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THE CHRISTIAN NATION.
Vol. S9.
secuted the Christians was because they interfered
with business.
Business is always
sensitive to interference, and the Romans
protected business in all their domain.
This
was one reason for their success. When Paul
healed the damsel at Philippi who was possessed
with the spirit of divination, her masters
"saw that the hope of their gain was
gone," and they brought Paul before the
magistrates, who scourged him and put him
in prison. When he preached the Gospel
in Ephesus, Demetrius stirred up the craftsmen
who made shrines for Diana for the
reason that their craft was in danger. Pliny
reported to Trajan, some fifty years later,
that the price for hay and grain used to
feed the beasts kept for sacrifices had risen
since he had begun the execution of Christians.
It is not in modern times alone that
those engaged in immoral callings have hated
the faith that interfered with their business.
A frequent charge against the Christians
was that they made a disturbance in society.
The people "who turn the world upside
down are come hitfher also." The Christians
created talk and sometimes excitement.
They sometimes divided families and caused
near relatives to hate each other. Then those
who hated them made a disturbance and
blamed it on the Ch.ristians. This was a
frequent charge against Paul, and perhaps
others were not as careful and law-abiding
as he.
Christianity was a proselyting, aggressive
religion. The Christians sought converts
everywhere and ' among all ranks of people.
"All at it and always at it" was the
motto of Paul and his followers as well as of
A\'esley and the Methodists. Those who were
most likely to hear and believe the Gospel w^ere
the poorer and more needy of people, so
the church was built up of those whom society
despised and it built up fast. People had
lost faith in the old religions and felt the
need of something that would support and
comfort them in their loneliness and poverty.
Christianity was an exclusive rehgion.
All the rest were wrong, all were failures, all
vvere to be forsaken fur this one. Christ
lesus was the only Savior, his was the only
Name. They were to forsake all and follow
him. Therefore all other forms of religion
turned against Christianity and believers
were everywhere spoken against. ample of many acts of revolting injustice
in other times 'and places, yet it is an ex­
Then the church had an organization which practiced on an unpopular and unresisting
was not subservient to Rome. In order to
hold all people subject to his rule, the Roman
thought it necessary to prevent any organization
people. From the time of Nero till the time
of Constantine, nearly three hundred years,
persecution went on, now with some restraint
of sDciety, or even in society, but his and again with an access of fury, while men
own. It does not do to allow discontented people
and women were tortured, beheaded, hung,
to organize in any way, to get together burnt, devoured by wild beasts, and
even
and discuss matters, for it is sure to end in
some eft'ort to meet the difficulties which
thev all feel and for which they desire a
remedy The Christian church was an or-
ganization that spread all over the Empire,
which had its correspondents in every city
who ultimately became its bishops, which
sent letters ah over tbe world and which
migiht be dangerous. The Roman tried to
stamp it out, as he would have destroyed any
other organization not of 'his own making.
Covering all these and bringing everything
to the test was the refusal of the Christians
to pay divine honors • to the emperor. As
the people of the Empire had many religions
and as belief in most of them had become
uncommon, it seemed necessary to have
some form of religious ceremony or practice
that would be applicable to all and which
would bind all to the government which Rome
wished to perpetuate. The Caesar had
tremendous power and often wished to be
considered a god, so the custom grew up of
sacrificing to the emperor as an act of religious
loyalty. It is Hkely that most Romans
did not look upon the action seriously; but
it suited their purpose to observe the custom
and to impose it on all subject peoples.
Here then came the test. Will the Christian
drop incense on the altar to the name
of the emperor, or will he adhere to the Name
of Jesus Christ? On just this test unnumbered
thousands went to their death. To
take on them the Name of Jesus Christ
meant to face the executioner. No other
charge, no other trial, was required. Related
closely to this reason for persecution was another
to the effect that the Christians were
obstinate and would not yield in what the
Roman magistrate considered a small matter.
He thought and said, as Pliny, that
those who were so stubborn and obstinate
should be put to death for that cause alone.
Lying back of all this and not mentioned -
in history is the fact that those who accept
.,and practice a higher standard of morality
than their neighbors are naturally disliked,
The life of the Christian was a rebuke to his
heathen neighbors. "They think it strange
that ye run not with them into the same excess
of riot, speaking evil of you." This
motive has been one of the main causes of
persecution all through history, that men
hate those who^ live better lives than themselves.
The action of Nero in accusing the Christians
of burning Rome, and in burning them,
smeared with pitch, as torches in the public
gardens is passed by as this did not occur
crucified, faithful, patient and resigned. At
last pagan Rome failed and the persecuted
became the dominant element in the Empire.
The anvil wore out the hammer.
In the Sabbath School
Lesson XI.
Sept. 14th ign
By the Rev. W. A. Aikin.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.-II
Exodus 20:12-21.
Golden Text.—Thou shalt love the Lore
thy God vvith all thy heart, and with all th\
soul, and with all thy strength, and with all
thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Luke
10:27.
Psalm.—1:1-4.; 119:2nd Part C. M,;
119: 14th Part L. M.
Time.—B. C. 1491. Same occasion as
last lesson.
Place.—Mount Sinai.
ANALYSIS AND COMMENT.
The second table of the law naturally follows
the first,since the well-springs of the
second is found in the observance of th
first. It is only as men come to recogniz(
God as their God, and render to Him a spir
itual worship, and hold His name in reverance
and observei His holy day that thej:
come to realize and perform their duties tc
their fellow-men.
I. REVERENCE, (v. 12.) "i
"Honor thy father and thy mother,'' etc
Thiis commandment requires the reverencing^'
of those whom God has placed over us. Thf
relationship of children and parentsis men'
tioned, as this relatio-nship is most easy t(i
realize, as it is estabhshed in nature and ii?
one of the most intimate. This commajidmenti
however, includes all relationships which Goc.
has established in the family or in the church
cr state. This commandment properly comei
next to the firsttable of the law, as it is :
crucial test of a person's regard for th(
things required in the firstfour command-,,
ments. The reverence -which a person hai
for his parents, for the minister of the Gos-..
pel, and the officer in the State declares hi;..
regard for God, the spirituality ofhii;^
worship, .his respect for God's name and tht
sanctity of the Sabbath.
II. VIOLENCE, (v. 13.)
"Thou shalt not kill." This commandment
requires the sacred guarding of huraar,
life as that which is dear to God. It forbids
anything wdiich would injure in, an)
degree the bfe of ourselves or others. Th(
taking of human life is one's most heinous sir
in the sight of God arid involves the most
terrible punishment. "Whoso sheddetl
man's by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man." This
commandment includes any thought whid
would lead to violence. "He that|hateth his
brother is a murderer, and ye know that nc
'purderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
III. IMPURITY, (v. ii4-)
"Thou shah not commit adultery." This
-mmandment has a far wider bearing than
men are wont to give to it. Apart from the
common understanding of the term, it includes
the putting away of husband or wife