The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-19

Bombay. India, July 6.-Christanlty
was first brought to India by the Apostle
Thomas, the one OF the twelve who doubt
ed the resurrection until he mad seen the
Risen Lord with his own eyes. The care
ful students of history in late years have
denied the claim of the ancient church IN
southern India that 1t is the direct de-
scendant of the c0Ggre cation organized by
St Thomas, but even the most learned
and critical admit the historical truth
OF St Thomas visit to northwest India
In that section. however there is no re-
naming Christian church.
The legend OF St Thomas IS firmly be-
iieved by the many native Christians OF
southern India. however. and cathedral
at Madras marks the reputed site of his
pulpit. Leaving aside the controversial
origin Of the Indian Christian church. II
is certain that the Christian community
in Maiabar had reached position OF i'm
pOrtaaCe In the second century after
Christ. Grants of land for church pur-
poses, engraved on enduring metal plates
leave no room for doubt on that score
In the fifth century this church ad-
hered TO the HISTORIAN schism. The Nes-
tOrians, who denied that the divine ana
human natures were blended in Jesus,
were driven from Europe and Africa TO
find refuge in Central Asia. They rose
TO great Importance in India, swept over
China and Korea, and even penetrated
Japan. The ancient Indian church sub
jected itself to this schism, and looked TO
the Patriarch of Babylon as Its spiritual
head. He supplied bishops of the Chal-
dean or Syrian rite for India. and that
rite exists TO-DAY Tho holy wars WaS O.
under the green banner OF Mohamned
killed the HISTORIAN church. broke its
communications ard forever destroyed its
Importance
For six or seven centuries the small
church of South India lived to itself, I'M
progressive but peaceful. Then came the
Portuguese invasion of India The POrtu-
gese endeavored to bring the church un-
der the rule OF the pope and TINS was
nOminally effected at the synod OF DAM
per in 1893 The consolidation was m the
nature of a compromise, as the Syrian
rite and liturgy, purged of Nestorlanism,
was permitted 20 continue in use, the
church acknowledging the supreme spir-
ltual power OF the pope. ABOUT IIly
years later many of the members revolt
ed and re-esta biished the old independent
church without readopting HISTORIAN doc
trines.
A Carmelite mission sent out from Rome
i'm 1860 succeeded in bringing most of the
Indian Christians back into the fold, but
the remaining few received support from
the Protestant Dutch, always al war with
the Portuguese. and established a separate
church. In this way arose the two ma
tive churches which still exist in India.
One is the old church or Syrian Cathohc,
owning allegiance to its own bishops I'M
der the patriarch OF AnuOch, ana the
other is the New Church of JacObite,
which maintains the use of the Syrian
language in the ritual, some dOgmas and
rites peculiar to itself. but which &C
knOwledges the spiritual supremacy OF
the pope.
Much more active and influential is the
Roman Catholic church proper II owes
its foundation in India indirectly to Por-
tugese arms, but its strength is a herl-
tage from one Of the greatest preachers
and missionaries of the whole history of
ChristendOm. St. Francis Xavier came
to India in 1872 The Franciscan brethren
had been in India for over forty years,
but they had not extended their labors
far from the Portuguese capital at Goa.
For ten years St. Francis Xavier labored
nightly on the Malabar coast and the
southern provinces of Madras, converting
thousands and establishing a Twins
church. He then went on to the further
east, and died on the coast or emma.
His body was brought back to India ana
now rests under q beautiful shrine in the
church of Bonn Jesus at Goa. Fifty years
later a Jesuit mission began work IN
southern India, founding schools ana par
ochial institutions which still exist
All these Catholic bodies were brought
under control of the inQuiistiOn of Goa
and so continued until its dissolution IN
1872. Goa is still the headquarters or the
church in India, although the name Is
now given TO a newer city. or the an
cient capital of the Portuguese empire In
India nothing remains except ruined forts,
dozen majestic churches and the at
tendant priests. The secular population
of that once great city is now only TWEEN
ty-eight-
The first Protestant mission was estab-
lished in India in 1705 by LutheTans sent
out under the protection of the Danish
kingdom A half century later came the
devoted Swartz, who founded mission
at Tinnevelly which is reckoned as the
beginning Of modern missionary effort in
India A Swede mission to Calcutta was
founded in 175S, two years after the Ia
NOUS tragedy of the Black Hole.
The East India company, which ruled
India until 1858 was uncOmpromislng IN
it's opposition to missions and placed eN-
cry possible difficulty in the way of the
In spite of this obstacle,
William Carey, an English Baptist, sue
ceeded in gaining admission to the cOun-
try in 1893 He founded a famous B2D-
fist mission in a tiny city then owned by
Denmark which became the inspiration
and model for all subsequent missionary
effort by the evangelical Protestant de
nominations.
1t was not until 1914 that the East In
dia company permitted the establishment
of q bishODriC Of the Church Of England
A comnany chaplain had been stationed
here in charge of the English cOmmuni-
tv, but with the establishment of do
cese the work among the natives was
begun Bishop Heber, the second bishop
of Calcutta. was a great writer, ana ms
hooks and hymns stimulated the chuTch
of England to its first active missionary
work AdOniram JudsOn, an American
Baptist came to Burma in 1873 lie IS
known as the Apostle TO the Burmese,
and has been called the greatest OF Amer
lean missionaries Hundreds of churches
and chapels in the east have his name,
which is also borne by a great institution
al church in Washington square, New
York.
But the East India company permitted
the missionaries to come only because of
the fear of public opinion in England. In
India the company continued to make
things very hard for them, and progress