Closing Years of St. Paul's Life in Rome, VI

THE CLOSING YEARS OF ST. PAUL'S LIFE IN ROME. BY COL. R. M. BRYCE THOMAS, AUTHOR OF ' 'MY REASONS FOR LEAV- ING THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND." VI. The trial of Paul took place before Nero, in A. D. 68. Hur- ried from his place of incarceration, he was led into the forum by the steps of wailing, and as his look wandered around, he could not but have seen in the distance the huge bronze colossus of the sun, towering up to a height of one hundred and twenty feet, and crowned with the head of Nero in gold. He must also have seen the Emperor's Aurcea Domus, rcom for or Goldenhouse, to find Nero originated the great fire the erection of which it is said that in A. D. 64, in order to burn out all the buildings which occu- pied the requisite area. The vast limits of this new imperial pal- ace included a park one mile square, porticos three thousand feet long, botanical and zoological gardens, cascades and fountains, the temple of Claudius, and the costly fish ponds known as Stagna Neronis. Their site was afterward occupied by the stupendous mass of the colosseum, which Professor Ramsey considers to be the most impressive, perhaps, of all ancient ruins. The chief interest to Christians in this grand structure lies in the fact that it was here that the martyrs of old were collected, gathered together as it were, under the shadow of the cross, to offer up their lives in the presence of a large concourse of spectators, in such manner as the popular voice might dictate, by flame or the sword, by torture of kinds, or by wild, hungry and ferocious

ST. PAUL'S LIFE IN ROME. 893 beasts, brave men and women and children, of whom the world was not worthy, but who, like their great Master and pattern, patiently endured, looking hopefully forward to those glorious crowns which should adorn their brows in that land beyond of peace, happiness and mutual love. Along the Via Sacra, and up the incline of the Via Tuscus, the apostle was conducted on to the Palatine hill to the "Basilica Jovis," or hall of justice, which is still to be seen amidst the ruins of the palace of Domitian. After a fire which took place in the reign of Titus, when the palace of Augustus was destroyed. Domi- tian filled up the ruins, and on the top of them erected his own palace. Mr. Russell- Forbes informs us that some of the buildings so filled up were consecrated ones and consequently had to be re- built on the higher level, and that one so treated was this "Basilica Jovis," which, there is evidence, was erected on the lines of the older one. Dr. Macduff considers that if the present basilica is not the very same judicial tribunal to which the apostle was brought, it occupies the same position exactly with the court where he stood, although on a slightly higher level, and that the form and construction of the hall of justice was quite unchanged. In describing the basilica, he adds that at the further end, and •raised some five feet above the pavement, was the Subsellia, where the twelve judges sat, the ' 'Curile" chair inlaid with ivory and gold, being reserved as the imperial throne whereon sat the Emperor or his consular legate, always surrounded by lictors carrying their fasces. Underneath this tribune were ranged the subservient lawyers. Near the circular stone of Egyptian por- phyry and granite in front of the tribune stood an altar, on which the robed senators had to lay their hands when swearing to judge righteous judgment. A few paces back where there are still the remains of a richly wrought bar of marble, stood the apostle chained to one of the Praetorian guard, and near him there would be room for any friend or advo- cate to render him assistance; but, as Dr. Macduff truly points out, there were none such in the case of Paul. "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me" (II Tim- othy iv: 16). I he apostle, however, was still able to add, "Not- withstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me,"

894 IMPRO VEMEft T ERA. (verse 17) ; and it was in that strength that he was able to calmly confront his judges, undaunted and courageous. St. Paul, when writing to Timothy after the trial was over, said, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil." (II Timothy iv: 14), so that it would seem as if Alexander had been summoned as a witness against him. This was the same Alexander to whom reference is made in Acts xix: 33, on the occasion of the general uproar against Palil at Ephesus in A. D. 59. He was apparently a converted Jew, but afterwards on account of heresy was ex- communicated bv the apostle in about A. D. 65. "Of whom is Hymenseus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme" (I Timothy i: 20). The trial came to a conclusion by each of the assessors re- cording their findings on separate tablets, which were then handed over to the presiding judge, who on this occasion was the dreaded Nero himself. Mr. Russell- Forbes, quoting from the historian Suetonius (Nero xv), tells us how that autocrat dispensed justice: "In the administration of justice, he scarcely ever gave his decis- * ion on the pleadings before the next day, and then in writing.

