The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-11-06
PERSECUTION OF EARLY
CHRISTIANS.


1t will here be in place to give the
real reason for the horrible persecu-
tions of the early Christians in Pal
estine and throughout the Roman en-
pire, the communistic and Socialistic
character and doctrines of Jesus the
Christ and his disciples and followers
for centuries (three) while Christian
ity was still a prescribed religion.
During the entire period the Chris
tians, following the example and
teachings of their master, preached
and practced the most radical COM
munistic Socialism as the sect of the
Essences to which Christ belonged;
carried into full practice the doctrines
of the common, or collective, owner
ship of all goods and property, and
this doctrine was obnoxious to the
rich and propertied class of Judea and
the whole Roman empire, and Jesus
himself was put to death for this rea-
son in Judea, under Jewish and Roman
auspices, and his disciples and follow
ers suffered like fate in Judea for
three centuries throughout the Empire
of the Caesars.
Jesus was executed as
criminal under the forms of law be-
cause of his radical utterances, as he
repeatedly said he would be. After
him, his apostles proceeded to teach
his doctrines of commission.
The first act of the organization of
the Apostles of Pentecost, as recorded
in Acts iv., verses 80, "a and S5, was:
"And the multitude of them that be-
lieved were of one heart, and of one
soul; neither said any of them that
ought of the things which he pos
sessed was his own; but they had all
things common. Neither was there
any among them that lacked; for as
many as were possessors of lands or
houses, sold them and brought the
prices of the things that were sold and
laid them down at the apostles feet;
and distribution was made unto every
man according as he had need" Here
we have from the New Testament it.
self the fact of the radical communis-
tic character of the collective society
of Christ's followers-a form of social
organization which lasted three CEN
turtles until Christianity became the
state religion of the Roman empire.
After the apostles came the fathers
of the Christian church, who promul-
gated the communistic doctrines of the
Master and his apostles. During the
first three centuries of the Christian
era, the religion of Christ had become
the religion of the poor throughout
the whole Roman empire, the rich still
holding on to their old pagan systems.
The religious conflict, transformed
into the economic conflict, only
strengthened the hatred between the
rich and the poor.
According to the early church, avar-
ice was one of the greatest of crimes.
Usury, lending money at interest, was
strictly forbidden. Said Tertullian:
"All is common with us except wom-
en-" Said st. Bastil: THE rich man
is a thief" Said st. Augustine: "Priv-
ate property originated in usurpation.
Property is not a natural right, but a.
positive right, founded simply on civil
authority" Said st. Jerome: "Opu-
Ience is always the result of theft, if
not committed by the actual possessor,
then by his predecessors" Said St..
Ambrose: THE soil was given to the
rich and poor in common, wherefore
We rich, do you uniustly claim il
for yourselves alone2 Nature gave al
things in common for the use ~ all
usurpation created private rights.
Said st. Chrysostom: The idea Ne
should have of the rich and coyetous-
they are truly as robbers, who. stand
ing I'm the public highway despoiI the
passers." John Wesley said
IF I leave behind me 10 pounds for
which l have no use, ! am a thief and
a robber. Prom Bencrogt's History
Of the World"