Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

the dark ocean of the universe, where myriads of worlds were in
Motion. Looking also on our planet, winv;e Inhabitants were
sighing after light and truth,
net of mercy, and drew us nil to Him. His disciples followed His
lie- lowered His iloeirine in the
example. The Prince of the Apostles, while hanging on UK:
cross, admonished bis third successor, Cletus: "Never forget to
preserve your own soul, in saving the souls of your brethren."
The same duty is also laid
"Salvando Salvabimur."
on tlio conscience of each one of us.
While we describe the bitter trials of a single unbloody mar-
tyr in that century of affliction, another picture of incomparably
greater martyrdom presents itself to our eyes. The bride of
Jesus Christ the holy Church. Was not the Church herself
that slave, who already in her earliest youth carried the chains
of slavery ? Unsheltered, this orphan wandered about, after her
paternal home, Jerusalem, was laid desolate, of which Smyrna's
destruction was a mere painting. As a fugitive maiden this
same bride journeyed across the Mediterranean Sea, and entered
*.nto the service of an imperious, sensual, and crowned mistress,
rolling in superfluous prosperity: and the name of this mistress
is Rome. She served there nearly three hundred years, during
constant ill-treatment, mockery, and persecution and tortures even
to the heart's blood. Who imagined then, that from this obscurity
and after such contempt, so powerful a life, so rich in influence
would unfold itself? Thencauio the time in which this proud mis-
tress submitted to be taught by the low and persecuted maiden, a
time in which princes abjured their tyranny and absolute will,
and shared with the slave the possessions of the world, and both
named themselves: Christian Empire, and Christian Church.
This remarkable day, the most important since the day of our
Redemption, was the 2Uth of October, in the year 312. "It ap-
pears to be almost a general law," said an observer of the people,
" that the prosperity or success of things is connected with acertain
obscurity."* What a coming forth, after three hundred
years of secrecy and silence! That effect was not accomplished
by physical strength, not by the sword, but by B power called
Christian charity. For this charity is of nil powers the greatest
on earth, and what she fails to conquer, is unconquerable.
It was a conflict to be, or not to be, which was kept on from
Nero's time to that of Constantine. After the conquest, the
last of which was gained over Maxentius on the Tiber, he passed
in triumph through the streets of Rome and, with him brought
the Faith victorious to the "Eternal City."
A lance-bearer walked before the chariot of the conqueror,
holding on high the bleeding head of the conquered it was
the head
"
of fallen heathenism. Not captive strangers,"
remarks a writer of that time, " swell the triumph, but armies
of vices which had hitherto filled the city conquered
crimes, perfidy, haughtiness, cruelty, pride, scorn, voluptuousud
unlawful desires, all these were bound in iron chains.
But still more remarkable and less known than one would
marine, is the edict which Constantine and his partner in power,
iji.Mnius, appointed to be "
proclaimed in Nicoincdia.
'
As we have known long since.' said the Imperators "that
freedom in religion is not to be denied, and that the
which, is left to the will and views of each one, so
practice of
should we
have sooner commanded that like all others, the Christians
should be free to hold their religious views.
"
But as this permission has been granted on many and various
conditions, so it has perhaps happened that by a constrained
practice of their religion, many have been repulsed. As we
therefore, I, the Emperor Coustantine, and I, the Emperor Licin-
ius arrived happily together in Milan, and as we took into consideration
all that concerned the security of the public welfare, we
believed ourselves obliged before all things else, first to arrange
what concerned the worship of the Divinity, so that we gave to
the Christians the same freedom as to all others, to follow that
religion, which they considered best suited to their views and
happiness. In order that whoever is the Divinity in Heaven,
that He may be gracious to us, and to all our subjects. AH
former proclamations contrary to this, are to be null and void.
, Attempt of a philosophy of History. 138.
/. ) 1) 1 A 47
.
For it i9 clear and compatible with the peace
e to worship
of our time, that
whatever ii ;
he will, and that hereby no sort of religious worship in
excludi d
" In addition to this, whatever concerns the. Christians ii
ticular, we have, found it good to determine. Unit, their !
houses of assembly, B tales Uiey formerly
to certain edicts, feli into the hands of the law
which, according
or otherwise, shall be returned gratuitously and if the JM
possessors ask for compensation, they must apply for it to the
imperial governor."
Strangers admire to the present day, the ruins of the triumphal
arch which the Senate erected to the " Liberator of the city:"
and who can behold Constantino's arch without being moved at
the remembrance of that day!
But now there shall be a new contemplation of things, a lasting
reconciliation made between religion and temporal power.
The arm of the Church henceforward shall be free, equal to
that of the State; both arms shall have one and the same pulsa-
tion, the spirit of the Redeemer. The two highest institutions
of the earth, a Christian Church, and a Christian State- these
two arms belong to one and the same body, Jesus Christ. For
the Messias Himself will rule the world for the future with one
hand through the Church, iu distributing the gifts of the spirit,
with the other through the State, caring for the temporal inter-
ests of the people. So will He, as Master of the world, guide
His children to the home where He has prepared mansions for
them. The period of that torturing conflict, in which Church
and State seemed to bleed to death, was symbolically expressed
in the figure of the Crucified One. His two hands intended to
bestow blessings, were pierced, and the blood flowed down from
the cross for three hours, He who wished to embrace all lovingly
was crucified. The Church too, which was intended to raise
man, and lead him towards his high destination, was galled by
the State for a period of three hundred years.
After the Resurrection, our Lord appeared to His disciples,
raised His hands, showed them His wounds and said Pax
'
and after the Church and State had celebrated their long-hoped-
for resurrection, they had also uo words more beautiful to proclaim
to the world, than the same peaceful salutation: "Pax
Vobis."
Peace to the people, by the right that had its origin in the
Divine will, and peace to each individual through religion,
which with right took root in one and the same soil the heart of
Jesus.
This new ordination of all religious and civil events was first
through the merits of the Son of God; to Him therefore the first
thanks are due. But after Him these intrepid combatants claim
our next thanks those who shrunk not from any sacrifice to
call forth the new state of things. How many tears, how many
sighs, and how much blood were necessary to obtain this great-
est of all good gifts. What did it not cause to save this prec
lous inheritance from the shipwreck of the states, from the pestilential
breath of heresy, and from the torrents of so many revo-
lutions! This inheritance has passed on to the present century,
and we are the possessors of it. Thoughtless is he who has
never taken into consideration at what a price it has been purchased,
and the deepest contempt falls to his lot, who sullies the
treasure of talth with the rancor ot mockery. But we have in-
herited this treasure unscathed, to deliver it over to our descendants.
The light of our eyes will be soon extinguished, but when
our graves will have disappeared, and our very names will have.
faded from the memory yes, when the temples erected, and
palaces of our royal cities fall to ruins, then will the later gene,
rations still reflect on the champions of the first century, and
their hearts will beat stronger at the soul-stirring thought: "We
"
are the descendants of Holy Martyrs 1
TUB END.