At the time that the two pontiffs were leaving the Curia Hostilia, a
female slave was making her way along the Appian Road, about two miles
from her home. She wore over her usual dark dress a coarse laena, which
served to conceal a basket filled with provisions which she carried on
her arm. Turning off to the left, she followed a slightly beaten track,
scarcely perceptible to the ordinary eye. After pursuing it for some
distance, she again crossed a track of wild and barren ground till she
reached a hollow or basin of some extent. Stopping at the edge, she
looked carefully around, and then rapidly descending the slope, was
completely hidden from the view of any one who might be passing in the
distance. Reaching the bottom of the basin, which had the appearance of
a huge sand-pit long since disused, she directed her course towards what
was seemingly a heap of large stones piled up against the side.
Stooping down, however, she discovered a space large enough to admit
her, and, by bending her head, she passed through it, when she was once
more able to stand erect. Stopping an instant, she produced from
beneath her cloak a lantern, and, quickly lighting it, proceeded without
hesitation along a passage hewn in the sandstone rock, about ten feet in
height and five or six in width. Casting the light before her as she
went on, she carefully noted the passages which branched off on either
hand. Into one of these, after proceeding for five or six hundred
yards, she entered, after minutely examining a mark on the wall--a sign
to her that it was the one she sought. Still on she went, not a sound
reaching her ear, till she reached what appeared to be a heap of rubbish
piled up before her. Throwing the light of the lantern on one side of
it, she discovered an opening similar to the one through which she had
entered the subterranean labyrinth. As she advanced, the light of her
lamp glancing on the walls revealed numerous slabs let into them, on
which various inscriptions, with significant symbols, were rudely
carved, marking them as the tombs of those who had departed in the faith
of Jesus, to sleep in peace till summoned by the last trump to meet
their risen Lord. Here the crown and palm-branch marked the
resting-places of those who had been faithful unto death, triumphing
over sin, the world, and the devil; farther on was an anchor, typifying
the Christian's hope, sure and steadfast; here a ship entering harbour,
to signify an entrance into the everlasting kingdom; there a dove, and
an olive-branch, the everlasting peace enjoyed by those who slept
within. Still more numerous were the simple and short epitaphs, some
with merely the words, "In Christ;" others, "He sleeps in peace." On
some were rude emblems denoting the trade or name of those buried
within; on others were figures of men or women standing with
outstretched hands and open palms--the universal posture of prayer.
But the eye of the slave paused not to rest on any of these objects,
though she did not fail to notice them as she moved along. Stopping
again to trim her lamp, she listened for a moment, but her ear was
unable to catch the slightest sound. She then proceeded more cautiously
than before, till she reached the top of a flight of steps, down which
she descended into another passage, which extended to a distance far
greater than the rays from her lantern could penetrate. Counting her
steps, she stopped at a spot where was a large slab of stone, on which
certain figures were carved, understood only by the initiated, scarcely
to be distinguished from the wall of the gallery, and which appeared to
be let into it. She touched it on one side, when it opened, and she
proceeded as before. Here and there a faint ray of light came down from
above, the aperture through which it had passed serving to ventilate the
gallery, the atmosphere of which would otherwise have been
insupportable. Advancing some way farther, she again stopped and
listened, when human voices united in melodious song reached her ear.
She now hurried on with more confidence than before. She could
distinguish the words: they were those of a hymn such as Christians
alone, imbued with the true light of the Gospel, could have uttered.
The countenance of the girl, hitherto grave and anxious, beamed with a
calm joy as she drank in the words. Moving forward for some fifty yards
or more, she stood in front of a deep recess, considerably higher, and
several times wider, than the passage which had conducted her to it. It
resembled, indeed, a deep archway supported by simple columns, but was
otherwise totally unadorned. On either side, on rough benches, were
seated about twenty persons, who, as shown by their costumes, were of
varied ranks, from the patrician in his toga and the high-born lady with
fringed dress to the humble fossor or excavator. They varied also in
age: some were far advanced in life, others were grave men and matrons,
and among them was a young girl scarcely past her days of childhood. At
the further end of the chamber, near a small table, sat a man of
venerable aspect, clothed as a patrician, with a white beard hanging
over his breast. A scroll was in his hand, from which, by the light of
a lamp standing on the table, he was reading aloud.
Rolling up the scroll, he rose and addressed the assembly. The slave,
advancing slowly, and placing her basket on the ground, took her seat at
the outer end of one of the benches. He had already made some remarks,
when he continued--"Ye have not so learnt Christ. He, our risen Lord,
is our one Mediator between God and man. He has assured us that we
require no other intercessor, but if we trust in His perfect sacrifice
He will take us by the hand and present us, clothed in his pure and
spotless robes, to the All-pure and All-holy One. He, the God of love
and mercy, requires no penances, no lacerations of the body, no
abstinence from lawful pursuits, no works of any sort to fit us for
approaching Him. All, all he demands is faith in our risen Lord, His
dear Son, whom He gave, and who willingly came, urged by love
unspeakable to fallen man, to die, instead of the sinner returning to
Him. He requires no human soul departing from the body to pass through
purifying fires, as the foolish heathen believe, to fit that soul to
come to Him; the blood of Jesus Christ alone cleanseth from all sin--
that fountain which gushed forth on Calvary is flowing still, as
efficacious as ever--that one sacrifice superseded all other sacrifices.
