CHAPTER V.

Faustinus inquires of Mrs. Jay as to the Progress of the Gospel-Of the Last Days of the World; Views of the Early Ages respecting it; Mrs. Jay gives the Views of the Present Day-Perpetua on the Progress of Christianity-On the Condition of Women in the Days of Nero-The Law of the Twelve Tables-Examples of the Degradation of Women, shown in the Mother of Demosthenes and the Wife of M. P. Cato-Of the Law of Divorce as shown by Cicero to Terentia-Calliste tells of the Condition of Roman Children-Testimony of Tacitus-She gives an Account of Roman Customs, concerning Marriage, in a Relation of her own union to Faustinus.

THE narrative of Calliste had ended, and Mrs. Jay, with profound sympathy and admiration, returned her thanks. Faustinus, addressing Mrs. Jay, said, "You come, madam, from a new world. Tell me, is it the new earth we read of in the Holy Scriptures, 'wherein dwelleth righteousness ?" "

"O no! I wish it were. Our people have no claim to distinction on this score. They have made no progress in holiness that I know of in settling a new con tinent. Humanity is the same in all climes and al ages."

"But we hoped the Gospel would have renovated th world ere this," answered Faustinus.

"But it has not, sir, and I do not see that it will for centuries to come. Some pious and eminent divines of the present day have had their patience utterly exhausted, waiting for the triumphs of the Gospel; and have published sermons, and pamphlets, in favor of the world's being burned up. This summary mode of proceeding has been quite popular in certain quarters, but we have no knowledge whether this scheme. of theirs will be entertained elsewhere. It seems to be the effect of petulance and a longing for a climax. I believe, St. Perpetua, there has been in every age an intense desire throughout Christendom to see the world destroyed by fire."

Perpetua, with a smile, replied, "My dear Mrs. Jay, you have your own way in saying things. . In answer to your inquiry, Faustinus will tell you that in his day there was an earnest longing and looking for the day of the Lord, which was then believed to be near at hand. Toward the close of the tenth century, it was believed that the opening of the next would see the consummation of all things; an expectation spread by the great leaders of the Church who added vast domains to monasteries by compounding the sins of great barons in consideration of such grants;* and as you

* Hallam in his "History of the Middle Ages," chap. vii. says: "To die without allotting a portion of worldly wealth to pious uses, was accounted almost like sui cide or a refusal of the last sacraments. The church lands enjoyed

an immunity from taxes. According to a calculation founded on a passage in Knyghton, the revenue of the English church in 1837, amounted to 780,000 marks

know, Mrs. Jay, since the days of Mede and Bishop Newton, every year has seen a new exegesis of the Revelations of St. John, of which the boldest and most specific has always paid best; nor has the skill of modern divines, in making 'taking books,' decreased in your day and generation."

"How much we have to learn!" exclaimed Faustinus, addressing Calliste. "Tell me, Mrs. Jay, the burden of the ministry in the present day. In ours, there was one absorbing theme-'God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.' 'Christ the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners,' was our cabalistic saying, by which we knew each other. That was the scope of the preaching then, and of our duty,-to confess Christ and lay down our lives for the brethren. His glory was the Alpha and Omega of all our exertions; the motive of all our sacrifices. Changes had come over the world in the third century, before we took our departure on the mission of love to the new world we have just now left. Almsgiving and celibacy began then to take the place of Christ, and faith in his complete righteousness, as the sinner's hope of justification before God. John, of

per annum. The clergy did enjoy nearly one-half of England, and I beller a greater portion in some countries of Europe."

Hallam says, chap. ix., part 1: "In the tenth century, an opinion prevalled everywhere that the end of the world was approaching."

the Golden Mouth,' as St. Chrysostom was called, with glowing eloquence was then leading away the Church of God from the true faith in Christ. And now, madam, after an absence of fifteen centuries, we come back to ask what are the themes of the Christian ministry in these latter days and in your new world. I cannot but hope that this virgin continent has been kept free from the pollutions of the old world."

"I wish it were so," said Mrs. Jay with great intensity of feeling. "Doubtless there are advantages resulting from the newness pervading our wide-spread country. The North American Republic consists of thirty-one Independent and Sovereign States. In the Northern States, the population is divided into a multitude of sects, called churches; some of these are very high, some very low; some extremely orthodox, some excessively heterodox, and those claiming to be most of all rationalistic, are of all others most irrational. Now among those known as Evangelical and Orthodox, the topics you speak of as being the burden of all the prophesyings of your day, are regarded as accepted truths, and the confessed stand-points of all subjects to be discussed. What is most needed now for a revival of primitive piety in our country, is a little of that of which you had too much-the lions of the Amphitheatre. Nor will you wonder at this when I tell you that our churches for more than two hundred years have possessed the largest freedom of religious

liberty. We all sit under our own vines and fig trees, having none to disturb or make us afraid. And yet, in despite of all the corrupting influences of such national prosperity as the world has never before seen possessed by any people, I hope and believe the kingdom of Christ is advancing and his glorious reign is extending over the wide world. But my judgment is like that of a man in the midst of opposing forces; he cannot tell on which side is the victory. What says Perpetua?"

"Oh, there is progress!" exclaimed Perpetua with a bright and beautiful confidence in her tone and manner. "It is, as our divine Redeemer has said it should be, the leaven is leavening the whole lump. The simplicity of life and manners existing two centuries since, and the principles which led the colonists of Plymouth to the rock-bound coast of New England, and which deep poverty enforced with stern rigor, has changed more and more as your country has become prosperous. And this is as true of Great Britain as of the States of North America. But while there has been a subsidence of some severe virtues, there is a wonderful development of the feeling of brotherhood. Since the days of the apostles, when the disciples, in the fire of their first love, tried the hopeless experiment of having all things common, never has the command of Christ to disciple all nations been so widely recognized and acted upon by the churches of Christ as now."