V. ander, who succeeded to that portion of his master's empire, built Seleucia on the banks of the Tygris, and at the distance of forty miles from Babylon. It became very populous in a short time, and Pliny tells us that it was inhabited by six hundred thousand persons. The dykes of the Euphrates being broken down, spread an extensive inundation over the country; and the branch of that river which passed through Babylon, was sunk so low by this evacuation as to be rendered unnavigable. In consequence of this calamity the city became so incommodious, that as soon as Seleucia was built, all its inhabitants withdrew thither. This circumstance prepared the way for the accomplishment of that celebrated prophecy of Isaiah, who, more than four hundred years before the event, and at a time when Babylon was in the zenith of her prosperity, had foretold that it should one day become entirely desert and uninhabited.9 In the Bibliotheca Patrum there is a Treatise on Paradise, composed by one Moses Bar Cepha, who flourished in the tenth century, and is styled, Bishop of Bethraman and Bethleno, and Curator of the Ecclesiastical affairs of Mozul, or Seleucia Parthorum. These extracts will serve to account for the frequent use of the names here given as synonymous, when speaking of the patriarch whose authority is acknowledged by the Syrian Church of Malabar. To prove the independence of the patriarch of Babylon, in answer to the idle stories to the contrary so eagerly received at 8 Book i. chap. i. sec. 17. 9 Rollin's Ancient History, book xvi. chap. ii. sec. 2. Isaiah xlvii. Prideaux' Connection, part i. book viii. pp. 798, 799. Rome, it is only necessary here to refer to the 33rd Canon of the Council of Nice.1 Canon 33.-" Let the See of Seleucia, which "is one of the Eastern cities, be honoured "likewise, and have the title of Catholicon; and "let the prelate thereof ordain Arch-bishops "as the other patriarchs do, that so the Eastern Christians who live under heathens, may not "be wronged by waiting the patriarch of Anti"och's leisure, or by going to him, but may "have a way opened to them to supply their own necessities; neither will any injury be "done to the patriarch of Antioch thereby, seeing he has consented to its being thus, upon the Synod's having desired it of him." 66 66 From this Canon it is evident, that the Church of Seleucia, or Babylon, was originally subject to the patriarch of Antioch, the primate nearest to that city. And if, as is pretended, the Bishops of Chaldæa acknowledged that they derived their authority from the western fathers, they must have meant the patriarchs of Antioch, not the popes of Rome. For after the erection of that city by Seleucus, it was for many ages honoured as "the Queen of the East;" and when Christianity prevailed generally in Asia, it became the see of the chief patriarch of the eastern churches.3 To such slender authority was the pope glad to appeal in support of his arrogant pretensions. The extensive discussion it has raised may be easily accounted for and explained, if we remember that the primary object of the papacy is to maintain the supremacy of the triple crown. 1 This is taken from the Arabic Canons, which, though not the original Canons of that Council, are yet very ancient. * Geddes. Church of Malabar, pp. 12—18. 3 Prideaux' Connection, part i. book viii. CHAP. V. First attempt Syrians of Malabar with its failure. For the pope to admit the independence of any other ecclesiastical superior, were to relinquish his claim to the primacy of the universal Church. Hence the cruelty, the injustice, the fraud, with which the Roman Church has endeavoured to vindicate this assumption. 3. The first attempts to bring the Christians against the of Malabar into communion with Rome, were made in 1545, by the Cordeliers, or Friars of made by the the order of St. Francis. Of this order was Franciscans, Don Juan d'Albuquerque, first Bishop of Goa, who, as the pope's representative, considered himself as holding supreme ecclesiastical authority in India, and soon turned his attention to the Christians of whom he had heard in the countries South of Goa. He had brought with him to India a Franciscan brother, named Vincent, whom Gouvea describes as "a great servant of God." This man was sent by the Bishop to inquire into the state of the Syrian Christians, and to induce them, if possible, to acknowledge the papal supremacy. Father Vincent, as he is called, proceeded to Cranganore, where he preached for some time without molestation; and being displeased at the sight of Christian Churches so closely resembling the heathen pagodas, he built several places of worship on a more appropriate model. The native Christians, however, were not long in detecting the real object of this friar's mission. At first they welcomed him as a Christian minister, charged with an errand of good will towards them but they soon discovered, that instead of attending to their improvement, and affording them the protection they expected, his principal object was, to make them proselytes to a faith of which they had not yet heard, and to bring them into subjection to a church whose authority they had never acknowledged. After this discovery, Vincent perceived that they paid no more regard to his exhortations; nor could he attempt to coerce them, as he felt that he was too far removed from the Portuguese seat of government to make any use of their secular authority. But, though conscious of the difficulty of his situation, he was not slow to project a remedy. Finding that he could make no impression upon the Cattanars, and that without their concurrence he could gain no attention from the people; he determined to educate some Syrian priests in his own doctrines, hoping, through them, to persuade the whole community to exchange their ancient rites and creed for those of Rome. Accordingly, he applied to the Viceroy, and to the Bishop of Goa, for permission and assistance to found a College at Cranganore; and both those authorities readily complied with his request. The establishment was soon formed, and several Syrian youths were instructed in the Latin tongue and ritual: but when they attempted to preach, it was found that all these pains had been taken to little purpose. The Syrians had allowed their sons to attend the college; but after their ordination, about which they do not appear to have been consulted, they refused to recognise their orders, would not allow them to preach anywhere to the people, and looked upon them as tools of Rome, and apostates from the faith of their fathers. Hitherto they had permitted the Portuguese to enter their churches; but now that their suspicions were awakened, they shut the doors against them, and also against their own sons who had been educated and ordained at Cranganore. It were 4 The name of the Syrian priests. CHAP. V. Second attempt by the fails. to forget the infirmity of human nature to imagine, that there was no human passion to stimulate the resistance which they offered to this attempt to deceive them. In such a case, however, who could refuse to extenuate their anger? But, whatever mixture there might be of human infirmity, their proceedings did not originate in a mere ebullition of feeling, for throughout the whole business they were acting in obedience to the ancient canons of their church.5 4. Seeing the failure of this Franciscan's Jesuits, also attempts, and considering the mission an enterprise of too great importance to be abandoned, the Jesuits devised another expedient. They attributed the discomfiture of father. Vincent to his neglect of the Syrians' predilection for their ancient language, and determined to profit by his mistake. To diminish the force of the prejudice raised in the Syrians' minds by the former undertaking, the Jesuits fixed upon another spot for their establishment, the village of Vaipicotta, about one league from Cranganore. Here they erected a college some time after, under the auspices of Antonio Guedes Morales, with considerable assistance from the King of Portugal, and the permission of the Rajah of Cochin. The pupils of Vincent had been perpetually reproached by the Syrians for abandoning the language and costume of their fathers, and assuming those of the Portuguese. The Jesuits thought to obviate this objection, by teaching their scholars Syriac, and allowing them to retain the accustomed dress of the cattanars. For a time the plan appeared to succeed, and the establishment went on with fair promise. This appearance, however, soon A. D. 1587. 5 La Croze, p. 55. |