THE CATACOMBS OF ROME.

North Otago Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 6631, 2 May 1888, Page 2

THE CATACOMBS OF ROME.

This was the 9. bj.jc: of a leo'ure de-i Hvered by Mr E?ky, of England, in Si, Ge-,irg 'i Hall lar. night, These wai i ruodora'c a't#nilvic3, avid Mr 7. Lowf pretidod. Iv introdu-iiug the lecturer, Mr Lotto said he was a man who bad unveiled in man; lauds — who knew what iio talkel about, and would talk about v/hat he knew. Mr Exley was wall received, and after d few introductory remark*, launched into ibe bean of his mbjeet. H» explained tbe origin and no ed the ext«ut of the eAUcooibSj which, ho said, were built or excara'ei iv the limestone forma'ion of tbc Caacpsgna by tbe early Orlriam; aui had af erwards boeu buried by eruption or earthquake. Thera were various csuins «• as to ths number of the crt.<;c >mbr. Some au'boriHen said there ncre 70; obcta omj, (II; and th* latest work ou the caiacoai *a. 40 At oGy rate, 'he caiacomb.i <?ore 65 uiil*e io c^cumfer" ci.'cc, end aboai 22 ra)l«» in di»meter. l'bo leoturcr b>re gar* »n toieron iog ot the «i;r of Romo itislf as i; fai at th* Mm© of the #srly 0 (rlattfin Oburcb. H. 9 ibsn d»2orifacd tne Oataoomb of PriieHlfl, w>o»e HRtn* w»a tarn* Honed In Piul'o E^l'Ut tv tho Roihrki. Tbio nomia, h« [iMaatagd, h«d bean r«ry rich, and beld aa estate o>* tho Gamptgna. S']« bad oauied a lsrie eoteoouib witk mttiy brinoh«s to b» mr.de voder h«r e«tA>e. la thli catneo»is were buried tn«n7 Chrijiian* The tombi in the oatnoom'rn <rere in (t-re — lik« bertha in a ihip — ilong ik« Btr«Q*a or' pBM get. The ii r«ei« wora mid to bi from 600 to 900 rutlea in lat'^'b. lato tbi>a« a r*ot» the Cbilst'sod fl^d to «»etpo the ptesecuthn of thfi pagin Rocant. The Gataoombf woie u•^d >s bnri»l pheoi f«s tpwsrde of 400 year* from 71, 'he tiwo of Ouoaul Yerpailan, to 470, &*& II wei rery Jpreb* «tio that th« mentioned in the Epistle to lbs Komtns nsro buried there. Writ tka hottirrr npoke of the testimony ths ctitfcombo burA to {the fiHla, and the obedieno-s to ths foith of tho fir«t Chris* tions. No <nj* durioy tlu fint three ceniurimi could gdn acimlseloa to the o»tacoml>s atileis ho knttr tho pa«word, which tno'^nt bd much o tho early Chrii* tlaas. About 7.000 00n rr#ro burlfd lo tho o-itao 'mb », 4,000,000 of whom were msrlyr. ; but tin iiawj of d«3th *M m«n< tlouad isj ?ny of th* tomb?. There waa no death to th« 6».rly Chr stians. All tbe epitaphs apoke of aieep aa of lift. Oao tpittph purtieulerly raeunt s great deal. R-'Uod the seal of Christ were fire foot* prluts, and in e»o'i print w»« written a •operate motto : In God, in Gbriat, Id faith, in hope, in pease ; neauisg that tbe pa>h of the Ohrfatiaa aheuld bo and waa round Oulat in tbeao ptthi. M*ny of ihu inioripiious on the tooiba were bnautlful, both in word and symbol. Thc<xe Here shown by d lag rums, and thil pjrtion of the lecture was exceedingly In-tt-rc»<iDg, and waa heartily applauded. Tbe c «• ore three bnptfotriea in fthe o»tacombs, and some 200 e'J&pcls in which tbe scriptures us<sd to be road during the * a tobes of the day and ni^ht. It would be isipostible in the sp&ee at commaud to follow Mr Exley through nil the lutoruutlrg patsxges of hia ezetlleat ireturo. Suffito it to aay that »ftor desenbiog how tho ettucombs came to bs diieorered by Bi. Robert about 1769, he closed an interesting and mbb xuoiiro lecture will a stirring appeal, jo bio bearers to make their lires more in bopin,; with tbo lives of the early Ohilsttaa*, aud v? to the standard of tbe Go pui of Oiirisr. On i ha motion of Mr Lowe, Mr Exley wss soordod a heirty rote of thauka for Ins k-c'.are.

••BcGHir rAißi,"-Qufok, compltt« cure, t»U aoaoylog Kidney, UUdUtr »od Urln«ry Diteasea. At choinuta Had dtnj{gl*U, Kempthotno, Proper, «md Co., Agtntt, Dao«dia»