The Armenians

We next notice the Armenians of the East Indies. Here was quite a large body of Christians who had had little or no connection with the churches of Europe for many centuries. So they were preserved from many of the false doctrines of the great apostasy. Mr. Massie describes them as follows:ChSa 146.8

“Separated from the Western world for a thousand years, they were naturally ignorant of many novelties introduced by the councils and decrees of the Lateran. And their conformity with the faith and practice of the first ages laid them open to the unpardonable guilt of heresy and schism, as estimated by the church of Rome. ‘We are Christians, and not idolaters,’ was their expressive reply when required to do homage to the image of the Virgin Mary. ... La Croze states them at fifteen hundred churches, and as many towns and villages. They refused to recognize the pope, and declared they had never heard of him; they asserted the purity and primitive truth of their faith since they came, and their bishops had for thirteen hundred years been sent, from the place where the followers of Jesus had first been called Christians.”-Continental India, Vol. II, pp. 116, 117.ChSa 147.1

Mr. Yeates hints at the sabbatarian character of these Christians. He says that Saturday-ChSa 147.2

“Among them is a festival day, agreeable to the ancient practice of the church.”-East Indian Church History, pages 133, 134.ChSa 147.3

The same fact is also again hinted at by the same writer as follows:ChSa 147.4

“The inquisition was set up at Goa in the Indies, at the instance of Francis Xavier [a famous Roman saint], who signified by letters to the Pope John, November 10, 1545, p. 3. ‘That THE JEWISH WICKEDNESS spreads more and more in the parts of the East Indies subject to the kingdom of Portugal, and therefore he earnestly besought the said king, that to cure so great an evil he would take care to send the office of the Inquisition into those countries.’”-Idem, pages 139,140.ChSa 147.5

There can be no reasonable doubt that the “Jewish wickedness” here referred to is the same as observing Saturday “agreeable to the ancient practice of the church,” spoken of above. We here have another evidence of the hatred of the Roman Church to the Sabbath. It must be put down by the inquisition, if found in existence where that church has authority.ChSa 147.6