Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/29

Rh miracles, and converting the nations to Jesus Christ. At last he was persecuted by a king named Mesdeus, who ordered him to worship a statue of the sun. The apostle consented to kneel down before it, and to sacrifice to it, if the statue did not, at his command, fall into dust. But that miracle really took place. Then there arose a great tumult among the people, the greater part of whom took part with St. Thomas. The king ordered him to be thrown into prison, and then delivered him to four soldiers, with orders to go and put him to death on a neighbouring mountain. The apostle remained long in prayer; and then the soldiers approaching him, pierced him through with their lances, and the martyr fell and breathed his last. His disciples buried him with tears, after having poured over him a number of precious perfumes; and the new Church of India subsequently prospered under the direction of Siforus, a priest, and Zuzanes, a deacon, whom the apostle had ordained at the moment when he went to suffer death on the mountain."

Such is the narrative of Abdias, and though, of course the legend cannot be accepted entire, there is probably a certain amount of truth in it, surrounded as it is by the fanciful additions a story usually receives in passing from mouth to mouth, and travelling a great distance.

The circumstance of St. Thomas having preached at all in India has been frequently called in question by writers deserving of attention; but we find it supported by so much evidence, that it seems difficult for an unprejudiced mind to refuse credit to a fact guaranteed by such excellent historical authorities. All the Greek, Latin, and Syriac monuments proclaim that St. Thomas vol. i.