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. VI. A Supplement concerning the Belief and Customs of the Georgians and Mengre∣lians.

I Have lately read a(1) 1.1 Manuscipt Relation, attributed to Father Zampi, a Theatin, wherein are described at large the Ignorance and Errours of these people, and especially of the Mengrelians, most of whose Priests, if we will credit that Authour, cannot be cer∣tain that they have really received Priest∣hood, because it many times happens, that they who ordain them have not been bapti∣sed. The Bishops who are commonly more ignorant than the Priests, never examine their Capacity, but onely if they have Money to pay for their Ordination; which amounts to

the Price of a Horse. These Priests may not onely marry, according to the Custome of the Greek Church, before they are ordained, but they may also marry a second time, by pro∣curing a Dispensation from their Bishop which costs a Pistol. Neither does the Patriarch or∣dain a Bishop, without he pay him the Summ of 500 Crowns. When any Man falls sick he presently sends for a Priest, to assist him rather as a Physician, than as a Ghostly Father, who never speaks to his Patient of Confession; but by turning over the Leaves of a Book very attentively, he seems to search for the true Cause of the Distemper, which he imputes to the Anger of some of their Images; for these People have a Belief, that their Images are sometimes angry with them. And therefore the Priest orders the Patient to make an Of∣fering to appease the Wrath of the Image, that Offering consists in Cattle or Money, and all the Profit comes to the Priest alone.

It is farther observed in that Relation, that so soon as a Child is born into the World, the Priest does not more but anoint it with Oil, making the sign of the Cross on its Fore∣head, and that Baptism is deferred untill the Child be about two years old. Then they baptise it dipping it in hot-water, and anoin∣ting it all over; at length they give it Bread that hath been blessed to eat, and Wine to drink: which appears to be the Ancient way of Baptism, when they administred at the same time Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. These People believe that Baptism, consists chiefly in the anointing with the Oil that hath been consecrated by the Patriarch:

which does not disagree with the Doctrine of the Orientals, who call that Unction the Per∣fection of Baptism.

Father Zampi who was no less full with the prejudices of the Theology of the Latins, than the other Emissaries we mentioned be∣fore, put many questions to them relating to that Theology. Amongst other things he asked them, whether when they administred any Sacrament, they had a real intention to administer it? And(1) 1.2 thereupon he doubts, whether they truely consecrate the Bread and the Wine, because they know not what that intention means. He asked them besides, wherein they made the Form of Consecration to consist? And having put that Question to many of them, there was but one who gave him any satisfaction, and who in effect re∣hearsed the words of Consecration. But it is easie to judge, that the Mengrelian who there∣upon satisfied Father Zampi, speaks rather in the Sense of the Father, than according to the Sentiment of those of his Nation. What is strangest of all, and which some will hardly believe, a Mengrelian Priest being by the same Father asked the Question,(2) 1.3 whether after the Consecration of the Bread and the Wine, the same Bread and Wine were really chan∣ged into the Body and Bloud of Jesus Christ! the Mengrelian smiling made answer, that one could not conceive how Jesus Christ could leave Heaven to come down upon Earth, and that he could be lodged in so small a Morsel of Bread. But this does not at all agree with the Testimony, that Father Zampi gives in another Place of the Belief of that

People concerning the Eucharist. And seeing such kind of Questions are impertinently made by the Emissaries to the People of the East, who are not at all acquainted with our Disputes about that Sacrament, we are not to wonder at their Answers, if they suit not always with our Principles. The Mengrelian Papas on that occasion consulted onely his Senses, and made an answer much like to that which the Capernaites made to our Lord, How can this Man give us his Flesh? Father Zampi added another Question as impertinent as the rest. He asked the same Papas, whe∣ther in Case the Priest should forget the words of Consecration, would the Mase be good? to which he answered, why not? The Priest, indeed would sin; but the Mass would still be good. It is strange an Emissary should put such Questions to People whom he knows to be in profound ignorance, and who are so far from understanding the Questions that have for some Ages onely been handled in the Schools, that they have but a slight Tinc∣ture of the Principles of Christian Religion.

But that which scandalized Father Zampi the most, was the little Respect that the Papas of Mengrelia have for the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which they keep not, as the Latins do, in precious Vessels, but in a little bag of Leather or Cloath, which they always tye to their Girdle, carrying it about with them wheresoever they goe, to be made use of upon occasions, when they are to give the Viaticum to the sick. Nor doe they make any Difficulty to give it to be carried by others, whether it be Man or Woman: and seeing the

Consecrated Bread is hard, they break it into little Pieces to be moistened, without much regard to the small Crums of that Consecra∣ted Bread that fall upon the ground, or that sick to their Hands.* 1.4 [*] I confess these People pay not Veneration enough to that August Sa∣crament: but, on the other hand, it is not reasonable, to exact from them all the Exter∣nal Worship that is rendered to it in the Western Church, seeing they have not the same reasons to doe it, having no Berengarians amongst them, that might oblige them to give those Exteriour Marks of their Belief. We can expect no more from them, than what was practised in the first Ages of the Church: And it is not peculiar to the Mengrelians alone to keep in a leathern Bag the Sacrament which is to serve for a Viaticum; the same is also ob∣served in some Greek Churches, who in that manner keep it fastened to the Wall in their Churches.

Notes

• (1) 1.1

  Breve com∣pendio nel quale si rachi∣ude tutto cio che à sacri riti e al divino cultos' aspetta della natione de Colchi detti Mengreli e Georgiani.
• (1) 1.2

  Circal in∣tentione, non sanno che sia, solo per usan∣za celebrano e per l' Elemosi∣na, per cio se sia valida la consecratione mi rimetto a' dottori.
• (2) 1.3

  Interrogai uno di questi Reverendi, se fatta la con∣secratione del pane e vino con le sodette paro∣le veramente dopo que pane e vino fosse il corpo e sangue di Christo? Questo so∣ridendo, come se gli havessi detta una fa∣cetia, disse, chi porta Christo nel pane, e co∣me puo venir∣vi e come puo stare in cosi poco pane, e perche si vol partire dal ci∣lo per venir in terra, ne mai si è vista simil cosa.
• * 1.4

  [*]