Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-04

and the pagan priests OF the time
I gravely swOre to its truth. | cannot
= do better than quote in full chapter
: of ancient history dealing with MS
: subject. The characters are Maxi
milan, Tertullus, COrvinus, Fulvius,
, Calpurnius, priests, philosophers
: and Office seekers. Only substitute
I the names Of persons now promi-
nent in Utah for the names men,
toned in the ancient history,
and the chapter will apply to
e Utah today, and will be considered
truthful, accurate and impartial.
1t is from n distinguished writer.
Here it Is:
II was in the month Of November,
that MaNimian Herculeus convoked
r the meeting in which his plans had
I finally TO be adjusted. To it were
summoned tho leading officers OF the
court. and Of the State. The princi-
: pal one. the project Of the city, had
, brought with him his son, Corvinus.
whom he had proposed to be captain
Of a body OF armed pursuivlnis.
picket out for their SavaCeness and
hatred OF Christians, who would hunt
them out, or down, with unrelentiug
lssiduity. The chief projects or gov
errors OF Sicily, Italy, Spain and
Gaul were present 10 receive orders.
In addition TO these. several learned
men, philosophers and orators, among
whom was our old acquaintance Cal
purnius, had been invited; and many
priests who had come from different
PARTS, 10 petition Tor heavier prosccu-
ton were commanded 10 attend.
Maximum was native OF Sirmium.
inSclavonia,a reputed barbarian, there
fore Of the lowest extraction. a mere
soldier OF fortune, without any cduca-
ton, endowed with little more than a
/ hrutc's strength, which made his sur
name Of Hercules most appropriate:he
had been raised to the purple by his
I brother, barbarian DiocleS, known As
I the Emperor DiOClctiln. Like him,
I COvetous TO meanness. anu spend
I thrift 10 reCklcssness, addicted to the
I same coarse vices and foul crimes.
/ which Christian pen refuses 10 rec
| ord, without restraint Of any passion,
/ without sense Of justice or feeling OF
humanity, this monster had never
ceased 10 Cypress, prosecute and !
slay whoever stood in his way To him I
the coming persecution looked like an Z
approaching feast does to n cluttOn,
who requires tho excitement Of q sur 4
felt to relieve the monoiony Of daily |
excess. Gigantic In frame, with the I
well known features Of his race. with 1
the hair on HIS head and face more |
yellow than red, shaggy and wild. like ]
tufts Of straw, with eyes restlessly I
rolling in Il compound expression OF /
suspicion, profiigacy, and ferocitythis I
almost last OF Rome's tyrants struck 1
terror into the heart Of any beholder. /
except n Christian. Is il wonderful ,
that he hated the race and its name7
Precedence was granted. by religious /
courtesy, TO the priests. each Of whom |
had his tale to tell. Here a river had .
overlooked its hanks. and done much I
mischief 10 the ncighbOring plains:
there an earthquake had thrown down I
part Of a town on the northern from
tiers the barbarians threatened inya-
sion; at the south the plague WAS
ravaging the pious population. In
every instance the oracles had declared
that It was all owing to the Christians,
whose liberation irritated the gods,
and whose evil charms brought cal
amity on the empire. Nav. some
gods had afflicted their votaries bv
openly proclaiming that they would
utter no more till the OdiOus Nuze5Cnes
had been eXterminatedi and the great
nelphic oracle had not hesitated to
declare, ''that the Just did not allow
the gods 10 speak"
Next came the philosophers and
orators, each Of whom made his
own long winded oration; dur
ing which Maximian gave I'M
equivOcal signs Of WEAKNESS. But
as the emperUrs In the East had
held a similar meeting, he considered
u his duty to sit out the annoyance.
The usual calumuieS were repeated.
for the ten-thOusandth time. 10 an APP
plauding assembly; the stories Of muir
dering and eating infants, Of commit
ing foul crimes. OF worshipping mar
tyrs' bodies, Of adoring an ass head,
and inconsistency enough Of being
unhelievers and serving no God.
These tales were all most firmly be-
loved; though probably their reciters
knew perfectly well they were but
good. sound, heather lies, very useful
IN keeping up horror Of Christianity.
But, at length, up rose the man who
was considered to have most deeply
studied the doctrines Of the enemy,
and best to know their dangerous tao
tics. He was supposed to have read
their own books, and TO be drawing up
confutation OF their errors. which |
would fairly crush them. Indeed, so
great WAS his weight with his own side.
that when he asserted that Christians
held any mOnstrous principle, had
their supreme pontiff in person con-
tradlc;ed It, every one would have
laughed at the very idea OF taking his
the pontiff - word for his own belief
against the assertion OF Calpurnius.
He struck up different strain, and
his learning quite astonished his fell
lowsophists. He had read the original
books, he said, not only Of the Chris
tians themselves, but Of their fore
fathers, the Jews. who. having come
into Egypt in the reign OF Ptolemv
Philadelphus, to escape from famine
IN their own country, through the arts
OF their leader, Joseph, bought up all
the corn there and sent it home. Upon
which. Ptoiemy imprisoned them, tell
ing them that, as they had eaten up 5
all the corn, the should live on the I
straw, by making bricks with It for
building great city. Then Demetrius
PhaleriUs, hearing from them Of a
great many curious histories Of their
ancestors, shut up Moses and Aaron,
their most learned men, in a tower,
having shaved half their boards. till
they should write in Greek all their
records These rare books Calpurnius I
had seen, and he would only mention ,
A few facts from them. This race made !
war upon every king and people that
lame IN their way, and destroyed them ,
all. IL was their principle, il they
took a city, to put everyone 10 the q
sword; and this was all because they 1
were under the government of their i
ambitious priests; so that when a GER {
ain king, Saul. also called Paul, 4
spared poor captive monarch, whose
name was Agag. the priests ordered
iim TO be brought out and hewed to
pieces.
Now" continued he, these Christ
ans are still under the domination Of {
he same priesthood, and Sre quite as
ready today. under their direction. to
overthrow the great Roman empire.
)urn us all in the forum, and even Z
assail the sacred and
venerable heads Of our divine empe- I
-ors." a
A thrill OF horror ran through the =
lssembly at this recital. Il was soon !,
lushed, as the Emperor opened his =
mouth to speak. "For my part" he |
aid, 81 have another and a stronger o
'eason for my adherence OF these C
christians. They have dared to estab- e
ish IN the heart Of the empire, and in v
MS very city, supreme religious u
authority, unknown there before, indie 3
lendent OF the government Of the
stale, and equally powerful over their
minds as this. Formerly all aeknowl-
dyed the Emperor rs supreme in reli-
;lous as in civil rule. Hence be bears a