{ "book_metadata": { "book_name": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials", "book_author": "M. K. Kuriakose", "publisher": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge", "published_on": "2011" }, "chunks": [ { "chunk_index": 1, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 27 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00051-800847f5008918bd4463.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Letter and Mission Background", "chunk_data": "32. FRANCIS XAVIER'S LETTER TO THE SOCIETY OF JESUS (1543 A.D.)\nFrancis Xavier (1506-1552), one of the founders of the Society of Jesus, carried on extensive activities in India and East Asia. This letter, describing his work on the Fishery Coast, was written the year after his arrival in India and was written from Cochin. The complete text of the letter is found in 'The Hand of Xavier in the Pearl Fishery Coast', Pro Deo et Patria, Series No. XXV, pp. 7-16", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "India", "East Asia", "Fishery Coast", "Cochin" ], "event": "Introduction to Francis Xavier's 1543 letter describing his missionary work on the Fishery Coast.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Missionary Work", "Christianity" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 2, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 27 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00051-800847f5008918bd4463.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Xavier Writes to Jesuits", "chunk_data": "May the grace and charity of Christ our Lord always help and favour us! Amen.\n\nIt is now the third year since I left Portugal. I am writing to you for the third time, having as yet received only one letter from you, dated February 1542. God is my witness what joy it caused me. I only received it two months ago-later than is usual for letters to reach India, because the vessel which brought it had passed the winter at Mozambique.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "Portugal", "India", "Mozambique" ], "event": "Francis Xavier reports writing to the Society of Jesus and receiving a delayed letter dated February 1542.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Correspondence", "Missionary Work" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 3, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 27 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00051-800847f5008918bd4463.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Mission Among Comorin Christians", "chunk_data": "I and Francis Mancias are now living amongst the Christians of Comorin. They are very numerous, and increase largely every day. When I first came I asked them, if they knew any thing about our Lord Jesus Christ? But when I came to the points of faith in detail and asked them what they thought of them, and what more they believed now than when they were infidels, they only replied that they were Christians, but that as they are ignorant of Portuguese, they know nothing of the precepts and mysteries of our holy religion.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Francis Mancias" ], "places": [ "Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier and Francis Mancias live among the numerous Christians of Comorin and discover their lack of religious instruction.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Missionary Work", "Education" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 4, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 27 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00051-800847f5008918bd4463.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Catechism Translated into Malabar", "chunk_data": "We could not understand one another, as I spoke Castilian and they Malabar; so I picked out the most intelligent and well read of them, and then sought out with the greatest diligence men who knew both languages. We held meetings for several days, and by our joint efforts and with infinite difficulty we translated the Catechism into Malabar tongue. This I learned by heart, and then I began to go through all the villages of the coast, calling around me by the sound of a bell as many as I could, children and men.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "Malabar", "Fishery Coast" ], "event": "Francis Xavier works with bilingual residents to translate the Catechism into Malabar and begins visiting coastal villages.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Translation", "Education" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 5, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 27, 28 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00051-800847f5008918bd4463.webp", "raw\\pages\\00052-e1776dc2527f361b0838.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Teaching Christian Doctrine", "chunk_data": "I assembled them twice a day and taught them the Christian doctrine and thus, in the space of a month, the children had it well by heart. And all the time I kept telling them to go on teaching in their turn whatever they had learnt to their parents, family and neighbours.\n\nEvery Sunday I collected them all, men and women, boys and girls, in the church. They came with great readiness and with a great desire for instruction. Then, in the hearing of all, I began by calling on the name of the most holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and I recited aloud the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Creed in the language of the country: they all followed me in the same words, and delighted in it wonderfully.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "Coastal villages of Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier teaches Christian doctrine twice daily and leads Sunday prayers and recitations in the local language.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Education", "Conversion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 6, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 28 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00052-e1776dc2527f361b0838.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Instruction in Creed and Commandments", "chunk_data": "Then I repeated the Creed by myself, dwelling upon each article singly. Then I asked them as to each article, whether they believed it unhesitatingly; and all, with a loud voice and their hands crossed over their breasts, professed aloud that they truly believed it. I take care to make them repeat the Creed oftener than the other prayers; and I tell them that those who believe all that is contained therein are called Christians.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian converts" ], "places": [ "Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier teaches the Creed and asks the converts to profess their belief in each article.