For many years Christianity manifested itself as a system enjoining three things--toward God veneration, in personal life purity, in social life benevolence.

In its early days of feebleness it made proselytes only by persuasion, but, as it increased in numbers and influence, it began to exhibit political tendencies, a disposition to form a government within the government, an empire within the empire.

These tendencies it has never since lost.

They are, in truth, the logical result of its development.

The Roman emperors, discovering that it was absolutely incompatible with the imperial system, tried to put it down by force.