1590) rejected as stained with Nestorianism.[1] In 1607 Elias VI sent a sound profession and was admitted to union; so did Elias VII in 1657. So at this time both the lines of Sulâḳâ and Bar Mâmâ were Uniate; there were two Uniate Patriarchs of the Chaldees, an Elias at Mosul in the plains and a Mâr Shim‘un at Urmi. But the line of Bar Mâmâ fell away too after Elias VII. In the middle of the 18th century a certain Joseph, Metropolitan of Diyārbakr, renounced his allegiance to Elias VIII, because Elias had broken with the Pope. Joseph came to Rome and received a pallium as Uniate Patriarch. This begins a third line, all Uniate, which lasted till 1826 and then disappeared, because the line of Bar Mama had come back to union (p. 129). Since 1830 this line of Bar Mâmâ, really the only one which has direct continuity from the old Persian Katholikoi, is Uniate. So we have the curious situation that the present Nestorian Patriarch represents the originally Uniate succession of Sulâḳâ, and the Uniate Chaldæan Patriarch the old Nestorian line.[2]
There is nothing now to add about the Nestorians till we come to their present state. A little group of families in Kurdistan and around Lake Urmi, they have been at intervals horribly persecuted by the Kurds, never more than in the 19th century. Then comes their rediscovery by Western travellers and missionaries, which will be described later (pp. 115–126).
2. Nestorian Missions
We must note something about what is the most interesting and the most glorious episode in the history of this Church—its missions. During the long period we have been discussing, down to Timur Leng's destruction of everything, the Nestorians had flourishing missions all over Asia. As long as the empire lasted they were
- ↑ Dr. Neale appears to be pleasantly surprised that no Pope would accept a Nestorian profession of faith; this he thinks a point in their favour (in Badger's Nestorians and their Rituals, i. 404). One is glad that he is pleased, but really these people are amazing. Apparently they think Rome quite capable of throwing overboard Ephesus, if it suits her purpose.
- ↑ For all this see J. Labourt: "Note sur les schismes de l'Église Nestorienne," in the Journal asiatique, x. série, vol. xi. (1908), pp. 227–235; and A. d'Avril: La Chaldée chrétienne, pp. 43–47.
