, 1873-08-03
REMAINS ANTlCHRlST..-.n.
Pa,is Cbtrcs,,onde,,ce Of the Nation.

fdf7d LDfTfHp0HacHGe OF tHt AHt1oH.
After tho persecution of tho Christians under
Moro, tho Church Of EphosuB boca,no for o timo
tho centro Of tho new religion. Tho refugees
from Rome fled to Asia, and tho atrocities Of No
ro mixed up with tho traditions Of tho anti-pau-
line and jewish Ohristians Of Asa, became, so
to speak, the ground from Which sprang tho
apocalypse. At this worry timo, tho Jews in Ju-
don had Icon seized With sort Of moral fever,
which Mr. Ronnn can only compare to the
ma1ady OF tho Fronch mind during tic revolu-
tion,
"Tle causes Of tae crisis woro ancont, and
tho crisis waB inevitable. Tho MoHaio law was
the work Of exaltod utopians possessed with
powerful socialiBtio ideal, aud tho least political
OF men; like Islam, it excluded tho notion
of civil society parallel to tho rolg~
ious society" Io says, littlo aftor-
wards: IA nation which doroteB itsolf to ro-
lgtous and social problems il politically LOST"
Judoa, as rart Of the Aohomenid Empire, llad
boon rathor quiet; 1t remained 60 undcr tho
ptolenlies but tho rovolts began under tho
solcucdes, when Antiochus Epiphanes attempt
cd an Hellenic propaganda, md insisted on llav-
ing statues OF Jupiter everywhere. Tho JowB
carod little for their political independence, but
no was ayor 80 attached to its religious in
stitutions. The Jews never formed truo na-
tion, they always were intoruationalB; tho syna-
goguo, the temple, the congregation, was aud is
| their only contre Of attraction; their true king
| is tho doctor Of tho divine law,-tho prophet.
Botweon tho Romans and tho jews there was q
complete, an incurable antipathy, as Rome rop-
resented puroly civil aocioty, without auy adj
] mixture of thcocracy, rational and secular gov
orrlmont; the Jews had thoir own divine law,
which was irrcconcilable with tho Roman Inv.
;1,no ~. r1r ,into
Jerusalem: 1. "Tho Roman party, composed
of opicuroans and voluptuarios in possession Of
the highest diGnitios Of the church," 2. "Tho
pharisaio middle classes. of the JoHophuH typo;"
8. ":rho zoalots, families, mcndicants, WHO fed
their imaginations with prophecies in state Of
abnormal exalthtiou u H. "Drigands, robbers
roady for plunder;" &. "Droamers who were
quietly praying, holy and doyout personaGes."
| Tho zealots, tho low churchmen, formed tho
only active party; amidst tho corruption of tho
| high churchnon and the cowardico OF tho pAari-
| soos, they wero aure to bocone in crisis, tho
masters Of tho city. Tho popular mind was full
| Of Messianic prophesios the zealots did not
conceal their contempt for their Roman rulors.
Florus abandoned tho town. and retired to
t!csnroa. sit WAS yory culpablo act au armed
power owcs it to tho city which it occupies, and
| where thoro broaka out popular revolt, not to
Il
ing exhausted I'LL tho noans Of re-
| Bistanco." Florus onco gone, it be-
canc 1;...7',"t that tho Roman troops could
only re-onte- .tusa!em through fro and blood.
those who quilted Paris on tue 18th Of March,
and in many o passage the zealotB aud tho PhAr-
! isooa remind him of the Communists Of Paris
and Of tho Conservatives who remained the mort
spectators OF the horrors OF the Commune.
In five months tho insurgents had become
mRHtors not only Of Jerusalem, but OF Judea and
| Galiloei tho Greeks and Syrana of tho EaBt
resented tho triumpln Of tho Jews as poraonal
hostile to church who threatened all tho old
| temples with destruction. Horrible massacres
began at Ccsarea, all over syria, at Alexandria,
at Uyr; the Roman logato, Costius aallus, soon
Ho Was defeated, and this victory oxalted tho
zealots almost to frenzy. Tho Jews began roally
to believe that the work Of Augustus would soon
be destroyed, that tho Inst days OF lsome had
| como, that tho Messiah would soon appear.
Vospasian, moanwhilo, was preparing hla CAM
paign against Judea. lie first invaded 0ali]oc,
slaughtered the whole population, aud then ar
rived in Judea. In this lntenso fover, which
orate party was no longer tenablo. Bands Of
| plunderorB, after doBolRting the country, Ind
fallen buck on tho capital. Those who fled bc-
fore the Roman arms camo in tlloir turn and
| brought famine with them Tliore waa no Gffoc-
two authority !; tho zealota ruled all those who
were suspected Of nlodoratiBm " wore maasa-
ored without pity. So far, war and its oxcossoH
had respected tho barriora Of the tempo. Now
xealotB and brigandH lived III the holy shrine :;
all tho rules Of legal purity wore forgotten; tho
floor was soilel with blood. III the eyes of tho
prloHtB, tl1ero Was no creator crime. For many
dovout people, this was tho ''abomlnat!on
predicted by Danol which Hhonld como III the
| holy tetnplo on tho oyo OF tho last days.
All this history OF tho aiogo OF JeruHRl lom, the
details OF which have been loft to lii by Joso-
pius, reads like D nightmare. Everybody las
hoard Of tho physiological moment predicted by
Prince Bismarck, when fauliue, anarchy, fear,
was tho olimax, the true physiological nomont
1t only came aftor the groht catastrophe. In
Jerusalem it camo boioro Tho old Hacorlotal FAM
lilies woro killed.. JoruHalem waa in tho hands Of
domonB; during ito long e!ego, VoapaHian hoard
Of mankind Ind at INIT reyoItod againat tho i'm
portal murderer. The lust had not rohollod; 1t
| WAS more occuniol with tho siege Of Jerusalem