248 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



were laid bare. They were dragged naked over pointed shells. They 

 were torn by lions ; and finally, while still alive, were committed to 

 the flames. But all these tortures failed to extort from them a murmur 

 or a cry. The fortitude of the early Christians gained many converts 

 to their cause ; still, when the evidential value of fortitude is consid- 

 ered, it must not be forgotten that almost every faith can point to its 

 rejoicing martyrs. Even these Smyrna murderers had a faith of their 

 own, the imperiling of which by Christianity spurred them on to 

 murder. From faifeh they extracted the diabolical energy which ani- 

 mated them. The strength of faith is, therefore, no proof of the ob- 

 jective truth of faith. Indeed, at the very time here referred to we 

 find two classes of Christians equally strong Jewish Christians and 

 Gentile Christians who, while dying for the same Master, turned 

 their backs upon each other, mutually declining all fellowship and 

 communion. 



Thus early the forces which had differentiated Christianity from 

 paganism made themselves manifest in details, producing disunion 

 among those whose creeds and interests were in great part identical. 

 Struggles for priority were not uncommon. Jesus himself had to quell 

 such contentions. His exhortations to humility were frequent. " He 

 that is least among you shall be greatest of all." There were also 

 conflicts upon points of doctrine. The difference which concerns us 

 most had reference to the binding power of the Jewish law. Here 

 dissensions broke out among the apostles themselves. Nobody who 

 reads with due attention the epistles of Paul can fail to see that this 

 mighty propagandist had to carry on a life-long struggle to maintain 

 his authority as a preacher of Christ. There were not wanting those 

 who denied him all vocation. James was the head of the Church at 

 Jerusalem, and Judeo-Christians held that the ordination of James was 

 alone valid. Paul, therefore, having no mission from James, was 

 deemed by some a criminal intruder. The real fault of Paul was his 

 love of freedom, and his uncompromising rejection, on behalf of his 

 Gentile converts, of the chains of Judaism. He proudly calls himself 

 " the Apostle of the Gentiles." Pie says to the Corinthians : " I sup- 

 pose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. Are they 

 Hebrews ? So am I. Are they Israelites ? So am I. Are they of 

 the seed of Abraham ? So am I. Ax'e they ministers of Christ ? I am 

 more ; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in deaths 

 oft." He then establishes his right to the position which he claimed, 

 by recounting in detail the sufferings he had endured. I leave it to 

 you to compare this Christian hero with some of the " freethinkers " of 

 our own day, who flaunt in public their cheap and trumpery theories 

 of the great Apostle and the Master whom he served. 



Paul was too outspoken to escape assault. All insincerity and 

 double-facedness all humbug, in short were hateful to him ; and 

 even among his colleagues he found scope for this feeling. Judged by 



