New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-22
EARLY DAYS or THE CHURCH.
THE REV DR. sHAHAN's SERMON IN ST.
PATRTCK's CATHEDRAL


The Rev. DIT. Shahan. OF the Catholic University
OF America. preached yesterday In 81. Patricks
Cathedral on Church and State in the First Two
Centuries" Among other things, he said;
The State objected to any worship, save It's own
trstes The moo Of uncertain origin. the rffraY
Of the Orient. might adore them not az they saw
fiji. but Romans Of standing expected TO
The private meetings Of the Christians and Their
grave cause Of offence FOR voluntary associations
had always been the horror OF the imperial a,.-
thorities because OF their political suspclousresa
Then, a time on. the seditlons caused by tire
senseless popular hate OF the unfortunate harmless
Christians were source OF anxiety 20 The ernper-
ors. whose sympathles. a. rule, were on sucn
OCCASIONS rs Tdn me ety 9os nes' de
hated the Christians for breaking he Impact OF
temporal Messiah worked evil 10 the CHRISTIANS in
nigh places. The growing strength OF the Christian
network OF charities. the strange cosmopolitan
sympathes OF the Christians, excited painful sus-
their councillors Above all. the lnhexible OBJ
snacy OF the Christian seemed to the Roman az:
the right Of the State absolute unquestoning
obedience and devotion on the part 81 every c;u.
1t was in vain that Christian apologists Tx. Ct.
Justin protested in the OF the society against
the West imputatons ana against the reproach 0,
the Injustice OF the STATE the CHRISTIANS appealed
to public opinion. Their apolossts gave TO the
world the correct views OF Christian doctrine They
published every SANDER and refuted Il with suitable
arguments. Accused OF infamous crimes they de-
manded public trial and pointed 10 the sanctity OF
their daily LIE. They protested the innocence and
purity OF their assemblies They demonstrated the
absurdlty Of charging them with the suherings OF
the Roman State. In general they appea.ed 70 the
Roman sense Of equity and 10 contempt felt
by the better and more thoughtful for the
nfrce unreaSon;ng masses OF the ancient cities.
knowing the Roman YelerdtiOn for antiquity, they
demonstrated the extreme antiquity OF tho old
Testament. and they undertook show that the
Christian doctrines were TO BE- found Individually,
Dlecemea. IN travestie1 shape. In the writings %
the Greek and Roman philosophers Thus Chris
tanlty entered the domain OF letters by series %
special peas for existence. and though II had yet
much 10 suffer from the State y had a signal
victory by the confirmation OF It's adherents.
and by reducing Ks advsrsaries 10 n ignomnious
silence and the application OF brute force.
The personal conduct OF the emDerOrs toward
Christianity is % the most interesting chapters
OF the great struggle. The so-called good emperors
ike Marcus Aurelius. were often Its enemies
gods who were. for hem: the prop % me state.
The bad emperors Ike Commodus Caracals. are
tolerant, and kindly disposed. \ certain
affinity between the head OF worldwide State and
worldwide religion attracted the Emperors Tibe-
RUS. Hadr.an. Alexander Severus, personal admirers
OF Jesus Christ. The Emperor Philip. son nf an
Arab sheik OF the Hauran. is said have been a
Christian. II DeciIs tried 70 root out the religion
throughout the third century from Julia Man,
and Ottaci.ia Severa 10 the wife and daugh-
ter OF Diocletian were even more drawn 70 the
Christian religion. The chOicer spirits could not
rice. Only the truth II seemed could inspire such
confidence and so renew a society eternaly deci-
mated Alternate Establishment and rage express
the conduct OF the astOnisned imperial authorities
until the day came when they yielded % the mag
nhcent destinations OF religion that had proved it,
right 70 universality by the means as tho
Roman rule itself-endurance sacrifice and faith
only OF an infinitely higher kind