unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man"." St. Bartholomew is also mentioned by the name of Nathanael when our Lord appeared to the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, after His Resurrection*.

From ancient Church History we learn that St. Bartholomew preached the Gospel in the Northern Provinces of India, and that he there left a copy of the Gospel of St. Matthew, written in Hebrew, which was found still preserved in that country by Pantænus, an early father of the Church, about A.D. 192. St. Bartholomew also preached the Gospel in Northern and

3 John i. 45 to end.

4 John xxi. 2.

Western Asia, Lycaonia, and Armenia; and suffered martyrdom at Albanople, in the latter country, A.D. 72, by being flayed alive, and then crucified with his head downwards.

The Festival of St. Bartholomew is on the 25th of August.

St. Bartholomew is represented in Ecclesiastical paintings with a Knife in his left hand, in allusion to the horrible manner of his martyrdom; and occasionally also, a Cross is seen in the background, with a figure suspended thereon, and a multitude around it, gazing at the scene.

Collect for the Festival of St. Bartholomew.

O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to Thine Apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach Thy word; Grant, we beseech Thee, unto Thy Church, to love that word which he believed, and both to preach and receive the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ST. THOMAS

THE APOSTLE.

66

ST. THOMAS is mentioned in Holy Scripture as having the surname of “Didymus;" both of which names signify a twin," the first in the Syriac, and the last in the Greek language. He is first particularly alluded to at the death of Lazarus, when the other disciples being in fear of the Jews who had threatened to stone their Lord, St. Thomas exhorted them to follow Jesus into Bethany, saying, 66 Let uş also go, that we may die with Him"." St. Thomas is also mentioned when he inquired of our Lord how they could know the way He was going? And "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me'." St. Thomas is again especially mentioned as having been 5 John xi, 16; xx. 24; xxi. 2.

7 John xiv. 5, 6.

6 John xi. 16.

absent when our Lord first appeared unto the other ten disciples after His Resurrection, and when He then bestowed upon them the Apostolic commission, and gift of the Holy Ghost; but when "Jesus came again" to the disciples "after eight days"," St. Thomas, who would not believe in His first appearance, was permitted for the " more confirmation of the faith," to examine our Lord's feet and hands; and upon his exclamation, "My Lord and my God," Jesus rebuked him for his former faithlessness and unbelief, and pronounced His solemn blessing upon "those who have not seen, and yet have believed"."

We learn from Ecclesiastical History that St. Thomas preached the Gospel of Christ in Parthia, and also to the Medes, Persians, Carmanians, Hyrcani, and Bactrians; from whence he travelled through

8 John xx. 22-24.

9 John xx. 26.

1 Collect for Festival of St. Thomas.

2 John xx. 27-29.

E

Northern Ethiopia into India, at the southern part of the great promontory, whose base is between the outlets of the rivers Indus and Ganges.

St. Thomas suffered martyrdom at Melapûr, in India, from a Prince of that country, by being struck with darts and stones, and finally pierced with a lance, A.D. 73.

We read in the travels of Marco Polo in India, A.D. 1269, that he was informed that the remains of St. Thomas were deposited in the magnificent church which he had caused to be erected in that city. This church was named San Thome by the Portuguese in honour of his memory, and in the year 1517 some bones and a lance were discovered amidst its ruins, which were believed to be his, and which were afterwards transferred to Goa.

The Festival of St. Thomas is on the 21st of December.

St. Thomas is occasionally represented