Stoics and Saints - College of Stoic Philosophers

CHRISTIANITY AND THE EMPIRE. 81
world of the blessing with which both the Stoic teaching
and the Koman Empire were charged for mankind. The fact
of the persecution is, however, convincing evidence that no
direct influence came forth from the Gospel
to the Stoic schools.
But while there was no direct influence it is
very far
from certain that there was not a considerable indirect
influence, the real source of which the heathen mind was
not able to trace, but which told very strongly
on the tone
of heathen thought. It is probable that the effect produced
by the Jews in the Empire
was more considerable than
is generally supposed. The Eomans hated them, and their
satirists scoffed at them, but that shews that they were
observed ;
and in the great influx into Eome of Oriental
men and women, and Oriental thoughts and beliefs, some
knowledge of the great truths which the Jewish Scriptures
taught must have filtered into the Eoman world. There
would be 110 direct acquaintance with or study of the Scrip
tures ;
but the certainty of knowledge to which the Jews
had attained about the great matters in constant debate
among the philosophers, as well as the comparative moral
purity and elevation of the Jewish personal
and domestic
life, must have exercised some influence in the circles which
surrounded their settlements ;
while the feeling that cer
tainty was attainable at any rate about the law of duty
and that Philosophy was not worth much if it was not
operative on the life, a feeling which was growing stronger
generation by generation in the Eoman schools, may have
derived some little nourishment from this spring.
When Christianity arose, the likelihood of such an influence
would be immensely increased. The Jews made proselytes
no doubt, and numerous ones ;
but on the whole they lived
apart. The Christians made converts by the myriad,
in all
classes of society, and had no desire to isolate themselves.
Theirs was emphatically a missionary
faith. The moment