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RISE¡¡OF¡¡THE¡¡CHURCH



HOW¡¡ROME¡¡BECAME¡¡THE¡¡CENTRE¡¡OF¡¡THE

CHRISTIAN¡¡WORLD





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This¡¡attitude¡¡made¡¡the¡¡Roman¡¡a¡¡very¡¡tolerant¡¡man¡£¡¡The

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They¡¡joined¡¡the¡¡small¡¡communities¡¡of¡¡Christians¡¡who¡¡met¡¡in

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and¡¡the¡¡temples¡¡were¡¡deserted¡£



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Greek¡¡meant¡¡¡®¡®elder''£©¡¡were¡¡elected¡¡to¡¡guard¡¡the¡¡interests¡¡of

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time¡¡his¡¡successors¡¡£¨who¡¡were¡¡addressed¡¡as¡¡Father¡¡or¡¡Papa£©

came¡¡to¡¡be¡¡known¡¡as¡¡Popes¡£



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The¡¡Christian¡¡doctrines¡¡appealed¡¡to¡¡those¡¡who¡¡despaired

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the¡¡humble¡¡followers¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Nazarene¡¡teacher¡£¡¡At¡¡last¡¡the

state¡¡was¡¡obliged¡¡to¡¡take¡¡notice¡£¡¡The¡¡Roman¡¡Empire¡¡£¨I¡¡have

said¡¡this¡¡before£©¡¡was¡¡tolerant¡¡through¡¡indifference¡£¡¡It¡¡allowed

everybody¡¡to¡¡seek¡¡salvation¡¡after¡¡his¡¡or¡¡her¡¡own¡¡fashion¡£¡¡But

it¡¡insisted¡¡that¡¡the¡¡different¡¡sects¡¡keep¡¡the¡¡peace¡¡among¡¡themselves

and¡¡obey¡¡the¡¡wise¡¡rule¡¡of¡¡¡®¡®live¡¡and¡¡let¡¡live¡£''



The¡¡Christian¡¡communities¡¡however£»¡¡refused¡¡to¡¡practice¡¡any

sort¡¡of¡¡tolerance¡£¡¡They¡¡publicly¡¡declared¡¡that¡¡their¡¡God£»¡¡and

their¡¡God¡¡alone£»¡¡was¡¡the¡¡true¡¡ruler¡¡of¡¡Heaven¡¡and¡¡Earth£»

and¡¡that¡¡all¡¡other¡¡gods¡¡were¡¡imposters¡£¡¡This¡¡seemed¡¡unfair

to¡¡the¡¡other¡¡sects¡¡and¡¡the¡¡police¡¡discouraged¡¡such¡¡utterances¡£

The¡¡Christians¡¡persisted¡£



Soon¡¡there¡¡were¡¡further¡¡difficulties¡£¡¡The¡¡Christians¡¡refused

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They¡¡refused¡¡to¡¡appear¡¡when¡¡they¡¡were¡¡called¡¡upon

to¡¡join¡¡the¡¡army¡£¡¡The¡¡Roman¡¡magistrates¡¡threatened¡¡to

punish¡¡them¡£¡¡The¡¡Christians¡¡answered¡¡that¡¡this¡¡miserable

world¡¡was¡¡only¡¡the¡¡ante¡­room¡¡to¡¡a¡¡very¡¡pleasant¡¡Heaven¡¡and

that¡¡they¡¡were¡¡more¡¡than¡¡willing¡¡to¡¡suffer¡¡death¡¡for¡¡their

principles¡£¡¡The¡¡Romans£»¡¡puzzled¡¡by¡¡such¡¡conduct£»¡¡sometimes

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a¡¡certain¡¡amount¡¡of¡¡lynching¡¡during¡¡the¡¡earliest¡¡years¡¡of¡¡the

church£»¡¡but¡¡this¡¡was¡¡the¡¡work¡¡of¡¡that¡¡part¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mob¡¡which

accused¡¡their¡¡meek¡¡Christian¡¡neighbours¡¡of¡¡every¡¡conceivable

crime£»¡¡£¨such¡¡as¡¡slaughtering¡¡and¡¡eating¡¡babies£»¡¡bringing¡¡about

sickness¡¡and¡¡pestilence£»¡¡betraying¡¡the¡¡country¡¡in¡¡times¡¡of¡¡danger£©

because¡¡it¡¡was¡¡a¡¡harmless¡¡sport¡¡and¡¡devoid¡¡of¡¡danger£»¡¡as

the¡¡Christians¡¡refused¡¡to¡¡fight¡¡back¡£



Meanwhile£»¡¡Rome¡¡continued¡¡to¡¡be¡¡in

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