{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 66,
  "chapterName": "1806. Kerr on the Syrian Christians of Malabar",
  "pageFrom": 80,
  "pageTo": 81,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 80,
      "ocrText": "80\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n66. KERR ON THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS OF\nMALABAR (1806 A.D.)\nDr. Kerr, senior chaplain of the Madras Presidency, was sent by\nthe authorities of the Presidency to investigate the conditions of Chris-\ntians in Malabar and Travancore. His visit took place before that of\nBuchanan. His report is another important source of information\nabout Christianity in Kerala at that time. Cited in C. Buchanan,\nChristian Researches in Asia, pp. 148-151.\nIn the creeds and doctrines of the Christians of Malabar, internal\nevidence exists of their being a primitive church; for the supremacy\nof the Pope is denied, and the doctrine of transubstantiation never\nhas been held by them. They also regarded, and still regard, the\nworship of images as idolatrous, and the doctrine of purgatory\nto be fabulous. Moreover they never admitted as sacraments,\nextreme unction, marriage, or confirmation. All which facts may\nbe substantiated on reference to the Acts of the Synod assembled\nby Don Alexis de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa at Udiyamper, in\nthe year 1599.\nThe Christians on the Malabar Coast are divided into three\n1. The St. Thome or Jacobite Christians. 2. The Syrian\nRoman-Catholics. 3. The Latin Church.\nsects.\n1. The St. Thome Christians still retain their ancient creed and\nusages, and consider themselves as the descendants of the flock\nestablished by St. Thomas, who is generally esteemed the Apostle\nof the East. Their ancestors emigrated from Syria; and Syro-\nChaldaic is the language in which their church-service is still per-\nformed. They admit no images within their churches, but a figure\nof the Virgin Mary, with the child Jesus in her arms; which is\nconsidered merely as an ornament, and not a subject of idolatrous\nworship.\nIt has been believed that these Christians held the tenets of the\nNestorian heresy, and that they were obliged to leave their own\ncountry in consequence of persecution. However, it appears that\nthe creed they now hold denies that heresy, and seems to coincide\nin several points with the creed of Athanasius, but without its\ndamnatory clauses. The service in their Church is performed very\nnearly after the manner of the Church of England; and when the\nMetropolitan was told that it was hoped that one day an union\nmight take place between the two churches, he seemed pleased at\nthe suggestion. In some of their churches, divine service is per-\nformed in the Syrian and Latin ritual alternatively, by the priests\nof the Christians of St. Thomas, who have adhered to their ancient\nrites, and those who have been united to the Church of Rome.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 81,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n81\nWhen the latter have celebrated mass, they carry away the images\nfrom the Church before the others enter. The character of these\npeople is marked by a striking superiority over the heathens in\nevery moral excellence; and they are remarkable for their veracity\nand plain dealing. They are extremely attentive to their religious\nduties, and abide by the decision of their priests and metropolitan\nin all cases, whether in spiritual or temporal affairs. They are\nrespected very highly by the Nairs; and the Rajahs of Travancore\nand Cochin admit them to rank next to the Nairs. Their number\nit is generally supposed, may be estimated at seventy or eighty\nthousand. The direct protection of the British Government has\nbeen already extended to them; but as they do not reside within\nthe British territories, I am doubtful how far it may be of use to\nthem. To unite them to the Church of England would in my opinion,\nbe a most noble work; and it is most devoutly to be wished that\nthose who have been driven into the Roman pale, might be recalled\nto their ancient Church; a measure which it would not be difficult\nto accomplish, as the country governments would be likely to second\nny efforts to that purpose. Their occupations are various as those\nof other Christians; but they are chiefly cultivators and artizans:\nand some of them possess a comfortable, if not a splendid indepen-\ndence. Their clergy marry in the same manner as Protestants.\nTheir residence is entirely inland.\nany\n2. The Syrian Roman-Catholics are those who were con-\nstrained, after a long struggle, to join the Latin Church, and who\nstill continue in her pale, though distinguished from her in this, that\nthey are allowed, by a dispensation from the Pope, to perform all\nthe services of the Church of Rome in the Syro-Chaldaic language.\nThey live under the authority of the Metropolitan of Cranga-\nore, and the Bishop of Verapoli. The Roman-Catholic Syrians,\nit is thought, are much more numerous than the members of the\noriginal church. Their clergy, found hundred in number, are\nspread through the ancient churches; and, by retaining their\nlanguage and acting under the direction of the Church of Rome,\nthey leave no means unessayed to draw over their primitive brethren\nto Latin communion. There are said to be eighty-six parishes of\nRoman-Catholic Syrians subject to the dioceses of Cranganore and\nVerapoli. The congregations are reported at ninety thousand.\nThe Hindoos have more respect for the the Christians of the original\nchurch, than for the converts of the Latin communion.\n3. The Latin Roman Catholics are subject to the Primate of\nGoa, under whom is an archbishop and two bishops.\nH.C.I.-6",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}