The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-18


 Fsome, the rapid spread of Christian fly began- But, the mighty power of. Pagan Home summoned its energies to- crush the new religion preached; by Peter Organized persecution be- gam with Nero about the year TO- and. cont ntinued for nearly 300 years ti11 the reign of Diocletian, who seemed to conbine the powers of earth and hen to sxtlrpate the Christian relfg1on. Every conceivab1e torture was frivent- ed in order to force the Christians to: renounce thefr faith Families were decimated, cities became deserts The f1n Inber orr th e martyrs was past counting
 F No regard was paid to sex, age or rank. Men, women. children and old men were tortured with equal cruelty. Every species Of torture was employed. and every 1nnaginab1e cruelty was used to increase he horrors of death The emperor Nero ishted his gardens by living torches. human beings covered with bsarring pitch Served as festal
 These persecufions develobed the Tn ost noble heroes that have ever done. honor to the human race Meek and humble. they were brave and high souled, and strikingly grand in the face Of death. Profane history may ransack it's annals, but it will never
 
 and so admirable Neither hess Lives of Plutarch. nor the pages of Eutrop- jus afford such examples of heroisn They conquered the Roman governors, but conquered through suffering Ev- cry martyr death brought 3 ten-fold increase.
 The truth prevailed and the mighty ties and their successors was visible and active through the length and breadth Of the Roman empire Even in Africa the Christians outnum bered the pagans. Tertullian could say with truth at the dawn of the third the Roman senate: we are but of yesterday. and already we fill your towns, your Villages, your fortr tresses,. your islands your assemblies your camps, the senate and the impel5a1 palaces; we leave you only your tenn ples- The new church which had been driven from the light of, day and the surface of the earth into dark, subterranean cemeteries, arose from the catacombs, as Christ from the tomb. glorious and triumphant and reared magnificent temples on the ruins of organism The Roman empire had waged war. against God and his religion The voice of his martyrs rose heavenward with mighty cray during these three hundred years. He, who sees the sparrow fall. took note. He was slow in His anger. and on that account Hs was the more terrible. Whilst the Ro- tdan blood, He was silently gathering His averaging armies. narshallins His hosts of barbarians in the forests of the North. At last the hour struck God gave the signal to the warrior hosts
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 The Goth sounded ringing blast on his horn and the Alfeanan shouted the first notes of his terrible war song, and the pine trees of the Her cynian forest trembIed at the sound On came the avengers of the martyrs and the whole North shook under their tread. The storm cloud burst, and fiery destruction swept down sur,4s on the doomed empire of Rome brought down the grand and mighty monuments of antiquity, and dashed to pieces the civilization of a thous- and years with a crash, which shook the universe. Never was destruction so sweeping, so terrible and universal. Men stood aghast at the spectacles They could not account for the tre- mendous catastrophe. They had nd. principle to 1t this case. They did not realize that the God of nations who had given the Roman empire the grand and mighty mission Of build ing up, had in punishment of it's crue1- l ty to His suffering church, swept her from the face of the earth, by means of wild, savage hordes of barbarians. to whom He gave a mission of sweep ing destruction.
 Other enemies arose against the church, more dangerous than the Pa gan prosecutors. They sought to com pass by heresy, what torture failed to accomplish As the church was progressing with pace which was nothing short of miraculous, her doc trines were assailed and her life seemed threatened. Arians, Euty- chians, Pelagianss Manicheans, ar rayed themselves. against the authori- ties of the church, and in their at tacks were frequent1y supported by the power of princes and even emper- orx A bitter war was ragged, which from it's nature was moro dangerous