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Jesus hath passed from suffering to glory. He who is now exalted as the King and Judge of men, was him self a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Therefore doth he sympathize with the infirmities against which we struggle.

It was through the vale of sorrow, and of the shadow of death, that the Lord returned to the mansions of glory. Shall not his followers tread with cheerfulness the path which he also trod? Behold! he is with them, to guide and to defend them. He smooths to them the road of difficulty and sorrow; disarms their last enemy of his terrors; and, in the hour of their departure, causeth the dawn of eternal day to arise upon their souls. One ray of its glory banishes sorrow for ever. One moment of its fruition effaces the remembrance of every grief. Amen.

From Buck's Expositor.

wrought in his mind. Through the depths of his distress, Mr. Newton attended him with unfailing tenderness of friendship, and once entertained him fourteen months at the vioarage; but he was deaf to consolation or encouragement, while he supposed the ear of his Creator to be shut against his complaints. He ceased not only from attending public service, but likewise from joining in domestic worship, or attempting private devotion. His judgment was equally convinced as ever of the glory of Christ, and his desires for communion with God were as fervent; but apprehending his own perdition to be determined by an immutable decree, he regarded it as blasphemy in him to ask for mercy. Well is it for us that God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, and that whatever may be our views, and however depressed our spirits, he remains the same merciful Being.

CONSECRATION.

CHRIST CHURCH, in Ballston-spa, Saratoga county, was consecrated to the worship of Almighty God on the 11th inst. this occasion divine service was performed by the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart. On by the Rev. Mr. Butler, of Troy, and the Rev. Mr. Stebbins, of Schenectady; the sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Mr. Lacy, of Albany; and a discourse was delivered to a highly respectable and attentive congregation, by the Bishop,

ISAIAH xlix. 14. The Lord hath for from a part of the 7th verse of the 48th

saken me.

THE truly excellent Christian poet, COWPER, died 1800. His talents, as a first-rate poet, are so well known, that nothing need be said here. But, in contemplating the life of this great man, we see how mysterious the ways of Providence are. Notwithstanding his high attainments as a Christian, he was permitted to fall a victim to melancholy, which so completely subverted those doctrinal sentiments, which had afforded him, for the last nine years, the most transcendant comfort, that he considered himself as cast off for ever from the hope of mercy, although he never disputed the divine change which had been

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Psalm, "Every one of them in Zion ap peareth before God."

NEw stereotype editions, in large and small print, of the Book of Common duals, and for gratuitous distribution by Prayer, intended for the use of indivisocieties, are now ready for delivery, at very reduced prices, at the store of T. & J. Swonns, No. 160 Pearl-street, NewYork.

Printed and published by T. & J. SWORDS, No. 160 Pearl-street, New-York, where Subscriptions for this Work will be received, at one dollar per annum, or 24 numbers.- -All Letters relative to this Journul must come free of Postage.

No. 16.]

THE

AND

LITERARY REGISTER.

No. II. FOR AUGUST, 1818.

A Brief History of the Syrian Churches in the South of India.

(Continued from page 231.)

FROM Porca the Archbishop proceeded to Coulan, where he transacted some political business, no less disgraceful to his memory than his visit of the Churches. From Coulan he went to Molandurte, where he was kindly received by the Christians. Here he again confirmed, and made such arrangements as appeared to him

necessary.

The Archdeacon had, by this time, heard of the Archbishop's conduct at Porca, and probably of that at Molandurte; whereupon he despatched Letters to all the Churches and princes of Malabar, warning them of the treacherous designs of Menezes, "whose object it is," said he, " to reduce the Churches of Malabar to the See of Rome, and, consequently, the Christians of St. Thomas to the authority of the king of Portugal." The king of Cochin, who, it should seem, was a prince of some penetration, had already supposed this to be the principal object of the Archbishop's visitation; and accordingly imposed a heavy tax on the inhabitants of Molandurtè, on account of the favour which they had

shown him.

The Archbishop, soon after this, arrived at Diamper, an ancient residence of the Bishops of Malabar. There he gave public notice of an Ordination which he intended to hold on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday in Lent; and wrote to the Archdeacon, requesting him to come and assist at the ceremony. The Archdeacon replied, that this was in direct violation of the treaty which he had VOL. II.

[VOL. II.

so lately signed; and would probably have the effect of setting aside the Synod which he had so much desired, in which it was to be determined whether the Archbishop had a right or not to exercise Episcopal functions among the Christians of St. Thomas. To this the Archbishop answered, that nothing should divert him from his purpose, which he had undertaken in obedience to the Pope his Master, to whom all the Churches in the world' owed obedience. The Archdeacon, seeing that he was determined to proceed, requested he would ordain none but such as had been educated at the College of Vaipicotta; but soon received answer, that the Archbishop should ordain as many as he thought proper. On the receipt of this answer, the Archdeacon published an Edict, prohibiting all Christians from receiving the Ordination of the Archbishop, on pain of excommunication; and, moreover, commanding the Christians to exclude him from their Churches. This instrument did not reach Diamper till after Menezes had confirmed a considerable number at that place: but, on its arrival, he was requested by the oldest Casanar of the place immediately to desist and leave their Church. The Archbishop, however, still persisted; and, on the day appointed for Ordination, actually ordained thirty-seven, whom he pre viously compelled to subscribe to the Confession of Pius IVth. and to swear obedience to the Holy See. This was a master-piece in the politics of Menezes: for he well knew that such a proceeding would not only raise him a number of adherents on whom he could in future rely; but that it would be the only step to secure the majority of votes in the approaching Synod,

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which, as we shall see hereafter, he obtained.

