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After a while they began to meet the men and women who preached the words of Jesus. They found them very different from the average Roman priests. They were all dreadfully poor. They were kind to slaves and to animals. They did not try to gain riches, but gave away whatever they had. The example of their unselfish lives forced many Romans to forsake the old religion. They joined the small communities of Christians who met in the back rooms of private houses or somewhere in an open field, and the temples were deserted.
又過了不久，他們開始與宣傳基督福音的男男女女們有了私下的接觸，發現他們的為人處事與羅馬的僧侶截然不同。他們個個衣衫檻樓、一貧如洗，對奴隸和動物友愛有加。他們從不試圖聚斂財富，反倒傾其所有來幫助窮人和病人。他們無私利人的生活榜樣觸動了許多羅馬人，使他們放棄了原有的信仰，加入基督徒組成的小社團 。他們在私人住宅的密室或露天田野的某處聚會，羅馬的廟宇冷寂了。
This went on year after year and the number of Christians continued to increase. Presbyters or priests (the original Greek meant "elder") were elected to guard the interests of the small churches. A bishop was made the head of all the communities within a single province. Peter, who had followed Paul to Rome, was the first Bishop of Rome. In due time his successors (who were addressed as Father or Papa) came to be known as Popes.
一年年過去，傳教工作一如既往，基督徒的人數在持續增加。他們推選神父或長老（"presbyters"，希臘語意為"老年人"）負責保護小社團 的利益。每一個行省的所有社團 還選出一位主教，作為這一地區的基督教首領。繼保羅之后來羅馬傳教的彼得成為了第一任羅馬主教。到某個時候，彼得的繼任者（信徒親切地稱呼他"父親"或"爸爸"）便開始被稱為"教皇"了。
The church became a powerful institution within the Empire. The Christian doctrines appealed to those who despaired of this world. They also attracted many strong men who found it impossible to make a career under the Imperial government, but who could exercise their gifts of leadership among the humble followers of the Nazarene teacher. At last the state was obliged to take notice. The Roman Empire (I have said this before) was tolerant through indifference. It allowed everybody to seek salvation after his or her own fashion. But it insisted that the different sects keep the peace among themselves and obey the wise rule of "live and let live."
教會逐漸成長為羅馬帝國之內的一個頗具影響力和權勢的機構。基督教義不僅感染著許多對現世絕望的人們，而且還吸引了大量天資聰穎、精明強干的能人。這些人在帝國政府內飛黃騰達無門，卻能在拿撒勒導師的跟隨者中間施展他們的領導才能。最后，帝國政府不得不引起注意，正視基督教的存在了。正如我前面講過的，羅馬政府原則上允許所有臣民以自己喜歡的方式尋求靈魂的拯救，但政府要求，所有的宗教應該和平共處，遵循"自己生存，也讓別人生存"的明智原則。
