Vol. X, No. 2.] Fr. Jerome Xavier's Lives of the Apostles. 77 



[N.S.] 



man, and joyfully gave their heads for the defence of this 

 Faith. Verily, this victory which Hazrat Jesus won through 

 the twelve over mankind is regarded by the wise as greater 

 than making the blind from their birth to see, or giving life 

 to the dead. Hence, I have judged it proper to adorn this 

 account of these twelve heroes with the blessed name of His 

 Majesty. 1 I relate this great marvel of my Lord, and I clearly 

 show to what tribe they (the Apostles) " belonged and what 

 deeds they did, and to what degree of greatness they attained 

 by their Faith in Christ. 



As the story of Hazrat Jesus our Lord was written 



in the reign of Hazrat 'Arsh Ashayani Jalalu-d-din wa daniya 



Vkbar Bad shah, and was designated by that Hazrat B&dshSh 



Qads) 



(Mir at 



twelve Apostles of that mighty one (Jesus), who sent them 

 forth for the guidance of mankind, and for instruction in the 

 religion of the Gospel, and who chose them from out of all his 

 disciples and took them for His own children, should be in- 

 scribed with the name of that Hazrat who by auspicious For- 

 tune is seated on the throne, and who is the rightful heir of 

 that pardoned potentate who was the shining lamp of the 



spiritual and material sovereignty of the Lord of Conjunction 

 [Timur]. 



Let it not be concealed that, at the time when Hazrat 

 Jesus our Lord was engaged in this world in teaching the 

 truth, H> chose twelve persons and called them His Apostles, 

 that is, Messengers. He also chose 72 persons and called them 

 disciples, and He said to the Twelve, H Ye are the salt of the 

 Earth, and the light of the World, and a city built upon the 

 summit of a mountain," that is, you are the joy and the light 

 and the ease of the peoples of the world, and He made His 

 power specially visible in them. When they were poor and 

 ignorant, of mean condition, and void of power, they brought 

 over mankind to their own side, so that all might know that 

 the works which they did were not done by their own power, 

 but rather by the power which that Hazrat delivered to them. 



It is proper to know that Hazrat Jesus our Lord gave them 

 the title of Elis Apostles, that is " The Sent." In Arabic they 

 are called Ha war i, that is, "regarded as friends.*' And there 

 is no doubt that they were also His friends. Accordingly, 

 from friendship and love to Him, they with all joyfulness 

 ave their heads for Him. and they were beloved by Him, so 

 that He gave them the power of working miracles, and sent 

 them among mankind and made them exponents of marvels. 

 Hence I in this book call them His Apostles. There were 



1 Hazrat (Apparently what is meant is that the book was dedi- 

 cated to ,'ahangir). 