After this the Archbishop proceeded to Carturtè, a considerable town in the territories of the queen of Pimenta, and the residence of a very respectable community of Christians of St. Thomas. On his way to Carturtè, he visited several Churches, in which his success was various. After a dangerous journey, however, he arrived at the place of his destination; where, proceeding to the Church, he performed Mass, and requested the people to attend on the day following, as he had something important to communicate. The same night, how ever, he obtained a conference with two of the principal inhabitants of the place, named Iti Mato Mapula, and Iti Mane Mapula, whom, either by promises or bribes, he completely gained over to his party. On Palm Sunday, High Mass was performed, with great pomp, in the Church of Carturte, attended with a full choir, which the Archbishop had obtained for that purpose from Cochin. This ceremony, it was hoped, would gain considerably on the people, which it probably did: for the Archbishop now ventured a step further, and proposed Auricular Confession as necessary to salvation; a custom hitherto unknown among the Christians of St. Thomas. He, moreover, abolished the custom of making offerings at this time, which had, from time immemorial, been the sole revenue of the Priests: this he called Simony, without ever reflecting that there were customs in his own Church much more, deserving of that name. These proceedings, added to the public complaints made by a Casanar of noble birth in Carturtè, who had been joined by thirty associates, reduced the Archbishop to some difficulties, which were met and overcome either by dissimulation or menaces, as occasion required.

queen of the country, hearing of the proceedings of the Archbishop at Carturte, and fearing, as the king of Cochin had done, that something more than religion was the real object of his visitation, sent an order, commanding him to quit her kingdom

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in the space of three days, on pain of death. The Archbishop, however, having succeeded in bribing most of her principal officers to his party, immediately replied, that he should not leave Carturtè till he had finished the work that had called him thither:that if she procured his death, his murder would be avenged by Almighty God; not to mention the arms of the king of Portugal, which she had already felt, and which, on such an occasion, would be exerted to the uttermost.

The queen, probably aware of the strength of the Archbishop's party, did not proceed to extremities: and the work of subjugation went on. It is said, that the Archbishop, seeing a Casanar in the Church whom he had some time before excommunicated, immediately ordered him to leave the Church; which being refused, the Casanar was dragged before him, forced on his knees, and commanded to ask his Lordship's pardon; which also being refused, on the grounds of the Archbishop's having no right to exercise Episcopal power in that Church, the Casanar was, after a struggle, turned out of the Church.

The Archbishop, finding his party strong in the Church of Carturte, thought it time to have recourse to some method for the reduction of the Archdeacon; and, accordingly, on the night following assembled several of the Casanars at his lodgings, requesting their advice on this important question: and intimating his intention of nominating one Thomas Curia, who was a near relation to the Archdeacon, as his successor. The Casanars, in reply, requested his Lordship would grant them the space of twenty days, in which time they hoped to prevail on the Archdeacon; who, they said, was young and inexperienced, and had, moreover, the misfortune of being in the hands of ill advisers. Six of these-Priests were despatched, the next day, to treat with the Archdeacon; who, notwithstanding their persuasions, still determined never to submit to the Pope.

On the Easter Eve following, the Archbishop had a second Ordination,

in which he ordained many who had been prohibited from attending the former at Diamper.

The same evening, Francisco Roz, teacher of the Syriac language at the College of Vaipicotta, arriving at Carturtè, complimented the Archbishop on the incredible success which he had met with at that place; for, "but a few months ago," said he, " on my wishing to perform Mass in this Church, the doors were shut against me, which I was obliged to force open by the assistance of one of the queen's officers; and when the host was elevated for the adoration of the people, they shut their eyes; and, on exhibiting an image of the Blessed Virgin, they cried out, Away with that filthiness! we are Christians, and therefore do not worship idols." This is a sufficient proof that images had not been admitted into this Church; and that it was in this respect, as well as many others, in a much purer state than that of their pretended reformers.

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On Easter Sunday a pompous procession took place, which very much irritated the Brahmins of the neighbouring towns, who began to fear their own religion to be in danger. They endeavoured, therefore, to interrupt the pageantry of their supposed rivals; but did not succeed. After the Morning Service, the Syrians celebrated their Love-Feast, which, it is probable, they have retained from the remotest antiquity; and sent the Archbishop his DOUBLE PORTION, which was kindly received. In the evening, the Archbishop visited the sick, comforting them with money and spiritual advice; which he did not fail, at the same time, to declare, was the duty of every prelate; but which their own prelates had shamefully neglected. This, it may be supposed, would not fail to produce a very high opinion of the piety and humanity of Menezes, among a people so remarkable for their simplicity; which it actually did, and was effectual in laying the foundation for their future complete subjugation.

