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 III

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES, AND LETTERS OF APOSTOLIC FATHERS

Adoption of favourite letter-form as literary pieces—in Epistles of the New Testament, and in letters of Apostolic Fathers       69

PART IV

I

(a)

Hadrian—His life of travel—His character—Early policy towards Christians—He insults Christianity in his building of Aelia Capitolina on site of Jerusalem—The great Jewish war—Its two results—(a) Complete change in the spirit of the Jews—(b) A new conception of the Christian sect on part of Roman Government—It was now recognized that the Christian was no mere Jewish dissenter, but a member of a distinct sect, dangerous to Roman policy       75

II

(b)

Last years of Hadrian—Persecution of Christians more pronounced—Undoubted authorities for this graver position of Christians throughout the Empire—Table showing succession of Antonines to the Empire       81

III

ANTONINUS PIUS AND MARCUS ANTONINUS—THEIR IDEALS

Character of Antoninus Pius—His intense love for Rome—His determination to restore the old simple life to which Rome owed her greatness—His devotion to ancient Roman traditions, and to the old Roman religion—Antoninus Pius and his successor Marcus lived themselves the simple austere life they taught to their court and subjects       84

IV

INTENSE ANTIPATHY OF THE ANTONINES TO CHRISTIANITY

Reason of the Antonines' marked hostility to the Christian sect—The Christians stood resolutely aloof from the ancient religion which these two great sovereigns believed was indissolubly bound up with the greatness of Rome—With such views of the sources of Roman power and prosperity, only a stern policy of persecution was possible—This policy, pursued in days of Pius, was intensified by his yet greater successor Marcus—The common idea that the Christians were