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Education", "Conversion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 7, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 28, 29 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00052-e1776dc2527f361b0838.webp", "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Preparing Converts for Baptism", "chunk_data": "After explaining the Creed I go on to the Commandments, teaching them that the Christian law is contained in those ten precepts, and that every one who observes them all faithfully is a good and true Christian and is certain of eternal salvation, and that, on the other hand, whoever neglects a single one of them is a bad Christian, and will be cast into hell unless he is truly penitent for his sin. Converts and heathen alike are astonished at all this, which shows them the holiness of the Christian law, its perfect consistency with itself, and its agreement with reason. After this I recite our principal prayers, as the Our Father and the Hail Mary and they say them after me.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian converts" ], "places": [ "Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier explains the Ten Commandments, salvation, sin, and Christian prayers to converts and non-Christians.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Doctrine", "Conversion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 8, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 28 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00052-e1776dc2527f361b0838.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Prayers After Each Creed Article", "chunk_data": "Then we go back to the Creed, adding Our Father and the Hail Mary after each article, with a short hymn; for, as soon as I have recited the first article, I sing in their language, Jesus, Son of the Living God, grant us the grace to believe firmly this first article of your faith and that we may obtain this from you, we offer you this prayer taught us by yourself. Then we add this second invocation: 'Holy Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us from your most sweet Son that we may believe without hesitation this article of the Christian faith. We do the same after all the other eleven articles.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Jesus Christ", "Holy Mary" ], "places": [ "Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier teaches converts to associate prayers and hymns with each article of the Creed.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Prayer", "Education" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 9, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 28, 29 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00052-e1776dc2527f361b0838.webp", "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Teaching the Ten Commandments", "chunk_data": "We teach them the Commandments in the following way. After we have sung the first, which enjoins the love of God, we pray thus: Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, grant us the grace to love thee above all things;' and then we say for this intention the Lord's Prayer. Then we all sing together, Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, obtain for us from your Son the grace to observe perfectly the first of His Commandments:' and then we say the Hail Mary. So we go on through the other nine, changing the words of our little invocation as occasion requires. Thus I accustomed them to ask for these graces with ordinary prayers of the Church, and I tell them at the same time that if they obtain them, they will have all other things that they can wish for more abundantly than they would be able to ask for them. I make them all, and particularly those who are to be baptized, repeat the form of general confession. These last I question after each article of the Creed as it is recited, whether they believe it firmly; and after they have answered yes, I give them an instruction in their own language explaining the chief heads of the Christian religion, and the duties necessary to salvation. Last of all, I admit them thus prepared to baptism. The instruction is ended by the Salve Regina begging the aid and help of our blessed Lady.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Jesus Christ", "Holy Mary" ], "places": [ "Comorin" ], "event": "Francis Xavier teaches the Commandments through prayers, confession, doctrinal instruction, and preparation for baptism.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Baptism", "Education" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 10, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 29 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Large-Scale Baptisms", "chunk_data": "As to the numbers who become Christians, you may understand from this, that it often happens to me to be hardly able to use my hands from the fatigue of baptizing; often in a single day I have baptized whole villages. Sometimes I lost my voice and strength altogether with repeating again and again the Credo and the other forms.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "Fishery Coast" ], "event": "Francis Xavier reports baptizing entire villages and becoming exhausted from repeated baptisms and recitations.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Baptism", "Conversion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 11, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 29 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Children Oppose Idolatry", "chunk_data": "The fruit that is reaped by the baptism of infants, as well as by the instruction of children and others, is quite incredible. These children, I trust heartily, by the grace of God will be much better than their fathers. They show an ardent love for the Divine Law and an extraordinary zeal for learning our holy religion and imparting it to others. Their hatred for idolatry is marvellous. They get into feuds with the heathen about it, and whenever their own parents practice it, they reproach, and come off to tell me at once.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian children" ], "places": [ "Fishery Coast" ], "event": "Christian children learn the faith, teach others, and oppose idolatrous practices among their families and neighbours.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Children", "Conversion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 12, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 29 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Children Destroy Idols", "chunk_data": "Whenever I hear of any act of idolatrous worship, I go to the place with a large band of these children, who very soon load the devil with a great amount of insult and abuse than he has lately received of honour and worship from their parents, relations and acquaintances. The children run at the idols, upset them, dash them down, break them to pieces, spit on them, trample on them, kick them about, and in short heap on them every possible outrage.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian children" ], "places": [ "Fishery Coast" ], "event": "Francis Xavier leads Christian children in attacking and destroying idols associated with local worship.