Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

I I 2 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMa force created by its own thought, and its moralitywas the result of this creation. It claimed to makeman independent in this life and without any life tocome. Such it was when it lifted its head once moreamid the deep corruption of Nero's reign. But whileit has worked itself out by the time that its imperialvotary dies, with such results as we have seen, theChristian Church was performing in an ever-increasingdegree the wonderful work of gathering to itself outof the bosom of a corrupt society men who should acton new principles of life, and confirm their belief, ifneed were, with their blood. In this interval theproudest and most self-reliant of philosophic schoolsproduces here and there an able writer, and morerarely a disciple whose life was in accordance with itsdoctrines, but in the work of putting together a societywhich shall enforce its principles fails so absolutelythat we can discern no trace of any such attempt.Yet it is not from want of will to oppose the ChristianChurch that it fails to imitate it in this its highestwork. So bitter is the antagonism between the Stoicand the Christian mind, that the imperial philosopherwhose rule in all other respects is a model of moderation,clemency, kindness, and generosity, departs inthe case of Christians, and of these alone, from allthese attributes. Marcus Aurelius, as he spoke ofChristians scornfully, so he persecuted them bitterly.The patient endurance of death, which would havecalled forth his highest admiration in one of his ownsect, moved him only to sarcasm in them, a sarcasmthe more savage because some of their noblest martyrsobtained their crown in consequence of orders directlytransmitted from himself. But while those whom hethus treated were spreading more and more through