The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-03-05
PRISON OF APOSTLES.
Chains That Bound Early Christian
Leaders,
William e. Curtis in the ohioago, Record. Herald.

as tne t'me, and his sister Theodore,
who was q woman Of wealth and high
social position, were converted to
Christianity by Alexander.
i Many legends are told Of miracles
performed by these chains. The sick
have been cured, the wounded have
been healed, cripples have been made
whole by kissing the iron, and in the
early centuries it was customary for
the popes to send minute filings from
them in crystal receptaoles as a re-
ward to kings and emperors and 9TH
ers who performed great service for
the church. They are preserved in O
beautifully souipiured casket Of gilded
silver with glass panels, through
which they can be plainly seen. .There
are two chains, each about four feet
long, with links Of unequal size,
which is-due to the many filings. At
the end OF one Of them is an:iron COL
lar, which is said to have enoiroled
the neck Of St. Peter. According to
one Of the legends the chains were di-
vided in the early centuries. one Of
them being taken to Oonstantiuople
BY the Emperor Constantine, but af-
ter the schism which divided the
church the chain in; Constansinopls
was translated to Rome INTERNATIONALLY
end soldered to the other by invisible
power during the pontifcate Of Leo x,
the Great. The Constantinople Dor
tion was not missed for several months.
and the monks in charge Of the relics
in Rome were almost paralyzed witt.
astonishment when they found what
had happened.
The glory Of this church is the
tomb of Pope Julius the Great, whom
nature intended for warrior, but des-
tiny closhed with the robes Of a priest.
He was one of the greatest men in
history, and if his activity had been
directed in secular aEa;rs he would
have stood with Alexander the Great,
Caesar, Charlemagne and Napoleon.
Under his pontifical ctiara were con-
cealed the brains Of great statesman
and during his reign the church made
rapid advancement. According to the
custom Of the time he designed his
own tomb and gave an order for it's
construction to Michael Angelo. The
original plan proposed sepulcher 1s
feet high and IL wide, surrounded by
40 statutes, including those OF Moses,
Peter, Paul, Rachel and Leah, but
only three Of them were completed
because Leo x, his successor, did mot
approve Of such mortuary grandeur.
fortunately, he did not prevent Mi.
chael Angelo from completing the
most famous OF all his statues, which
represents Moses, with flowing beard
descending to his waist, horned head,
deep sunken eyes and q msjsdty which
was not represented in marble even by
the Greeks. On either. side Of this
great masterpiece appear the figures Of
Rachel and Leah, and above them the
Madonna with the infant Jesus in her
arms. The worst figure in the group,
and one which seems out Of place in
the presence Of Moses, is that Of JUL
ius himself, who, through the Jealous.
ly of Lao Z, was sculpturad by an in
competent artist and lies upon an in
significant sarcophagus instead Of shat
originally designed.
The famous "Quo Vadis church."
which has aroused renewed interest
since ;he publication Of the novel of
Henry Sienkiewiez, is on the Appian
Way, and was originally built over the
pavement to protect the impression of
the Savior's feet upon stone. The
original stone has been removed to the
Church Of st. Sebastian, but fac
similefis fitted into its place. The
story, as told by St. Ambrose, is that
when Nero accused the Christians of
having attempted to destroy Rome by
fire, Peter, then the head Of the
church, tried to escape. AS he fed
along the Appian Way about two miles
from the city Che Savior. appeared in.
his path In his amazement he ex-
claimed. "Lord. whittier goest Thou?''
to which the Savior, with reproaohful
sadness, replied, ST go to Rome to be
again crucifed," aud vanished. Pet
er, interpreting this as instructions,to
submit to martyrdom, returned to the
city, ana, 50 q monument to mark the,
site Of his momentous interview, the
Savior left his footprints in the pave
ment.y @ #
This old ohuroh stands arono. AZ,