Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-24
Mil. whose ideas are here reflected,
saws Of this Christian persecution:

u
romrnind this is one Of the mos, tragic.
al facts IN all history. Il Is bitter thousntt
the world night have bcen u adopted as
the religioE Of the empire under Anrecrs
rathrr than under Ounstantne. IN. X
would be unjust and untIuLI 20 ssy .a -l
he adopted any means. or urged any pleas 1
10 suppress Chr stianiiy which have not
been subsequently used 90 suppress anu
rhris tisnity our Professionalism No Chris
tiAn more hrmiy believes in the desfruc-
fivTfy OF Atheism ttAn did Aurcl US |
in that Of Christ Unless any
one who approves OF punishment
for the promulgation OF opinions, hA'tcrs
himself that he Is WISER and better nan
than Marcus Aurslius, more deeply yersed
in the trisdorfs OF his time. more elevated
In L!s intelleet ADoye %, more earnest N
bis search for truth. or plore single minded
IN his devotion 10 4 when found, let bin
shsiain from that assumption Of the toint
infalhbilIty Of himself and the multitude
whirh the great Aurelius made VITA 80 IN.
fortunate result"
These are the observations Of John
Stuart Mill, a man who may be
classed ns OF the highest ethical
product Of modern civilization, and
ihey are worthy OF consideration In
Washington at this time. Mil was
not a Christian in the d0ctrinal
sense. He was too honest for the
paganC christianity Of his time, anda
cordine to the light he had he looked
for social regeneration, outside the re-
ceived fetichism Of his time. In
this he differs from Aurelius, whose
revelations were received from the
entTails Of n fowl, and who held TO
Jupiter Pluvius 10 preserve society.
Mill looked TO science for revelation,
but we see Tyndal reviling Glad
stone. Chemistry is not statesman
ship.
II you desire TO know what the
Christians endured during the reign
Of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, read
Eusebius, his Ecclesiastical history.
Aurelius reigned from about 100
AID. to $50 What the Christians
in Gaul were subjected 10 during
this period is fully pictured 10y
Eusebius, and he says IL is an illus
traticn OF what they suffered in all
the Roman provinces at this time.
An Epistle from the Brethren Of
the Churches Of Lyon and Nienne to
those OF Asia and Phrygia contains
ample evidence Of what went on.
Blunt refers TO this Epistle az a dark
chapter Of fiendish horrors. Here
is what he slys Of it:
at (the epistie) tells OF the gradual adj
vance Of the storm which IN the end burst
upon the Christians with sach irlEhtful
q rec OF their exclusion. in the Mr-t IN
stance, from the forum. baths and places OF
pubic resort: then OF their being hunted.
beaten and PEELED with stones; next, OF GER
tain amoag them being carried before the
magistrate, Imprisoned and put 10 the tgr
turc. 10 the great conformation OF the
brethren ~ LARGE, who feared that their
cOnstAncy might forsakc them, -
IA some cases t did. II relates
that. not satisfied with this. the
magistrate now commanded an active
search 10 be madr for them-that the
household SLAVES Of the Christians, being
heathens. and having the fear OF the rocE
before their eyes, laid 20 their charge Ihy-
esteAn feasts. lncesiuous rcseis. ana abomi
nations not Lawful even 70 utter or conceive
that these calumuies getting abroad. the
people al I rye, no longer restrained by any
ties OF blood or friendship. broke out into
al manner OF excuses against them whose
ever killed then thinking that he was dong
God a service. the mob the magistrate. anu
the soldieTy. vIndictive alike that TOtimus.
the venerable Bishop Of Lyons, feeble.
sickiy. and IN his 9dih year, after being
dragged before the Judgment seat. was
surviving the violence he received but two
dam Maiurus and Sanctu- were first
scourEed, then thrown TO he wild beasts. 4
lttlc life bcingyet left they were fried in 4
heated iron chair land thus left 20 die. Blan-
dina and her young brother fonticus, sgcd
fifteen, were brought daily 70 the ampni-
thrAire 20 witness the horrors The boy
fell easily before his toTnentors but the
woman was subjected 20 the chair and TO
the Wild beasts; aud 20 crown al. was
iuciosed in a net and east before the
bu'ls TO be trampied and gorrd By them.
tall finally she was despatched by the mcrci-
iul knife OF the eNrcuuoner. Ar lus.
a famous man amang the Christians,
and therefore the more herreiy clamored
for ~ the popIlare. was led round the am
phiiheAtre amidst the yeils Of t7e SPEC.
IA ors. with a tablet before him with the-n-
scrtufion, This - Attalus The Tristan
AtiAlus. being a Roman. was allowed the
privilege Of rceantinE 20 save his life, bat
would not do 50, therefore by the mercy OF
Jrzar he was beheated."
Persecution Of this kind. one
woull think, ought 10 be suill rient
to glut the most blocdthirsty natures,
but it Seems IL does not. Christians
were not allowed decent burial. The
bodies were exposed to the elemen ts
and to the jeers and insults Of the
mad rabble for six days, then con-
sumed by fire, and the ashes thrown
into the Rhone, This was done TO
defeat the doctrine Of the resurrec-
ton by the Christians. This terri
bile drama was enacted at Lyons
about la AID, and there Is no
doubt Of its trlthfulnegs. The names
Of the victims and the details in
general are given with the exactness
Of personal experience. JUNIUs.