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Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

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THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.221very exact sample <strong>of</strong> what the position <strong>of</strong> Christianswas in Trajan's time. His answer ruled thequestion <strong>of</strong> Eoman law for the following two hundredyears. It declared the pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> Christianityto be illicit and a capital <strong>of</strong>fence; but to callthis law into action, or to leave it suspended as athreat over the heads <strong>of</strong> Christians, was a matter<strong>of</strong> expedience. When the latter took place, thechurches were said to be at peace; when the former,a persecution was said to rage; but at any timeand place an individual might suffer; while on theother hand a persecution directed to root out thewhole Christian name was not yet thought <strong>of</strong>.And this state <strong>of</strong> things seems to continuethrough Hadrian's principate. In his first year,Alexander, fifth successor <strong>of</strong> S. Peter at Eome,having been imprisoned under Trajan, suffersmartyrdom. It would seem as if the same handhad struck down about the same time the heads<strong>of</strong> the two great churches <strong>of</strong> Eome and Antioch,the first and the third in rank, and perhapsordered the execution <strong>of</strong> the bishop <strong>of</strong> Antioch atEome, with that <strong>of</strong> the Eoman bishop, in order togive greater force to the example.44 Many othermartyrs at Eome and in the north <strong>of</strong> Italy arefound at this time. It is not at all necessary tosuppose the personal action <strong>of</strong> Hadrian in these.44 <strong>The</strong>re is some doubt about the time <strong>of</strong> S. Ignatius's martyrdom.We suppose it to be at the end <strong>of</strong> Trajan's reign. S. Alexander I. ismartyr, and placed in the canon <strong>of</strong> the Mass next afternST. MARY S

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