The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-12-19

=, ~ 'no hdnus OF the lew, with
lts consequent decay Of men and de-
struction Of civilization.
seeing that Christianity could
neither be suppressed nor disregard
ed, the only course left to those who
would lord it over their fellows. the
enemies OF human freedom-tbe
Christly estimate Of the value Of a
man - was to enter the Church and
contrel it. In the year 3l2, by i'm
perial edict Christianity and all re-
iigions were tolerated, out of regard.
1t was said, for the sacred rights Of
conscience. The growing strength
OF the Christian community now
made it polite for the Empire TO
Win Its undivided support, says
Moeller. The emperor Constantine.
therefore, for political reasons, pre-
pared for himself splendid conver-
sion to Christianity. In the clear
sky at midday, he beheld a flaming
cross with the inscription SPY this
Conquer" He obeyed the heavenly
vision and prepared to conquer in
that sign. His zeal for his new faith
was exuberant. He threw himself
at the head of its affairs, and inaug-
urated long millennium of unbroken
oppression. He called great coun-
Gil of the Church at Nice, in the
year 325, by which a system of doc
trlne was determined upon as the
one infallible creed. 1t received the
sanction and force of law, to which
the Emperor felt it his duty to COM
pei subordination. Men Of dissent
ing opinion were condemned and
prosecuted as heretics. Since the I'd
century bitter controversy had
gone on concerning the Trinity.
Arius, a priest of Alexandria, had
recently denied the equality of the
Son with the Father. The council
of Nice condemned him and his fol-
lowers to exile, consigned his books
to the flames, and thus firmly set
the Church's seal against liberty of
conscience and the spirit of indie
pendent thought and inquiry.
In further illustration Of the
Church's intolerance. we may recall
the conduct of Christians A. D. Alb
Is under the lead of Cyril, Patriarch
of Alexandria, a churchman typi-
cally eager in persecution of all
heresy. They destroyed the Jews
synagogue, plundered their goods,
and drove them out of their unbe-
lief. They seized Hypatia, woman
learned, beautiful and modest, who
opposed the views of the Patriarch,
dragged her from her chariot on the
public street, shamelessly stripped
her clothes from her body, and tore
her body limb from limb. This was
an earnest manifestation of what
should be common at the hands of
the Church for twelve centuries.
In Constantinople Christian en-
peror expelled the Jews and con-
verted their synagogue into the
Church of the Mother of God"
In Italy the rights of Jews, though
unabridged by Paganism, were cur
tailed by Christian emperors. In
Western Europe the Jews lived un-
disturbed until their peace was bro
ken by a victorious Church. In
Burgundy, King Sigismund, embra-
cling the Catholic faith in SIG "raised
the barrier between Jews and Chris
tians." Slsebul, in Spain, in GIG,
issued an edict, at the instance of a
Christian emperor, that the Jews
should either embrace Christianity
or be shorn, scourged, and banished
with confscation of their property
Under the rule of the Moors in
Spain, who gave unbelievers the
choice of Koran, tribute, or sword
the condition of the tormented Jew
was more tolerable than in any
Christian land. Gregory the First
surnamed the Great and Holy, pic
lures the attitude of his time wher
he advised that Jews should be con
verted by persuasion and gentleness
and not by violence; while fanatica
bishops none the less Thought op
!; preston of the Jews pious work.
: Christians in the Crusades Of tn
11th and 18th centuries hunted Jew
, and slew them like wild beasts
They were banished from Englan'
3 in the 18th century until Cromwell
3 winked at their return in 1854. A
t q form er time in England and Franc
b. the Church kept the Jews out of a.
Q pursuits but usury, which it dc
D clared Infamous. The jew, how
e ever, like many a Jealous church
o laan of to-day, took the risk Of he
n for sake of gain-40 per cent. to s
;, per cent. interest, and laid the four
d dation of that wealth which hs
: made him the worlds banker an
g master of nations.
II In the 18th century in Souther
n France where, it is said, the Churc
: had absolutely ceased to perform i
l. proper functions and the clergy 81
o tirely forfeited by their lives its al
n thority, the Albigenses were four
y in revolt against the Church. tt
's Church ordered their persecutic
3 for heresy. In 1909 the first Crusat
'e was led against them by its agent
r Under Papal promise of forgivene
e of sin and other privileges to tho
a. who should enlist in the Holy Wa
le SOC, 900 fanatics surrounded the ca
Ie ital of Raymond Roger, viscOunt
as Bezieres. "How shall we dist
~ guish Catholics from Heretics7" tn
" asked. "Kill them ALL" replied t
r pious abbot Arnaud Amalric, ct
Lord will easily know His owl
" Not one human being was left ali
within the wall. The following ye
ga a new host, attracted by promise
IN heavenly blessedness and earth
n store, gathered under the lead
'te Simon de Montfort and Amalr
TIC who compelled those suspected
pr heresy, wherever found, to asce
as piles of burning fagots. Three yea
as later third crusade was led by
"a Montfort and the bishops, W
IL styled themselves the Champions
us the Cross. The Church repeat
no these atrocious brutalities until II
on when "the Church of the Albigen
!oy had been drowned in blood. Th