and never from her purposed intent.
She was no self-conscious, deliberate civilizer. Conquest and rapine,
the uniform aim of her actions, never permitted her, even at her utmost
intellectual development, to comprehend the equal rights of all men in
the eye of the law. Unpitying in her stern policy, few were the
occasions when, for high state reasons, she stayed her uplifted hand.
She might in the wantonness of her power, stoop to mercy; she never rose
to benevolence.

[Sidenote: Prepares the way for the recognition of the equality of all
men.]

When Syria was paying one third of its annual produce in taxes, is it
surprising that the Jewish peasant sighed for a deliverer, and eagerly
listened to the traditions of his nation that a temporal Messiah, "a
king of the Jews" would soon come? When there was announced the equality
of all men before God, "who maketh his sun to shine on the good and the
evil, and sendeth his rain on the just and the unjust," is it surprising
that men looked for equal rights before the law? Universal equality
means universal benevolence; it substitutes for the impersonal and
easily-eluded commands of the state the dictates of an ever-present
conscience; it accepts the injunction, "Do unto others as you would they
should do to you."

[Sidenote: Attitude of Paganism.]

In the spread of a doctrine two things are concerned--its own intrinsic
nature, and the condition of him on whom it is intended to act. The
spread of Christianity is not difficult to be understood. Its
antagonist, Paganism, presented inherent weakness, infidelity, and a
cheerless prospect; a system, if that can be called so, which had no
ruling idea, no principles, no organization; caring nothing for
proselytes; its rival pontiffs devoted to many gods, but forming no
political combination; occupying themselves with directing public
worship and foretelling future events, but not interfering in domestic
life; giving itself no concern for the lowly and unfortunate; not
recognizing, or, at the best, doubtfully admitting a future life;
limiting the hopes and destiny of man to this world; teaching that
temporal prosperity may be selfishly gained at any cost, and looking to
suicide as the relief of the brave from misfortune.

[Sidenote: Attitude of Christianity.]

On the other side was Christianity, with its enthusiasm and burning
faith; its rewards in this life, and everlasting happiness or damnation
in the next; the precise doctrine