Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/26

14 divine command to go to India, in order to show the light of truth to that people, still sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. " Now I nryself recollect having seen a certain book in which the voyage of St. Thomas to India and the things he did in that country were described. As this book was not received on account of its tediousness (ob verbositatem), I will leave out superfluous things, and content myself with relating that which is certain, and which may be agreeable to the reader, and useful to the Church." After this preamble, Abdias gives the legend, as follows. " When St. Thomas the Apostle was at Jerusalem, our Lord appeared to him, and said: 'Gondaphorus, the King of India, has sent his minister Abbas to Syria, in order to seek for men instructed in the art of architecture. Go, I will send thee to him.' St. Thomas answered, 'Lord, send me anywhere, except to India;' and our Lord said to him, 'Go, I will watch over thee, and when thou shalt have converted the Indians, thou shalt come to me to receive as a recompense the crown of martyrdom;' and St. Thomas said, 'Lord, I am thy servant; thy will be done.' And as Abbas, the servant of King Gondaphorus, was going across the market-place, our Lord met him, and said to him, 'Young man, what dost thou wish to buy?' And Abbas replied, ' My master has sent me hither to bring to him workmen skilled in the art of masonry, and who may build him a palace like those that there are at Rome.' Then our Lord showed him St. Thomas, and said that he was well skilled in architecture.