CHAPTER 14-Christianity established-Seventh Persecution-Third Century - CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE - COURSE THIRD

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CHAPTER 14-Christianity established-Seventh Persecution-Third Century - CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE - COURSE THIRD - AN HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL,MORAL, AND LITURGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION Translated from the French of Mgr Gaume by REV. F. B. JAMISON

Q. How did the third century commence?
A. The third century commenced with a still more violent and general war against the church. The philosophers and heretics united with the executioners for its destruction. But God provided for its defence: to the philosophers and heretics he opposed two able apologists; to the persecutors a multitude of martyrs. The two great apologists were Tertullian and Origen.

Q. Who was Tertullian?
A. Tertullian was a priest of Carthage; he was born in that city in the year 160 after our Saviour ; he was the son of a centurion. On his arrival at Rome, he published his Apologetic, that is, a defence of the Christians, and laid it before the magistrates of the empire. This work gave the death blow to paganism.

Q. What work did he publish against heretics?
A. After having confounded the pagans, Tertullian turned his pen against heretics, and refuted all heresies, past, present, and future, in work entitled Prescriptions.

Q. By what reasoning?
A. By this simple reasoning: The true church must ascend without interruption up to Jesus Christ; but the Catholic Church alone does ascend without interruption to Jesus Christ; therefore the Catholic Church alone is the true church.

Q. Did Tertullian persevere?
A. Tertullian had the misfortune finally to fall into considerable errors; but this does not detract from the truth and merit of his works written before his fall.

Q. Who was Origen?
A. Origen was born at Alexandria, in the year 185 of our Saviour. He was the son of the holy martyr Leonidas. Devoted early to study, and gifted with a powerful genius, he became one of the most brilliant lights of the church; he triumphantly refuted Celsus, one of the most dangerous enemies of religion. Origen also fell into some errors, but it appears that he did not continue in them.

Q. Which was the seventh general persecution?
A. The seventh general persecution was that of Septimius Severus. From the beginning of the year 200, this cruel prince published an edict of proscription, and blood flowed freely in every part of the empire.

Q. Who were the first martyrs of this persecution?
A. The first martyrs of this persecution were St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas, and their com￾panions. These saints were of Carthage. Perpetua, aged 22, was of a noble family, married, and mother of an infant which she herself nursed at the time. Felicitas was a slave, and also married. They were apprehended by order of the pro-consul Hilarion.

Q. What did the father of St. Perpetua do?
A. The father of St. Perpetua, who was a heathen, went immediately and implored her to renounce her faith, and not cause him to die of grief; the pro-consul also joined in his entreaties. Her only answer was, " I am a Christian."

Q. What happened then?
A. The martyrs were conducted to prison, where the jailor, touched by their virtues, was converted. The eve of their death they were allowed a free supper this was a repast given to the martyrs in a hall open to the public. A great number of persons assembled in the hall, where the martyrs addressed them with great piety and firmness, and many were converted.

Q. What punishment did these martyrs suffer?
A. On the morrow the holy martyrs were conducted to the amphitheatre, where three of them were exposed to wild beasts: St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas were enclosed in sacks of net￾work and exposed to a furious cow, which tossed and bruised them horribly. But the people, wishing to enjoy the death of the martyrs, demanded that they should be put to death in the amphitheatre. The martyrs received the blow of death without a murmur, and without the slightest emotion.

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