I have found it among
the humbler sort of the Christians of Rome. Among them there is to be
seen nothing of the temper of violence and bigotry that was visible this
evening in the language of so many. They, for the most part, place the
religion of Jesus in holy living, in love of one another, and patient
waiting for the kingdom of God. And their lives are seen to accord with
these great principles of action. Even for their leaders, who are in so
many points so different from them, this may be said in explanation and
excuse--that from studying the record more than the common people, they
come to consider more narrowly in what the religion of Jesus consists,
and arriving, after much labor, at what they believe in their hearts to
be the precise truth--truth the most vital of any to the power and
success of the gospel--this engrosses all their affections, and prompts
all their labor and zeal. In the dissemination of this do they alone
behold the dissemination of Christianity itself--this being denied or
rejected, the gospel itself is. With such notions as fundamental
principles of action, it is easy to see with what sincere and virtuous
indignation they would be filled toward such as should set at nought and
oppose that, which they cherish as the very central glory and
peculiarity of Christianity. These things being so, I can pity and
forgive a great deal of what appears to be, and is, so opposite to the
true Christian temper, on account of its origin and cause. Especially as
these very persons, who are so impetuous, and truculent almost, as
partizans and advocates, are, as private Christians, examples perhaps of
extraordinary virtue. We certainly know this to be the case with Macer.
An apostle was never more conscientious nor more pure. Yet would he, had
he power equal to his will, drive from the church all who bowed not the
knee to his idol Novatian.'

'But how,' asked Julia, 'would that agree with the offence he justly
took at those who quarreled with Probus and Felix on account of their
doctrine?'

'There certainly would be in such conduct no agreement nor consistency.
It only shows how easy it is to see a fault in another, to which we are
stone-blind in ourselves. In the faith or errors of Probus and Felix he
thought there was nothing that should injure their Christian name, or
unfit them for any office. Yet in the same breath he condemned as almost
the worst enemies of Christ such as refused honor and adherence to th