ten years past, it having been established in the first year of the new century.* Mr. Brown would have probably returned from India with his large family by this time, but his diffusive benevolence in private charity, and in public undertakings, both in India and England, and the frequent demands on a man in his public station, he being at the head of the Church in Bengal, have not permitted him to increase his fortune suitably. And now, the prospect which opens to his view of being more extensively useful than before, in encouraging translations of the Scriptures, in promoting the objects of the Bible Society, and in educating his sons for the Oriental Church, makes him willing to remain a few longer in India. years THE ARMENIANS. A LEARNED author, in a work published about the beginning of last century, entitled "The Light of the Gospel, rising on all nations," observes, "that the Armenian Christians will be most emi"nently qualified for the office of extending the "knowledge of Christianity throughout the nations *This Institution not only assists occasionally, but pension.s permanently Europeans, Mahomedans, and Hindoos. "of Asia*." This is undoubtedly true. Next to the Jews, the Armenians will form the most generally useful body of Christian Missionaries. They are to be found in every principal city of Asia; they are the general merchants of the East, and are in a state of constant motion from Canton to Constantinople. Their general character is that of a wealthy, industrious, and enterprising people. They are settled in all the principal places of India, where they arrived many centuries before the English. Wherever they colonize, they build Churches, and observe the solemnities of the Christian Religion in a decorous manner. Their Ecclesiastical Establishment in Hindostan is more respectable than that of the English. Like us, they have three Churches in the three capitals, one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and one at Bombay; but they have also Churches in the interior of the countryf. The Bishop sometimes visits Calcutta; but he is not resident there. The proper country of these Christians is Armenia, the greater part of which is subject to the Persian Government; but they are scattered all over the *Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 651. + In Bengal alone, they have Churches at Dacca, Sydabad, and Chinsurah. Empire, the commerce of Persia being chiefly conducted by Armenians. Their Patriarch resides at Erivan, not far from Mount Ararat. The history of the Armenian Church is very interesting. Of all the Christians in central Asia, they have preserved themselves most free from Mahomedan and Papal corruptions. The Pope assailed them for a time with great violence, but with little effect. The Churches in lesser Armenia indeed consented to an union, which did not long continue; but those in Persian Armenia maintained their independence; and they retain their ancient Scriptures, doctrines, and worship, to this day. "It is marvellous," says an intelligent "traveller, who was much among them, "how "the Armenian Christians have preserved their faith, equally against the vexatious oppression "of the Mahomedans their Sovereigns, and against the persuasions of the Romish Church, "which for more than two centuries has endea"voured, by Missionaries, Priests, and Monks, "to attach them to her Communion. It is im"possible to describe the artifices and expences "of the Court of Rome, to effect this object; "but all in vain."* * Chardin, vol. II. p. 232, The Bible was translated into the Armenian Language in the fifth century, under very auspicious circumstances, the history of which has come down to us. It has been allowed, by competent judges of the language, to be a most faithful translation. La Croze calls it "The "Queen of Versions *." This Bible has ever remained in the possession of the Armenian people; and many illustrious instances of genuine and enlightened piety occur in their history. The manuscript copies not being sufficient for the demand, a council of Armenian Bishops assembled in 1662, and resolved to call in aid the art of Printing, of which they had heard in Europe. For this purpose they applied first to France, but the Catholic Church refused to print their Bible. At length it was printed at Amsterdam in 1666, and afterwards two other editions in 1668 and 1698. Since that time it has been printed at Venice. One of the editions, which the Author has seen, is not inferior, in beauty of typography, to the best English Bible. How far these editions * Mr. Joannes Lassar, who is now making a version of the Scriptures in the Chinese Language in Bengal, is an Armenian Christian, and translates chiefly from the Armenian Bible. But he also understands English, and consults the English version. might have supplied the Churches in Persia at that time, he does not know; but, at present, the Armenian Scriptures are very rare in that country, bearing no proportion to the Armenian population; and, in India, a copy is scarcely to be purchased at any price. The Armenians in Hindostan are our own subjects. They acknowledge our government in India, as they do that of the Sophi in Persia; and they are entitled to our regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity; and their doctrines are, as far as the Author knows, the doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain the solemn observance of Christian worship, throughout our Empire, on the seventh day; and they have as many spires pointing to heaven among the Hindoos, as we ourselves. Are such a people then entitled to no acknowledgement on our part, as fellow-Christians? Are they for ever to be ranked by us with Jews, Mahomedans, and Hindoos?" Would it not become us to approach nearer to these our subjects, endeavour to gain * Sarkies Joannes, an Armenian merchant of Calcutta, when he heard of the King's recovery from illness in 1789, liberated all the prisoners for debt in the gaol of Calcutta. His Majesty, hearing of this instance of loyalty in an Armenian subject, sent him his picture in miniature. Sarkies wore the |