Storia do Mogor 294.6
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 294.6
- Language
- English
294.6.1
In this, after having badgered him this way and that upon his letter, and telling him that under the cloak and semblance of zeal it was crammed full of venom from the doctrines of Luther, the inquisitor added : 'It is not I who condemn you, as I have already told you, but the learned men of this town, for neither I nor these other secular priests have ever studied theology, all our knowledge being confined to the subject of canon law.' The questions put to him upon this letter were derived from certain papers written at San Thomé, being nothing but unfair commentary upon, and wrongly derived consequences [126] from, that letter. Having noticed this, Father Ephraim was unable to refrain from remarking to his judges : 'Would to God that those who drew up these writings against me were here in person, that I might answer them !' But the inquisitor, vexed that his ignorance had been noticed, interrupted him and reproved him with some temper, saying that the questions were made up in his own head without taking them from the writings of others. All the same, his assertion was obviously untrue. For the father was so close to him that he saw distinctly all that he did when drawing up his questions. Several times he addressed to him long admonitions, and introduced stories invented about him. Among others was one which concerned James I. of England, which he could have read nowhere except in the documents then lying before him.
294.6.2
The second cause [of the accusation] arose from two plays performed at this same San Thomé at the cathedral church by order of the priest administering the bishopric. The occasion was the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin. These plays were so profane that some English, who attended at the request of the ecclesiastics themselves, made a mockery of them. They said to Father Ephraim that the Roman Catholics were profane persons, devoid of all respect for their religion. The good priest could not hear this without grief, and moved by zeal for God's house, he reproved in vigorous terms the authors of these profanations.
294.6.3
These were the two principal causes of his being put into prison. For if, in the statement of facts (proces-verbal) drawn up, there be other accusations, they were only frivolous items, manufactured after he had written the letter above referred to. This letter had so offended Hyerome (Geronimo) de Saa, the priest administering the bishopric, that he assembled his friends and all of his faction to discuss whether they could find anything against the father. On the other hand, those to whom he had addressed a remonstrance, when they had so well earned it, saw now the opening for satisfying their anger. They did not allow it to slip by unused. But their accusations were so frivolous that the very inquisitor spoken of above said once to him (Father Ephraim) that no doubt all those who had sworn against him were malicious people ; still, as what they had sworn concerned the Faith, their zeal was a good thing, and worthy of praise. Let the reader analyze a little the correctness of this proposition : ' They are malicious persons, but their zeal is good!' It must also be pointed out that all the accusations came from a single person, and there were no witnesses.
294.6.4
They had to find means of executing the order [of arrest] passed against him, for he lived in a territory where the inquisitors had no jurisdiction. So the governor, Artus de Saa, on June 27, 1649, sent a Portuguese expressly to him praying him to come to San Thome. He was told that means were to be devised for reconciling him and the English Agent, with whom he was not on good terms owing to some differences between them that had arisen shortly before. The reverend father had often had recourse previously to the Portuguese, during the period of his stay at Madras, in regard to other disputes. At this time (1649), and up to 1662, San Thome was a Portuguese possession, while Father Ephraim lived in Madras under the English flag. Tavernier's account of the proceedings against Father Ephraim should be compared ('Travels,' Ball's edition, i. 220 to 233). The English records of the period are very imperfect, but the following interesting fragments have been found with considerable difficulty by Miss M. Anstey.