• • When he withdrew, he consulted his assessors, he did not debate the matter openly with them, but silently and privately reading over their opinions which they gave separately in writing, he pronounced sentence from the tribunal according to his own views of the case, as if it were the opinion of the majority." Paul, on being acquitted on the first count, or charge of com- plicity in the great fire of Rome, was escorted back to his dun- geon to await his trial on the second count or charge of furthering the Christian religion, one to which he could apparently give but one answer, an answer that must effectually destroy all chance of his ever again regaining his freedom on this side of the grave. That the great apostle himself realized this fart, is, I think, evident from his words to Timothy, written from his prison shortly before his second trial. ''For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand" (II Timothy iv: 6). All hope of ever again obtaining liberty was lost, for at that time Christians were in very bad odor, and the apostle was therefore kept in close and strict confinement. Not long before his death, he wrote his last epistle, namely his second letter to

ST. PAUL'S LIFE IN ROME. 895 Timothy, and in reference to this close custody, he said, "Where- in I suffertrouble as an evil-doer, even unto bonds" (II Timothy ii: 9). His great anxiety to once more see his dearly beloved son Timothy found expression in the words, "Greatly desiring to see thee" (chapter i:4). "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me" (chapter iv: 9). Do thy diligence to come before winter" (verse 21) The fact that he requested Timothy to bring with him the cloak which the apostle had left at Troas with Car- pus, as also certain parchments, seems to point to his having been hurried away from Troas, after his arrest there, not even having had time allowed him to get his cloak and papers together before leaving, and this gives strength to tH .apposition that his arrest there, and his dispatchto Rome must have been very sud- den. The cloak he would certainly require in the cold, damp, dark cell of the Mamertine prison which he occupied. ..He knew not how long he might be detained by the caprice of the Emperor, awaiting his trial on the second charge, perhaps even through the coming winter, and the cloak would certainly be a source of comfort and protection to him. The faithful physician Luke still remained near him, for the apostle says in his letter to Timothy, "Only Luke is with me" (chapter iv: 11), and he adds, "Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the minis- try." Paul had sent Mark to the Colossians during his former two years of Roman captivity (Colossians iv: 10), and now seems to have been anxious to have him with him again, as there was probably work awaiting him to carry out. It is just possible that Timothy and Mark may not have been able to arrive in time to find Paul alive, for the great drama of his lifecame to a close in June, A.D. 68, not long after he had penned his last letter to Timothy. The apostle's final trial came on for hearing before the Emperor's consular legate, Nero himself being away in Greece at the time. Paul was again taken to the "Basilica Jovis," or great hall of justice, in the imperial palace on the Pala- tine, and was there arraign ed on the charge of promoting a new and unlawful religion, and having been found guilty was sentenced to suffer the extreme pena lty of the law. The sentence, however found him prepared to meet his end calmly, for in his second let-

896 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ter to Timothy he wrote, ' 'For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day" (II Timothy iv: 6, 7, 8.) Mr. Russell-Forbes says that in Roman jurisprudence there was no time allowed between sentence and execution: as in the case of our Savior, who was led from the judgment hall to crucifixion, and in the case of Stephen, who was t^ken from the court of the high priest to be stoned, so St. Paul, not being condemned to imprison- ment but to death, was led from the judgment hall to suffer at once. Hurried away by the guard of soldiers on duty, he was marched down once more into the forum, taken along the Via Sacra and the Via Triumphalis, onto the Ostian road, through the Ostian gate, now called Porta San Paola, in the old Servian wall, and so on to a spot in the Campagna, which still retains the tradi- tion of his execution. Close by the Ostain gate stands the curious pyramidal tomb of one Caius Cestus, the last monument probably that Paul's eyes rested on in life. It has been truly said, "Among the works of man, that pyramid is the only surviving witness of Paul' s martyrdom" (Howson and Conybeare.) Romish tradition has it that Paul and his brother apostle, Peter, were led out together to suffer death, and that soon after they had passed through the Ostian gate, and had reached a spot where there is at present a small roadside chapel, their final part- ing took place, Peter being hurried away to the Circus of Nero, (now the Vatican) to be there crucified, and Paul being marched further along the road to a place three miles beyond the gate and slightly where he suffered death by decapitation, for off the road, unlike Peter, he was a Roman citizen, and as such exempt from the ignominy of crucifixion. Dr. Macduff gives us the traditional interchange of farewells between these two Saints of God. Paul said to Peter, "Peace be with thee, foundation of the Church, shepherd of the flock of Christ," and Peter replied, "Go in peace, preacher of good things, and guide of the salvation of the just." Upon Paul reaching the place of execution, he was made to kneel down, and the sword of the executioner flashing in the sun- light, severed at a blow his head from his body. The spot where

