On The 20th Of September They Came To The Island
Of Cerne Or Cisne, In Lat.
21 deg.
S. to which they gave the name of
Mauritius. Here they found tortoises of such magnitude that one of
them carried two men on its back, and birds which were so tame as to
allow themselves to be killed with sticks, whence they concluded that
the island was not inhabited. At Banda they joined the other three
ships, and having laded four with spices they were sent away to Holland,
while the other three went on to the Moluccas. On the 21st January 1598,
they discovered the Great Java[420], and touched at the port of
Tuban, after which they came to Madura an island in lat. 2 deg. 30' S.
on the 27th of that month. At this place they endeavoured to ransom some
of their countrymen who had been cast away in their former ships, and
some others who had been made prisoners for endeavouring to pass false
money; but as the natives demanded too high a ransom, they attempted to
rescue them by force; but two boats full of armed men being sunk in the
attempt, they were forced to comply with the terms demanded. They
settled a trade at Amboina, and two of the ships opened a factory at
Banda, where they loaded with spice and returned into Holland on the
20th of April 1600. Those who were left in the remaining ship at Amboina
went to Ternate in the Moluccas where they were well received by the
king, and after procuring a lading of cloves returned home.
[Footnote 419: We have no means of correcting the strange chronology of
this voyage, wonderful even in the opinion of De Faria. He names the
Dutch Admiral Neque; but as qu in Portuguese is used to mark the
sound of k or hard c, we have ventured to give this first successful
rival of the Portuguese trade in India the name of Van Nec. - E.]
[Footnote 420: Borneo is probably here meant, as they could not have
been in Banda without seeing both Sumatra and Java. - E.]
Don Alexius de Menezes archbishop of Goa went about this time to visit
the Christians of St Thomas, who lived dispersedly in the mountains of
Malabar, in Muli, Turubuli, Maota, Batimena, Diamper,
Pimienta, Tetemute, Porca, Paru, and Cartuti. These Christians
continued stedfast at the faith till about the year 750, yet with some
tincture of error. About the year 810 the second Thomas, formerly
mentioned, came to this country, where he repaired the churches that had
been erected by the apostle and restored the true doctrine; but about
the year 900 this church was overrun by the Nestorian heresy. In the
year 890 two Chaldeans came here from Babylon, named Mar Xarsio
and Mar Prod, who divided the district into two bishoprics, and were
ever afterwards prayed to as saints, till our archbishop ordered this to
be discontinued, as he much suspected they had not been legitimately
canonized. After these Chaldeans came one Mar Joanne, who was sent by
the Greek Patriarch, and resided at Cranganor where he introduced the
Chaldean ritual. His successor was Mar Jacob, who died in 1500, and
was succeeded by Mar Joannato. Thus the bishops and heresies continued
among the Thomists till 1536, when Pope Paul IV. appointed Juan
Bermudez patriarch of Ethiopia, Simin Sulacca bishop of Caheremit
the metropolis of Mesopotamia, Mar Elias as patriarch of Mosul,
and Mar Joseph bishop of Nineveh, whom he ordered to govern the
Christians of Malabar, with the bishop Ambrose Montecelli for his
coadjutor. By this interference of the Pope there were two patriarchs of
the East, one orthodox at Mosul, and the other heretical at
Antioch. Joseph and Ambrose went over to the mountains of Malabar, to
assume the pastoral charge of the Thomists; but the latter separated
from the former and went to Goa, where after reading divinity for some
time he died at Cochin in the year 1557. As Don George Temudo bishop of
Cochin perceived that Joseph spread the poison of Nestorius among his
flock in Malabar, he contrived to have him apprehended and sent in
chains to Portugal, were he was permitted to return to his bishopric on
promise of amendment[421]. On his return he found Mar Abraham
officiating as bishop of the Thomists, who had chosen him in the absence
of Joseph; and as Abraham found himself persecuted, or disturbed in the
exercise of his functions by Joseph, he went to Rome where he got a
brief from Paul IV. appointing him bishop of the Thomists, having
engaged to reduce that people to the orthodox faith. Yet neither he nor
Joseph adhered to their engagements, but continued in their heresies.
After this one Mar Simon came to Malabar, saying that he was sent by
the patriarch of Babylon to officiate as bishop of Malabar. He was
received by the queen of Pimienta and placed at Cartuse, where he
exercised episcopal functions; till being carried to Lisbon he was
sent thence to Rome, where he was condemned by Pope Sixtus Quintus as
a mere Nestorian and not even a priest. After the death of Mar Abraham
his archdeacon governed the diocese, as no Babylonian prelates dared to
come to Malabar, Don Alexius, the archbishop of Goa, using his utmost
endeavours to keep out all such heretical prelates, which was the
particular occasion of his present visitation.
[Footnote 421: Under this story we may presume without any lack of
Christian charity, that these promises were extorted by means best known
to the inquisition, that diabolical instrument of the pretended
disciples of the Prince of Peace, and eternal opprobrium of the
Peninsula. With regard to Joseph there was some shadow of excuse, as he
seems to have accepted his appointment from the orthodox pope, though
secretly attached to the heretical Nestorian patriarch. - E.]
This prelate found that, among other errors, the Thomists denied the
virginity of our blessed lady[422]: They rejected the use of images:
they believed the souls of the just did not enjoy the beatific presence
of God till after the general judgment:
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