The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-17
LESSON STORY.


During the last years of Caligula's
imperial reign the Christians in Jerusa-
lem enjoyed rest from jewish persecu-
ton. The attempt of Caligula to have
his own statue set up in the temple-area
in Jerusalem had fred the Jews with
such determined resistance to the Rom
an tyrant, that they were compelled to
leave the peaceful followers of Jesus to
their own quiet ways.
But Caligula Jan. 4, A. d. ALL was
assassinated; Claudius became his sue
cessor. Early in his reign Claudius ap-
pointed Herod Aggrippa l. king of Judea,
giving to him all the territory of his
grandfather, Herod the Great
The Herods had all been bloody men.
Herod the Great, the founder of the
family, massacred the children in Beth
lehem; Herod Antipas, an uncle of this
Herod Agrippa, had beheaded John the
Baptist. The restoration of the Herod-
ian family to power surely BODIED no
good to the Christians.
The new king was Roman by educa-
ton, but by profession Jewish in religion.
He introduced into Jerusalem theaters
and games and gladitorial spectacles.
Yet he favored the temple ceremonials
and offered sacrifices on the temple altar.
He strove assiduously to gain the favor
of his Jewish subjects.
Noto about that time Herod the king
put forth his hand to d6iict certain of
the church. A very little thing it was
for Herod to command that certain rep
resentative Nazarenes should be arrested
and scourged. But to the Christian
church it meant untold suffering.
In continuance of his ignoble endeav-
or to please his Jewish subjects. he killed
james the brother of John aUith the
s,Uord. Rarely has such an important
event been told in so few words. This
James, one of the sons of Zebedee, was
called from his nets by Galilee to follow
the new Teacher. HE had" says Far.
rar, "stood by Jesus at the bedside of the
daughter of Jairus, and on the mount of
TRANSPORTATION. and in the agony of the
garden; he had once wished to call down
fire from heaven on those who had
treated his Lord with incivility; he had
helped to urge the claim that he might
sit in closest proximity to his throne of
judgment. There is deep lesson in the
circumstance that he should. meekly
and silently, in utter self-renouncement,
with no visible consolation, with not even
a recorded burial, perish first of the
faithful few who had forsaken all to fol-
low Christ, and so be the first to fulfill
the warning prophecy that he should
drink OF his Lords bitter cup and be
baptized with his fiery baptism" "This,"
says Afford. sis the only apostle of whose
death we have any certain record; with
regard to all the rest tradition varies,
more or less, as to the place, or the man
ner, or the time of their deaths"
That James was, by Herod's order,
killed by the sword, means that he was,
by royal order, beheaded without trial.
A tradition has come to us, through
Rusebeus, who took it from a work of
Clement of Alexandria, regarding his
death. His accuser, the tradition tells
as, was so struck with his heroic comics
sion of Jesus that he himself became a
Christian. When James was being led
to execution. the conscience stricken
accuser asked the apostles forgiveness.
James, after a moments thought replied:
"Peace be to thee" Both. according to
the tradition, were beheaded together.
When Herod saw that the killing of
James pleased the JeloS,-such was his
base motive,-he proceeded to seize Peter
also. 1t was after the Passover had be.
gun. No one. according to Jewish law,
could at this time be executed. Peter
was therefore committed to prison. That
he might be kept secure. he was placed