The day following, the Archbishop went to Nagpili, where was a Church at a small distance from Carturte. Here he confirmed, and

reconciled several to the Church of Rome.

On the same day, Menezes went to Molandurtè, where, contrary to his expectations, from the kindness of his former reception, he found the Church doors shut against him. He resolved, on this, to have recourse to arguments more effective than might be drawn from the Scripture or reason. He accordingly despatched a Letter to his friend, the king of Cochin, desiring that he would instantly send his prime minister to Molandurtè. The king, as before remarked, was by no means zealous for the subjugation of the Christians to the Archbishop of Goa; fearing, as he did, the loss of fifty thousand of the best soldiers in his dominions, which might thus be drawn over to a party, which, at a time probably not far distant, might become his enemy. The king was, however, prevailed on by the Archbishop. The officer was accordingly sent; and, on his arrival at Molandurtè, proceeded with Menezes to the Church, and ordered the Christians to obey him in every thing that he should require, on pain of the king's displeasure; though he is said to have admonished them in private, that it was his Master's wish that they should still adhere to their Archdeacon. The day following the Archbishop officiated in the Church; and a great number were reconciled to the faith of Rome.

The Archdeacon is said to have sent a menacing letter to the Archbishop at this place, telling him that the principal kings on the coast of Malabar were prepared to defend the Christians to the uttermost, and that it was in vain that he expected their submission. This was seconded by a body of thirty Nairs, who came armed with musquets, threatening the destruction of the Archbishop, if he persisted in distressing their prince. All of which Menezes wholly disregarded.

From Molandurtè the Archbishop proceeded to Diamper; where, meeting the Prime Minister of the King of Cochin, he made heavy complaints against the king, on account of the ill treatment which he had experienced in his dominions. This the minister.

endeavoured to excuse; but the Archbishop, suspecting the fidelity of all his professions, told him, that one thing was requisite to evince the truth of his statements, and to exculpate his Master; which was, that he should immediately assemble the Christians, and command them, on pain of the king's displeasure, and confiscation of their goods, to submit to him as their true prelate; and, by no means, privately to insinuate the contrary, as he had formerly done. The minister accordingly assembled the people, and delivered the Archbishop's instructions, as those of his Master. The Archbishop then preached to the people, and requested their attendance on the day following for Baptism and Confirmation, to which they submit ted. After these rites were over, Menezes ventured to pronounce the Archdeacon excommunicate; stating, as his reasons, the universal authority of the Pope, to which the Archdeacon had not only manifested himself an apponent, but he had solicited the infidel kings of the coast to favour his rebellion. This the Archbishop represented as a grievous dereliction of the faith; not considering that he was supported by the very same means in preaching that sermon. In the evening, the farce of visiting the sick, and distributing money, was repeated; which, in conjunction with the influence that he had acquired with the king of Cochin, effectually established his authority in the Church of Diamper.

The Archbishop having thus brought over the Churches of Carturte, Molandurte, and Diamper; and, moreover, being certain of the Churches in the kingdoms of Porca, Gundara, Marca, and Batimena, from the influence which he had with the princes of those places; and being informed of the distress of the Archdeacon on this account, wrote a long letter, citing him to appear before the tribunal of God to give account of the souls then burning in hell on account of his obstinacy in keeping them back from the Roman Church, out of which there was no salvation. The Epistle struck terror into the Archdeacon, who now

found, that either his submission or his destruction would inevitably follow. He chose to submit, and determined to write to Menezes to that effect.

The Archbishop, having succeeded at Diamper to the utmost of his wishes, sailed to Narame, a considerable village of Christians. Here he found the village in array, determined to oppose him. Menezes had, however, discovered a readier and more effective way of obtaining his purpose, than the application of either force or argument; and to this he determined now to have recourse. He accordingly sent for the officer of the king of Cochin, in whose country this Church was situated, and requested him to go on shore, and command the Christians, in the king's name, immediately to tender their submission to him. This was done; and the Christians, to a man, left the village, and refused even to sell him fresh provisions for his

money.

About this time the Archdeacon's Letter came to hand, promising unreserved submission to the Archbishop. This was very acceptable, no doubt, to Menezes; and an instrument, consisting of ten articles, was immediately drawn up for the Archdeacon's subscription. In this instrument he was to engage to renounce the errors of Nestorius; to confess that there was only one Christian law; to subscribe to the Confession of Pius IV. to deliver up all the books in the Diocess, to be either amended or burnt; to swear obedience to the Pope, and to acknowledge that there was no salvation but in obedience to him; to curse the Patriarch of Babylon; to receive no Bishop, unless sent by the Pope; to acknowledge Menezes for his lawful prelate; to issue letters for assembling the approaching Synod; and to accompany the Archbishop, and assist him in his visitation of the Churches.

These articles were signed by the Archbishop, and sent by a Casanar, who was previously compelled to swear obedience to the Church of Rome, and to abandon the Archdeacon in case he refused to subscribe. Twenty days were allowed for the Archdeacon's

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