Course 3, Chapter 21: Christianity preserved and propagated. — Arius — St. Athanasius. — Fourth Century

1. By what means does our Lord preserve and propagate religion?

A Our Lord preserves and propagates religion, 1st, by the priesthood; 2d, by the saints; 3d, by religious orders; 4th, by the missions.

2. Who are the first defenders of religion?

The first defenders of religion are priests. For this reason the priest is charged to preach the truth, in order to oppose it to error; to give good example, in order to oppose it to scandal; to console man in his misfortunes, and thereby to prevent him from becoming miserable, as he was under paganism.

3. Who are the next defenders of religion?

The second defenders of religion are the great saints who have appeared from time to time, when the Church was threatened with the greatest evils and dangers. They are charged to defend the truth, give good example and solace the miserable. Hence there are three kinds of saints, the apologists, the contemplatives and those devoted to the sick. They always appear when their presence is most needed by the Church.

4. Who are the third? .

The third defenders of religion are the religious orders. They are also of three kinds. The learned orders for the defence of the truth; tjie contemplative, for good example and prayer; and the charitable, to succor the afflicted. All these various means of defence are reducible to one, that is. the Church; for it is in the Church and by the Church that priests are consecrated and the saints and religious are formed.

5. What are the means established by our Lord for the propagation of religion?

The means established by our Lord for the propagation of religion are the missions, the effect of •which is seen more especially when a nation or people have rendered themselves worthy to receive the faith, thereby winning new children to the Church and compensating for those she has lost.

6. Did the Church enjoy peace after the persecutions V

After the persecutions the Church did not enjoy peace: for, like our Saviour, she must ever be exposed to new attacks. The first who rose up against the Church was Arius, who dared to deny the divinity of our Lord. He was condemned in the general council of Nice arid sent into exile, whence he returned only to die a cruel and shameful death.

7. Who was at that time the defender of the truth?

The greatest defender of the truth against the Arians was St. Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. Ha had much to suffer for the good cause during his life, which was very long; he died in the midst of his people, regretted by all, in the year 373 ifter Christ.

8. How did our Lord repair the losses of his Church?

The Church had seen a great number of her children drawn into heresy. Our Lord consoled her by the conversion of new people. St. Frumentius carried the light of the faith into Abyssinia, which embraced religion with great ardor. At the same time a Christian slave converted the nation of the Iberians.

288 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE.