Of the Roman Catholic Priests in Malabar, and their Converts among the Heathen.
The Christians of Malacca, Coromandel, and Malabar, are mostly of the Romish persuasion, with the exception of a small number of our co-religionists, consisting chiefly of Dutch, and their descendants of mixed race. In each of these countries there is but one Reformed minister, while thousands of Romish priests are found along this coast, covering the land like locusts: most of them are very poor, as their Churches here do not possess the incomes they enjoy in Europe, and their congregations are generally indigent. These priests are of two classes, the natives, and the Europeans, of whom the last are most respected.
You may judge of their power in Malabar, when you hear that that country contains one Archbishop and two Bishops. The Archbishop has authority over the Christians in the mountain district, from which he derives his title; his residence is generally at Ambekatti, a few leagues from Cochin. The Present prelate is a Jesuit, a Spaniard by descent, named Antonio Peimentel. Another Jesuit enjoys the title of Bishop of Cochin; he lives at Quilon. These two prelates receive their appointments from the King of Portugal, the Pope confirming them; as we may suppose, they are the craftiest spies of the Portuguese monarch, prying into the affairs of the company, and imbuing the natives with deep aversion to the Dutch. The company has no power to drive them out, not possessing any authority in these countries. We cannot but wonder at the manner in which our former commandants received these priests; they saluted them with a display of arms and firing of cannon, shewing to them the same honours as to kings, thereby grieving all true Protestants, whilst the Romanists were extremely delighted, to see their Bishops so much more honoured than our chaplains. Any one can see with what purpose this was done, who remembers how selfishness and love of money prevail throughout the world. Another abuse existed under the government of Commandant Ketel, namely, that the Romish priests were allowed not only to visit condemned criminals of their persuasion in Cochin, but even to accompany them to the scaffold. The present commandant Hertenberg, who is a man of noble character, and extremely averse to such proceedings, has done away with these irregularities, and restrains their insolence.
Besides these two Bishops there is another, who styles himself Bishop of Cranganoor, and the surrounding districts; he is a Carmelite, appointed by the Pope alone, and is under the Company’s protection; the States General having conceded to the Emperor the right to appoint such a prelate, which right he has handed over to the Pope.
There is no fear lest this Bishop should make common cause with the Portuguese. On the contrary, he has always been their enemy, for the Portuguese king having assumed the right of ecclesiastical patronage, cannot quietly see a Bishop settled here without his consent; so that this prelate and his clergy shun the Portuguese, knowing that they would gladly get rid of them and send them back to Europe. The Portuguese, and the Jesuits combine also to intercept their letters from Europe, as well as the money which is sent them from Rome. In consequence these clergy are always at variance with the Portuguese Bishops, and a wise Commandant with due caution, might through them discover the measures of the Portuguese clergy. The residence of this Bishop and his Priests is at Warapoli, three leagues from Cochin, where they have a convent and a neat church.
There is no likelihood of their making many adherents, for their poverty causes them to be held in small esteem by the native princes; whilst the Jesuits, on the contrary, are rich, and astute in all their proceedings, and have consequently acquired great influence over that venal race.
From this description you will understand the present state of Christianity in Malabar, where superstition reigns supreme, and no human means can be devised to spread the Reformed faith among the native Papists: partly, because they are stupid and incapable of understanding any reasoning; and partly, because the Romish Missionaries have roused in them a mortal hatred against our religion, which they carry to such an extent, that they will not dignify us with the name of Christians, always meaning a Roman Catholic when they speak of a “Christiano.” They invented a thousand calumnies against us, such as, that we deny the Divinity of Christ, &c., and tell all manner of fictions to mislead the ignorant people. Thus a certain Portuguese General, van Timor, who was at Batavia, had the effrontery to assert that he had seen there one of the greatest miracles in the world for the conversion of heretics; namely how a stone cross grew on a bench outside a certain house in the Roemalakken, and as often as it was cut down, sprung up again of itself; now it is certain that this is as great a lie as can be, for I, and thousands besides, have walked through that street every day, without seeing anything of the kind. In the same way, I was asked by a Lutheran merchant of Hamburgh, who had come from Portugal to Goa, and thence to Tellicherry, whether there was here a miraculous arch, for he had been told as a certain truth, that there was such a Portuguese building, which the Commandant had sent several men to destroy without success, and had at length placed guns before it to shatter it, but it still remained standing; and when I made a face at the story, he answered that it was believed by the most intelligent people in the place.
You will wish perhaps to know the further reason why the Romish religion is spread so widely over the coast of India, while our reformed faith has struck such small roots there.
First, you must observe, what I have mentioned before, the great number of Romish Priests in this country, both those who have been brought up here, and those who come from other places, especially Goa, which may be called the mother and seminary of the Romish priests in India. Half the population indeed of that city consists of clergy, who are much more numerous there than soldiers, and are not only sent from Europe in ships each containing 40 or 50 of various orders, but are also ordained at Goa itself in great numbers; and as it is impossible for them all to obtain a livelihood there, they spread themselves throughout the whole country. In the islands, on the contrary, where the East India Company are masters of the seacoast, few or no Roman Catholics are found; and the Company have there several chaplains and seminaries, for the instruction of youth, which do not exist in these parts.
Secondly, we must take into consideration, that the Romish worship is much more attractive to those who are converted from heathenism, than the reformed; for where the latter commands men to worship God in spirit and in truth, the former has rites and ceremonies resembling those of the heathens. They both worship images, though those of the papists are beautiful, and those of the heathens frightful and monstrous; both have their saints or minor deities, both have lights in their churches, both make vows to their images, and adorn them with flowers; and this great similarity, no doubt makes the transition to the Romish persuasion easy to these people.
In the third place we must add, that except the St. Thomas’ Christians, all those who are converted by the Roman Catholics are either the slave children of christians, like most of the Topasses, or of the lowest sort of heathens, none being higher than Chegos. Few brahmins, chetriahs, or sudras adopt their religion; indeed, we might suppose that the low castes do so generally in order to escape the contempt in which they are held by their nation, for when they become Christians they are more esteemed, and may even come to the palaces, which they might never approach before. There are also many among these new christians, who come over to that religion, because they have lost caste, and are dishonoured among their own people; a class of persons who would not be lightly received among us. The priests also make very little circumstance about the baptism of these new christians, for they merely ask whether they believe in Christ or in the Holy Church, or can say the Apostles’ creed, and then baptize them at once; and as the people know well enough that we should not act in that manner, but should ask them their reasons for wishing to become Christians, and teach them diligently, they do not come to us. Besides, seeing that the great mass of blacks are papists they follow their example, thinking blindly that to possess the mere name of christian is enough. We may add another reason: namely, that the Romanists baptize slaves and the children of slaves, thus making them nominal christians; whilst among us baptism is only administered to those whose parents are christians.