CHAP. V. Contrasts his own the parsimony of the Syrian Bishops. further said, that he had been compelled to depose the rebel, and to pronounce him excommunicated, as an abettor of heretics, and associated with infidel kings against the Christian religion : that he had thought it fitting to explain to them his conduct, that they might all unite with him, and abandon an ecclesiastic, who, after repeated remonstrances, had yet shown no inclination to yield him due obedience. The falsehood of this accusation must be obvious to every one, unless we concede the papal assumption of universal authority in Christendom, and consent to identify Christianity herself with the church of Rome. While Menezes accused the Archdeacon of associating with infidel kings, to whom, as sovereigns of the country, the Syrians were entitled to look for protection; he ought to have remembered, that he was himself using every means to secure the assistance of those very powers for the subjugation of the Syrian church. The people, however, were either too simple to detect the fallacy and inconsistency of what he said, or too obsequious to raise a question against it. They are reported to have been satisfied with all they heard, and even to have gone so far as to censure their Archdeacon's pertinacity. With so little difficulty did this intemperate and artful prelate gain over the congregation of Diamper. 9. In the evening he visited the sick incharity with habitants, and gave alms with a liberal hand to the widows and orphans of the place. We may conjecture with what motive he dispensed his bounty, from the address with which he accompanied it. He told the people here, as he had done elsewhere, that what he did was their prelate's duty, instead of taking money from them, as their former Bishops had done. This was disingenuous in the extreme, and showed how little his gifts deserved the name of charity. It has been justly remarked, "That he forgot to tell them, that whereas their former prelates had lived altogether upon alms, having no settled revenues to maintain them, by reason of their residing under princes who were infidels; he had above twenty thousand crowns a year in rents that were certain. Besides, by having represented to the government, that what he was doing in the Serra was a great service to the state of Portugal, he had the command of the public treasury at Goa, which was never so full as at the present time, the Viceroy, Don Matthias de Albuquerque, having in the year 1597 left in it eighty thousand ducats, besides an immense quantity of jewels. "This trick, for," says the historian just cited, it deserves no better name," together with the haughty tone which he assumed in his conferences with the native princes and their officers, caused many Christians to wish themselves under the jurisdiction of Portuguese prelates for they saw that they would not allow their rulers to tyrannize over them; but would espouse all their quarrels, and protect them in their rights, which their own Chaldean prelates were never able to do. Poor people! little did they know that they were escaping from the whip, to be chastised with scorpions." A. D. 1599. alarmed at 10. By such methods had the Archbishop Archdeacon now reduced three of the most considerable his progress, places in the diocese, Carturté, Molandurté, and doubtand Diamper, with several adjacent villages. act. ful how to CHAP. V. Menezes Besides these, he felt himself sure of all the churches in the kingdoms of Porca, Gundara, Marca, and Batimena, whose rajahs had already commanded their Christian subjects to obey him in all things. The Archdeacon began now to feel considerable alarm at the rapidity of his progress, fearing lest he should soon lose Angamale itself, the metropolitan church, and the place of his own residence. Considering the crisis to which affairs seemed to be reduced, and the impossibility of his contending much longer with so powerful and subtle an adversary, he felt himself driven to the alternative, of either submitting to the Church of Rome, or preparing to be sent as a prisoner to Portugal. Escape from the country was impracticable, Menezes having, as already stated, completely blocked up all the ports, to prevent the arrival of any ecclesiastics from Babylon. In this juncture, the Archdeacon does not appear to have remembered the believer's refuge in times of peril. Had he determined to pursue what he knew to be his duty to the Church, in a Christian spirit, and with confidence in the Lord, then he might have exulted, with Zion of old, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid."8 But losing sight of this impregnable bulwark, his mind began to vacillate; and hence ensued more trouble to himself, and more mischief to his Church, than, we may venture to say, would or could have arisen had he faithfully stood his ground. 11. A cattanar who was with him on a visit, endeavours observed his embarrassment; and, instead of encouraging him to persevere, went, and treacherously informed Menezes of his perplexity to frighten him into submission. how to act. The Archbishop, delighted with this intelligence, immediately wrote him a long and spirited letter, at the conclusion of which he endeavoured to work upon his fears, saying, "That although he could not compel him to appear before the human tribunal of the Church, 10 where he would be condemned and chastised as he deserved; yet he cited him to appear before the judgment seat of God, where he would have to answer for the souls bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, that were now burning in hell, through his revolt and disobedience, which had kept them from being reconciled to the Roman Church, out of which there is no salvation. In conclusion, he said, that this citation would take effect in a short time, and that he had much rather have averted it, according to the laws of brotherly love; that he did not address him in that respect as a prophet, but as a man who felt assured that God would never abandon His Church, and that the glorious Apostle, St. Thomas, would intercede with God for the Christians of the country, against those who were opposed to their welfare." This letter appears to have made a strong impression on the Archdeacon's mind. "The Malabars," says Gouvea, "are much given to auguries, and this poor ecclesiastic, as weak as the rest, took the Archbishop's words as presages of his approaching death." This, according to the same historian, joined to an internal inspiration of the Holy Spirit, caused him to adopt a more temperate resolution, and to answer the letter in a manner that indicated a tendency to reconciliation. 10 The Inquisition. A. D. 1599. CHAP. Finds the people of Naramè in arms to resist him; applies to the heathen governor for assistance; the place 12. Before his answer arrived, the Archbishop, having finished his business at Diamper, proceeded to Naramè,' a considerable village of the Christians, which he found in arms, the inhabitants having bound themselves by an oath never to forsake their religion, which they called the law of St. Thomas, nor to abandon their Archdeacon, but to defend them to the abandoned. last drop of their blood. Accordingly, when the Archbishop was about to land, and proceed to the church, they called out to him to stay where he was, for that the church doors were shut, and that not an individual in the place would hold any communication with him. Though this resistance was most unexpected, yet Menezes met it in his usual manner. the village was within the dominions of the Rajah of Cochin, he sent immediately for the governor, desiring him to come on board his boat, for that he had something very important to say to him. Here is another proof, how little he scrupled himself to make use of heathen governors to subdue this inoffensive people, and to maintain his usurpation over them; whereas, he had just urged it against the Archdeacon as a heinous offence, and one for which he deserved to be deposed, that he had recourse to the same powers, to aid him in defending the liberties, the constitution, the very existence of the church, of which he was the lawful guardian. As When the governor came on board, Menezes desired him to go directly to the village, and do for him there, as had been done at Molandurté and Diamper. The man promised to comply with his request; but when he came on shore, intending to cause the church to be opened, he found no one in the village; for the 1 Narainè, Gouvea. |