CHAP. I. Two Carme lites arrive dissatisfac at Surat whether their church maintains it, they do not comprehend their own system. Educated, perhaps, in a country where it is found expedient to disguise her offensive character; and taught from childhood to discredit all accounts of papal persecutions in former days; they are accustomed to regard such statements as slanders upon their Church. They do not know the infamous sentiments and proceedings of the Jesuits, in all countries where they have had freedom to carry on their crusade against the liberties and religion of the Christian world: or, if informed of them, they have viewed them as the excesses of that intolerant order, rather than the natural consequence of their Church's claim to supremacy and infallibility. 14. The Carmelites, Vincent and Joseph, on their arrival at Surat, found themselves little less embarrassed in attempting to make their way to the coast of Malabar, than poor Attalla before them. For their appearance in India their arrival. excited the jealousy both of the Portuguese and tion of the Jesuits and Portuguese at the Jesuits, who for a time combined to thwart them in their enterprise. By virtue of the grant of Pope Alexander VI. the Portuguese claimed the sovereignty of the East, in which term they comprehended Japan and China,2 as well as India. They, therefore, looked upon the appointment of these missionaries without their concurrence as an intrusion upon their province. Accordingly, their despatches were not sanctioned in Portugal, and their arrival in India greatly displeased the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. The Jesuits, whose influence in India was now great, did not fail to This claim, says Navarrete, will cost the lives of all the Europeans in those nations, if it ever comes to their knowledge. Tradado, vi. p. 409. Col. ii. La Croze, p. 354. foment this dissatisfaction; and as the Portu guese were in possession of Goa, Cranganore, and many other places on the coast which the missionaries would have to pass on their way to Malabar, they hoped to intercept them, and destroy their mission in the bud. If it be remembered that these Carmelites were specially selected by the Church, and authorized by the Pope of Rome to enter upon this mission, we may again observe, as already seen in the Madura mission, how little regard the Jesuits will pay to the figment of the papal supremacy and infallibility, when they find it convenient to neglect them both. A. D. 1656. tection of 15. The missionaries, disappointed at this re- Cannanore ception, and finding that they had nothing but under prointerruption to expect from the members of the Dutch. their own church, applied for protection and passports to the Dutch, who were then at war with the Portuguese, and commanded almost the whole coast. The Dutch commander, though a protestant, complied with their request, and, besides the passports, gave them letters of recommendation to the authorities on shore with whom he had influence. Without this friendly aid, they would have found it very difficult to reach the place of their destination. They arrived at Cannanore about the commencement of the year 1657, and proceeded without delay to Calicut, resolving to travel thence by land to Cochin. The Portuguese resident at Calicut, whose authority was second only to that of the Zamorin, represented to them the dangers to which they would be exposed by the way; advised them to go by water as the safer route; and assured them, 3 This was probably the backwater, by which the greater A. D. 1657. CHAP. I. Interview with the cattanar of Palur. that if they could effect their journey to Cochip they would have nothing more to fear. With whatever motive this advice was given, their diversion from the course described led to their own preservation, and that of their mission. Their boats having brought them to Palur, one of the parishes of the diocese of Angamale, they were induced to stop there: whereas, had they gone to Cochin, as advised, there can be little doubt that the Portuguese and the Jesuits would have put an end to their mission to the Malabar Christians, notwithstanding the briefs which they brought from the Pope. 16. On their arrival at Palur, the cattanar, who was rector of the place, concealed himself in order to avoid them. Their interpreter having found him, he spoke to him on their behalf, and persuaded him to allow them to wait upon him. But he gave them a very cool reception, and carried his caution so far, that, although he understood Portuguese very well, he would hold no intercourse with them in that language, but spake through the interpreter, carefully observing all their words. After some minutes' conversation, however, he became more familiar, and told them frankly the state of affairs. He informed them what was the present temper of the people's mind, and what the pretensions of the Archdeacon, whom he advised them first to visit at Rapolino, where he resided. At the same time, he exhorted them to avoid all the territories and stations of the Portuguese; encouraged them to expect that the Archdeacon would welcome them as messengers arrived from Heaven, sent for the good of the country; and part of the journey might be performed. This, as noticed in a former part of this work, is the usual mode of travelling in Malabar. assured them, that his return to the obedience of the Pope would be followed by that of the whole nation. A. D. 1657. Archdeacon them with suspicion Jesuits op pose them. 17. With these hopes they embarked for Visit to Rapolino, where they arrived after a voyage of Rapolinoa day and a half, having carefully avoided the receives Portuguese fortress of Paliporto and the town of Cranganore, which lay in their route. Immediately on landing they sent their interpreter to the Archdeacon, with a letter from the cattanar of Palur, acquainting him with the arrival of the missionaries in the country, their object, and credentials. This intelligence, however, instead of gratifying the Archdeacon, awakened in him some anxious thoughts, and for a time he remained silent. He had too much cause to look with suspicion on any messenger from Rome not to feel dejected at this intelligence. At length he assembled his council, and, with their concurrence, resolved not to admit the missionaries into their church, but to conceal them in some place more retired. According to the missionaries own report, they were not very comfortable in their retirement. Here they conferred together, through the Portuguese convert, Diez, on all questions relating to the re-union of the Syrians with the Church of Rome; but the conference came to nothing. The Carmelites are said to have obeyed their instructions with great diligence and zeal; but they found the Christians as far as ever from submitting to the Pope, and, indeed, even more determined against it than they were before the labours of Menezes: and the missionaries' difficulties arising from the irritated state of the Syrians' minds, were much increased by the intrigues of the Jesuits, who, tenacious of the jurisdiction of which they had just been I. CHAP. deprived, did all in their power to impede the Carmelites; for they were resolved that the diocese of Malabar should be for ever lost to the Church of Rome, rather than see it pass into any other hands. Of this, abundant evidence will soon appear. So much again for the vaunted union of catholicism! Yet who can fail to observe, or refuse to acknowledge, the good providence of God, in so overruling the jealousy of these ambitious men, as to cause it to divide their strength against the poor Christians at this juncture of their affairs, and to leave them at liberty for a season to complete the work of emancipation which they had begun! They refuse to recognise Archdea con's consecration. Or to conse crate him deacon's re 18. The man of most influence in the Archdeacon's council was Ita Thomas, who was firm in his attachment to the Nestorian creed, and the most opposed to any re-union with the Church of Rome. At their first interview with the Carmelites, he told them, that since the Archdeacon had been chosen Bishop of the diocese by the unanimous voice of the Church, and had been recognised as such by all the princes on the coast, they also must first acknowledge him in that capacity; for until that point was conceded, they had nothing to expect from them. This demand embarrassed the missionaries not a little, as they had no power to make such a concession. On their stating this, they were conducted back to their secret apartment. 19. Here they remained in much difficulty again-de- what step to take next, when, after two days, mand Arch- their anxiety was relieved by another proposal signation of from the council. Since they had refused to recognise the Archdeacon's consecration, it was thought advisable for him to be consecrated again in the regular way. To this he con his office, which is refused. |