1834.] Account of the Christians on the Malabar Coast* 95 



guese arrived amongst them, there was not a vestige of any other 

 faith. 



The first notice which Europe received of the christians of St, 

 Thomas, after the revival of learning, was from Pedro Alvares 

 Cabral or Cabrera^ who commanded the fleet of Emanuel, king of 

 Portugal, in the year 1500. In his war with the Samorin, he met 

 with several of these christians, and two of them, brothers, accom- 

 panied him to Portugal. The eldest, Matthias, died at Lisbon; the 

 younger, Joseph, went from thence to Rome, and afterwards to 

 Venice, where an account was published, from the information he 

 furnished, of the church of Malabar, which is found at the end of 

 Fasciculus temporum. 



t)n the arrival of Vasco ie Gama at Cochin in the year 1502, 

 the christians of St. Thomas, hearing that he was sent by a christi- 

 an sovereign, solicited by their deputies the protection of the king of 

 Portugal against the oppressions of the heathen Princes, and re- 

 ceived from the admiral the assurances of his friendship. From 

 that time till the year 1545 no mention is made of them in the 

 transactions of the Portuguese, who were too much occupied with 

 securing and enlarging their conquests, to attend to the wants of a 

 poor and defenceless church. " But (as Geddes well remarks), the 

 Portuguese's negligence in this matter v/as nothing so scandalous 

 as the violences they afterwards made use of in the reducing of 

 them.*" 



The first Missionaries, who laboured among them were Francis- 

 cans; one of whom, called Fre Vincent^ hdid accompanied Don 

 John D'Albuquerque, thef first bishop of Goa, who was also of 

 that order. He established himself at Cranganore, where he built 

 churches in the European style. | 



This Missionary however, not being supported by the secular arm 

 of the authorities of the place, made little progress, and therefore 

 begged the Viceroy of Goa to found a college at Cranganore, where 

 the Indian youth might be educated in the learning and discipline 

 of the church of Rome; in order that, in process of time being 

 admitted to the priesthood, they might bring their nation under the 

 authority of the Pope. The Indians, sent their children for educa- 

 tion to the college ; but when they were ordained, they would not 

 admit them into their churches, altho' they had previously admit- 



* Page 6. t A. D. 1545. 



t La Croze says that the antient churches of Malabar scarcely differed in 

 form from the heathen temples. I know not on what authority this asser- 

 tioQ is made. There seems no ground for it. 



