PART III.

OF THE PROGRESS ALREADY MADE IN CIVILIZING THE NATIVES OF INDIA.

CHAPTER I.

Of the extension of Christianity in India, under the influence of episcopal jurisdiction.

1. A SENTIMENT has for some time prevailed in England very unfavourable to the measure of attempting the improvement of the Hindoos. It has been said that their prejudices are invincible; and that the Brahmins cannot receive the Christian religion. If the same assertion had been made of our forefathers in Britain, and of the Druids their priests, it would not have been more contrary to truth. It is now time to disclose to the English nation some facts respecting the prevalence of the Christian religion in India, which certainly will not be received with indifference.

2. The religion of Christ has been professed by Hindoos in India from time immemorial; and thousands of Brahmins have been converted to the Christian faith. At this time there are upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand natives in one district alone on the coast of Malabar, who profess that religion, and who live under a regular canonical discipline, occupying one hundred and nineteen churches.

3. It is probable that the Christian faith has been known in India since the time of the Apostles. But we have authentic historical record for the following particulars. In the fifth century a Christian bishop from Antioch, accompanied by a small colony of Syrians, arrived in India, and preached the

* Eusebius relates that Pantanus, of Alexandria, visited India about the year 189; and there found Christians who had the Gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew, which they informed him they had received from St Bar tholomew. He carried a copy of it to Alexandria, where it existed in the time of Jerome. At the council of Nice in the year 325 the primate of India was present, and subscribed his name. In the year following Frumentius was consecrated primate of India by Athanasius at Alexandria Frumentius resided in Hindoostan for a long period, and founded many church

es.

He acquired great influence among the natives, and was appointed guardian of one of their kings during his minority. See Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. l. 3, c. 1.—Sozomenes, l. 2, c. 24; and Socrates, Hist. Eccl. 1. 1, c. 29.

In the year 530 Cosmos, the Egyptian merchant, who had travelled through the greatest part of the Indian peninsula, found in the Dekhun and in Ceylon, a great many churches and several bishops.

Gospel in Malabar. "They made at first some proselytes "among the Brahmins and Nairs, and were, on that account, "much respected by the native princes."*

4. When the Portuguese first arrived in India, they were agreeably surprised to find a hundred Christian churches on the coast of Malabar. But when they had become acquainted with the purity and simplicity of their doctrine, they were of fended. They were yet more indignant when they found that these Hindoo Christians maintained the order and discipline of a regular church under episcopal jurisdiction; and that for thirteen hundred years past, they had enjoyed a succession of bishops appointed by the patriarchal see of Antioch. Mar Joseph was the bishop, who filled the Hindoo see of Malabar at that period. The Portuguese used every art to persuade him to acknowledge the supremacy of the pope; but in vain. He was a man of singular piety and fortitude, and declaimed with great energy against the errors of the Romish church. But when the power of the Portuguese became sufficient for their purpose, they invaded his bishopric, and sent the bishop bound to Lisbon. A synod was convened at Diamper in Malabar, on the 26th June, 1599, at which one hundred and fifty of the clergy of his diocese appeared. They were accused of the following opinions, which were by their adversaries accounted heretical; "That they had married "wives; that they owned but two sacraments, Baptism and "the Lord's Supper; that they denied Transubstantiation; that "they neither invoked saints nor believed in purgatory; and, "that they had no other orders or names of dignity in the "church than bishop and deacon."

"Many of them to this day preserve the manners and mode of life of "the Brahmins, as to cleanliness, and abstaining from animal food." Asiat. Res. Vol. VII. page 368. "The bulk of the St. Thomè Christians "consists mostly of converts from the Brahmins and Shoudren cast; and "not as the new Christians, or proselytes made by the Portuguese mission"aries, of the lowest tribes." Asiat. Res. Vol. VII. page 381.

† Conferences with Malabarian Brahmins, page 15: printed at London 1719. [See The History of the Church of Malabar, translated from the Portuguese into English by MICHAEL GEDDES, Chancellor of the Cathedral Church of Sarum. London, 1694. The Synod of Diamper met on the 20th of June, and closed its session on the 26th. The Acts and Decrees of this Synod are subjoined to that History. DECREE XIV of Action III condemns" The Book of Orders," used in the Malabarian Church, which contains the last article abovementioned, asserting, "That there are only "two orders, Diaconate and Priesthood."

M. V. LA CROZE, who wrote his celebrated History nearly a century ago [1723], considered the discovery of this very ancient Church (almost all the tenets of which agree with those of the Protestants) as deserving the attention of all good men: "Ma seconde et derniere Remarque mérite, ce "me semble, l' attention de toutes les personnes qui aiment sincérement la "Religion. Nous trouvons ici une Eglise très-ancienne, dont presque tous

These tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suffer instant suspension from all church benifices. It was also decreed that all the Syrian and Chaldean books in their churches, and all records in the episcopal palace, should be burnt; in order, said the inquisitors," that no pretended apostolical monuments may remain."*

5. Notwithstanding these violent measures, a great body of the Indian Christians resolutely defended their faith, and finally triumphed over all opposition. Some shew of union with the Romish church was at first pretended, through terror of the Inquisition; but a congress was held by them on the 22d of May, 1653, at Alangatta; when they formally separated from that communion. They compose at this day the thirty-two schismatic churches of Malabar; so called by the Roman Catholics, as resembling the Protestant schism in Europe. At this time their number is about fifty thousand.

These churches soon afterwards addressed a letter to the Patriarch of Antioch, which was forwarded by means of the Dutch government, and published at Leyden in 1714; in which they request" that a spiritual guide may be sent, together with such men as are versed in interpreting the holy Scriptures." But no spiritual guide was ever sent.§

The province of Malabar now forms part of the British dominions; and divine Providence hath placed these churches under our government.

