particularly endeavoured to ascertain by va-
rious collateral evidences the histories of the
Syrian Christians of St. Thomas, and the origin
of that ancient Indian Church coeval with the
apostolic agej — he has likewise, with great
pains collected, and from the most unquestion-
able authorities, given an accurate relation 'of
the first. Christian Missions in China, presum-
ing, that such an interesting article of Chui*eh
History tnay be a matter of l-esearch in %h6
Chinese histories fbr that pe^^iodi if is«ch ave
eXtant; and that at the fea&t, tha* Pelatioh
serves for an example of MisSletoS On a grand
scale.
, s •-

The author ha& been largely indebted to
the Oriental Collections of Assemahnus^ from
whose works he still chepishesi the hope of
drawing much more valtiable infortosition)
should the Christian public istvotur the present
sttiaU work:-— what he has ad.van<^dt fespeott-
ing the transactions of the Catholic interest i^i



ADVERTISEMENT. V

India could not be omitted, it being requisite
to a more perfect understanding of several
methods whereby that Church hath laboured
to subjugate those numerous Christians :-^and
he has added such further remarks and illus-
trations as seemed most conducive to the
perspicuity of the subject; and from the joint
reports of the Rev. Dr. Kerr, and Dr. C.
Buchanan, those distinguished evangelical
tourists in the East, very important matter is
elicited respecting the existing state of those
Indian Churches : and the probable happy
result of their being thus authentically repre-
sented and announced to the Christians of
Europe.
-CONTENTS.
