The critical history of the religions and customs of the eastern nations written in French by the learned Father Simon ; and now done into English, by A. Lovell ...

CHAP. V. Of the Belief and Customs of the Georgians or Iberians, and of those of Colchis or Mangrelia.

IN the History(1) which Galanus hath cau∣sed to be Printed at Rome, concerning the Reconciliation of the Armenian Church with the Roman, there are some Curious Pieces re∣lating to the Present State of the Iberians, and other neighbouring People. Pope Urban VIII. sent Emissaries to these People, of which Fa∣ther Avitabolis a Regular Priest was the chief: And this Monk wrote from that Countrey a Letter to the Pope, wherein he marks the Er∣rours of the Iberians exactly enough, which are the same that are attributed to the Greeks; to wit, they acknowledge, indeed, a Purgatory, but not in the manner the Latins do, be∣cause(2) they onely believe that the Souls are in a Place of Obscurity and Sadness, without being tormented by Fire: they deny the par∣ticular Judgment of Souls, being perswaded that when one dies, his Soul is by his Guardian Angel carried into the Presence of Christ; and if it be the Soul of a just Man that is without Sin, it is immediately sent into a Place of Light

and Joy: if it be the Soul of a wicked Man, it is put into an obscure Place; if that Person dye in the Act of Repentance, it is sent for a time into the Place of Horrour and Obscurity, whence it is afterwards conveyed into the Place of Joy; and all expect the day of General Judgment, because they absolutely deny that the Souls see God before that time. The Ibe∣rians, besides, according to the same Authour, believe that Infidels are onely judged in a par∣ticular Judgment, and not at the General Judgment. They ground themselves upon these words of the Gospel,(1) He that belie∣veth not is condemned already. Nor do they be∣lieve(2) that the Pains of the Damned are Eternal: but they say, that if a Christian dye in Mortal Sin, without Repentance, he may be relieved out of Hell before the Universal Judgment, by praying to God for him. How∣ever, I think that that Belief which comes near to that of Origen, and which seems to have been followed by some new Greeks, is not the real Belief of the Iberians, who exactly con∣form to the Faith of the Greek Church; but that which hath given occasion of imputing it to them, is because they own but one Place after Death where they put the Souls of the Damned, and those who are thought to be in Purgatory. Now seeing they pray indifferent∣ly for all the Souls which are shut up in that Place which they call Hell, that God would deliver them from the Pains of Hell, and that he would remove them from that obscure Prison to the Place of Light and Joy which is Paradise; it hath easily been inferred from thence, that they believed not Hell to be Ever∣lasting,

which is to be understood with Limi∣tation, and in regard of some Souls onely who endure their Purgatory in that Place.

The Iberians agree also with the Greeks, as to their Opinion of Confession, and speak of it after the same manner. They work on the most solemn Holy-days, even on Christmas-day: but that is not contrary to the Practice of the first Ages. This is their way of bapti∣sing. In the first Place the Priest reads a great many Prayers over the Child; and when he comes to the words wherein we make the Form of Baptism to consist, he does not stop, but reads on, without Baptising the Child at that time: then so soon as he hath done rea∣ding, the Child is stript, and is at length bap∣tised by the Godfather, and not by the Priest; which is done without pronouncing other words, than those that were pronounced some time before. They are not very pressing to receive Baptism; and they rebaptise those who return again to the Faith after Apostasie. The Priest alone, amongst them, is the true Mi∣nister of Baptism.(1) So that for want of a Priest the Child must dye without Baptism; and some of their Doctours are of opinion, that in that case the Baptism of the Mother is sufficient to save the Child. With Baptism they administer to Children Confirmation, and the Eucharist. They confess for the first time, when they marry: which they doe also when they are at the Point of Death; but their Confessi∣on is made in three or four words. If a Priest fall into any uncleanness which he confesses, the Confessour deprives him of the Power of celebrating Mass. And therefore the Priests,

have a care not to confess those Kinds of Sins.(1) They give the Communion to Children when they are a dying, and those that are come to Age receive it but seldom. The Prince forces the Churchmen, and even the Bishops to goe to the Wars: and when they return home again, they celebrate Mass with∣out any Dispensation for their irregularity. They are of the Opinion, that no more than one Mass should be said in one Day upon one Altar and in one Church. They consecrate in Chalices of Wood,(2) And they carry the Sacrament to the Sick with great irreverence, without light or attendance. On some Holy∣days the priests together assist at the Mass of the Bishop, who gives them the Sacrament in their hands, and they themselves carry it to their Mouths. The Churchmen do not daily say their Breviary; but one or two onely say it, and the rest listen. He that recites the Office is commonly a Priest, and they who are present for most part do not hear. Most of the Iberians hardly know the Principles of Re∣ligion. If they have no Children by their Wives they divorce from them with the Per∣mission of the Priests, and marry others; which they doe also in case of Adultery and Quarrel∣ling. They alledge that there are no more Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome, and(3) that the Pope can give no Dispensa∣tions but in matters of positive Right, nor in these neither if they be of great conse∣quence.

