communion. When a Christian of another church joins us, we re-baptize
him, for we do not believe in the validity of other baptisms. We are
so particular that we deny our cemeteries to any other Christians than
our own members. If we find that we have, by mistake, buried a member
of another church in our cemetery, we dig up his bones, that he may
not pollute the soil. When one of the churches of another denomination
falls into our hands, we first fumigate the building, and with a sharp
knife we scrape the wood off the altars upon which other Christian
priests have offered prayers. We will, under no consideration, allow a
brother Christian from another church to commune with us; if by
stealth anyone does, we spare not his life. But we are persecuted just
as severely as we persecute, ourselves. [Footnote: This sect
(Donatist) and others, lasted for a long time, and made Asia and
Africa a hornet's nest,--a blood-stained arena, of feud and riot and
massacre, until Mohammedanism put an end, in these parts of the world,
not only to these sects, but to Christianity itself.]

As the sun was setting, fatigued with the holy Sabbath's religious
duties, I started to go home. On my way back, I saw even wilder,
bloodier scenes, between rival ecclesiastical factions, streets even
redder with blood, if possible, yea, certain sections of the city
seemed as if a storm of hail, or tongues of flame had swept over them.
Churches were on fire, cowled monks attacking bishops' residences,
rival prelates holding uproarious debates, which almost always
terminated in bloodshed, and, to cap the day of many vicissitudes, I
saw a bear on exhibition which had been given its freedom by the
ruler, as a reward for his faithful services in devouring heretics.
The Christian ruler kept two fierce bears by his own chamber, to which
those who did not hold the orthodox faith were thrown in his presence
while he listened with delight to their groans.