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26 as much power as the God of the Christians. Vincentius says he did not see much difference in their doctrines when they got to understand each other.

I remember that, while on the ship, we had an Irish priest on board, and in conversation one day while asking him about many things in the Catholic Church I inquired why he had a crucifix hanging in his room. Said I, "You do not think there is any virtue in that image of brass?" "No," said he, "no more than there was in the serpent of brass that Moses made and placed on a pole. There were no healing virtues in that brass, but the bitten Isrealite believed in the command, which belief or faith controlled his action and produced obedience; hence he was healed." And so, he said in this case, he no more believed there were any saving qualities in that image than I believe my mother's picture could be to me a mother.

Let the reader refer to the first centuries and mark what a disputation there was in the ancient church about pictures. May we not flow back into it? And as this subject of picture-worship created so much dissatisfaction in the first centuries it may do so again.

While investigating this question I found that Arcadius, the eldest son of Theodosius the Great, succeeded his father to the throne in 395, and divided the Roman Empire into what was known in that day as the Eastern and Western Empires.