INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION

In December 1921, on the Feast Day of St. Thomas, the Apostle, I had the pleasure to write a short Introduction to the first Edition of the book, "St. Thomas, the Apostle, in India," by Mr. F.A. D'Cruz, K.S.G. To-day a similar opportunity arises in regard to the Second Edition of the same book and I must declare it gives me equal pleasure, if not greater. The Second Edition of the Author's valuable book on the Apostolate of St. Thomas in India-and Southern India for all that-is a revised and enlarged edition, and it comes to us at seven years distance from the former. Two new chapters have actually been added, viz., "St. Thomas and Edessa" and "The Malabar Liturgy," and much valuable matter to some of the old chapters.

Well, more research work in this connection has been done during this comparatively short period than I know of during any similar length of time previous to it. It is indeed remarkable that such a subject - dry as it is in itself-should have engaged the attention of so many writers of late. What is more remarkable still is the fact that, but for a few minor stars in this galaxy of such writers, a decided leaning in favour of the Apostolate of St. Thomas in Southern India is noticeable and is continuously accentuated. "Thirty years ago the balance of the probability," says Dr. Farquhar, "stood absolutely against the story of the

Apostolate of Thomas in India. We suggest that to-day the balance of probability is distinctly on the side of historicity." - Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, Vol. 11, No. 1, January, 1927, p. 32 of Reprint.

Rawlinson's book-"Intercourse between India and the Western World from the Earliest Times to the Fall of Rome" published in 1926, - as well as Warmington's "The Commerce between the Roman Empire and India" published in 1928, solve one of the biggest objections against the Apostolate of St. Thomas in India - usually framed in the following words:-"How did St. Thomas get to India?" Anybody reading these two volumes will discover to his great surprise that it was mutatis mutandis as easy to come to India then as it is now. Certainly it was more easy, more comfortable, and much quicker to come to India from the west following the Roman route- via Alexandria, Suez, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, than it was by following that of Vasco-da-Gama round the Cape of Good Hope 1500 years later! And, if the Roman ships could have come to Southern India for pearls, pepper, ivory, and peacocks for the gentility of Rome, so could St. Thomas have "booked" his passage to India at one of the ports of call of Rome's mighty ships.

The possibility either of an overland route, or a watery way, to India, or both, once established, it is less difficult to argue the historic fact of St. Thomas' Apostolic labours in India- and Southern India to boot. The evidence gathered of late, and the arguments marshalled round the central fact of the Malabar tradition-whatever in it there be of a legendary character must of necessity cause the minor constellations of opposition to fade away to a point almost invisible. The task of building up the evidence in favour of St. Thomas' sojourn in India - at a distance of two thousand years - is certainly more difficult than the job of destroying it by simply declaring without sufficient reason that the evidence does not satisfy the critics. They would tread safer ground if they tried to gainsay what there is of positive evidence by pointing out to similar traditions elsewhere. The builders, however, have been more logical all along the line than the destroyers. And, when you remember that some of the would-be destroyers have blundered egregiously, regarding present day facts - in their eagerness to destroy - they should not be surprised if people begin to suspect their authority to speak impartially of the past - of the hoary past of two thousand years ago.

Tradition And Legend

Be it as it may, tradition is one of the sources, or fountains, from which the historian drinks. His duty, however, is to sift the dross of legendary accretions from the gold of historic truth. The legends or accretions themselves could not have arisen out of nothing,-could not stand for a day had they not a central historic fact to lean upon,-which fact in this case is at once the greatest and the least that can be conceded. It is the greatest, or most important, because it points out to the main tree, or principal growth, round which the accretions thrived; and that is,-the presence of the Apostle St. Thomas in India. It is simultaneously the least that must be granted, as otherwise the legends, or accretions, themselves would have no reason of existence. There can be no shadows without a burning light to cast them.

Now the author of this book Mr. F. A. D'Cruz has rendered the said Tradition, Malabar-Mylapore, a valuable and genuine service in continuing to separate the dross found in it from the gold of its historic truth. He has adroitly put together the arguments on which the main issue depends-availing himself very deftly of the discussions and discoveries that have been made during the last seven years, since his first book on the subject was published,-so that the layman may confidently read in a short treatise what others have written in pretty large volumes.....................