A Comment Upon the Collects

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843. Excerpt: ... 69. ST. THOMAS1 DAY. St. Thomas, called Didymus. Each of these names means a Twin; Thomas being a Syriac, Didymus a Greek word. This Apostle was a Galilean. He preached in Mesopotamia, Parthia, and other countries of the East, and there suffered death, A.d. 73. It was the opinion of the late Bishop Heber that the Apostle was martyred at Meilapoor, near to Madras'. The Syrian Christians, still remaining in India, have a Church which still bears the name of the Apostle Thomas, and is the oldest in Malabar. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who for the more confirmation of the faith, didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful of thy Son's resurrection; grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ, that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved. Hear us, 0 Lord, through the same Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for evermore. Amen. The Evangelists, in delivering to us the history of the Gospel, have so strictly adhered to truth, that they declare even the failings of themselves and of their brethren. The cowardice of the disciples, who in the season of need, all forsook Jesus and fled2: the fall of Peter, who denied the very Friend, for whom he had declared himself ready to die 1; and the doubts of Thomas, who once proposed to go with his Master unto death--these circumstances are recorded with minute exactness, which not only stamps the record itself as true, but tends, in a striking manner, to confirm the other parts of sacred history, and thereby to confirm also our faith in it. Why--except for truth's sake--should men hand down facts, which manifestly tend to their own disgrace3? Hence our Church concludes, that Almighty God did suffer his holy Apostle...