6. The manners of these Christians are truly simple and primitive. Every traveller who has visited the churches in the mountains takes pleasure in describing the chaste and innocent lives of the native Christians. The congregations support each other, and form a kind of Christian republic. The clergy and elders settle all disputes among members of the community; and the discipline, for the preservation of pure morals, is very correct, and would do honour to any Protestant church in Europe.¶

"les Dogmes conveniennent avec ceux de la Religion réformée. Les "Chrétiens Orientaux,.... sous l'obéïssance d'un Patriarche indépend"ant d' l' Empire Romain, et n' ayant aucun commerc eavec lui,.... igno"rent presque toutes les Traditions Romaines qui sont rejettées par les "Protestants." HISTOIRE DU CHRISTIANISME DES INDES, ii. 90.] Amer. Edit.

See Appendix K.

† Annales Mission, page 193.

✦ Malabarian Conferences, 1719. Preface.

In the year 1752, some bishops were sent from Antioch to consecrate by episcopal ordination, a native priest, one of their number. The old man, I hear, is yet alive. The episcopal residence is at Narnatte, ten miles inland from Porca.

At certain seasons, the Agapæ, or love feasts, are celebrated, as in primitive times. On such occasions they prepare delicious cakes, called

7. The climate of Malabar is delightful; and the face of the country, which is verdant and picturesque, is adorned by the numerous churches of the Christians. Their churches are not, in general, so small as the country parish churches in England. Many of them are sumptuous buildings,* and some of them are visible from the sea. This latter circumstance is noticed incidentally by a writer who lately visited the country: "Having kept as close to the land as possible, the whole "coast of Malabar appeared before us in the form of a green "amphitheatre. At one time we discovered a district entirely "covered with cocoa-nut-trees; and immediately after, a river "winding through a delightful vale, at the bottom of which it discharged itself into the sea. In one place appeared a mul❝titude of people employed in fishing; in another, a snow"white church bursting forth to the view from amidst the "thick-leaved trees. While we were enjoying these delight"ful scenes with the early morning, a gentle breeze, which "blew from the shore, perfumed the air around us with the "agreeable smell wafted from the cardamon, pepper, beetel, "and other aromatic herbs and plants."t

แ

A snow-white church bursting on the view from amidst the trees! Can this be a scene in the land of the Hindoos; where even a church for Europeans is so rarely found? And can the persons repairing to these snow-white churches be Hindoos; Appam, made of bananas, honey, and rice-flour. The people assemble in the chuch-yard, and, arranging themselves in rows, each spreads before him a plantain leaf. When this is done, the clergyman, standing in the church-door, pronounces the benediction; and the overseers of the church, walking through between the rows, gives to each his portion. "It is cer"tainly an affecting scene, and capable of elevating the heart, to behold "six or seven thousand persons, of both sexes and of all ages, assembled "and receiving together, with the utmost reverence and devotion, their "Appam, the pledge of mutual union and love." Bartolomeo, page 424. Compare the amiable lives and character of these Christian Hindoos with the rites of their uncontroverted countrymen in Bengal described in Appendix B.

"The great number of such sumptuous buildings," says Mr. Wrede, "as the St. Thomè Christians possessed in the inland parts of the Travancore and Cochin dominions, is really surprising; since some of them, upon a moderate calculation, must have cost upwards of one lack of rupees, and few less than half that sum." Asiat. Res. Vol. VII. p. 380: "Almost all the temples in the southern Malabar, of which I had occasion "to observe more than forty, were built in the same style, and nearly on "the same plan. The façade with little columns (evidently the style of "architecture prevalent in Asia Minor and Syria) being every where the "same." Ibid. 379.

In the year 1790, Tippoo the Mahometan destroyed a great number of the Christian churches, and a general conflagration of the Christian villages marked the progress of his destroying host. Ten thousand Christians los their lives during the war. Bartolomeo, page 149.

Bartolomeo, p. 425.

that peculiar people who are supposed to be incapable of receiving the Christian religion or its civilizing principles? Yes, they are Hindoos, and now "a peculiar people," some of them formerly Brahmins of Malabar; who, before means were used for their conversion, may have possessed as invincible prejudices against the religion of Christ as the Brahmins of Benares, or of Jaggernaut.

Whatever good effects have been produced by the Christian religion in Malabar, may also be produced in Bengal, and in every other province of Hindoostan.

66

CHAPTER II.

Of the extension of Christianity in India by the labours of Protestant Missionaries.

1. In the bill brought into Parliament in 1793 for com municating Christian instruction to our Asiatic subjects, there was a clause for an "Establishment of Missionaries and Schoolmasters." Such an establishment (if it ever should be necessary) might seem more properly to follow, than to precede, the recognition of our national church in Hindoostan. It is probable, however, that the proposition for sending missionaries was less favourably received on account of the reigning prejudice against the name and character of "missionary." In England it is not professional in church or state. No honour or emolument is attached to it. The character and purpose of it are doubtful, and the scene of action remote. Even the propriety of sending missionaries any where has been called into question.

2. It is not, however, those who send missionaries, but those to whom they are sent, who have a right to give an opin ion in this matter.

The same spirit which sent missionaries to Britain in the fourth century will continue to send missionaries to the heath en world to the end of time, by the established church, or by her religious societies.

3. Wherever the Christian missionary comes, he is well received. Ignorance ever bows to learning: but if there be a desire to impart this learning, what barbarian will turn away? The priests will murmur when the Christian teacher speaks as one having authority; but " the common people will hear him "gladly." Whether in the subterranean hut of frozen Greenland, or under the shade of a banian-tree in burning India, a Christian missionary surrounded by the listening natives, is an