1923.} St. Thomas and San Thomé, Mylapore. 211 
are well authenticated, and cannot be denied. If the Indian 
Church was at the time Nestorian, the Archbishop should have 
gone to the Catholicos of Seleucia or to the Metropolitan of 
Persia, his immediate superior. The very fact that the Arch- 
bishop went to Constantinople and to distant Rome, points to 
the fact that he professed the Catholic Religion, and conse- 
quently the Indian Church ,of which he was Archbishop or 
Patriarch was also Catholic 
e argument is more ogmatio than conclusive. While 
the veracity of the man and t lace he came from remain 
so difficult to settle, his lot ce is a point that cannot be 
decided. They w ould not believe him in Kome until he swore on 
the Holy Gospels that he did not tell lies, And we - hardly 
sae that they believed much in him even after that. 
a the reign of the Nestorian Patriarch Yaballaha U1. 
(281 ‘1317), the good people of Rome were badly taken in by 
Rabban Sauma, a monk, who had come to Bagdad from China 
with Mark (later Yaballaha Ill), in the time of Patriarch 
Denha I. (1265-1281). In fact, Rabban Sauma was born at 
Khanbaliq (Pekin). Argon Khan, the Prince of the Mongols, 
asking Yaballaha for a Christian ambassador to the Emperor, 
to the Pope. and the Western Princes, Rabban Sauma was 
chosen and sent off with plenty of money, three horses and a 
suite, 
As the adventures of our Mar John II. may have run on 
lines ne pee similar to those of Rabban Sauma, we draw 
spa Father A. Fortescue for an interesting summary a the 
sto 
ory.* 
‘“ Rabban Sauma’s embassy in Europe is one of rng most 
curious episodes of later Nestorian history. By this time, the 
very existence of a Nestorian Church was almost forgotten in 
the West. Perhaps the most remarkable point in his adven- 
tures is the unquestioning confidence with which everyone 
takes his word that he is a good Christian, as they are. So 
entirely had suspicion of — died out, that even the 
Pope gave him Communio e to Con- 
stantinople, saw what he alle King Basileus’ ote taking . 
that for his name), the Holy Wisdom, all the relics and won- 
ders, Then he comes to Italy, lands at Napies, and sees King 
‘Trid Harladu.’§ At that time Irid Harladu was fighting the 
ing of Arkun (Aragon). Honest Sauma is amazed that 
in European war only eadeits are killed. Not so in war 

Ulna (or Ultima) might be meant _ Maila, Masiies  Iailen, 
Ma Yilapur. Or should we read Calam 
' Cf. the Rev. J. C. Panjikaren, The Syrien Church in Malabar, p. 3°. 
* Father A. Fortescue = uae eae eg og story of our our Mar J Johr Ill. 
This astonishing n re Carle due’’ (Chabot, og 
age Pe ae rhode yin ‘Patriarche, em de frig Sauma, Paris, ed. 2, 1895 
Note by A 
