Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

312 THE THIRD AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.which a century before could look down withproud indifference on the sufferings of Christiansnow seemed to tremble for its own existence. Andin such a condition of human society the great advanceof the Church was carried on.2. But beyond the empire to the north, advancingupon it like the multitudinous waves ofthe ocean on an exposed coast, lay the ever-battlinglegions of the northern tribes in their threegreat divisions of the Teutonic, Slavic, and Finnishraces. If Roman society suffered throes of distress,its condition was peace compared with theinstability which may be said to have been thevery life of these tribes. Once at least in everycentury they gather themselves up for a concentratedeffort against the empire whose rich civilisationlies stretchedout before them as a continualiprey. After the failure of Arminius to constructa German kingdom, and of Marobod to constructa Suevian, in the time of Augustus, Decebalus, inthe time of Trajan, makes another effort in behalfof his Dacians. But here the great Roman generalforces barbarism to retreat, and plants a freshcitadel in its very stronghold by establishing aprovince north of the Danube. Then there iscomparative tranquillity for sixty years. It seemsas if these two generations were offered by divineProvidence to the empire yet in its unbrokenstrength as a time for its pacific conversion, whichif it had accepted, the eruption of the northern