as, to pray to St. Antony of
Padua, together with one repetition of the Lord's prayer, and one of
Hail Mary, &c. every day for three days. When I was thus in doubt from
the weakness of their proofs, one of the monks said to me, "If you wish
to know _good tobacco_, ask the patriarch." I hoped that this priest
would explain to me those doctrines of the Romish church, which I could
not believe; so I went into his chamber and questioned him very
particularly on all points. He expressed his wish that we might discuss
together all the points one by one, but on condition that the patriarch
Joseph should appoint him to do so. He told me he had in his possession
a book refuting the opinions of Luther and Calvin. I begged permission
to read it; but he refused, telling me that the doctrines of the church
all remained unrefuted. He wished me to go down to the patriarch Joseph
on this business. So after a stay of four days from my arrival, I
departed for Ain Warka according to my promise to Hoory Joseph.

Here I found one of my friends of whom I had heard that he had been very
much astonished at my connexion with the Bible men. After I had seen
him, and had conversed with him a little on some points, he would no
longer hear me, fearing among other things lest he should be crazed.
When we touched on the subject of the great city above mentioned, he
told me that he had seen a book of commentaries on the Revelation, which
made the city clearly to be Rome. At this I wondered greatly, since the
meaning was so clear that not even the teachers of the Romish church
herself could deny it. I then finished my confession to Hoory Joseph
Shaheen, and about sunset the same day, went down to the patriarch to
the convent Alma. He requested me again to write a paper stating that my
faith was according to the faith of the Romish church. From this I
excused myself, begging that such a thing might not be required of me,
for the council of Trent had added nothing to the rule of faith, which
was established by that of Nice, which begins, "I believe in one God,"
&c. A short space after, I gave him my advice, with modest arguments,
and mild suggestions, on his duty to cause the gospel to be preached in
the church among the Maronite people; and offered him the opinion that
this should be done by the priests in the vulgar language, every Sabbath
day, for the space of one or two hours; and if this should appear too
burthensome to the people, to take off from t