Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

I 8 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMpreted as intimating the Christian profession. But inthese days when the catacombs are revealing theirsecrets to the sagacity and rare learning of one whomay be called almost their first true explorer, thename of Pomponius Gnecinus, the near relative of thelady named above, has been found in the inscriptions ofthe cemetery of Callistus, and it is rendered most highlyprobable that she is the very Lucina known in the timesof the Apostles for her devotion to the martyrs, andher burying their relics in her own sepulchre.Thus when Seneca and Burrus were the confidentialministers of Nero, and when St. Paul was brought aprisoner to Home by his appeal to Cassar, and as suchwas placed in the custody of this very Burrus, as praetorianprefect, one of the noblest Roman ladies wastried on an accusation of having received the hatefulforeign superstition. It is of the highest probability boththat she was well known to Seneca, and that he waspresent at the examinations which St. Paul underwentbefore the emperor. Thus the philosopher and theFaith were at least brought into the closest contact.Six years later, in the year 64, we have the unimpeachablewitness of Tacitus to the greatness ofthe work accomplished by St. Peter and St. Paul inthe twenty-two years which had elapsed since thefirst coming of the former to Rome. When thepersecution of Nero broke out, he records that a"vast multitude" gave the testimony of martyrdomto their belief.1 We may thus compute what hadbeen the growth of a community, which so few yearsafter its first origin was strong enough to render sucha proof of its faith. We may note at the same timehow in the centre of heathenism, under the eyes of1 Anna!, 15, 44