized in all essential matters
with those of reformed Evangelical Churches.
The doctrine of the Trinity, of repentance
towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
as the substance of Christian duty. and of the
iolyssacraments, baptism 'andfthes Lords Sup
per, are recognized in the formuaries of this
Church m manner similar to that in which
they are held among the Churches of this
country. A writer in the last number OF the
Topaz, TO which we have before alluded, very
enormously supposes the views of the Nestor.
ian Christians TO be derived from the Bishop
whose name they bear. But, says DIR. Grant,
in his very interesting work relating to the
HISTORIANS and their country. the name Mes
,orian, is one disliked by the people thus des-
ignated. They rarely apply it 10. themselves,
and they are averse 10 its application by 9th.
trs, lest, as it seems, they should be thought
20 participate in the reputed heresy Of Nesto-
RUS, Bishop Of Cons :antinople, who was ex.
communicated from the general Church, in
42I. But The reason they assign for Directing
10 the use of this name is, that they never de-
rived either their doctrines or their rites from
Nestorius. They reverence him for raising
his voice against the worship Of images and
against the prevalent use of tho title. Mother
Of God,' which, as they affirm, virtually takes
away his humanity, and thus leaves US with
out a Mediator. But having themselves never
applied any other title Than Mother of Christ to
the Virgin Mary, and their worship never hav-
ing been polluted by images, they have always
held TO The human and'diviDe nature in one
person in Christ. they ask where is The ProPri
ETY. of callingsour church nfter q bishop who
lived in a comparatively late day. and with
whom they never had any connexion. II is
true, they espoused his cause. the cause of
an injured man, whom they regarded as faith.
full servant of the Lord Jesus, prosecuted for
righteousness sake, and on this account, the
enemies Of Nestorius endeavored TO fasten it
upon them, as term of reproach.' This &C.
count of the reputed heresy Of Nestorius, is
confirmed substantially BY the celebrated his
,orian, Moshem, and not less noied though
later one, Palmer, both Of whom unite in as
cribng the troubles and final expulsion of Mes
torius ie the turbulent spirits Of tho age in
which he lived, rather than to any real un.
soundness of faith, of which he has too general.
ly been considered guilty.
few words will close this perhaps already
too pro,racted account. We have said that
tho HISTORIAN Church possessed a tire asure
with which no stranger might in;ermeddle.
While most grateful TO their American friends
for their interest in their behalf, they have ad-
hcred with great strictness TO their peculiar
rites of worship and church government. The
question has often been asked Bishop Yohana
since his arrival in this country. whether their
belief as 10 the leading and fundamental doc
trines of the Bible, especially the Trinity, was
tho same previous 10 the residence Of the mis-
sionares among them, 10 which he has always
replied with great animation-'Yes; our rei-
gion always the same. American missionar-
les find US weak and poor; they help US, they
speak good 10 us, they give plenty of Bibles of
to our people, but they no bring our religion
from America; no, never, never. Our religion
old religion He was delighted TO identify
his church with the American Episcopal
Church, saying. Our church is from the Apos
Ties, and am happy to find 1t like your church..
We have the same Prayer Books-we keep
ChrisImas-the forty days of Lent-the day
Christ was crucifed,and the day he arose from
the dead, as you do We beve dwelt more
at length on these particulars. because in all
the accounts of the HISTORIANS which have at
tempted TO be given in this region, there seems
&C be al important deficiency in all those par
iiculars which distinguish Them from other ma.
lions visited by missionaries. Nor can we
sympalhise in the sentiment which would re-
present them rs having n form of goodness,