CHAP. I. Goa, and were come to bring them again under the grievous yoke that they had just shaken off. The letter contained various other allegations, and was read, according to custom, on the following Lord's day in all the churches of the diocese, not excepting that of Corolongate, where the stir it had occasioned in the country drew together a great concourse of people. The cattanars of this church, though unwilling to disobey their ecclesiastical superior, were grieved at what he had done, and expressed their sorrow to the missionaries. They wrote also to the Archdeacon, remonstrating against his conduct, in attempting by falsehood to maintain the cause of God; affirming their conviction that the Carmelites came from Rome; and warning him of their intention, as they conscientiously felt it to be their duty, to make this known in all the churches. But this only partially obviated the effect of the Archdeacon's letter. The people were so generally alarmed at the very thought of the Jesuits' domination, that they naturally enough paid more regard to the Archdeacon's representations, than to those of the cattanars of Corolongate. Nothing, however, could justify that ecclesiastic's conduct, if conscious that he was publishing a falsehood. It were better to suffer to any extent, than to violate the truth. But it is with great probability questioned whether he was practising a deception. The demands and inflexibility of these Carmelites were so much like the treatment that he had been long accustomed to receive from the Jesuits, that it is not at all improbable that he believed what he wrote.* The reply that the Archdeacon sent to the La Croze, p. 370. rector and cattanars of Corolongate, tends to confirm this conjecture. He said, that if he had been so simple as to allow himself to become the dupe of the evil reports brought to him, he ought to have docility enough to submit to their correction. He only desired them to take care to secure his honour and that of the people, whose interest it was to retain him in his dignity. A. D. 1657. again pro dication of his pose the abdignity, and his reCochin or moval to Goa-proposal re jected. 26. Even the Carmelite, Father Vincent, Carmelites concluded from this letter that he still suspected one of the missionaries to be a Bishop, and that they were only temporizing with him to subserve the interests of the jesuit prelate. Nevertheless, they imagined that something was gained by this moderation of his tone, and immediately proposed to treat with him. They first required that he should abdicate his dignity, and then acknowledge and condemn his fault in public: after which they proposed to conduct him to Rome, or place him under the protection of the Portuguese at Cochin or Goa, until the Pope, moved by his repentance, should put him into legitimate possession of the office he had usurped. This proposal was not very judicious; indeed, the missionaries must have been very simple, or but little acquainted with the present state of public feeling, if they flattered themselves that the Archdeacon would submit on such conditions. Knowing the bad faith of Roman ecclesiastics, and the tragical end of Attalla being still fresh in his memory, the Carmelite's letter filled him with indignation, and he refused to hold any further communication with them. But this did not deter them from their exertions at Corolongate, where, with the aid of the cattanars, they gained over many to their party. They have asserted that CHAP. I. Portuguese give them further support-a grand mass gate. their success almost drove the Archdeacon to despair, and that he tried in various ways to have them destroyed, either by poison or with the sword; but of these allegations they produce no proof. 27. The Portuguese were rejoiced at the missionaries' success, as the present jeopardy of their affairs rendered it most important to obat Corolon- tain the aid of the Syrians. They determined, therefore, still further to encourage them, and for this purpose sent the whole chapter from the cathedral at Cochin to Corolongate, for the celebration of a grand mass, an honour they had never before conferred upon any but Menezes. Their reception at Corolongate is said to have been magnificent, and on the same evening all the inhabitants assembled in church. The first half hour was passed in mental devotion; then the Miserere was chanted in full chorus; and all this was to be regarded as a solemn supplication to Almighty God for the conversion of this people. After service, the missionaries gratuitously distributed a great number of indulgences, which they had brought from Rome to be dispensed at their discretion. 