No other is acceptable to Jehovah. Oh, the love, the love of Jesus!--
that love surpassing all human understanding, unequalled by the love of
created beings, of the angels in heaven for sinful man: that sympathy
exhibited at the grave of Lazarus, that love shown at the time the Lord
wept as he thought on the woes coming upon Jerusalem,--that love, that
sympathy, exists bright and undiminished as ever, and will exist through
all eternity, for surely it is part and parcel of the Divine Nature, an
attribute of the Almighty. That ear, ever open to the petitions of
those who came to Him when He walked on earth, does that become dull or
hard of hearing? No, surely no! He is as ready as ever to hear all who
come to Him desiring to be cleansed of sin. Does He, who while on earth
knew what was in the heart of man, not see now into the inmost recesses
of the soul? Can he who has numbered every hair of our heads, without
whose knowledge not a sparrow falls to the ground, no longer watch over
those who trust to Him? Can He who went about doing good--curing the
sick, restoring the lunatics to reason, giving sight to the blind,
feeding the multitudes--who blessed the marriage feast at Cana of
Galilee, who mixed freely in all social intercourse with his
fellow-men--can He, I ask, take pleasure in seeing men and women exclude
themselves from their fellow-beings, emaciate and weaken the body and
mind by fastings, vigils, flagellations, such as are practised by
idolaters? Oh no! our King demands a willing joyous, active service
from His subjects. He would have them look to Him as their example,
strengthening the mind and body, that they may the better go about and
do good, as He did to their fellow-men!
"I speak of these things, beloved brethren and sisters, because I see
evil times coming on the assemblies of Christ's followers. Already
many, departing from the true faith as taught by the apostles, believe
in foolish fables devised by Satan, to mislead, if possible, the very
elect; offering prayers to other mediators, men and women like
themselves--to those who, though martyrs, required as much as we all do
the cleansing blood of Jesus to purify them from sin: even to Mary of
Nazareth, the honoured mother of the Lord, do they pray--to her whom He
committed to the care and keeping of the beloved disciple, knowing that
she required the support of a fellow-creature. And--oh, miserable
folly!--some are even placing value on dead men's bones; as if, when the
soul has departed, those remnants of humanity are aught else but the
dust from whence they were taken. As senseless are they as the
idolaters who fall down before the images of the false gods. I warn
you, beloved ones, brethren and sisters in the faith, pray for grace to
be guided and directed aright, that you may keep free from the erroneous
practices, the idolatries, into which so many, naming the name of
Christ, are daily falling. Already the enemies of the truth, the
emissaries of Satan, are up and doing; and as Christians depart from the
simplicity of the Gospel as it is in Christ Jesus, so does the great
opponent of the Gospel gain an influence over them, and lead them away
captive at his will.
"I beseech you, then, be warned; seek for grace to hold fast the faith,
ever looking to Jesus, its Author and Finisher, for guidance and
support, imitating closely His walk on earth; be armed with the shield
of truth, the breastplate of faith, and the helmet of salvation!"
The venerable speaker sat down, and another rose--a person of middle
age, and grave, dignified demeanour--apparently, from the tone of
authority with which he spoke, an elder of the assembly. His address
was also one of warning: he pointed out the danger to which Christians
were exposed, now that they were no longer persecuted by the rulers of
the earth, from the false teaching of the philosophers, who had embraced
some of the tenets of their faith, as well as from others, who, not
going to the fountain-head--to Moses and the prophets, to the Gospels
and Epistles--brought forward notions and ideas of their own.
Especially, too, he warned them against the danger to which the
assemblies were exposed from the wealth now flowing freely into the
hands of those in authority, intended for the widows and orphans, and
the support of hospitals for the sick, but which, as he pointed out, had
in too many other places been diverted from its proper object, and
expended in enabling the bishops to appear with the pomp and show of
worldly rulers. "Let us," he concluded, "pray that the Holy Spirit may
give us grace that we may continue to worship the Father, through the
mediation of our Blessed Lord and Master, according to the example set
us by the apostles, and in withstand the numerous heresies which are
making inroads among the assemblies of Christians."
Again all rose, and, led by their venerable president, lifted up their
voices in prayer. Another hymn was sung, and the president then taking
a loaf of bread, wrapped in a cloth, broke it, and poured out some wine
from an amphora into a cup. After reading from the Gospel the
institution of the Lord's Supper, he distributed the bread and wine to
each individual of the assembly, simply saying, "As Christ's body was
broken for us on the accursed tree, and as His blood was shed for us, so
do we eat this broken bread and drink this wine in remembrance that he
died for our sins, offering thereby a full and sufficient propitiation,
and that He rose again, and ascended into heaven, to take His seat at
the right hand of God, and there to plead His death for the remission of
the sins of all who believe in Him."
