The Victories of Christianity came too late--Small Number of Converts
when Christianity was a renovating Power--Their comparative Unimportance
in a political and social View for three Centuries--The Church
constructs a Polity for Itself rather than seeks to change established
Institutions--Rapid Corruption of Christianity when established, and
Adoption of Pagan Ideas and Influences--No Renovation of worn-out Races--
No Material on which Christianity could work--Not the Mission of the
Church to save Empires, but the Race--A diseased Body must die

CHAPTER XIV.

THE LEGACY OF THE EARLY CHURCH TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.

The great Ideas which the Fathers propounded--The Principle of Self-
sacrifice, seen especially in early Martyrdoms--The Idea of Benevolence
in connection with public and private Charities--Importance of public
Preaching--Pulpit Oratory--The Elaboration of Christian Doctrine--Its
Connection with Philosophy--Church Psalmody--The Principle of Christian
Equality--Its Effects on Slavery and the Elevation of the People--The
Social Equality of the Sexes--Superiority in the condition of the modern
over the ancient Woman--The Idea of Popular Education--The Unity of the
Church




INTRODUCTION.


I propose to describe the Greatness and the Misery of the old Roman