CHAP. I. at Surat-is of the Inqui forms the of his situation. 9 year. There can be no doubt that this was Attalla, Ignatius being the name assumed by all the Jacobite Patriarchs of Antioch, and by many of their Bishops. It is true, indeed, as M. Asseman has shown, that this name, Attalla, does not occur in the catalogue of Jacobite Bishops;' but this is no proof that he did not belong to that sect, as the catalogue omits many names of those who undoubtedly were prelates. M. Asseman's assertion that he was an impostor, and assumed the title of Patriarch,2 is without the shadow of foundation. But it is too evident, that all which he and Vincent Maria have said to his prejudice, was intended to throw discredit upon his character, and thereby to give some pretext for the barbarous proceedings of the Inquisition against him. He arrives 7. When Attalla arrived at Surat, he found apprehend there some Capuchin friars, to whom he dised by order closed the object of his mission. Little aware sition-in- of the policy of the Romanists to exclude the Archdeacon prelates of any Church but their own from India, he probably expected these missionaries to assist him in the prosecution of his journey. They, on the contrary, lost no time in giving notice of his arrival to the officers of the Inquisition at Goa, who immediately issued orders through the country for his apprehension. This it would not be difficult to effect. As Surat was upwards of five hundred miles North of Malabar, and the Syrian Bishop would have to 9 Letter of Mar Dionysius, Metran of the Syrian-Jacobites of Malabar, to the late Lord Gambier, President of the Church Missionary Society. Dated, in the year of our Lord, 1821. See the Missionary Register for 1822, pp. 431, 432. 1 Bib. Orient. tom. ii. pp. 482, &c.; tom. iii. part ii. p. 461, &c. 2 Ib. p. 462. pass through a country where the Portuguese establishments were numerous, it was hardly possible for him to make his way to the place of his destination. He proceeded, however, as far as Meliapore, where he was arrested, and placed in the hands of the Jesuits, who thought at first of delivering him up to the Inquisition. His arrival soon became known to some Syrian ecclesiastics of the place; and, notwithstanding all the pains taken to prevent it, they contrived to gain access to him. He put a letter secretly into their hands, desiring them to forward it to the Archdeacon. Vincent Maria pretends that the following was the tenor of this letter A. D. 1656. puted to 8. "Attalla, Patriarch. I have been sent by A letter im"Pope Innocent X. to the Malabar Christians him. "of St. Thomas for their consolation. At "Calamine I have been taken prisoner by "those whose profession it is to persecute. 66 They will soon send me to Cochin, and thence "to Goa. Arm some of your men to deliver me." There is so little reason to believe that this Bishop would assume the title of Patriarch, or that he should say that he was sent by the Pope, that it is surprising how the Carmelite missionary could venture to assert it. The Archdeacon and his clergy had addressed only the Patriarchs of Mosul, Egypt and Syria: it is, therefore, very improbable that Attalla should render his pretensions suspicious by attributing his mission to the Pope. No impartial reader can look upon this as any thing but a romish device, to revive the Pope's declining authority in India. It shows also the confidence of these Italian and Portuguese missionaries in their assumed right to assert whatever they chose, seeing that they took so little trouble to invest their statements with an air of plausibility. CHAP. I. Christians attempt to rescue him, effect. 9. Attalla's letter was conveyed to Malabar, and, whatever its contents, it did not fail to increase the Christians' detestation of the Jesuits, and alarm at their tyrannical proceedings. The but without leading men assembled at Diamper, to deliberate what was to be done for the rescue of their prelate from the cruel injustice of the Inquisition. Some proposed a reconciliation with Garzia, the Roman Archbishop, and that he should be invited to come to their assembly for the purpose. But they did not yet know enough of the Jesuits, if they really expected to catch one brought up in that crafty order with so obvious a snare. He suspected at once, that their design was to seize upon his person, and retain him as an hostage, until Attalla should be delivered up to them. Accordingly, he paid no attention to their invitation. 