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Idolatry", "Conflict" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 13, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 29, 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp", "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Ministry to the Sick", "chunk_data": "I had been living for nearly four months in a Christian village, occupied in translating the Catechism. A great number of natives came from all parts to entreat me to take the trouble to go to their houses and call on God by the bedsides of their sick relatives. Such numbers also of sick made their own way to us, that I had enough to do to read a gospel over each of them. At the same time we kept on with our daily work instructing the children, baptizing converts, translating the Catechism, answering difficulties and burying the dead.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier" ], "places": [ "A Christian village" ], "event": "After living nearly four months in a Christian village, Francis Xavier ministers to the sick while continuing instruction, baptisms, translation, and burial work.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Healing", "Missionary Work" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 14, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 29, 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00053-57ab3943b0d37a53d2b0.webp", "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Children Visit the Sick", "chunk_data": "For my part I desired to satisfy all, both the sick who came to me themselves, and those who came to beg on the part of others, lest if I did not, their confidence in, and zeal for, our holy religion should relax, and I thought it wrong not to do what I could in answer to their prayers. But the thing grew to such a pitch that it was impossible for me myself to satisfy all, and at the same time to avoid their quarrelling among themselves, everyone striving to be the first to get me to his own house; so I hit on a way of serving all at once. As I could not go myself, I sent round children whom I could trust in my place. They went to the sick persons, assembled their families and neighbours, recited the Creed with them, and encouraged the sufferers to conceive a certain and well founded confidence of their restoration. Then after all this, they recited the prayers of the Church. To make the tale short, God was moved by the faith and piety of these children and of the others, and restored to a great number of sick persons health both of body and soul. How good He was to them! He made the very disease of their bodies the occasion of calling them to salvation, and drew them to the Christian faith almost by force!", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian children", "Sick converts" ], "places": [ "Christian villages" ], "event": "Francis Xavier sends trusted children to pray with the sick, after which many are said to recover in body and soul.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Healing", "Miracles" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 15, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Village Catechists Appointed", "chunk_data": "I have also charged these children to teach the rudiments of Christian doctrine to the ignorant in private houses, in the streets, and the crossways. As soon as I see that this has been well started in one village, I go on to another and give the same instructions and the same commission to the children, and so I go through in order, the whole number of their villages. When I have done this and am going away, I leave in each place a copy of the Christian doctrine, and tell all those who know how to write, to copy it out, and all the others are to learn it by heart and to recite it from memory every day. Every feast day I bid them meet in one place and sing all together the elements of faith.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Christian children" ], "places": [ "Christian villages" ], "event": "Francis Xavier commissions children to teach Christian doctrine and organizes communal recitation and singing in the villages.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Education", "Organization" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 16, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Funding for Thirty Villages", "chunk_data": "For this purpose I have appointed in each of the thirty Christian villages men of intelligence and character who are to preside over these meetings, and the Governor, Don Martin Alfonso, who is so full of love for our society and of zeal for religion, has been good enough at our request to allot a yearly revenue of 4,000 gold fanams for the salary of these catechists. He has an immense friendship for ours and desires with all his heart that some of them should be sent hither, for which he is always asking in his letters to the king", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Don Martin Alfonso" ], "places": [ "Thirty Christian villages" ], "event": "Francis Xavier appoints village leaders, while Governor Don Martin Alfonso funds the catechists with 4,000 gold fanams annually.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Politics", "Administration" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 17, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Xavier Criticizes Brahmins", "chunk_data": "We have in these parts a class of men among the pagans who are called Brahmins. They keep up the worship of the gods, the superstitious rites of religion, frequenting the temples and taking care of the idols. They are as perverse and wicked a set as can anywhere be found and I always apply to them the words of holy David, From an unholy race and a wicked and crafty man deliver me, O Lord. They are liars and cheats to the very backbone. Their whole study is how to deceive most cunningly the simplicity and ignorance of the people.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "Francis Xavier describes the Brahmins as temple authorities who maintain local rites and idols, expressing strong opposition to their practices.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Brahmins", "Idolatry" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 18, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 30 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Brahmin Temple Practices", "chunk_data": "They give out publicly that the gods command certain offerings to be made to their temples, which offerings are simply the things that the Brahmins themselves wish for, for their own maintenance and that of their wives, children and servants. Thus they made the poor folk believe that the images of their gods eat and drink, dine and sup like men, and some devout persons are found who really offer to the idol twice a day, before dinner and supper, a certain sum of money. The Brahmins eat sumptuous meals to the sound of drums, and make the ignorant believe that the gods are banqueting", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "Brahmin temples" ], "event": "Francis Xavier alleges that Brahmins use temple offerings and claims about idols eating to support themselves.