Nestorians

Early evidence of Nestorian missions in China is extant in the tablet found in 1625 at Chang`an in the district of Hsi`en-fu, province of Shensi. It commemorates "the introduction and prop agation of the noble law of Ta t'sin in the Middle Kingdom," and beneath an incised cross sets out in Chinese and Syriac an abstract of Christian doctrine and the course of a Syrian mission in China beginning with the favourable reception of Olopan, who came from Judaea in 636. For two generations the little cause prospered, and again after persecutions in 699 and 813. Later on a second mission arrived, many churches were built and several emperors patronized the faith.

In the loth century the Nestorians introduced Christianity into Tartary proper; in 1274 Marco Polo saw two of their churches. The legend of Prester John is based on the idea of the conversion of a Mongol tribe, the Karith, whose chieftain Ung Khan at baptism received the title Malek Juchana (King John). Their activity may well be said to have covered the continent. Their campaign was one of deliberate conquest, one of the greatest ever planned by Christian missionaries. Marco Polo is witness that there were Nestorian churches all along the trade routes from Baghdad to Pekin.

The Modern Nestorians.

The Nestorians or East Syrians (Surayi) of Turkey and Persia now inhabit a district bounded by Lake Urmia, or Uramia, on the east, stretching westwards into Kurdistan, to Mosul on the south, and nearly as far as Van on the north. It is only of late years, under the influence of the different missions, that education, ruined by centuries of persecution, has revived amongst the Nestorians; and even now the mountaineers, cut off from the outer world, are as a rule destitute of learning, and greatly resemble their neighbours, the wild and uncivilized Kurds. They are, however, extraordinarily tenacious of their ancient customs, and, almost totally isolated from the rest of Christendom since the 5th century, they afford an interesting study to the ecclesiastical student. Their churches are rude build ings, dimly lighted and destitute of pictures or images, save that of the Cross, which is treated with the deepest veneration. There

are three liturgies—of the Holy Apostles, of Theodore and of Nestorius. The first is quite free from Nestorian influence, dates from some remote period, perhaps prior to 431, and is certainly the most ancient of those now in use in Christendom; the other two, though early, are undoubtedly of later date. The Nestorian canon of Scripture seems never to have been fully determined, nor is the sacramental system rigidly defined. Nestorian writers, however, generally reckon as sacraments the Priesthood, the Oil of Unction, the Offering of the Body and Blood of Christ, Absolution, the Holy Leaven and the Signation of the life-giving Cross. The "Holy Leaven" is reputed to be a part of the original bread of the first Eucharist, brought by Addai and Mari and main tained ever since in the Church; it is used in the confection of the Eucharistic wafers, which are rather thicker than those used in the Western Church. Communion is given in both kinds, as throughout the East; likewise, confirmation is administered di rectly after baptism. Sacramental confession is enjoined, but has recently become obsolete ; prayers for the departed and invocation of saints form part of the services. The bishops are always celi bates and are chosen from episcopal families. The service-books were wholly in ms. until the press of the archbishop of Canter bury's mission at Urmia issued the Takhsa (containing the litur gies, baptismal office, etc.) and several other liturgical texts.

The Nestorians commemorate Nestorius as a saint, and invoke his aid and that of his companions. They reject the Third Oecumenical Council, and though showing the greatest devotion to the Blessed Virgin, deny her the title of Theotokos, i.e., the mother or bearer of God. Their theological teaching is misty and perplex ing; but systematic or even consistent theological thinking is not their primary interest (see J. F. Bethune-Baker, Nestorius and his Teaching). The peculiar circumstances, both ecclesiastical and temporal, of the Nestorians have attracted much attention in western Christendom, and various missionary enterprises amongst them have resulted (see authorities named below).