sterial office. It can hardly be thought, however, that Johannes was the resident Bishop of India. All that may be inferred from his signature is, that his jurisdiction, as Metropolitan of Persia, extended to that vast continent, where the Christians were, probably, at that time, as we know they were subsequently, supplied with Persian ecclesiastics. A. D. 325. covers her about this erxes. 10. The political circumstances of Persia at Persia rethe time when the council of Nice was held, political inwere favourable to this assumption of ecclesias- dependence tical authority by the metropolitan of that em- period unpire. About a century before, in the reign of der ArtaxAlexander Severus, emperor of Rome, the Persians, at the instigation and under the command of Artaxerxes, revolted against the Parthians, whom they overcame in a hard-fought battle, destroying the greater part of their army, and, after the action, putting their king, Artabanus, to death. The Parthians were now totally subdued, and became in their turn vassals to the Persians, whom they had held in subjection 475 years. Artaxerxes, or Artaxares, 2 was a Persian of low origin, and of spurious birth, but possessed of consummate abilities, and stimulated by a restless ambition. After his conquest of the Parthians, he mounted the throne of Persia, assumed the pompous title of king of kings, and formed a design of restoring the empire to its ancient glory. Indignant at the thought of any part of the Persian dominions being regarded as a Roman province, he gave notice to the Roman governors of the provinces border 1 This may have been similar to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London in all the colonies of Great Britain, where there are no local Bishops. • Ardisheer Babigan. Malcom's History of Persia, c. 6. II. CHAP. ing on his dominions, that he had a just right, as the successor of Cyrus, to all the lesser Asia; which he, therefore, commanded them immediately to evacuate, as well as the provinces on the frontiers of the ancient Parthian kingdom, which he had already reduced to his subjection. The consequence of this haughty message was a war with the emperor of Rome. The opposite parties in this contest each claimed the advantage: and the Roman emperor, Alexander Severus, went so far as to assume the titles of Parthicus and Persicus. They seem however to have been but empty names, as he does not appear from this period to have held much, if any, dominion in either country: while the Persian king retained full possession of his territories, which, after his decease, were ably defended by his successors against all the endeavours of the Romans to recover them. 11. These events opened to the Persians the direct intercourse with North India by land, and they soon became formidable rivals to the Romans in the commerce with that country by sea. They appear entirely to have surmounted the aversion of their ancestors to maritime pursuits, and to have made early and vigorous efforts in order to acquire a share in the lucrative commerce with India. All its ports of any consideration were frequented by traders from Persia, who bartered some productions of their own country that were in request among the natives of India, for the precious commodities of the East. These they conveyed up the Persian Gulf; and by means of the great rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, they were able to distribute them through every province of the empire. As the voyage from Persia to India was much shorter than that from Egypt, and attended with less expense and danger, the intercourse between the two countries rapidly increased.' 12. This brief reference to the history of those times will serve to explain the signature of Johannes at the council of Nice. It will be seen in the sequel, when we shall speak of the first authentic record extant of Christianity in India, that in most of the cities of any note upon the coast of that country,2 Christian churches were found at the beginning of the 6th century in a flourishing condition, and that the functions of religion were performed by priests ordained by the Archbishop of Seleucia, the capital of the Persian empire, to whose jurisdiction they continued to be subject. This is in agreement with the popular belief of the present race of Syrian Christians in Travancore. They affirm that the Syriac version of the Scriptures was brought to India before the council of Nice, which was held A. D. 325, and some of their present copies are acknowledged to be of a very ancient date.3 1 Cosmas Indic. Topogr. Christ. Lib. iii. pp. 178, 179. Robertson's India, p. 94. 2 Id. 3 Buchanan's Christian Researches, p. 139. The following statement, written in 1814, shows that there is some ground of probability for this belief. "Though written on a strong thick "paper, like that of some MSS. in the British Museum, com"monly called Eastern paper, the ink has, in several places, "eat through the material in the exact form of the letter. In "other copies, where the ink had less of a corroding quality, "it has fallen off, and left a dark vestige of the letter; faint "indeed, but not in general illegible. "There is a volume, which was deposited in one of the "remote churches, near the mountains, which merits a parti"cular description. It contains the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum, in large folio, having three "columns in a page; and is written with beautiful accuracy. 66 A. D. 325. Signature of the council of Nice ac Johannes at counted for. CHAP. II. Story of sius. On the whole then, this may be considered satisfactory evidence of the existence of this ancient episcopal church at that early period: and here again we cannot but recognise the power and wisdom of the Almighty, in so controlling the violence and ambition of earthly potentates, and the schemes of avaricious and adventurous men, as thereby to subserve His purposes of mercy for the world.1 13. An ancient author, cited by Suidas, says and Ede that the inhabitants of the interior of India were brought over to Christianity during the reign of Constantine the Great; and a story is related by Rufinus,2 and repeated by Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret and others, 5 which explains the cause of their conversion. A Christian and philosopher, named Meropius, a native of Tyre, reading the account which Metrodorus, another philosopher, had given of his travels in India, felt his curiosity raised to visit that distant region. Accordingly, he sailed to India, in company with two youths who were related to him. The name of the elder was Frumentius, and that of the younger, Edesius. Having satisfied his curiosity as far as he could, and taken in provisions and water for the voyage home, Meropius prepared to return. The na "The character is Estrangelo Syriac, and the words of every 1 La Croze, p. 44. 3 Socrates, Lib. i. c. 19-Jortin's Remarks, Vol. ii. p. 126. 4 Sozomen, ii. 24. 5 Theodoret i. 23-Asseman. Bib. Orient. Tom. i. p. 359. Note 2. tives, however, for what cause is unknown, put him to death, with all on board his vessel, except his two young kinsmen. These, probably out of compassion for their tender age, they spared, and presented them to their king, who was so much pleased with them that he made the elder, Frumentius, his secretary, and the younger, his cup-bearer. his cup-bearer. They continued to enjoy the king's confidence and favour until his death, when he bequeathed to them their liberty. The queen, being left in charge of the kingdom during the minority of her son, entreated these strangers to undertake the government of the nation until the prince should come of age. In compliance with her request, they undertook the management of affairs, Frumentius, as before, holding the most responsible office in the state. But, in the constant and arduous occupation of government, he did not forget his obligations, as a Christian ruler, to his God and Saviour. Deeming it a paramount duty to employ the influence of his station for the honour of the Redeemer, and for the encouragement and protection of his fellow-christians, he diligently inquired of the merchants who traded with that country, whether any Christians resided there. Being answered in the affirmative, he sent for them, made known to them his own creed, and exhorted them to assemble together in separate places of worship, for prayer and mutual edification; reminding them, at the same time, that such was the general practice of the followers of Jesus. He then erected a small temple, in which they met together for those purposes. Induced by his Christian instructions and example, and, probably, by the countenance he showed them, several of the natives became .converts to the Christian profession, and joined in A. D. 325. |