Course 3, Chapter 26

• Christianity preserved and propagated. St. Austin, apostle of England, and St. John the Almoner. — Sixth and seventh Centuries.

1. How was England converted?

A young deacon, named Gregory, was one day passing through the market at Rome, and there saw some slaves of remarkably fine appearance exposed to sale. He learned that they were from Great Britain, and were pagans. " What a pity," said he, " that such beautiful creatures should be slaves to the devil "

2. What did he do afterwards?

Having become pope, with the title of Gregory, he sent into England St. Austin, prior of one of the Benedictine convents at Rome. The saint set outwith forty missioners; they arrived safely in England, and penetrated as far as Canterbury, of which place Austin became bishop.

3. Did they make many converts?

The pagans, struck by the brilliant virtues and miracles of the apostles, were converted in great numbers. The king himself demanded baptism; and in a short time all Great Britain became Christian. It is thus our Lord compensated the church for the losses which heresies caused her to sustain in the east.

4. What happened in the commencement of the seventh century V

In the commencement of the seventh century the vengeance of God fell upon the empire of the Persians, who, from the birth of Christianity, had never ceased to persecute the Christians.

5. How did the Persians at last bring the vengeance of God upon their empire?

The Parthians and Persians, led on by their king Chosroes, made a descent upon Syria and Pales tine; took Jerusalem, delivered it up to fire and sword, and possessed themselves of the true cross, which they carried into Armenia, after having massacred a great number of Christians, and reduced the rest to the most abject misery.

6. How did our Lord come to the relief of his afflicted children?

Our Lord came to the relief of his afflicted children by raising up for them a man who sympathized deeply with them in their afflictions, consoled them, fed them, and aided them greatly to re-build Jerusalem. This man, who may be called the St. Vincent de Paul of the east, was St. John, patriarch of Alexandria, in Egypt. He was so charitable, that he received the name of the Almoner-