ST. PAUL'S LIFE IN ROME. 897 he was executed goes by the name of Tre Fontane, or three fountains, the legend of the Church of Rome being that as the apostle's head fell, it made three successive bounds, and that at each bound, just where the severed head struck the ground, a fountain miraculously burst forth. A church called the Church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane was subsequently erected here, and exists up to the present day. In its right transcept is a broken pillar, encircled by an iron railing, which, it is asserted, formed the executioner's block, and close by are three fountains or springs, over each of which has been erected an altar with a representation of Paul in relief. Many other legends regarding Paul, pious frauds, as Mr. Russell-Forbes terms them in his book, have been handed down in the Church of Rome, of which I will quote one. A Christian lady convert named Plantilla, wishing to see the great apostle for the last time, placed herself on the roadside as he passed to execution, and weeping, knelt and craved his blessing. He asked her to give him her handkerchief with which to cover his eyes, promising to return it after his death. She at once complied with his request, and after his execution he appeared before her, and restored to her the handkerchief, stained with his blood. The body of the martyred apostle, one cannot help but believe was taken by his friends and followers, and interred not far from the place of his death. St. Chrysostom in one of his writings says that Paul's grave was then well-known, and we can easily under- stand that this was the case, when we learn that it was univer- sally the custom of the primitive Church to look most zealously after the place where a martyr was buried, and more especially would this practice have been followed when the martyr was him- self the great apostle of the gentiles. Later on, a wealthy Roman lady convert to Christianity, named Lucina, is said to have had the remains removed to her own land, about half way between the Ostian gate and the Tre Fontane, where Paul had suffered death, and which place was afterwards used as a catacomb. The Chris- tian Emperor Constantine, in A. D. 388, erected a church over this catacomb, and it was greatly enlarged under successive Emperors, such as Valentinianus II, Theodosius II, and Arcadius, and attained the summit of its splendor under the pontificate of Leo III, in the

898 IMPROVEMENT ERA. eighth century. It was almost entirely destroy ed by fire in the year 1823, but fortunately some of the valuable mosaics of the thirteenth century were preserved. Its re- erection commenced under Leo XII, and, although its outward architectural appearance is not now impressive, its inte- rior is probably the finest ecclesiastical monument in the world. A description of its harmonious beauty on paper can never, I be- lieve, be sufficiently adequate, and it all requires to be seen in order to appreciate the grandeur of this superb basilica of price- less marbles. An exquisite baldacchino or canopy, supported on four beauti- ful columns of oriental alabaster,covers the apostle's tomb. Another beautiful canopy (Gothic) resting on four columns of fine por- phory overshadows an ancient papal altar, while the priceless mosaics in all the harmony of their glorious coloring enhance the beauty of their surroundings, and lend a charm to the magnificent architecture of the interior aisles and naves, the bright marble floors of w hich reflect, as on a lake, the eighty lofty Corinthian columns of polished granite which support the roof, the gifts of the Catholic sovereigns and princes of Europe, and which are sur- mounted by seventy- five portraits in mosaic of the popes, com- mencing from St. Peter down to Leo XIII, places being reserved for future Pontiffs. The beautiful, painted glass windows in the side aisles were executed by A. Ravoni, and the valuable marbles in the church were brought together from all parts of the world, while not the least of the attractions of this famous building are its valuable pictures by such painters as Podesti, Goghetti and Ghezzi, and its wonderful frescos representing facts in the life of the great Apostle Paul himself. The church is known as that of San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul outside the walls. Close by the apostle's tomb, and in front of the high altai, is a humble shrine bearing the simple inscription, "Timothei." Here lie the ashes of Paul's dearly beloved son in the faith, Timothy. As in life, so in death, they were united, two servants of God lying side by side, having fought the good fight, steadfast to the last, and awaiting the sound of the archangel's trump to arise and come forth on the morning of the first resurrection, and receive those crowns of which the great apostle spoke as being laid up fcr all

ST. PAUL'S LIFE IN ROME. 899 those who loved the appearing of our Lord (II Timothy iv: 8). It is not my purpose to enter into the war of words whicn has been waged around the subject of the death of Peter, the brother Apostle of Paul, but I may perhaps best bring this paper to a close by adding a few words regarding him. Peter's death by crucifixion head downwards is said to have taken place in the center of the circus of Caligula and Nero, a place where the latter-named tyrant put a number of Christians to the most cruel deaths imaginable. The remains of those martyrs were buried in a grotto which was close to the circus, and there also was the body of Peter laid. In Piali's book, A Week in Rome, we are told that St. Anacletus (Pope) had an oratory erected upon the tomb of this apostle, and that later on, in A. D. 326, Constan- tine the Great built a basilica on the spot with five aisles, which was afterwards frequently Pope Nicholas V, who oc- restored. cupied the chair of Peter from A. D. 1447 to 1453,, decided to erect a magnificent cathedral in honor of the Prince of the Apos- tles, and the work was carried on under successive Popes, and eventually completed by Pius VI. The work was suspended on two or three occasions, but when finished in the time of Pius VI by the construction of the Sacristy, and by placing two clocks on the facade and t*vo others in the interior, the building had taken 176 years to complete, and had cost over £10,000,000, (ten million pounds sterling or fifty million dollars), covering an area of 240,- 000 square feet, and requiring £6,000, (six thousand pounds ster- ling or thirty thousand dollars), annually for its up-keep. This is the now famous church of St. Peters in the Vatican. The Egyptian Obelisk, which at present stands in the Piazza di San Pietro in Vaticano in front of the basilica or cathedral, origin- ally occupied a position in the circus of Nero, where it was placed when brought by the Emperor Caligula from Egypt. A stone near the Sacristy with an inscription upon it, marks the site which the obelisk then occupied, and it was at the foot of that monument that Peter is believed to have been martyred. There is but little left to add. It is said that during the per- secutions of the third century, the bodies of both Peter and Pau were removed from their resting places, and taken for safety to the cemetery of San Sebastian, and that ultimately they were

900 IMPROVEMENT ERA. again exhumed, and eventually interred in the respective sites now marked by the altars of the two basilicas bearing their names; that means to say, in the places where they were first buried, and overVhich Constantine 'the Great erected his original churches. The remains of these two Apostles, and more especially so those of Paul, would, however, seem to have been subsequently divided up, if we can believe the stories handed down in the Roman church, ior we are told that the heads of both Peter and Paul now rest below a magnificent Gothic baldacchino in the cross-aisles of the basilica of San Giovani in Laterano, (St. John Lateran). One half of the bodies of each are preserved in the Church of St. Paolo fuori le Mura, and the other halves in St. Peters in the Vatican, while an arm of Paul is in the Church of St. Paolo alle regola, a finger'at St. Spirito, and teeth in various other churches. Mr. Kussell Forbes in the appendix to his book, The Footsteps of St. Paul in Rome, quotes from the historian Guicciardini, says that, when Rome was sacked by the Imperialists (1527 A. D.), they took the bodies of Peter and Paul, which were then in St. Peters, and, after dragging them about the streets, threw them into the Tiber. To whatever indignities the remains of these two servants of the Lord may have been subjected, whether by division and distri- bution among certain churches, or by having been cast into the river, and so carried down to the sea, their rewards to which they both so earnestly looked forward, and the crowns of glory for which they so continually strove, are awaiting them in the Celestial kingdom of their Father. Of Paul, St. Chrysostom once said|that "although only three cubits high, he was yet tall enough to reach heaven. 'VTruly he was a great man, one to whom all nations may be said to be under a deep obligation, and who was therefore not inappropriately termed by this same St. Chrysostom "the heart of the world." (the end.) Pas de Calais, France.

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