MALABAR* 
rence of the tenets of the popifli religion. The arch hi (hop 
of Goa, Menezes, immediately appointed a Jefuit, Fran- 
cifcus Roz, to fill the vacant feat of Angamalee ; but to 
no effett, for he was not acknowledged nor admitted by 
the St. Thome Chriltians, who had previoully elefted a 
prielt of their own, of the name of George, for their arch¬ 
deacon, till a new metropolitan could be procured from 
Babylon. 
Menezes refolved now to vifit in perfon the Malabar 
Chriltians, and to try if by his prefence and influence he 
could bring about a fincere and lading union. The ap¬ 
pearance or a man of his birth, rank, wealth, and power, 
as primate of India, to which he joined an equal zeal, de¬ 
votion, and great private virtue, was decilive. The for¬ 
lorn George employed at fir It every evalior. and fubter- 
fuge that his natural fagacity and his great attachment to 
his fe<5l could fugged, in order to gain time for a new hi- 
fhop to arrive from Babylon, who might be able to meet 
Menezes upon equal terms; but no bilhop from Bibylon 
did or could make good his voyage to India ; and Me¬ 
nezes was indefatigable, bold, perlevering, and lavifli of 
his wealth ; and had all the petty rajahs of that time at 
his command. He appointed at lad a mock council or 
fynod at Odiamper, in the vicinity of Cochin, in the year 
1599, where he aflembled mod of the Syrian priefls or caf- 
fanas, and four elders from each village; and, after fome 
Ihow of deputation, and explanation of the controverted 
tenets of the church of Rome, he proceeded to diflate the 
law to them, there being not a perfon of fufticient erudi¬ 
tion, or of conlideration and influence enough amongfl 
the caffanas, who could dare to oppufe Menezes ; and to 
appearance the Neflorians of Malabar were united to the 
Roman church. Menezes appointed Roz a fecond time 
archbilhop of the Syrian Chriltians ; who, inltead of An¬ 
gamalee, took now his rclidence at Cranganore ; and, lince 
that time, a great part of the St. Thome Chriltians re¬ 
mained united with the Romifli church, and were govern¬ 
ed by the fuccelTors of Roz, under the title of archbilhop 
of Cranganore. 
We cannot l'ufiictently lament the great lofs which li¬ 
terature lultained on that occafion ; for this biin and en- 
rhufiaitic inquifitor, d-ltroyed, nice a (econd Omar, all the 
books written in the Syrian or Chaldaean language, which 
could be collected, not only at tire lynod of Odiamper, 
but efpecially during his fubfequent circuit ; for, a- ioon 
as he had entered into a Syrian church he ordered ah their 
books and records to oe laid before him ; which, a few 
indifferent ones excepted, hr committed to the flames ; i'o 
that at prelent neither books nor manuferipts are to be 
found amonglt the St. Thome Chriltians. 
The union of the Sr. Thome Chriltians to the fee of 
Rome was, however, neither g< nerai nor fincere and lad¬ 
ing ; for, a Ihort tune after, fomc Maronites, or Netiorian 
prielts, found their way to the mountains ot I .-.a van core, 
where they revived the oid doftrines and rites, ami 1 ;ve 
ever flnee kept up their communication with the Jace- bites, 
Maronites, and Neltorians, of Syria. At prefent the: c are 
thirty-two churches of this delcription remaining, which 
are called fchifmatic Syrians by the Portuguefe and Romifli 
clergy. They have a bilhop, or Mar Thome, who relides 
at Narnattee, about ten miles inland from Porca ; and 
was conlecrated by fome Jacobite bilhops, lent from An- 
tiochia for that purpoie in the year 1752. But he (terns 
to adhere more to the doctrine of Eutiches than of Nelto- 
rius. About eighty-four of the old St. Thome churches 
remain united to the Roman-catholic religion, and are go¬ 
verned by the archtiilhop of Cranganore, or, as he ufea to 
iiyle himl’elf, the archbifhop of the Malabar Chriltians of 
the Mountains. Since the death of the laft archbilhop, the 
government of Goa, who had formerly the nomination, 
thought proper to appoint only a vicar-general, who re- 
fldes at prefent at Peeke Palliporte. He is a native of 
Malabar, of Syrian extraction, of the name of Thome 
Enamakel. Thefe united St. Thome Chriltians retain 
only the peculiarity of the Chaldtean language, being Itill 
179 
ufed in their churches, for which they are furhifhed with 
the neceflary books from the Congregatio de Propaganda. 
