- tion and wide diffusion of the gospel among them. These views,
in connection with the great amount of respectable evidence from various other sources, make the whole outline of the story of Thomas's labors in India very possible, and even highly probable.
The earliest evidence among the Fathers that has ever been quoted on this point,
is that of Pantaenus, of Alexandria, whose visit to what was then called India, has
been mentioned above; (page 363;) but as has there been observed, the investigations
of Michaelis and others, have made it probable that Arabia-Felix was the country
there intended by that name. The first distinct mention made of any eastward
movement of Thomas, that can be found, is by Origen, who is quoted by Eusebius,
(Hist. Ecc., III. 1,) as testifying, that when the apostles separated to go into all the
world, and preach the gospel, Parthia was assigned to Thomas; and Origen is represented
as appealing to the common tradition, for the proof of this particular fact. Jerome
speaks of Thomas, as preaching the gospel in Media and Persia. In another
passage he specifies India, as his field; and in this he is followed by most of the later
writers,—Ambrose, Nicephorus, Baronius, Natalis, &c. Chrysostom (orat. in xii.
apost.) says that Thomas preached the gospel in Ethiopia. As the geography of all
these good Fathers seems to have been somewhat confused, all these accounts may
be considered very consistent with each other. Media and Persia were both in the
Parthian Empire; and all very distant countries, east and south, were, by the Greeks,
vaguely denominated India and Ethiopia; just as as all the northern unknown regions
were generally called Scythia.
Natalis Alexander (Hist. Ecc. IV. p. 32,) sums up all these accounts by saying, that Thomas preached the gospel to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Brachmans, Indians, and the other neighboring nations, subject to the empire of the Parthians. He quotes as his authorities, besides the above-mentioned Fathers, Sophronius, (A. D. 390,) Gregory Nazianzen, (A. D. 370,) Ambrose, (370,) Gaudentius, (A. D. 387.) The author of the imperfect work on Matthew, (A. D. 560,) says, that Thomas found in his travels, the three Magi, who adored the infant Jesus, and having baptized them, associated them with him, in his apostolic labors. Theodoret, (A.D. 423,) Gaudentius, Asterius, (A. D. 320,) and others, declare Thomas to have died by martyrdom. Sophronius (390,) testifies that Thomas died at Calamina, in India. This Calamina is now called Malipur, and in commemoration of a tradition, preserved, as we are told, on the spot, to this effect, the Portuguese, when they set up their dominion in India, gave it the name of the city of St. Thomas. The story reported by the Portuguese travelers and historians is, that there was a tradition current among the people of the place, that Thomas was there martyred, by being thrust through with a lance. (Natalis Alexander, Hist. Ecc., vol. IV. pp. 32, 33.)
A new weight of testimony has been added to all this, by the statements of Dr. Claudius Buchanan, who, in modern times, has traced out all these traditions on the spot referred to, and has given a very full account of the "Christians of St. Thomas," in his "Christian researches in India."
On this evidence, may be founded a rational belief, though not
an absolute certainty, that Thomas actually did preach the gospel
in distant eastern countries, and there met with such success as
to leave the lasting tokens of his labors, to preserve through a
course of ages, in united glory, his own name and that of his
Master. In obedience to His last earthly command, he went to
teach "nations unknown to Caesar," proclaiming to them the message
of divine love,—solitary, and unsupported, save by the presence
of Him, who had promised to "be with him always, EVEN TO THE
END OF THE WORLD."
