The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-01
SOME NEW Bo0Ks.
The Christian Church In the First Ten Centu-
rfes.


Tho most important contribution to the
so-called Students Series. published by the
IIarpers. ls the volume entitled The History Of
No Christian Church during the First Ten Cenlu-
ries, by PHILIP SMITH. This book aims to meet
the need which tho student Of civil history feels
at every stop. that namely. of an intimate nc
quaintanco with ecclesiastical affairs. and to
satisfy natural curiosity about the origin OF
opinions, usagcs. and controversies whose ci-
fects are deeply. and even passionately felt in
our own day. II wo except Gibbons cursory
survey Of the rise OF Christianity. tho English
seeker after Information in this field has boon
confined to such elaborate troatis,s rs Ranke's
History Of the Popos and Mimnn's Lntn
Christianity 1t So happens. however that CON
tcmporancously with Mr.. Smiths conpendious
narrative. which is written from n Protestant
point Of view. hut In a temperate splr... new
edition Of DOwLfNG's history Of Ron'dntsm
has been published Edward Walker. New York.
while part Of the same ground is covered by
the second volume of THEBAuDs The church
ant the Co1e World. Dowlng's work. we need
not say, IL tinctured through and through with
the old-fashioned acrimuny II Protestant po-
cmi0s, while Mr.. Thcbaud's conclusions, nj
though formulated with moderation are hose
ot Catholic .heologian. Tho appearance at
this timo u three books prompted by aims so
different yet MI dealing In some measure with
the same subject matter. may well direct aitcn-
ton to an historical theme Of extreme interest
namely the various developments and aborra-
tions Vt Christianity. its ccntralzing and disin-
tcgratlng tendencies. the settlement OF its con-
stitution. and tho formulation of its doctrines
during the period which closed with the COM
pletion Of the millcnary cycle in the year 1000
of our era 1t may be thought that Mr.. Smiths
compendium should have included Hide
brands Pontlncntc, during which tho papal sys-
tom was radically reconstructed. yet the dato
which he has chosen for tho termination Of his
work Ia not without considerable significance.
1t marks the full establishment under Ohio Of
the Holy Roman Empire, that Ia to shy. the res
direction Of those imperial traditions which
prescribed the intimate relation Of the Bishop
~ Rome to CUsar. and held the germ u the pa
pal power.
In the chapters covering tho first three ccntu-
rios Mr. Smith undertakes to explain the steady
growth Of ChristlanitT notwithstanding some
Hstutc and strenuous though tardy efforts FOR its
suppression and 20 trn cc tie gradual ascent from
the catacomhs to tho court AMI the high places
and its final conquest IT tho throne. Curiously
enough. however he loavcs wholly out Of sight
one u its most potent agencies. and he passes
mately raised by the Roman lawyers to the
now faith and accepted AS sufficient ground
for relentless persecution 10y the most sa-
gacous md exemplary sovereign. II Is like
wise surprising that the author should
overlook the tremendous social leverage
surcd to the Christian propaganda in world
81 slaves by its primitive cNhortation To-
community Of goods. Not less strange is tho
inadyortcncc 10 the irrcconcilable posture OF
the Christian creed toward dogma which be-
came IN the hands OF losists the cornerstone
and bu'iross Of the imperial system namely.
the divinity Of the Emperor. 1t mauered
nothing To ? skcptlc like Hadran or 70 a
stole philosopher like Marcus Aurelius
whether an obscure scot rejected the gods Of
Greece. Italy OF Egypt. but under the now juris-
prudence, framed go n the new imperial poity.
a refusal 20 rem Ter divine honors to the monarch
was the worst form u sacrileee-it was high
treason. Undcr Uterus and his Immediate
successors II was possible for Christians to
obey their MASTER iniun', ion to render unto
Cesar the things which were Cpsars." As yet
Caesar was in theory only tho foremost man in
republic. but Is time went on the groundwork
and -tru -turc of tho old order vanished and
the recognition of divine authority in the
siuElc irrD -ponsiO mast r. Of the State became
the supreme and css initial basis of tho civil
Constitution. II WIS not until the guides of tho
Church had contrivcd In the fourth century to
adjust n mudus Viycndi under which this claim
OF Caesars. while nomlnay disaowcd. wis
substantially concedcd-the head Of the state
being pronounced not divine hut specially
favored. instructed. and prompted hy the Di-
viniy lhnt compromise and cooperation be-
tween Christianity and tho empire became Cor
tho first time profitable
before c--aying To- define and measure tho
moral. social and economical forces enlisted on
behalf ofihe new religion.it would have been well
to determine the amount of resistance eucoun-
tered, the quantum OF friction overcome. This
is u question almost wholly overlooked py the
three recently published works whose names
are cited above. Neither Of the authors seems
To have asked himself why it was that the most
tolerant Of dsspotisms. which distributed the
honors and privileges OF its Pantheon with
n cynical impartiality. should have sim
elod out for ruthless chaStisement the
Jews and Christians alone. Yet the
fact il uregnaut with suggestion that the
jew and the follower Of Christ should have been
thus coupled together ~ joint victims Of i'm
pcra wrath. Among all the SUBJECTS OF tho
empire these only We're prohibited by the root
Of their monotheistic creeds from
according divine attributes TO the head Of the
state. We must bear in mind moreover. that
the empire was not antecedeni TO- but coeval
with Christianity. that tho development of tho
two systems went on in parallel lines and
1t was only when the conception Of universal
religion. summed up in tho simple tenet OF
dedication Of Caesar. was perceived 10 be indls-
20 universal dospotsm that perse-
ton heg0n. II is worth noting with how much
caution the first movement in the direction Of
repression was made. There had long existed
n general statute against illegal supersti-
lions, but up 10 Nero's time tho law had
slumhered, because no particular religion had
been ludicially pronounced unlawful. The Jews
aud with them the Christians only known TO the
Roman lawmakers as an obscure Jewish sect
were at last specially excluded from federation.
because the monotheism which was matter Of
indifference under Augustus had come TO wear
the look Of treason under subsequent C'psars.
But w TO the second rebellion OF the Jews, and
the total subversion Of their nation under
Hadrian tho tremendous power Of repression
exercised 10y the secular arm was principally
evellod against the Jews, and was by no means
directly and deliberately aimed at the Gentle
converts Of the Christian propagendists II the
record Of tho proceedings taken under