(4)Father Avitabolis in the same Letter to Pope Urban VIII. describes the Politick State of the Iberians; and amongst other things ob∣serves,

the great Authority of the Princes and Nobles: for the Princes without any regard to that which is called Ecclesiastical Liberty or Immunity, use Priests as Servants. They slight the Bishops and punish them. They obey not the Patriarch, who takes the Title of Catho∣lick or Universal; and yet it is not he who is the chief in Spiritual Affairs, but the Prince, who is Supreme both in Spirituals and Temporals. The Nobles doe the same within their own Lands in regard of the Bishops and Priests. The Prince has his Voice with the Bishops in the Election of the Patriarch, and all chuse him whom he desires. The Will of the Prince and of the several Lords within their Territo∣ries stands for Law, and they have no Judges for examining the Justice of Causes; neither have they any particular Statutes to walk by, not so much as admitting Witnesses. The Princes dispose at their Pleasure of the Estates of their Subjects, as well as of their Persons. In fine, the Patriarch of Constantinople sends Caloyers often into that Countrey, to entertain them in their Enmity against the Pope.

That Letter was written in the Year 1631. by Father Avitabolis to Pope Urban VIII. from Goris in Georgia or Iberia; and in the same Book of Galanus are inserted the Letters of the Prince of the Georgians to Pope Urban VIII. which are kept amongst the Records of the Congregation de propaganda fide. That Prince amongst other things affirms that the Faith hath been preserved pure in his Domi∣nions since Constantine the Great to his time, and he allows a Chapel to the Missionaries of Rome, that they may pray to God for him.

This Letter is dated in the Year 1629. Pope Urban wrote back to that Prince, and sent a Letter also to the Metropolitan named Za∣chary.

What the Prince of the Georgians wrote to Pope Urban concerning the Faith which he pretends to have been in his Dominions since the time of the Emperour Constantine, is con∣sonant(1) to the History of Socrates.(2) And Balsamon reckons the Churches of Iberia a∣mongst those Churches which were absolute, and owned no Head on which they depen∣ded. he observes that that was done in the time of Peter, Patriarch of Antioch, by a Sy∣nodal Statute: and that at that time that Church depended on the Church of Antioch. And for that reason the Metropolitan of Georgia took the Title of Patriarch.

Galanus joyns to the Iberians those of Colchis or Mengrelia, saying, that as they are Neigh∣bours, so they have the same Belief, onely with this difference, that the Mengrelians living on the Mountains, and in the Woods, are a wickeder sort of People than the Georgians; that they are so ignorant in Religion, that they know not so much as the words necessary for Baptism, which they administer after the manner of the Georgians, and to render it the more solemn, they sometimes Baptise with Wine without Water; but we have said enough of the Georgians. The exposition that hath been made of their Faith, confirms the Be∣lief of the Greeks: And it would not be diffi∣cult to prove it to be very Ancient, and that the manner also of their administring Baptism, Marriage and other Sacraments is lawfull;

though it differ from the Practice of the Church of Rome. What we at present call Matter and Form of Sacraments amongst us, ought not to be a Rule to other Christian Nations who are ignorant of these Names. It is certain the Orientals acknowledge no other Form of these Sacraments, but the Prayers which they make in administring them. I shall say nothing in this Place of the Religion of the Muscovites, because in all things they follow the Belief of the Greeks, of whom we have treated at large.

Notes

• (1)

  Clem. Ga∣lan. in Concil. Armen. cum Rom. Edit. Rom. typ. Con∣greg. de propag. fide. Ann. 1650.
• (2)

  Purgatori∣um affirmant, non tamen per ignem, sed a∣nimas cruciari in loco obscuro & maestitu∣dinis.
• (1)

  John. 3.
• (2)

  Inferorum poenas non fa∣ciunt aeternas.
• (1)

  In periculo obitûs si desit sacerdos, in∣fans non bap∣tizatur.
• (1)

  Pueris mo∣rientibus prae∣bent Eucha∣ristiam.
• (2)

  Eucharisti∣am deferunt ad infirmos maxima cum irreverentia, sine comitatu & luminibus.
• (3)

  Sentiunt Pontificem in jure duntaxat positivo dis∣pensare posse, sed in re levi, non gravi.
• (4)

  Avitab. Rel. Theatin.
• (1)

  Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 6.
• (2)

  Balsam. An∣not. in Can. 2. Conc. 2. Gene∣ral.