12 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION 



every variety of race and of religion. Throughout 

 the civilized world, and over many barbarous tribes, 

 Roman rule extended. Roman governors, consuls, 

 triumvirs and dictators were the ultimate authority 

 in every province. Roman soldiers were stationed 

 in every quarter. Roman manners and customs 

 prevailed. Everything was Roman, so that from 

 her central city to the remotest extremity there 

 flowed out law, literature, fashion and sentiment. 



Sixty years before the birth of Christ, Palestine 

 became a Roman province. After the Maccabean 

 wars internal dissensions prevailed among the Jews, 

 and the rival parties invited Pompey, the Roman 

 general, to settle their dispute. His mode of 

 settlement consisted in his making the whole 

 country tributary to Rome. 



At the time of Christ's birth we find upon the 

 throne of Judea a ruler known as Herod the 

 Great. He was a tributary prince, raised to 

 power by the favor of Rome, and scrupled at no 

 iniquity to please his royal masters. His govern- 

 ment was a burdensome yoke to the Jews, and 

 Judea groaned beneath the bondage. 



Now let us pause a moment to see how the 

 ' political state of the world then indicated the ripe- 

 ness of the times for the coming of Christ. 



First, the supremacy of Rome paved the way for 

 the reception of the grand idea of a universal king- 

 dom which should embrace all the nations of the 



