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Show SAW FALL OF PAGAN ROME Stonts of the Coliseum Immortalize Today the Triumphs of a Christianity Chris-tianity That Lives. Christianity la crystallized In the Coliseum and St. Peter's. In the former by the triumphs of the martyrs; In the latter, by the dedication dedica-tion of crt to the worship of God. writes Hlshop Gllmour. Come with me along the Via Sacra, past the Forum and the Arch of Titus. Hut a step, and we are at the Coliseum, Coli-seum, pressed in between the Cellan and Palatine hills, the Arch of Constantino Con-stantino and the Temple of Venus. As wo enter, the moon has risen, giving a weird appearance to the scene, as we see Its thaduws flit, dissolve dis-solve and loso themselves amid the arches of this mighty ruin. Amid broken arch and column and vaulted Corridor, terrace rises upon terrace till the blood curdles and the hair stands on end. Memory Is busy and hurries us back to when Christian martyr and gentle maid stood within too vast arena to die for Christ The emperor is there; the nobility of Rome Is there; tier upon tier is densely packed; the wild beasts paw their cages. Impatient for the feast; one hundred thousand voices shout, "The Christiana to the lions!" A spring, a growl, a quiver and another hero has gone to God. Evory brick, and atone, and grain of aand in this mighty ruin has been sanctified by the blood shed there. Here a Fellcllaa and Perpetua. a Cyrlacus and Pancraa died; here Rome brutalized herself, and within these walls strove to crush out truth. . Here Pagan Rome fell and Chris t!sn Rome rose. The Mood of the mar-tyre mar-tyre waa the seed of the church. |