3 Their first project having failed, they next resolved to take up arms, and rescue their prelate out of the Jesuits' hands. Hearing of his arrival on the coast, they assembled to the number of twenty-five thousand men, all well armed, and advanced, preceded by the Archdeacon and the majority of the clergy, as far as Matanger, about a quarter of a league from Cochin. The Portuguese immediately shut the gates of the city, and mounted their artillery upon the walls, resolved to defend themselves against this army of Christians to the last extremity, rather than permit them even to see their Bishop. The Rannee of Cochin remonstrated against their violence, and united her entreaties with those of her Christian subjects, to obtain the liberation of Attalla; but all was of no avail. Despairing of attaining their object 3 Vingt-cinq mille. La Croze, p. 361. Professor Lee "about five thousand." says, A. D. 1656. expel the either by persuasion or force, the Christians retraced their steps, breathing out increased hostility against the Portuguese and the Jesuits. They re10. They immediately convened a public solve to assembly, at which it was unanimously resolved Jesuits. to drive every Jesuit out of the country, not excepting the prelate of that order who then filled the see of Cranganore, and never more to allow them to return. All the Christians present then renewed their solemn oath upon the Gospel, to submit in all things and every where to no ecclesiastical authority but that of their own Archdeacon. 11. This assembly was soon followed by two others, one at Rapolino, and the other at Mangate. It was at the latter town that the consecration of the Archdeacon took place to which allusion has already been made. Seeing the jealousy, vigilance, and power of the enemies that environed them, they now relinquished all hope of obtaining a prelate from their Patriarch, and determined upon having the Archdeacon consecrated by twelve cattanars selected for the purpose. Four ecclesiastics were then appointed to form his council, and assist him in the management of the diocese. He He appears to have exercised episcopal functions immediately, as he is said to have ordained a Portuguese, named Diez, who had joined the Syrian Church. This man was very useful to the Archdeacon, who placed great confidence in him, and employed him as his secretary and interpreter: to which were subsequently added the important offices of counsellor and confessor.4 The practice of Auricular Confession the Syrians had received from the Roman Church, though, as we have seen, with great reluctance at first. The Nestorians knew nothing of it. Barthelemi of Boulogne. La Croze, App. 30. The Archsecrated by deacon con twelve cat tanars. CHAP. 1. It is said that the Archdeacon endeavoured to justify his consecration with the pretence, that he acted under the authority of Attalla, by virtue of a letter received from that prelate to sanction it. This, however, is very improbable; nor is any credible proof advanced in support of the allegation. Others, in vindication of the act, have maintained, that an ancient canon of the Syrian Church sanctioned such a course in case of necessity, and that it was not without precedent in other churches, an instance of such a consecration having, it is said, occurred in the Church of Alexandria in the 10th century. Were this assertion of any importance, it might easily be shown how little credit is due to the authorities on which it is established. But, without stopping to discuss the question, it will suffice for our present purpose to remark, that the Syrians appealed to no such precedent. The probability, therefore, is, that they had never heard of it; and, if we concede the possibility of its having taken place, the very fact that so slight a foundation could be discovered in the whole range of ecclesiastical history in support of this proceeding, is quite enough, to say the least, to prove its irregularity. Had the Archdeacon and his council been constituted a commission to ordain priests and deacons during their present emergency, no rea 5 On this principle, the wise and pious Bishop Davenant vindicated the ordinations of the reformed pastors on the continent. He says-"But here, in passing, we have to solve a doubt which was not omitted by the schoolmen themselves; (Vide Durand. lib. iv. disp. 7. quæst. 3.) for it is often questioned, Whether, besides a Bishop, who, by his office, dispenses sacred orders, can one inferior to a Bishop confer the same in case of necessity? To which I answer, Seeing that to confer holy orders is, by Apostolical institution, an act of the Episcopal office, if Presbyters in a |