CHRISTIAN RELIGION. IN INDIA. 73 



the Malabar Coast, and in the north west of India. 

 In these countries, says he, there are a vast number 

 of churches. 



The IVIission of St. Thomas to Lidia, with the 

 surprising progress of the Christian religion, are facts, 

 in my humble opinion, suthciently authenticated. 

 Jerome, who died in the year 4'iO, speaks of the Mis- 

 sion of St. Thomas to India, as a fact universally ac- 

 knowledged in his time : but I must refer the sceptic 

 reader to the works of Fabricius, and Assemanni, 

 unfortunately not to be procured in this country. 

 But the learned history of the Anglo-SajLvns by Mr. 

 Turner will abundantly make up for this deficiency, 

 in his dissertation on the embassy of the bishop of 

 Shireburn, sent by the great Alfred, to the tomb of 

 St. Thomas in India. That the holy Apostle suf- 

 fered martyrdom in India, is suthciently proved : but, 

 at the same time, it is certain also, that his body was 

 afterwards carried back, and deposited at Edt'ssa, as 

 attested by Rufixus, who went to Si/ria in the year 

 371, and remained there twenty-five years. The 

 place, however, a\ here he was first entombed, became 

 a famous place of pilgrimage, where probal)ly, they 

 kept some particles of his body, either true or false : 

 but the chief relic was his blood ; which had impreg- 

 nated" the spot, where he suft'ercd martyrdom. This 

 earth was carried, in small quantities, all over the 

 Peninsula ; and, being drunk with water, proved most 

 efficacious, in all sorts of diseases, and complaints. 

 His tomb at Edessa was probably flestroyed, during 

 the wars of the Emperors of the west with the Per- 

 sians ; or afterwards by the Muselmans. 



In the sixth century, Gregory of Tours, the fa- 

 ther of French history, became acquainted with ar 



