Page "East Indians" Paragraph 2

It should then come as no surprise that contact with India dates as far back as the days of King Solomon.

Pantaneus visited India about AD 180 and there he found a Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew language, left with the Christians there by St. Barthlomew.

This is mentioned by Eusebius, and by Jerome in one of his letters.

The finding of a Gospel of Matthew left with the Christians by Bartholomew is very strong evidence to the existence of a Christian community in India in the first century at the time of the visit of St. Bartholomew.

It traces the history of the Church in India to the first century.

In fact, it is an independent confirmation of the Indian church ’ s ancient and apostolic origin.

Most history of The Indian Church was lost between the 9th and the 14th Century, as Persia went over to the Nestorianism in 800 AD.

Since the provision of Church offices and all the apparatus of public worship, was looked to a foreign source ; when this foreign aid was withdrawn.

the Indian Christians were reduced to " nominal " Christians.