his private opinions, he would be a Zoroastrian ruler, prepared, as facts were to show, to deal most drastically with his former brethren.
The Assyrian Church as such was apparently not affected by either the revolution or the counter-revolution, any more than the same Church in modern times was affected by changes in the Ottoman Empire, though, of course, the daily life of every member of the body was profoundly influenced. Acacius the Patriarch died during the changes, and was succeeded by Babai, a married man, who was allowed by Zamasp to assembfe the bishops of the Church in council in 497. A firman was necessary for this, as for anything out of the ordinary routine of life; for the oriental official is always afraid (or the rayat is afraid that the official will be afraid) of anything not absolutely familiar. The doctrine that the assembly of any council, general or otherwise, needs the commandment and will of the prince seems perfectly natural to an Eastern.
The firman gave a significant hint that it would be well to re-affirm the canon permitting the marriage of all clergy—for a conspicuous dissimilarity of custom does more to provoke racehatred than any abstract doctrine—and the rule was passed accordingly. It is worth noting that this canon—so far as the writer has been able to ascertain—has never been repealed; and therefore presumably remains the law (though not the practice) of the Assyrian Church to this day. At present it it held usually that all clergy up to the grade of bishop may marry; and they do so freely. But bishops, in all the various communions that we unscientifically "lump together" under the name of "the Eastern Church," must be strictly celibates.
When Abd-Ishu of Nisibis, during the thirteenth century, collated the various councils that were of