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Brahmins", "Idolatry" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 19, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 30, 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00054-e23f3caaf39197ab5dad.webp", "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Conversion of a Brahmin", "chunk_data": "The heathen inhabitants of the country are commonly ignorant of letters, but by no means ignorant of wickedness. All the time I have been here in this country I have only converted one Brahmin, a virtuous young man, who has now undertaken to teach the Catechism to children.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "A converted Brahmin" ], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "Francis Xavier reports converting one virtuous young Brahmin who undertakes to teach the Catechism to children.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Conversion", "Education" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 20, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Debate in a Pagoda", "chunk_data": "As I go through the Christian villages, I often pass by the temples of the Brahmins, which they call pagodas. One day lately, I happened to enter a pagoda where there were about two hundred of them, and most of them came to meet me. We had a long conversation, after which I asked them what their gods enjoined them in order to obtain the life of the blessed. There was a long discussion amongst them as to who should answer me. At last, by common consent, the commission was given to one of them, of greater age and experience than the rest, an old man, of more than eighty years.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "An elderly Brahmin" ], "places": [ "A Brahmin pagoda" ], "event": "Francis Xavier enters a pagoda and debates approximately two hundred Brahmins about the path to blessed life.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Debate", "Brahmins" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 21, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Brahmin Duties Explained", "chunk_data": "He asked me in return, what commands the God of the Christians laid on them. I saw the old man's perversity and I refused to speak a word till he had first answered my question. So he was obliged to expose his ignorance, and replied that their gods required two duties of those who desired to go to them hereafter, one of which was to abstain from killing cows, because under that form the gods were adored; the other was to show kindness to the Brahmins, who were the worshippers of the gods.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "An elderly Brahmin" ], "places": [ "A Brahmin pagoda" ], "event": "An elderly Brahmin states that avoiding the killing of cows and showing kindness to Brahmins are required for the afterlife.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Brahmins", "Beliefs" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 22, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Xavier Proclaims Christian Doctrine", "chunk_data": "This answer moved my indignation, for I could not but grieve intensely at the thought of the devils being worshipped instead of God by these blind heathen, and I asked them to listen to me in turn. Then I, in a loud voice, repeated the Apostles' Creed and the Ten Commandments. After this I gave in their own language a short explanation, and told them what Paradise is, and what Hell is, and also who they are who go to Heaven to join the company of the blessed, and who are to be sent to the eternal punishments of Hell.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "A Brahmin pagoda" ], "event": "Francis Xavier recites the Apostles' Creed and Ten Commandments and explains Paradise, Hell, and salvation in the local language.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Preaching", "Debate" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 23, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Brahmins Accept Christian God", "chunk_data": "Upon hearing these things they all rose up and vied with one another in embracing me, and in confessing that the God of the Christians is the true God, as His laws are so agreeable to reason. Then they asked me if the souls of men like those of other animals perished together with the body.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "A Brahmin pagoda" ], "event": "The Brahmins embrace Francis Xavier, acknowledge the Christian God as true, and question him about the immortality of the soul.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Conversion", "Debate" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 24, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Explaining the Immortal Soul", "chunk_data": "put into my mouth arguments of such a sort, and so suited, to their great joy I was able to prove to them the immortality of the soul. I find, by the way, that the arguments which are to convince these ignorant people must by no means be subtle, such as those which are found in the books of learned schoolmen, but must be such as their mind can understand.", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "A Brahmin pagoda" ], "event": "Francis Xavier uses accessible arguments to explain and establish the immortality of the soul.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Theology", "Debate" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 25, "chapter_name": "1543. Francis Xavier’s Letter to the Society of Jesus", "page_numbers": [ 31 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00055-bdb98afc80a69f1991af.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Questions About the Soul", "chunk_data": "They asked me again how the soul of a dying person goes out of the body, how it was, whether it was as happens to us in dreams, when we seem to be conversing with our friends and acquaintances? (Ah, how often this happens to me, dearest brothers, when I am dreaming of you!) Was this because the soul then leaves the body? And again, whether God was black or white? For as there is so great a variety of colour among men, and the Indians being black themselves, consider their own colour the best, they believe that their gods are black. On this account the great majority of their idols are as black as black can be, and moreover are generally so scrubbed over with oil as to smell detestably, and seem to be as dirty as they are ugly\nGod", "time": { "start_year": 1543, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1543, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1543 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Francis Xavier", "Brahmins" ], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The Brahmins question Francis Xavier about the soul, dreams, God's appearance, and the dark colour of Indian idols.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Theology", "Beliefs" ] } } ] }