20 EEV. W. ST. CLAIR TISDALL^ D.D., ON THE JNELUENCE 



hated, in works of charity, and his endeavour to stir them up to 

 devotion to Apollo and the other gods, that thus Christian 

 progress might be stayed. 



The second great fact, more important than all other evidence 

 of the influence of Christian teaching on those who did not 

 become Christians, is the gradual but steady process of the 

 softening of cruel and brutal habits and customs, especially, 

 perhaps, under the Antonines (a.d. 138-80). This softening 

 influence was manifested in kindness to slaves and relaxation of 

 the cruel laws relating to their treatment, in gentleness to 

 children, in Trajan's monthly allowance to Eoman and Italian 

 children of impoverished families, in increased facilities for 

 education, and in other social ameliorations. Some of this may 

 be attributed to the effect of good philosophic maxims ; but such 

 theories had been in the air, if we may so say, long previously, 

 without being carried into practice, until Christian example had 

 made them effective. Gaston Boissier* points to Marcus Aurelius' 

 tenderness towards his children, and contrasts it with Cicero's 

 and Seneca's tone in speaking of the little ones. 



The religious revival of the second century was no doubt 

 largely influenced by Christianity, just as has been the case in 

 our own time in India and Ceylon, where the progress of 

 Christianity has produced many attempts to revive and purify 

 Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. In the ancient world also 

 Christian influence led to an endeavour to purify morality and 

 to call attention to the evil effects of heathen mythology. No 

 doubt Plato and Seneca, among others, had already denounced 

 these evils ; but their philosophy had failed to effect a cure ; 

 nor were these men themselves examples of moral conduct. In 

 the second century we find in the heathen world a tendency 

 towards belief in One God spreading in the Empire ; but, apart 

 from Christianity and Judaism, this always, even among philo- 

 sophers, led to Pantheism — not to the recognition of the Living 

 God. Even Epictetus, though he approaches nearer to true 

 Monotheism than any other philosopher of his time, never 

 attains to it, nor does he free himself from the Pantheism of his 

 school. The Octavius of Minucius Eelix shows how powerfully 

 Christian Monotheism attracted a clever Eoman heathen to 

 accept Christianity ; and how different it seemed to him from 

 the vague philosophical ideas on the subject with which he was 

 acquainted ! 



No doubt Quadratus' Apology, addressed to Hadrian, that of 



* La Religion Romaine^ vol. ii. 