5 5 The sale of Indulgences continued to form a lucrative branch of the Roman church's traffic in India, long after the Popes had become more cautious in dispensing them in Europe, in consequence of the advantage accruing to the protestant cause from the exposure of this scandalous abuse. The average price of an indulgence in India was two reals; but the Christians of Corolongate at the present opportunity received the special favour of a gratuitous distribution. We are not informed whether they understood the intrinsic value of these things; that is to say, what proportion of the saints' merits out of the Church's treasury was considered equivalent to one indulgence. No doubt the generous friars took care to make them happy with the thought, that they would deliver their A. D. 1657. They con Commissary tion how to 28. After the chapter had retired, Vincent Maria was deputed to Cochin, to confer with the commissary of the Inquisition on the best means to be adopted for the reduction of the churches sult the in the northern division of the diocese, which of Inquisiwere the most attached to the Archdeacon's proceed, and party. While on the way thither, a heathen, receive a visit from paying his respects to him, offered him a present him-murof fowls, which he declined accepting, alleging Syrian. that it was a rule with him never to eat meat. This avowal delighted the man, who declared, that it gave him great pleasure to find a Christian whose practice so well agreed with the pagan law, which prohibits the use of animal food. Father Vincent seems to have been as own souls, or those of their friends, from the fires of purgatory. From the following fact, some idea may be formed of the extent to which this infamous traffic was carried on in Spanish America. A captain, Woods Rogers, in an account which he published of a Cruizing Voyage to the South Sea, &c. speaking of a ship called the Marquis, which they took from the Spaniards, says,- "We found in the Marquis near Five hundred bales of the Pope's Bulls, Sixteen Reams in a Bale. This took up abundance of room in the Ship: we threw most of them overboard, to make room for better goods, except what we used to burn the Pitch of our Ships when we careened them. These Bulls are imposed upon the People, and sold here by the clergy from three Ryals to Fifty Pieces-of-Eight a-piece, according to the ability of the Purchasers. Once in two years they are rated, and all the People obliged to buy them against Lent. They cannot be read, the Print looking worse than any of our old ballards; yet the Vulgar are made to believe that it is a mortal Sin to eat flesh in Lent, without being licensed by one of these Bulls, the Negro Slaves not excepted. This is one of the greatest Branches of Income the King of Spain has in this Country, being a free gift from the Pope to him, as the Spaniards and Natives told us," pp. 227, 228. The caution referred to at the beginning of this note, which it has for so many years been deemed expedient to use in these matters, seems no longer to be thought necessary-as der of a CHAP. 1. much pleased with this little incident as the pagan was, and probably flattered himself, that by relating it he should promote the reform of the Barefooted Carmelites. The use of meat was, in fact, forbidden to this order of monks: but perhaps the zealous missionary thought the rule was too little observed, and hoped his brethren would profit by the example of this heathen. On his arrival at Cochin, the commissary of the Inquisition at first advised him to repair to Angamale and Mangate, and endeavour to bring the following modern specimen of these abominations will testify. Dublin, Nov. 8, 1837. The following notifications are distributed throughout the city." "Plenary Indulgence.". "On Wednesday, the 18th inst. there will be seen the holy body of St. Valentinus, Martyr, for forty successive days, in the Carmelite Church, Whitefriars Street; sent from Rome by his Holiness Pope Gregory 16."— "His Holiness Pope Gregory 16, has granted to all his Christian faithful of either sex, who being truly penitent, and having confessed and received the holy communion, that visit the Church of the Carmelites (Whitefriars Street) which has been appointed by the Archbishop of Dublin for the exposition of the blessed body of St. Valentinus, Martyr, a plenary indulgence, commencing at first vespers and continuing until sunset of said day, and with the privilege of applying those indulgences by way of suffrage to the faithful departed, and also an indulgence of forty days, if they shall before his holy body (placed in said Church), with contrite heart, devoutly recite, daily, three times, the Pater, Ave, and Glory be to the Father, in honour of St. Valentinus, and according to the intention of his Holiness." "The miracles wrought by St. Valentinus were numerous." This precious document went the round of the several public prints, at the time of its appearance, without calling forth any disclaimer from the titular Archbishop of Dublin. Whence this outrage upon the religion of Jesus Christ in the 19th century? Is England, because grown as tolerant of papists as of all other parties in the state, supposed to be better prepared for such monstrous impositions than she was a few years back? |