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CHAPTER XII.
THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH AFTER THE DEATH
OF SAINT STEPHEN ; THE LABORS OF MARY, OUR
QUEEN, WHILE IT LASTED; AND HER SOLICITUDE IN
URGING THE APOSTLES TO COMPOSE THE SYMBOL OF
THE CREED.
202. Saint Luke says, that on the same day on which
saint Stephen was stoned to death, a great persecution
arose against the Church in Jerusalem. He mentions
especially that Saul devastated it, searching through the
whole city for the followers of Christ in order to seize
and denounce them before the magistrates. This he did
to many of the believers, who were arrested, illtreated,
and killed in this persecution. Although it was very
severe on account of the hatred, which the princes and
priests had conceived against the Christians, and on ac
count of the zealous efforts of Saul in his jealous de
fense of the law of Moses (of which he himself speaks in
the letter to the Galatians 1, 13) ; yet
there was another
cause for this severity, the effects of which they felt,
though they knew not its origin.
203. This secret cause was the dismay of Lucifer and
his demons, who were much disturbed by the death of
saint Stephen and began to stir up and excite themselves
to diabolical wrath against the faithful, especially against
the Queen and Mistress of the Church, the most holy
Mary. For their greater confusion the Lord had per
mitted them to see, how the angels had carried Her to
saint Stephen.
From this instance of her extraordinary
200
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