Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE FIKST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.235that he could hardly tolerate a guild of firemen ina provincial town, he had no suspicion of a societywhich had become even in his time conterminouswith his empire, and was bound together not onlyby the profession of one faith, but by the livinglinks of one government. Nor, fifty years later,could Antoninus have had any such knowledge.The persecution which we have seen arose fromsimpler causes ; the faith of Christians in one Godwho had made heaven and earth, and in one Sonof God who had become Man and redeemed them,and with this, and indeed as part of this, theirsummary rejection, their utter intolerance of allthe heathen gods ; this it was that had drawndown the Roman sword upon them in answer tothe popular cry,62 Away with the godless ! Andagain, their standing aloof from heathen life, theirrefusal to take part in heathen festivals, their withdrawalas far as possible from all public concerns :this was part of the hatred of the human race imputedto them, which made them objects of suspicionfirst, and then, when any special excitementarose, of persecution. These peculiarities also, andthe secrecy with which their worship was necessarilyconducted because it was not allowed, hadled to calumnies concerning them, imputing thegrossest immorality as well as cruelty.The apologies of Quadratus, Aristides, and Justin,were probably the first connected revelation02 Alpe TOVS adeous.