The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1908-10-03

young men VINO were not afraid to die vrou-
men and women leaving children orpba,as :.
friendless. and old men and women with -.
hair and wrinkled faces: all condemned hv
sters who respected neither age nor ser ana !,
willing to die for the Master whose mama e..
had taken:
And then the widest. dsadliest howl os all :.
that day a handful of men and women in wh,,a
and girl In the midst OF them: the eI,,. !.
an iron gate thrown suddenly open: a rushinv az
loapng OF great 1.-THE bodies of beasts yellow 80
black and striped. the sand flying In elons, -
hind them; worrying and crushing of flesh ana
bone sharp cries. then blood then al.
cnce &. the Wild beasts driven on, v,h
brands and red hot irons step b. step drarv,,
nameicas mangcd things in their jaws"
II 10 Interesting to speculate "a to ~ha, nae.
ccntage OF Who call ourselves Christians mo-
would have been willing TO die for our faith IN
tho days OF that terrible persecution or hov
many OF would even have been willing to On.
dare tho everyday gibcs and insults which the
early converts had TO bear. over on the pala,tn.
HiIl yesterday guide told Us OF a dravtns
found on the wallis there: c.ricaturc Of chris,
on the erosa with IN. head of an ass for tia, Of
Jesus II waa insults such these that the eariy
Christians had TO endure.
fourth century. however. IL also suggested an "
| vial, the ediaco In which the Emperor conssansirs
IL aaid 90 have been baptized Christianity b.
coming the religion Of the rulers. II became eaSy
aud popular paganism had formerly been. Tia
pagan Empire became Christian as one historian
sell says. but tho Christian Church became, to
| some degree. imperial and pagan. The gala enos-
| mousiy exceeded the loss: but there did take
place. naturally aud Inevitably a sweeping ehanss
| from tho earlier Christianity" Christianity ~
| csmc formal - Plagiarism had been: II began par
| sccussons aa cruel a. Plagiarism had prac,iced.
Christian bishops began to adop; the gorgsosa
| ceremonial Of the pagan worship. The burning
OF Incense. the laying of hands. the Eprnkling
~lth holy water. tho confession of sins 10 tn
pFlUa,. the PROFESSIONS. tho decoration OF lmaEss
| tho prustrationa bosor. tho priest. etc etc. are
| all In their origin pagan observance, ].
chris;lanisy having thus become pagan In outward
form. gradually loat It's inncr life. Tho spirit Of
Christ no longer inspired IL. Popes. onthroacd II
Rome. were moro concerned With politics than
| wlth religion. more eager to acquire power than
| TO save souls. Tho dream of Catholic empire had
| seized them. aud they aspirrd to erect anew the
| shFour OF tho Caesars. .... Tho Pope being
thus ambitious. tho Church sought wealth. Of
| Gees. places OF influence every hand. The
princes OF tho Church became aa worldly and a.
arrogant az the princes OF the State. They led
armies. they built palaces. they lived dlssoute
iivca. pu,y Was aimos, . forgotten word
This subject. tho paganixing OF Christianity
largely resulting from the union of Church and
Ssat"~-a principle against which our American
for~faihera wisely set themselves In the begin
| ning-haa never had SUFFICIENT attention at the
hands Of historians and thcoloEiana and In ssrik'
inEiy illustrated In nearly all the religious ser
| Vices have attended abroad-formal mcchanieal'
| tnonotonoun. Nfeirws. Going In dcgcneracy uhuA
In order To pay or the enormous debt incurred 10
building 1T. Peters here. the Pope began "
sell lndalESnceB. Martin Luther and other ieAu'
-ra of tho Reformation aroused all Christensen
With plea for primitive Christian ideals. anu
| started movement which not only created nc"
Hccis but stopped many vicious tendencies In tue
III flDn lnh h.. l..ff