



72 On the Slate of the Christians inhaliting 



St. Thome, or Jacobite Christians. 



These people, who still retain their antient creed and 

 iisa2;es, consider themselves as the descendants of the flock 

 established by St. Thomas, who is generally esteemed the 

 apostle of the East'. Their ancestors emigrated from Syria, 

 and the Syrlo-Chaldaic is thelanguage in which their church 

 service is still performed. They admit no images within 

 their churches, but a figure of the Virgin Mary with the 

 phild Jesus in her arms, which is considered merely as an 

 ornament, and not a subject for idolatrous worship. They 

 are generally denominated by the country people Nazaranee 

 Mapilles. Nazaranee is obviously derived from Nazareth, 

 but the origin of the word mapillah is variously accounted 

 for: bvsome it is ingeniously supposed to refer to the Virgin 

 and Child, the only image admitted within tlicir churches; 

 as ma implies mother in various languages, derived from 

 the Sungscrit ; and pillah, child. Others again, construe the 

 term to indicate the rank originally conferred on these Chris- 

 tians by the sovereign of Malabar. Poolah signifies a class, 

 in a state synonymous with our secretaries. Ma or maha 

 signifies great or superior. The term Mapillah is indiscri- 

 minately applied to Jews and Musselmen as to these Chris- 

 tians, distinguishing each by the prefix of the Je^v, Syrian, 

 pr Nazaranee, or Musselman. 



It is certain that grants of honour and emolument were 

 formerly possessed by these Christians, given to (herajiy 

 a king of Malabar named Peremaul, engraven on copper, 

 five of which engravings are still in existence ; a fac-simile 

 of which I have seen in the possession of the resident of 

 Travancore. 



Jl has been long believed that these Christians held the 

 tenets of the Nestorian heresy, and that they were obliged 

 to leave their own country in consequence of persecution : 

 however, it appears that the creed which they now follow 

 denies that herfesy, and seems to coincide in several points 

 with the creed of St. Athanasius, but without its damnatory 

 clauses. 



B'^ron Von Wrede has written a memoir on the subject 



of 



