Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-07-27

Distortions OF Christianity.


less self-inflicted suffering gave man
claim to special felicity in the eternal life
after death, caused many Christians Of the
first centuries to subject themselves to
most severe deprivations and pains. To
have any enjoyment in this life was con-
sidered sinful, and they were only looked
upon as thoroughly good Christians who
made their existence miserable, Bishop
Zeno, of Verona, informes us that this
morbid form of Christianity was enter
tanned generally in the fourth century, and
that it was believed to be ''the highest glo-
ry of Christian virtue to tread nature ur-
der foot"
Because our Saviour was recorded to
have staid forty days in the desert, and to
have tasted, it became quite fashion to
retire to the desert and to .tread nature
under foot" The deserts of Syria and
Egypt were crowded with self-tormenting
Saints The sufferings which these
poor lunatics invented for themselves, and
the fortitude with which they endured
them, are wonderful. One of them-he
has his place as saint in the almanac
lived for fifty years in subterranean c4te
without ever seeing the friendly light OF
the sun. Others buried themselves to the
neck in the glowing sand of the desert, or
sewed themselves up in fur. Many bur-
dened themselves with heavy chains. st.
Eusebius always carried two hundred and
sixty pounds Of iron about his body. One
Thalalaus forced his body into the hoop Of
a cart-wheel, and remand in this highly
useful position towards society, for ten
years. After this he took up his dwelling
! in a narrow cage. Some made vow not
to speak for years and not to look at any
face Others bound themselves to jump
about on one leg apiece.
! ST. Barnabas, by some accident, got
sharp stone in his foot. which caused him
immense pain. He reioiced and would
not have it removed. Other saints slept
upon bundles of thorns, or tried not to
sleep at all Simeon, the son of an Egypt
ian shepherd, ate only every Sunday, and
wound round his waist rope SO tight that
bois broke out all over him, which smell
ed so odiously that nobody could bear his
sanity company. This Simeon was an
ambitious Saint; he became the leader Of
peculiar class, the Stylites or column
saints. He placed himself upon the top of
a column and remained there for years
He first perched himself on q column only
tour yards high, but his columns grew with
his madness. When his insanity reached
its utmost degree, his column had risen
| Cor is represented to have risen) to the
height of forty yards; on this he managed
to Keep alive thirty years; /; but it is dfhcult
to understand how he could sleep without
falling off. One of his favorite recrea-
tions was to bow as low and as often as
possible in praying. An eyewitness count
ed one thousand two hundred and forty
four of his bows, but then gave up count
ing Simeon at last succeeded in fasting
for forty days. 1t is, however, well known
that lunatics can fast very long time.
Wien Simeon became too weak to stand
upright, he had post erected on the top
of his column, TO which he was attached
in an upright position with chains. This
madness found many limitations in the Ori-
ent, but only one in Europe. lie was
native of Trier; the Bishop of that city,
however would not acknowledge him as q
saint, but treated him simply as fool.
Immense numbers of people resorting to
the desert, in order to live, had to form
communities these became associations Of
self-tormentors, which were called monas-
teries. St. Pashorn is looked upon as the
originator of these institutions. He had
in his monastery fourteen hundred monks,
besides a great number of nuns; for the
excitable sex were, of course, taken by
ascetic fanaticism. Artificial solitudes also
arose in the heart of cities. The city OF
Oxvrhincus had more converts than dwell
inc houses: and in them did pray, and not
work. thirty thousand monks and nuns.
The most respected fathers of the church
called the life in a convent the direct road
TO Paradise. St. Jerome wrote, amiably:
Now, if thy young brothers and sisters
throw themselves at thy breast, and thy
mother, with tears and dishevelled hair and
torn garments, shows her bosom which
nourshed thee, and thy father lays himself
on the threshold, kick them away from
thee with thy ieet. and hasten with dry
eyes to Join the standard OF the cross
The fathers of the church report many
miracles OF St. Anton. The animals OF
the desert obeyed him like well-tanght
poodle dogs. They crowded frequently
round his cave, but always waited respect
fully until he had finished his prayers; then
received his blessing and went about their
business. When St Anthon buried the her
init St. Paul of Thebes, who died in his
one hundred and thirteenth year, two pious
lions assisted him in digging grave.
St Macarius had great power with wild
animals. Once, a hyena, knocked modest
" at his door, and when the saint opened
it, she, distressed mother, laid at his feet
blind cub, but at the same time, as fee,
the skin of lamb. 81 do not want that
skin," said the saint, angrily, The poor
hyena was so distressed that she shed tears.
The saint was moved. "Ifyou will prom
Use not to steal any more skins, will take
the skin and heal the cub" The repcntant
hyena laughed tYes;" the saint healed the
cub; and the hyena trotted off, a better
animal. ~
Many of these gentry had wonderful
perseverance in praying, Among them an
Irish saint, of the name of kewdon, who
prayed so long that swallow had time
not only to lay her eggs in his folded hands,
but to hatch them also.
Though the saints are dead. they stil
take care of the interests ofpious people.
The nobility stand under the particular
protection OF st. George. ST. Maurice ana
St. Michael The patron OF ths2iogians
is, most strangely and unaccountabiy. the
doubter ST. Thomas. The patron Of the
pigs is St Antonius The jurisdiction over
!. LAWYERS is given TO ST. Iyo; over physici-