BOOK II

THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE FAITH

INTRODUCTORY 101

I

NUMBERS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE EARLY DAYS

Certain reasons to which the rapid acceptance of Christianity was owing--The great numbers of the early converts is borne witness to by pagan authors, such as Tacitus and Pliny, and by Christian contemporary writers such as Clement of Rome, Hermas, Irenæus, and others--The testimony of the Roman catacombs described in detail in Fourth Book is also referred to 102

II

THE ASSEMBLIES OF CHRISTIANS

These “assemblies” constituted a powerful factor in the acceptance and organization of the religion of Jesus--Their high importance is recognized by the great teachers of the first days--Quotations from these are given 107

III

OF WHOM THESE PRIMITIVE “ASSEMBLIES” WERE COMPOSED

Information respecting these early meetings of Believers is supplied by leading Christian teachers--Quotations from these are given 110

IV

WHAT WAS TAUGHT AND DONE IN THESE “ASSEMBLIES”

A general picture of one of them by Justin Martyr--(_A_) Dogmatic teaching given in these meetings--(_B_) Almsgiving--Is shown to be an inescapable duty--Is pressed home by early masters of Christianity on the faithful--All offerings made were, however, purely voluntary--No communism was ever taught or hinted at in the early Church--(_C_) Special dogmatic instruction respecting the value of almsgiving was given by some early teachers--Several of these instructions are given here--(_D_) Apart from this somewhat strange dogmatic teaching on the value of almsgiving, the general duty of almsgiving was most strongly impressed on the faithful--Passages emphasizing this from very early writers are here quoted--(_E_) Special recipients of these alms are particularized; amongst these, in the first place, widows and orphans, and the sick, appear--(_F_) These alms in some cases were not to be confined to the Household of Faith--(_G_) Hospitality to strangers is enjoined--References here are given from several prominent early teachers--Help to prisoners for the Name’s sake enjoined--Assistance to be given to poorer Churches is recommended--(_H_) Burial expenses for the dead among the poorer brethren are to be partly defrayed from the “alms” contributed at the assemblies, partly from private sources--Lactantius, in his summary of Christian duties, dwells markedly on this duty--Important witness of the Roman catacombs here 113

V

THE SLAVE IN EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE

Position in Christian society--How the slave was regarded in the “assemblies”--Paulinus of Nola quoted on the general Christian estimate of a slave--How this novel view of the slave was looked on by pagans 134

A general summary of the effect which all this teaching current in the primitive “assemblies” had on the policy and work of the Church in subsequent ages 137

VI

DIFFICULTIES IN ORDINARY LIFE AMONG THE EARLY CHRISTIANS

Difficulties in common life for the Christian who endeavoured to carry out the precepts and teaching given in the “assemblies” are sketched--In family life--In trades--In the amusements of the people--In civil employments--In the army--In matters of education--A general summary of such difficulties is quoted from De Broglie (_l’Église et l’Empire_) 140

VII

THE ASCETIC AND THE MORE PRACTICAL SCHOOLS OF TEACHING

Two schools of teaching, showing how these difficulties were to be met, evidently existed in the early Church--(_A_) _The school of Rigourists_--Tertullian is a good example of a teacher of this school--Effect of this school on artisans--On popular amusements--On soldiers of the Legions--On slaves--On family life--From this stern school came the majority of the martyrs--(_B_) _The gentler and more practical school_--exemplified in such writings as the Dialogue of Minucius Felix and in writings of Clement of Alexandria, etc.--Results of the teaching of the _gentler school_--Art was still possible among Christians, although permeated with heathen symbols--The Christian might still continue to live in the Imperial court--might remain in the civil service--in the army, etc.--Examples for such allowances found in Old Testament writings--(_C_) The _Rigourist_ school again dwelt on--Its great influence on the pagan empire--The final victory of Christianity was largely owing to the popular impression of the life and conduct of followers of this school--This impression was voiced by fourth century writers such as Prudentius and Paulinus of Nola, and is shown in the work of Pope Damasus in the catacombs 144

VIII

WHAT THE RELIGION OF JESUS OFFERED IN RETURN FOR THIS HARD LIFE TO RIGOURISTS, AND IN A SLIGHTLY LESS DEGREE TO ALL FOLLOWERS OF THE SECOND SCHOOL

(_A_) Freedom from ever-present fear of death--S. Paul, Ignatius, and especially epitaphs in the Roman catacombs are referred to here--(_B_) New terminology for death, burial, etc., used--(_C_) The ever-present consciousness of forgiveness of sins--(_D_) Hope of immediate bliss after death--The power of the revelation of S. John in early Christian life--(_E_) Was Christian life in the early centuries after all a dreary existence, as the pagans considered it? 153