The Catacombs Essay Research Paper The Catacombs — страница 2

cannibalism. Because of this they were held responsible for all natural disasters such as plagues, floods, famines, etc. The Christian religion was proclaimed strange and unlawful by most that’s why it was outlawed and persecuted. It was considered the most dangerous enemy of Rome. The first three centuries constitute the age of Saints, which ended in 313 with the edict of Milan. At this time the emperors Constantine and Licinius gave freedom to the Church. The persecutions were not always continuous and universal, nor equally cruel and bloody. Periods of persecution were followed by periods of relative peace. Christians faced persecution with courage, a very large percentage with heroism, but they did not submit to it without resistance. They defended themselves with great

strength by defeating the accusations of those crimes as being false and groundless and by producing the contents of their faith. In the “Apologies”, prepared by the Christian writers of the time, the Christians addressed the emperor. They protested vigorously against their being condemned unjustly, without being known and without being convicted. According to the Apologies, the principle of the senatorial -”you have no right to exist” is unjustifiable and unlawful, this is because Christians are honest citizens, respectful of laws, loyal to the emperor, hardworking and ideal both in their private and public life. Bibliography 1.) Celebrating Sacraments Joseph Stoutzenberger 2.) Church and State in Early Christianity, ca. 30-600 Hugo Rahner Translated by Leo Donald Advise

3.) The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity John McManners 4.) The Rise of Christianity W.H.C. Frend