The Thomas tradition is perpetuated by a cathedral of simple dimensions in the neighbourhood of Madras which is dedicated to his memory, while another church three miles from St. George’s offers the faithful the privilege of entering the floor and taking a handful of earth as a cure for diseases, because the ashes of the saint were found there. The bones, however, were religiously taken by John III of Portugal to a church at Goa, where they are still an object of worship. At St. Thomas’ Mount near Madras there is a granite stone upon which is carved a cross and dove with outspread wings, probably the work of the seventh century. The inscription, which is in Pelhavi or ancient Persian, says: “In punishment by the Cross was the suffering of this One who is the true Christ God above and Guide ever pure,” according to Dr. Burnell. But another expert, Dr. Haug of Munich, rather expands the literal meaning as “He that believes in the Messiah and in God in the height and also in the Holy Ghost is in the grace of Him who suffered the pain of the cross.” Two other crosses are preserved in the ancient Church of Cottayam in Travancore; upon one of these a portion of the old Pelhavi inscription has been replaced by a quotation from Galatians vi. 14, “Let us not glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” These crosses are full of antiquarian interest and seem to indicate Persian influence on the Christian Churches of South India and also go to prove the existence of Christianity on the Coromandal coast in these early centuries. Going back to a much earlier time, we meet with the name of a man who perhaps deserves, according to definite historical data, the credit of being the first to come as a missionary to India. It is that of Pantaenus. Eusebius in his Church History gives us the following reference to him: “About the year 180 there were still many evangelists who sought to imitate the godly zeal of the Apostles by contributing their share to the extension and upbuilding of the Kingdom of God. Among these was Pantaenus, who is reputed to have reached the Indians, amongst whom he is stated to have found the Gospel of St. Matthew, which, prior to his arrival, was in the possession of many who had known Christ. To these Bartholomew, one of the Apostles, is reported to have preached and to have left behind him the Gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew characters, which had been retained up to the time in question. This Pantaenus, after many praiseworthy achievements, was at last placed at the head of the school at Alexandria.”[1]