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Read Ebook: The Early Christians in Rome by Spence Jones H D M Henry Donald Maurice
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Ebook has 2100 lines and 169678 words, and 42 pages
BOOK I
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY IN ROME
PART I
INTRODUCTORY
PAGE
A sketch of the early Jewish colony in Rome--Allusion to Jews by Cicero--Favour shown them by Julius Caesar--Mention of Jews by the great poets of the Augustine age--Characteristic features and moral power of Jews--Their numbers in the days of Nero 3
FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH IN ROME--INFLUENCE OF S. PETER
Into this colony of Jews came the news of the story of Jesus Christ--Was S. Peter among the first preachers of Christianity in Rome?--Quotations from early Christian writers on this subject--Traditional memories of S. Peter in Rome 7
EARLY REFERENCES
Quotations from patristic writers of the first three centuries, bearing on the foundation of the Church in Rome, including the oldest Catalogues of the Bishops of Rome--Deduction from these quotations 13
PART II
FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH IN ROME--INFLUENCE OF S. PAUL
S. Paul in Rome--His share in laying the foundation stories in the Capital--Paul's Christology more detailed than that contained in S. Mark's Gospel, which represents S. Peter's teaching 21
POSITION OF CHRISTIANS AFTER A.D. 64
The great fire of Rome in the days of Nero brought the unnoticed sect of Christians into prominence--The games of Nero--Never again after A.D. 64 did Christians enjoy "stillness"--The policy of the State towards them from this time was practically unaltered 25
THE VEILED SHADOW OF PERSECUTION--POLICY OF THE FLAVIAN EMPERORS
Silence respecting details of persecutions in pagan and in Christian writings--Reason for this--These writings contain little history; but the Christian writings are coloured with the daily expectation of death and suffering--In spite of persecution the numbers of Christians increased rapidly--What was the strange attraction of Christianity?--Persecution of the sect under the Flavian Emperors Vespasian, Titus, Domitian 35
INTRODUCTORY
The correspondence between Trajan and Pliny, and the Imperial Rescript--Genuineness of this piece in Pliny's Letters 45
THE LETTERS OF PLINY
Nerva--Character of Trajan--Story of correspondence here referred to--Pliny's Letters--Reply of Trajan, which contained the famous Rescript--Tertullian's criticism of Rescript--Pliny's Letters--They were no ordinary letters, but were intended for public reading--Pliny's character--The vogue of writing letters as literary pieces for public reading--Pliny's Letters briefly examined--The letter here under special consideration--Its great importance in early Christian history 48
VOGUE OF EPISTOLARY FORM OF LITERATURE
Letters of public men considered as pieces of literature--After Trajan there were very few Latin writings until the close of the fourth century--In that period some celebrated letters again appear --These letters were evidently written as pieces of literature intended for public circulation 63
THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES, AND LETTERS OF APOSTOLIC FATHERS
Adoption of favourite letter-form as literary pieces--in Epistles of the New Testament, and in letters of Apostolic Fathers 69
PART IV
HADRIAN--HIS POLICY TOWARDS CHRISTIANITY
HADRIAN--HIS ENMITY TOWARDS CHRISTIANITY GRADUALLY INCREASED
Last years of Hadrian--Persecution of Christians more pronounced--Undoubted authorities for this graver position of Christians throughout the Empire--Table showing succession of Antonines to the Empire 81
ANTONINUS PIUS AND MARCUS ANTONINUS--THEIR IDEALS
Character of Antoninus Pius--His intense love for Rome--His determination to restore the old simple life to which Rome owed her greatness--His devotion to ancient Roman traditions, and to the old Roman religion--Antoninus Pius and his successor Marcus lived themselves the simple austere life they taught to their court and subjects 84
INTENSE ANTIPATHY OF THE ANTONINES TO CHRISTIANITY
Reason of the Antonines' marked hostility to the Christian sect--The Christians stood resolutely aloof from the ancient religion which these two great sovereigns believed was indissolubly bound up with the greatness of Rome--With such views of the sources of Roman power and prosperity, only a stern policy of persecution was possible--This policy, pursued in days of Pius, was intensified by his yet greater successor Marcus--The common idea that the Christians were tolerated in the days of the Antonines must be abandoned--Their sufferings under the rule of these great Emperors, especially in the days of Marcus, can scarcely be exaggerated 91
BOOK II
THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE FAITH
INTRODUCTORY 101
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, Irenaeus, and others--The testimony of the Roman catacombs described in detail in Fourth Book is also referred to 102
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
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