The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-16

were abundant and plainly open to the
inquirer. The Christians Of the drst
century were ither eye-witnesses of
the miracles Of Christ, or contempor-
aries Of many who had been eye-wit-
nesses. The Christians Of the two Sue
ceeding centuries were so near the
origins of the new religion, SO init
mately acquainted with the conditions
of its early growth, with the wonders
of Heavenly life it claimed to intro
duce among Jews and Gentiles, that
mistakes as to facts or misapprehen-
sions as to results, were not within the
range of possibilities. Before con-
fronting death, they examined and
pondered. If they believed, even unto
martyrdon, it was because they had
seen: if they believed, it was because
the clearness Of truth compelled them
to believe. The faith of the early
Christians lived and throve in the
midst of such circumstances, that
the conclusion is imperative for US
Christianity was no passing whim of
theirs, no delusive fad or theory, it's
author was no dreamer; the story of
it's expansion through length and
breadth of the empire cf Rome was
no product of myth or fable. The faith
of the early Christians of long ago is
the warrant of the faith of the Chris
tians of subsequent ages.
And then, a further warrant of faith
in Christ is the victory itself won by
the Christian religion despite fiercest
persecutions-the victory proclaimed
to all nations by Constantine's etict Of
peace.~.9 ,. ,s,g j, vt srs .,ss,
It was the battle Of all earths pow
ers. quickened into. intensest activity,
borne onward by deepest and strong
est passion, against the Crucifed OF
Calvary. THE Kings of the earth
stood up, and the princes met together
against the Lord and against His
Christ" They said: Let us break
their bonds asunder and let US cast
away their yoke from u.s.
The task of determination seemed
easy What was Christ? What the
arms He welded? 1t was the artisan
of Galilee, the Crucified of Jerusalem,
daring to teach cultured Greek and
imperial Roman. 1t was the handful
of despised fishermen and tax gath
erers serving as His apostles. It was
new preachment. at which philoso-
pliers scoffed, against which racial re-
ligions and codes of morals, persistent
panderers to pride and passion, rose
in infuriated rebellion. 1t was a chal-
lenge to the gods of Rome, to the ma
| jesty of the empire, to which Rome's
sword was to be the quick reply. What
| eye scanning the horizon, as the battle
| opened, could or would descry amid
| the skies of the morrow the trium-
phant signal that Christ had con-
| quered?
The battle opened with the impris-
onment of Peter and John in Jerusa-
lem, with the burning of Roman Chris
| tians in the Neronian gardens of the
Vatican Hill. For three centuries it
! ragged throughout the empire. During
that long period of time the law of
prescription and death to the Chris
| tian name reddened the imperial stat
ute book. Only now and then, here
and there, the sword as from very ia
tigue, fell back into the scabbard. At
ten special periods the persecution lit
up into such ferocity that history re-
calls them as those of the ten great
prosecutions. The last of those, un-
der Diocletian, reached such a pitch of
apparent. success that no Christian
was supposed to have escaped death
or prison; and by order of the en-
peror medals were struck with the de.
vice: THE Christian name blotted
from the EARTH" ~
| SAAA AoI eAu LIS ASISlOu are OSdO,
said imperial Rome: Heaven said.
Christ and His religion are victors and
live forever. The despot Maxentius
was, as he believed. achieving in the
City of Rome the cruel work of Dio-
cletian. Meanwhile, his rival, Con-
stantine, yet pagan, was hurryins
his legions towards the Tiber. One
day, at full noon the Cross shone
bright in the skies-seen and wonder
ed at by tens of thousands of his fol-
1owers-fnscribed upon it: "In this
sign thou shalt conquer" The replica
of the cross Of the skies-the Labarum
j (Coadnued On rage g.