It is in the hope of showing the verity of the heroic lives in the early days of the Faith, that I have planned these records. It is in the hope of showing the keeping of that Faith as the supremely best vocation for youth that I have tried to dig out the unknown, historic facts bringing us the Faith and clothe them in flesh and blood. If the stories send back with fresh eyes readers to the old records, their aim is fulfilled, and all the errors, I pre-claim as my own. The truths, themselves, are eternally old as they are eternally young. A. C. L. WASSAIC, HARLEM ROAD NEW YORK CONTENTS STORIES OF THE APOSTLES’ LIVES IN THEIR DAUNTLESS STRUGGLE TO ESTABLISH THE NEW FAITH IN A DYING WORLD CHAPTER PAGE FOREWORD v I. NEITHER BOND NOR FREE 1 II. ARDATH, THE FIELD OF FLOWERS 45 III. THE SWORD AND THE SUNBURST 77 IV. NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES 125 V. “AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH” 174 APPENDIX Foreword to Appendix 209 A. Concerning Paul’s Missionary Tours and Disputed Points 221 B. Old Documents and Modern Views on the Herod Family 242 C. The Significance of the Fall of Jerusalem and the Breaking Up 253 of the Roman Empire D. The Disputes as to Thecla in Legend and History 264 E. Concerning the Early Gnostics and Apollos and Apollonius and 271 John Finale 283 _BE GLAD_ _1_ _“Be glad! Be glad!” I sing!_ _The sun rolls round the ring_ _Of law! His beams outfling_ _Like birds of song on wing._ _2_ _Be glad the sun is bright—_ _Be glad the sun is light—_ _Be glad the law is right—_ _Tho’ truth we learn through pain—_ _Be glad the darkest night_ _Rolls round to light again._ _3_ _Our sin is but a sleep_ _Out from the vasty deep_ _Of Death’s eternal Keep_ _For God, to Whom we creep._ _4_