Wherever  the  earlier  spirit  survived,  this  hope  also
lived.  The  kingdoms  of  the  world  represented  only
that  which  should  perish  and  pass  away.  The  more
terrible  the  blows  which  the  world  aimed  at  the
followers  of  Christ,  the  fiercer  their  contempt  the


CHAP.  v.  ANTE-NICENE  CHURCH  291

more  reckless  their  challenge,  and  the  greater  their
joy  in  the  battle.  Not  all,  it  is  true,  were  of  this
stern  and  passionate  spirit ;  but  all  everywhere  who
were  hoping  for  better  things,  and  found  their
highest  joy  in  the  near  coming  of  the  Lord,  dared
everything.  His  coming  was  their  dream  day  and
night,  and  in  the  thought  of  it  the  shame  of  self-
indulgence  and  weakness  burned  like  a  flame.  Ex-
hortation, appeal,  and  protest  against  all  contact
with  the  world,  against  all  lowering  of  the  Christian
standard,  against  all  compromises  with  the  spiritual
stringency  of  the  soul's  high  destiny,  were  scattered
like  sparks  over  a  dry  prairie,  and  soon  the  whole
Church  was  in  flames.  The  very  character  of  the
movement  shows  that  it  must  appeal  to  the  very
best  element  in  the  Church.  This  new  voice  found
an  echo  in  many  breasts,  and  these  were  the  most
earnest,  devoted,  and  self-sacrificing.  The  message
was  so  clear,  so  simple,  and  yet  so  appalling.  The
end  of  the  world  was  near.  The  earth  was  vile  and
the  Church  was  becoming  corrupt.  The  first  pro-
position was  the  common  faith  of  by  far  the  larger
part  of  the  Church.  The  second  has  been  the
common  form  of  expression  for  all  souls  wrought
upon  by  the  passion  for  spiritual  perfection.  The
last  assertion,  which  was  the  conviction  of  many
serious  and  earnest  men,  was  not  the  mere  exag-
geration of  fanatics.  If  one  takes  the  trouble  to
study  the  legislation  of  the  early  synods,  he  will
discover  what  men  found  in  the  life  of  the  Church
of  this  century.  To  tell  what  they  found  is  not


294  SAINT  PAUL  AND  THE  CHAP.  v.
