Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

CHAPTERX.THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH." Magnum hrereditatis mysterium! Templum Dei factus est uterusnescientis virum. Non est pollutus ex ea carnem assumens. Omnesgentes venient dicentes, Gloria tibi, Domine."Antiphon on Vespers of Circumcision.THE world which Augustus and Tiberius ruledwas not conscious of the fact that there was anorder of truth, and of morality based upon thattruth, the maintenance of which was to be purchased,and cheaply purchased, with the loss oflife, or of all that made life valuable. This worldwas indeed familiar with the thought and with thepractice of sacrificing life for one object-an objectwhich collected all the natural affections and in--terests of a man together, and presented them tohim in the most attractive form, his country.Greek and Roman history, and indeed the historyof all nations up to that time, had been full ofinstances in which privations and sufferings wereendured, and, if necessary, life itself given up forwife and children, for the dear affections of houseand home, for friends, for freedom, for fatherland.Man, civilised and uncivilised, was alike capable ofthis, and capable of it in profusion. Rome hadii.N