Storia do Mogor 331
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 331
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331.1
Certificate of the Very Reverend Father Anthoine de Christ, Vicar and Provincial of the Reverend Augustinian Fathers of the Congregation of the East Indies — [May 18, 1650]. I, Anthoine de Christ, Vicar and Provincial of the Hermits of our Father St. Augustin, of the Congregation of the East Indies, certify it to be entirely true that I have been several times on different occasions in the town of Meliapour (Mailapur), called San Thome, and thence have gone several times to the town and fort of the English called Madraspatam or Chinipatnam, which is close to Meliapour. My only inducement was the good fame and great reputation of the reverend father Ephraim of Nevers, a Capuchin of the order of the Seraphic Father St. Francis, a Frenchman by nation. This glorious reputation was so well established that it had spread itself all over the coasts of Gingerly and Choromandal, and had passed into the kingdom of Gulkandah, where the Portuguese and the Indian Christians, even the Mahomedans and Hindus, failed not to praise him and to say a thousand good things of his virtues, exalting much his humility, his poverty, and his chastity ; also saying that he was polite to everybody and very charitable. All the Christians who had any business at the said Fort and applied to him came away always very well satisfied. He helped them, and served them with the English gentlemen to the utmost of his power, a fact that I have seen with my own eyes.
331.2
He assisted the poor, gathered the wandering sheep who put themselves under his care, and displayed great zeal for the progress of that Christian community. He taught in his school Catholic doctrine to all the children, as well Catholics as heretics, to the great satisfaction of serious men and the confusion of those who by their office were under obligation to do it and did it not. He disputed with the heretics and convinced them out of their own Bible, whereby he gave authentic testimony of his great capacity. As he was well versed in these controversies, he confounded all who argued with him. He showed in the conversations he held with all sorts of men of different nations that he understood well foreign languages. He was also very learned, and known to all learned persons throughout India. His memory was a very happy one; he had ranged in it all the heresies and all the errors that have arisen touching our Holy Faith. He confounded them, by the promptness of his answers, in a way that it was impossible not to admire.
331.3
For this reason it was evident that it was very useful, necessary, and glorious for Christianity that he should remain at Madras. He could there defend our holy Faith against different heretics who land there from all parts of the world. Furthermore, it is certain that Father Ephraim was of the greatest use to the Christians of Madras in particular, for he taught in his school the mysteries of our holy religion with a zeal and a fervour that were most noticeable. He also taught the children to read not only in Portuguese, but in Latin, which they pronounced as if they knew those languages perfectly. He had also trained his scholars to sing the Mass after the mode of the Capuchins. They sang it every Sunday and on the principal festivals, the father standing at the altar and they in the choir. The whole was done with exemplary modesty.
331.4
The father preached on festivals and Sundays after the Gospel in the Mass with great zeal and much fervour of mind, teaching good life, good thoughts, and good deeds ; this not only by words but still more by his good life, his good example, and the practice of all virtues, monastic and evangelical. To give greater weight to all this, he abstracted from the Holy Gospel the mysteries of our salvation, and drew them up in the form of a catechism by question and answer. All that was in Portuguese ; he made all his scholars read it and learn it by heart. It is a work from which those of greater age have derived much profit, to the good of their souls, whence it results that it was of benefit to everybody. In addition, this friar built a neat devotional church, well provided with ornaments, and in it divine service is celebrated with great propriety and devotion, a thing which raises our minds to God.
331.5
When the Reverend Father Ambroise of Rennes, visitor of the Capuchin missions, arrived, he came to see me. After several conversations we had over the proceedings of Father Ephraim, he told me that he went away much consoled at seeing so religiously appropriate and well-adorned a church, still more at the great and edifying zeal with which Father Ephraim's life was filled. I also certify it to be entirely true that I have heard the Father Governor of San Thome, named Hierome de Saa, always speak evil of the said Reverend Father Ephraim. He let it be known that he was very angry because he (Ephraim) lived at Madras without his orders, and had founded a church without his permission. For he had intended to establish there one of his own priests. To this I replied that his secular priests would give very poor answers to the difficulties and doubts propounded to them by the heretics in regard to our Holy Faith. For not one of them was learned; all were ignorant and illiterate.
331.6
In testimony of what is above stated either as eye-witness or as having heard the same from persons worthy of belief, and because two Capuchin fathers — that is to say, the Reverend Father Ambroise of Preuilly and the reverend Father Giles of Dijon — come from Persia to this town of Goa — have asked me to do so, I have drawn up the present certificate, and attest it by an oath on my sacred orders and my religious profession. Done at the convent of the Seraphic Father St. Francis in the town of Goa, this 18th of May, 1650, signed by my hand, attested and sealed with the petty seal of my office. FR. Anth. de Christo, Vigre. Provincial, ut supra. [Attestation of the Provincial of the Capuchins, dated September 5, 1650.] I, François Hyacinthe de Dieu, privileged reader in Sacred Theology, Provincial Vicar of the holy Province of the Mother of God of the Capuchins of our Father Saint Francis in the East Indies, testify that the present Certificate agrees with the original, from which it has been drawn and copied, the same having been drawn up by the Reverend Father Anthoine de Christ, Provincial of the Hermits of Saint Augustin. I have read the said original, and had it in my hands ; I have collated it with this copy, which entirely agrees with it. In testimony thereof I have issued the present attestation, written and signed with my own hand, and have caused to be affixed to it the small seal of Our Office.
331.7
Done within our convent of the Mother of God at Goa, the 5th September, 1650. (Signed) Fr. Hyacinthe de Dieu.