261 Account of the Christians on the Malabar Coast. [July 



Archdeacon of Malabar to repair to Cochin. ThivS snmmons being- 

 repeated a second time and wiih the fullest assnrances of personal 

 safety, the Archdeacon, with the advice of the Catanars and the 

 principal laymen, determined to admit the foreign Prelate into their 

 Churches, if he came there, hut without prejudice to their own ju- 

 risdiction. Tiiis resolution was registered, and they vowed to main- 

 tain It inviolable until the anival of the Prelate they expected from 

 IVlosul 



The Archdeacon took the precaution to scein'c his person by the 

 atiendance of two christian chiefs and three thousand of their fol- 

 lowers armed with swords and shields. These chiefs were sworn 

 to defend him to the last extremity, even to the> indiscrimiuate mas- 

 sacre of all that should oppose them — an oath which was not dis- 

 covered before the diocese had submitted to the authority of the 

 Archbishop. 



With this guard he arrived at Cochin, where he was introduced 

 by the governor to the Archbishop who received him with every 

 show of friendship. He kneeled and kissed the hand of the Pre- 

 late, and all the Catanars who attended him paid him the same 

 respect. This homage is always paid by them to bishops of other 

 Churches as well as their own. The Archl)ishop, the Governor and 

 the Archdeacon then retired to an inner apartment, and the two 

 chiefs of Malabar took their station, with their drawn swords, behind 

 the chair of Menezes. In the mean time the Syrians who had crowded 

 in great numbers to the outer apartment, became alarmed for the 

 safety of their Archdeacon and declared that the time was come to 

 die for their religion. They were restrained from violence by a 

 Catanar who persuaded them to wait in silence till their aid should 

 be called for by their chiefs. 



This interview terminated in a resolution to visit the Church of 

 Vaijucotta which the Archbishop announced to the Archdeacon, 

 who promised to meet him there with a considerable number of Ca- 

 tanars. At that place was the Jesuits' College for the education 

 of the youth of the Diocese of Angamale. The Prelate arriving 

 there with a numerous retinue, preached to the people in Portu- 

 guese y on those words of our Lord (John x. \.) He that entereth 

 not by the door of the sheep fold but climbeth up sovie other way^ 

 is a thief and a, robber. The whole object of his sermon was to 

 prove that no one entered the true gate of the Church but those 

 were sent by the Pope, the only Vicar of Jesus Christ. The fol- 

 owing day he administered the sacrament of confirmation, which 



