l. They
sing the psalms of David, of which, as well as the other parts of the
Holy Scriptures, they have a very exact translation in their own
language; in which, though accounted canonical, the books of the
Maccabees are omitted. The instruments of music made use of in their
rites of worship are little drums, which they hang about their necks, and
beat with both their hands; these are carried even by their chief men,
and by the gravest of their ecclesiastics. They have sticks likewise,
with which they strike the ground, accompanying the blow with a motion of
their whole bodies. They begin their concert by stamping their feet on
the ground, and playing gently on their instruments; but when they have
heated themselves by degrees, they leave off drumming, and fall to
leaping, dancing, and clapping their hands, at the same time straining
their voices to the utmost pitch, till at length they have no regard
either to the tune or the pauses, and seem rather a riotous than a
religious assembly. For this manner of worship they cite the psalm of
David, "O clap your hands all ye nations." Thus they misapply the sacred
writings to defend practices yet more corrupt than those I have been
speaking of.

They are possessed with a strange notion that they are the only true
Christians in the world; as for us, they shunned us as heretics, and were
under the greatest surprise at hearing us mention the Virgin Mary with
the respect which is due to her, and told us that we could not be
entirely barbarians since we were acquainted with the mother of God. It
plainly appears that prepossessions so strong, which receive more
strength from the ignorance of the people, have very little tendency to
dispose them to a reunion with the Catholic Church.

They have some opinions peculiar to themselves about purgatory, the
creation of souls, and some of our mysteries. They repeat baptism every
year, they retain the practice of circumcision, they observe the Sabbath,
they abstain from all those sorts of flesh which are forbidden by the
law. Brothers espouse the wives of their brothers, and to conclude, they
observe a great number of Jewish ceremonies.

Though they know the words which Jesus Christ appointed to be used in the
administration of baptism, they have without scruple substituted others
in their place, which makes the validity of their baptism, and the
reality of their Christianity, very doubtful. They have a few names of
saints, the