A sort of Christians in a peninsula of India on this side the gulf; they inhabit chiefly at Cranganor, and the neighbouring country; these admit of no images, and receive only the cross, to which they pay a great veneration. They affirm, that the souls of the saints do not see God till after the day of judgment; they acknowledge but three sacraments, viz. baptism, orders, and the Eucharist; they make no use of holy oils in the administration of baptism, but after the ceremony, anoint the infant with an unction composed of oil and walnuts, without any benediction. In the Eucharist they consecrate with little cakes made of oil and salt, and instead of wine make use of water in which raisins have been infused. In the Asiatic Researches of the Society instituted in Bengal, may be found an enlarged account of the Christians of St. Thomas, which was laid before that society by F. Wrede, Esq.
See also Monthly Magazine for 1804, p. 60. and Dr. Kerr's Report to Lord Behtich, on the state of the Christians inhabiting the kingdom of Cochin and Travancore. Evang. Mag. 1807. p. 473.
Despite a stated reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible and the dictates of common sense, Buck's Theological Dictionary, first published in London in 1802, seeks to provide a textual basis for the evangelical community. By combining brief essays on orthodox belief and practice with historical entries on various denominations, Buck provided an interpretive lens that allowed antebellum Protestants to see Christianity's almost two millennia as their own history.Wikipedia
Read More