Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/415

Rh The Armenians number 180 families, with a Bishop and two churches; and the Papal Armenian community 600 families, with a church and five priests. During our stay there was a controversy going on between these two sects, and I was frequently referred to by the Armenians to assist them in coping with their antagonists. The point in dispute was, "What are the true notes of the Church?"

The Papal Syrians number 350 families, under the Patriarch Botros Gerwa, who some years ago visited England, and obtained grants of money and a printing press from some piously disposed individuals, whom he persuaded that he was desirous of introducing many reforms among his people.

There is also a small community of Maronites, and a large Jewish population at Aleppo. Several of the foreign consuls at this city are Jews. An American Independent mission had been established here some years previous to our first visit, but was afterwards dissolved. In 1849 there were two missionaries from the same body at Aleppo and two at Aintâb, where they have succeeded in forming a schism among the Armenians, and are about to build a separate place of worship for the new proselytes.

Most sincerely is it to be regretted that we have no chaplains in Syria to attend to the spiritual wants of the British residents, and to make known to the native Christian communities what are the doctrines, rites, and discipline of our national religion. This unjustifiable neglect is fraught with mischief, not only to the best interests of our own people but also to the character and honour of the Anglican Church, and contrasts most disadvantageously with the provision made by the Romanists for these objects. There is not a town in Syria or Palestine where there are not some resident Latin priests or missionaries, who act as chaplains to the foreign consulates, besides otherwise forwarding the views of the See of Rome among the Christians of the country. And what is the consequence of this neglect of our people, residents, and travellers in these parts? They have no churches to go to, no opportunity of making any public profession of their religion, and are therefore regarded as little better than atheists by the orientals generally, or they are driven to frequent the meetings of Independent missionaries, and thereby have contributed to confirm the native Christians in the