Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/34

22 Upper Asia in the thirteenth century, says, in speaking of Aden in Arabia, that St. Thomas is believed to have preached there before he visited India.

"The body of St. Thomas," * adds Marco Polo," lies in the province of Malabar, near an insignificant little town, of which the inhabitants and the traders are few in number, since there is very little traffic to be done; but devotion attracts thither a multitude of Christians. The Saracens, too, hold the spot in profound veneration, saying that the holy apostle was a great prophet; and they call him 'avariia' which in their language signifies 'holy man.'"

Towards the same period, a Dominican missionary, who had travelled over India, and carried the light of the Gospel even into the interior of Tartary, wrote thus to the monks of his order f:—"In this kingdom of India St. Thomas the apostle preached the faith, and converted to God many princes. But as they have been hitherto far from the countries where this faith was held, their Christianity has gradually declined, until at present there is only one small town where it is still professed. All the other towns and cities have forsaken it."

This town of India, where, according to Frere Ricold, Christianity was still preserved, was doubtless Calamina, where the apostle suffered martyrdom, and where his body reposed. J Subsequently, this town became known

"Le cors meisser Saint Thomas la apostres, est en la provence de Meabar en une petite ville, car ne i a gueires homes ne mercaant," &c.

"Recueil des Voyages et de Memoires Publie par la Societe de Geographic" vol. i. p. 208.

"L'hystoire merveilleuse du Grant Caan," feuillet 3.

According to Rufin, who went to Syria in 371, and resided there twenty-fire years, the relics of St. Thomas had been brought from