They do not circumcise. It is an absurd calumny that instead of baptism they ever branded children in the cheek with a hot iron.[1] They have had strange ideas about the Holy Eucharist; Barhebræus thinks that there is a hypostatic union between the bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ.[2] If we add to this the Monophysite idea about hypostatic union, we have a very strange position. They believe that the Epiklesis consecrates. They were once really defenders of Confession, as they showed at the time of Mark ibn alḲanbar[3] (p. 241), though now they practise it little. But now we come to an appalling possibility. We saw that Baradai was ordained bishop secretly at Constantinople, and then himself ordained other bishops (p. 324). All their orders come from him. But it has been said, not without some appearance of truth, that Baradai was never ordained bishop, but only priest. So Renaudot doubts all Jacobite orders on this account.[4] However, Assemani thinks his doubt unnecessary.[5] Jacobites pray to saints and for the dead, as do the Copts. They deny Purgatory, but have a theory which comes to the same thing. When good people die angels take their souls to the earthly Paradise; bad people are taken by demons somewhere very uncomfortable, outside the inhabited world, till the day of Judgement. Yet they pray already to saints.[6]
5. Rites and Liturgy
This little sect owes its importance to its rites. The Jacobites supply an excellent example showing that faith, rite and liturgical language are three totally different things, which may occur in every possible combination. For in faith they are one with the Copts; in rite they are poles apart. Their rite has absolutely no connection with the Coptic rite, except that which joins any two Christian orders of service. The Jacobites, almost
- ↑ Assemani: loc. cit. § v.
- ↑ Ib. Cf. Parry: op. cit. 355.
- ↑ Although they condemned Mark they defended Confession. Dionysius Bar Ṣalībi wrote: "Canons concerning the manner of receiving a penitent in the Sacrament of Confession," and an "Order" (Ṭaksâ) for administering the Sacrament. These are printed in Assemani: Bibl. Or. ii. 171-174.
- ↑ Lit. Orient. Coll. i. 345-346.
- ↑ Loc. cit. § v.
- ↑ Ib.
