CH RI STIANITY.
Chretien, . . . . Cristiano, . . . IT., Sr.
Isawi ..... HIND. Christan, . . . nut.
Christians in Southern and Eastern Asia aro in many sects, and are the converts to this creed from inany race,s, and since the earliest days of the Chris tian era. Arabia seems to have early adopted the Christian faith. The Eastern Churches believe that St. Thomas preached in Arabia Felix and Socotm, on his way to India, where he suffered martyrdem about A.n. 50 ; aud it is said that tho rudiments of this religion were first implanted amongst the Ilimyarites by St. Bartholomew. It is also recorded that St. Pantenus WU sent by Demetrins, Bishop of Alexandria, to preach in Arabia Felix, and there he found traces of St. Bartholomew, —amongst others, a copy of St. Matthew's Gospel, written in tho Hebrew cha racter, which he brought away with Mtn to Alex andria. In the reign of Tobba, son of Hasan, from A.D. 297 to 320, Christianity became more generally known in Arabia, and extended to Abyssinia, where the people, though surrounded by Mahomedan and pagan tribes, continuo Chris tian till the present day. Subsequently, in A.D. 326, Frumentius was elected by Athanasius, Bishop of the Indians, and he is said to have contributed much to the propagation of the Christian religion, but whether Arabia or Abyssinia was the scene of his labours is disputed. In A.D. 342, Theophilus Indus, a. native of Diu, obtained permismon to build churches in Yemen, one of which was erected in Aden (Playfair). The Arab conquerors' first emigration from Arabia is supposed to have taken place about 700 years before the thne of Solomon, and the Abyssinians appear t,o be of Arab descent. They were converted to Chris tianity in the fourth century of the Christian era, and in the sixth they re-crossed over to Arabia to avenge the persecution of Christians by a Jewish ruler, conquered Yemen, and marched to the gates of Mecea, where they were overthrown, two years before Ma.homed was born. SL Thomas is believed to have become a martyr near Madras, at the Little Mount, half way between St. Thome or Mylapur and St. Thomas' Mount. The first historiml record of Christianity in India shows that its followers were Persians, followers of Mani. Cosmas Indieopleust,es, who travelled in India A.D. 530-550, and afterwards became a monk, mentions the presence of Christians.
Alfred the Great, in A.D. 883, sent Sighelm as an ambassador to the Christians at Mylapur, but there is no authority for his having re.sched India.
Christianity in Arabia. at the thne of Mahomed was in a grossly corrupt state. The heresies of Ebion,. Beryllus, Nazarman, Collyridiaus, and Miriarnites were current.
At present, in Arabia, there are two sects which have attracted the notice of travellers. because of their names. One of the,se, the Salebi, from Saleb, a cross, which they reverence ; the other are the Sabian sect, who are known to Europeans as tho Christians of SL John. But the Salebi seem to be homeless and migratory dwellers in tents, and many races have used crosses ; and the Sabians are a sect who have adopted portions of the Jewish, the Christian, and the Mahomedan beliefs. The Kaldi,however, of Mesopotamia are Christians, and have been styled Nestorian Christians, a term which they do not recognise. Throughout those regions, Christians of the Arinenian, Romish, and Protestant forms have scattered repre.sentatives.
Christianity, according to' tradition, was intro duced into Armenia by St. Jude or Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, who converted King Abgar. The Armenian Church separated from the Greek Church of Constantinople in the sixth century, on a dispute concerning the nature of Christ,—the former holding theJacobite doctrine of his divine and human nature being monophysite, or united in one ; while the latter, like most other Christian churches, holds his divinity to be distinct from his humanity. Persian Christians are chiefly Nestorians, whose evangelical views have sometimes caused them to be termed the Waldenses of Asia. They trace their origin to the labours of the ;apostle St. Thomas. About 1870 they sent a deputation of two of their chief ministers, named Deacon Abraham and Deacon Marcus, to Britain to solicit aid from British Christians. In that region, the several sects have long been agitated by questions of belief and of church government. The Chaldman Patriarch at Mosul, after the middle of the 19th century, consecrated a bishop for Malabar. The Oriental Catholic Church of the Armenians has entirely separated itself from the papal chair. The United Chaldmans are said to intend to break off all connection with Rome, and the Copts are ready to do the same, and withdraw, like the Maronites, Syrians, and Greek Melchites, from communion with Rome.