Fide. 
The St. ThomS, or Syrian, Chriftians of both deferip- 
tions, never claimed tite particular proteflion of either the 
Portuguefe or Dutch, as the new Chriltians do, but con- 
lidered tfumlelves as fubjefts of the different rajahs in 
whole diltridls they lived ; and, as long as the old Hindoo 
fyfteui, and the former divifion of the country, under a 
variety of petty rajahs, was preferved, they appear to have 
enjoyed the fame degree of freedom, eafe, and conftdera- 
tion, as the Nairs. But, when the raj ills of Travancore 
and Cochin had fubjefted to themfelves all the petty rajahs 
and chiefs whole rel’peftive territories werefituated within 
the lines of Travancore, they alfo overturned the whole 
ancient political lyllem ; and, by fetting afide the immu¬ 
nities and privileges of the higher calls, they ellabliflied a 
moll oppreflive defpotifm, in the room of the former mild 
limited oligarchy ; and we ought not to be much (urprifed 
to behold the prelent wretched fitnation of thole formerly 
fo flourilhing Syrian villages, lince we fee the Brahmins 
and Nairs ftript of molt of their old prerogatives, and fub- 
jefl toalmoft the fame oppreffions and extortions. 
The New or Portuguese Chriftians confill of that race 
of new converts, whom the Portuguefe made moltly from 
the lowed calls along the fea-fliore, where they built a great 
many churches ; which, in diilinflion from the Syrians, 
are generally called the Latin churches. They confider 
themfelves not as fubjedts of the different rajahs in whofe 
territory they relide; hut enjoyed formerly the proteflion 
of both the Portuguefe and the Dutch governments, to a 
great extent. They acknowledged only their jurifdidtion 
in civil.and criminal matters, and paid no taxes to the na¬ 
tive princes. This exemption they maintained, in fome 
manner, till the year 178$, when Mr. Van Angelbeck, 
then governor of Cochin, law no other remedy to lave at 
leall part of their privileges from the daily-increafing 
power of the rajah ot Cochin, but to enter into a new 
written agreement with the rajah; in conformity to which 
they were to pay a certain ftipulated fum yearly to the 
rajah, which ihould be collected by their own head peo¬ 
ple; and, in cafe of delays or failure, the Dutch govern¬ 
ment was to enforce payment, and not the rajah. Another 
article defined the jurifdiclion which the Dutch fliould 
Hill exercife over them. But even thefe ftipulations the- 
rajah did not long nor fcrupuloufly adhere to; till at laft 
lie went Co far as to turn a great part of them fairly out 
of his dominions, by obliging them to accept fome trifling 
conftderation for the landed eftates which they were com¬ 
pelled to abandon ; and the reft he treated, if pofflble, more 
Severely than his own Hindoo fubjecls. 
The number of thefe Chriftians who confider tbem- 
felves as under the protection of the Fort of Cochin, is 
computed to amount to about 36,000. In ecclefiaftical 
matters they were formerly (object to the Portuguefe hi¬ 
lltop of Cochin, whom the Dutch expelled as loon as they 
got pofleffion of the Fort. Thence he went to fix his re- 
lidence at Coilan, retaining, however, his former appella¬ 
tion of bilhop of Cochin, and a great part of liis former 
ecclefiaftical jurifiliiffion over all the churches that were 
not under the immediate controul of the Dutch. His fuc. 
ceffors continue to prefide over the lame diocefe, which 
extends as far as the Cavery River, on the other coaft, in¬ 
cluding the Ifland of Ceylon ; comprehending more than 
ioo churches of the New or Latin Chriflians. 
When, for political reafons, the Dutch had expelled the 
Portuguefe bifliops from Cochin; in order that the 
churches which were now under their immediate protec¬ 
tion Ihould not remain without an ecclefiaftical chief, 
they applied to the fee of Rome for a new bilhop, who 
would be under their controul, and whom they could bet¬ 
ter trull than a vaflal of Portugal. The pope, in compli¬ 
ance with their wilhes, fent out a Carmelite friar, with epif- 
copal powers, under the name of vicar-general; and the 
ftates-general granted him a diploma to that purpofe in 
the 