The young slave, who had partaken with the rest of the bread and wine,
now rose, and presented her basket of provisions, as sent by the
presbyter Amulius and the assembly in his house, to their beloved
brethren and sisters, Gentianus, Severus, Eugenia, and the rest.
"Say that Gentianus and his child return their heartfelt thanks,"
replied the aged president. "Do you, Severus, distribute the food to
our brethren," he added, turning to the presbyter, who advanced to take
it; and, aided by the female slave and another person, he gave a portion
of the contents to each of the company. There was an ample supply, both
of food and wine, for all present, and still the basket was not half
emptied. Before any one commenced eating the president uttered a short
prayer, that their Heavenly Father would bless the food to the
strengthening of their bodies and the support of their spiritual life.
It was then eaten with thankfulness, while a cheerful conversation was
carried on among all present. Gentianus then beckoned to the slave.
"What news do you bring from the city, Rufina? Has Amulius sent any
message by you?" he asked.
"Alas! my lord Gentianus, although Augustus supports the Christians in
the East, the heathens in Rome still struggle desperately to maintain
their supremacy," replied the slave. "They dare not openly oppress
believers, but by every secret means they endeavour to overthrow the
faith; and knowing that Coecus still seeks your life and that of my lord
Severus, Amulius advises you to remain in concealment till happier times
arrive. That will be, he hopes, ere long; for already the emperor--
though, alas, himself ignorant of the truth--professes to have become a
Christian, and has raised Christians to posts of power and dignity in
the state and in his army; many heathen temples, where abominable rites
were wont to be practised, have by his orders been closed; and
information has been received that he purposes to interfere with those
in Rome, to prohibit the practice of magic arts, the impostures of the
augurs, and to place the Christians on an equal footing with the
idolaters."
This announcement, which would, it might have been supposed, have
produced unmitigated satisfaction among the assembly, was listened to by
Gentianus with the gravity he had before maintained. "Timeo Danaos et
dona ferentes--I fear the Greeks even when bringing gifts. The man who
through jealousy put to death his eldest son, who has murdered without
compunction his nephews and other relatives, can have none of the spirit
of Christ, and any support he affords the Christians must be given from
political motives," he observed. "Let us not be deceived by them, my
beloved brethren; outward prosperity and the patronage of the great ones
of the earth are far more fraught with danger to the true faith than
were the persecutions we have gone through; already have many been
seduced from the truth by the allurements of wealth and the desire to
obtain worldly dignities and power. And now, Rufina," he continued,
after speaking for some time on the same subject, "what account do you
bring us of the young Jovinian? Has he succeeded in escaping from the
power of his uncle, the pontiff Gaius?"
"No; he is still held captive, and strictly watched," answered Rufina.
"I have in vain endeavoured to communicate with him through the Numidian
who has him in charge. His faith must be put to a sore trial, but the
presbyter Amulius believes that he has been too well instructed in the
truth to depart from it."
"Let us pray that grace may be given him to hold firmly to the faith,"
said Gentianus. "I feel a deep interest in the youth, for his sainted
mother was brought out of darkness into the blessed light of the Gospel
by my instructions, and I know how earnestly she prayed that her only
child should remain faithful, even though martyrdom might be the
consequence. Could Jovinian escape from his guardians, he might here
remain concealed, and be further established in the faith, till Gaius
has abandoned all search for him, or an opportunity offers of flying
with you, Severus and Eugenia, to some place where you may be safe from
pursuit."
"I would, as a sacred duty, take charge of the orphan boy, and instruct
him in the truth, so that he may be qualified to perform his duty in
spreading the Gospel," said Severus.
"And I will let him share a mother's love with our young Julia," said
Eugenia.
"Tell Amulius what you have heard, Rufina," said Gentianus; "and now
return to the city, thank those who have provided for our necessities,
and bring us, we pray thee, intelligence of anything important Amulius
deems it necessary to send."
The assembly now broke up. Rufina returned by the way she had come,
accompanied by several persons who had visited the abode of Gentianus
for the purpose of joining in the religious meeting, but who lived above
ground in the neighbourhood of Rome. Some regained the upper world by
different outlets; besides Gentianus and his household, a few only, who
for some cause had reason to dread the hostility of the idolaters still,
remaining in those subterranean passages. Here, in chambers excavated
in the soft rock, they had their dwellings, which they quitted only at
night to enjoy the fresh air, when trusty persons were placed on the
watch to give notice of the approach of any who might betray them. Many
of the fossors or excavators had from the early days of Christianity
been converted, and had thus been able to act as guides to the fugitives
from persecution, and to hollow out chambers in the remoter parts of the
galleries where they could live without being discovered, unless, as was
sometimes the case, they were betrayed by the treachery of pretended
Christians.