Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-30
&eadimg fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
E ". ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original.1
IOlIHHII'J
THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA--REV. 2:S--ll.

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
%[orignal.l
THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA--REV. Sill.
The city ofSmyrna is situated in Asia Mi
nor, forty miles north of Ephesus, on a bay
which extends into the land about forty
miles. Its present population is somewhere
between one hundred and twenty and one
hundred and fifty thousand. The modern
city does not, however, occupy the site on
which ancient Smyrna was built. Scholars
feel an interestin Smyrna, on account of the
fact that it is one of the seven cities which
claimed to have given birth to the poet
Homer.
''Seven cities claimed the Homer dead,
Through which the living Homer begged his
bread"
The ancients bestowed upon Smyrna a
number of names by which to indicate the
estimate in which it held its beauty and
grandeur. They called it "The Lovely, the
Crown ofIonia, and the Ornament of Asia"
All travellers agree that these descriptive
epithets are not exaggerations.
By Christians Smyrna is regarded as one
of the important cities, because there was in
it al apocalyptic church, for which an epistle
was given by the Saviour to John when an
exile on Patmos. This epistle is addressed
to the angel, that is, to the pastor of the
Church at Smyrna. The Saviour styles
himself "the first and the last, which was
dead and is alive" This is suggestive, and
its significance will appear as we proceed.
The prophetic period embraced in this
epistle to the Church of Smyrna is ten pro-
phetic days, that is, ten years from the year
A, D. 1903 to 3l3. This period is called the
Dioclesian persecution. Itmight, however,
with equal and perhaps greater propriety,
be called the Galerian persecution.
1t is ~customaryto speak Of ten prosecuting
periods through which the New Testament
Church passed during the first three centu-
ries. The first was during the reign of Ne
no and began about A. d. 81, and continued
to the time of that monsters death, in A. D.
GS. The second began about the year A. D.
90, under Domitian, and terminated A. D.
96. During the first persecution Paul and
Peter were put to death, and during the
second, John was banished from Ephesus to
the Isle of Patmos. The third persecution
occurred in A. D. 10Y, during the reign of
Trojan the fourth, in A. d. 1853, during the
reign of Antonius; the fifth, in A. D. POP,
during the reign of Severus the sixth, in
A. D. 235, during the reign of Macmillan
the seventh, in A. D. $50, during the reign
of Decius; the eighth, in A. d. 256, during
the reign of Valerianus the ninth, in A.
d. 273, during the reign of Aurelian the
tenth, in A. D. 303, during the reign OF Do
cletianus, and lasted ten years, or to the
year A. D.. 313.
It is clear from the predictions contained
in the epistle addressed to the apocalyptic
Church of Smyrna, that a time of great trib-
ulation awaited the Church, and that it
would continue for ten prophetic days, that
is, for ten years. This corresponds with the
Diocletian persecution. The order to perse-
cute the Christians was issued in February
a. D. 1903, and Diocletianus died A. d. 313.
Diocletianus was the descendant Of an OBJ
scure family in Dalmatia. His birth place
was Dioclea. From this town he derived
the name Docles, which was changed to Di-
ocles to make it conform to the Greek. 1t
was afterwards changed to DiOcletianus,
which is the Latin form Of the name, and
that by which he is generally known. From
a common soldier, Diocletianus rose to the
high position of emperor, in A. d. 2S4:
For political purposes, he, in 292, made Ga
lerius, Maximian, and Constantius his COL
leagues. Maximian was given control of
Italy and Africa; !. Galerius, of Thrace and
Illyricum; Constantius, of Gaul and Spain,
while Diocletianus retained Asia and Egypt.
Galerius, for some reason, was always hos
tile to the Christians, but until February,
A. D. 1903, Diocletianus had shown himself
we'll disposed to them. Galerius repaired to
Nicomedia, where was the court of Diocle-
tianus, and by representing the Christians
as a horde of conspirators induced him to
issue an edict against the followers of Jesus
Christ. The Jews favored this, and Jews
and heather priests went to work to devise
means by which, in the most cruel and bar
barous way, to exterminate all who profess
sed to be followers of the Lamb of God.
These prosecutors believed they had accom-
plished their design and erected a monu-
ment to perpetuate the memory OF their
success. Time has demonstrated that the
Diocletian or Galerian persecution failed so
far as its agents were concerned, to accom-
plish the purpose for which it was begun
and carried on by them.
Assuming that the apocalyptlc letter to
the Churh Of Smyrna prophetically reveals
the sore trials through which the whole
Church passed during the reign of Diocle-
tianus, a marvellous dispensation OF prOvl-
dence is presented for our consideration. 1t
will be noticed that not a single word of
condemnation, censure or rebuke is uttered
against the apocalyptic Church if Smyrna.
81 knowthy work, and tribulation, and pow
erty." Evidently this is said in common
dation. 1t would be absurd to conclude that
this apocalyptic church was absolutely with
out sin, and that all its works were right,
absolutely, in the sight of God, but we are
warranted in concluding that it was follow
ing Jesus Christ in sincerity and endeavor-
ing, by tine strength of Divine grace, to
keep all the commandments of the Lord.
The apocalyptic Church of Smyrna was
made up of true believers who delighted IN
the law of God in the inner man.
Notwithstanding the fact that Jesus Christ
approvingly saw their works, they were the
objects of the prosecutors hate, and by him
reduced to poverty. But says the Saviour
''thou art rich" 1t is worthy of notice thai
our Saviour declares that all the evils which
the apocalyptic Church of Smyrna would be
called upon to suffer would be brought upon
it by the devil. Diocletianus and Galerius
and their aiders and abettors, were only the
willing servants and misguided dupes OF
the devil. 1t is readily admitted that the
devil is neither Omnipotent nor Omnicient,
and that he is a creature, and a fallen crea-
ture, still God, for wise and holy purposes,
which we cannot fully understand, permits
him to cast many ofthose who are Israelites
indeed, into prison.
E~ncouragingly our Saviour begins his let
ter to the a%pocalyptic Church of Smyrna, by
declaring "that he is the first and the last,
that he was dead and is alive" These
words seem to stand in close logical connec-
ton with the words "fear not those things
which thou shalt suffer-" In other words
our Saviour encourages this a~pocalyptical
Church by declaring unto them that ne is