評論
打印
They spoke a language which left no doubt as to the future of unrepentant sinners. The Teutons were deeply impressed. They still had a deep respect for the wisdom of the ancient city of Rome. Those men were Romans. They probably spoke the truth. Soon the Christian missionary became a power in the savage regions of the Teutons and the Franks. Half a dozen missionaries were as valuable as a whole regiment of soldiers. The Emperors began to understand that the Christian might be of great use to them. In some of the provinces they were given equal rights with those who remained faithful to the old gods. The great change however came during the last half of the fourth century.
氣度沉穩，言之鑿鑿。講到拒不悔改的人在地獄的悲慘情形，讓條頓人不由自主感到深深的觸動。條頓人對古羅馬的智慧向來懷有敬意，他們想，這些人既然來自羅馬，那他們講的大有可能是事實。這樣，在條頓人和法蘭克人聚居的蠻荒之域，基督傳教團 很快成為一支強大的力量。六個傳教士抵得上整整一個羅馬軍團 的威力。羅馬皇帝開始意識到，基督教對帝國可能會大有益處。于是在某些行省，基督徒獲得了與信仰古老宗教的人們同樣的權利。不過發生根本性的變化，還要等到公元4世紀下半葉。
Constantine, sometimes (Heaven knows why) called Constantine the Great, was emperor. He was a terrible ruffian, but people of tender qualities could hardly hope to survive in that hard-fighting age. During a long and checkered career, Constantine had experienced many ups and downs. Once, when almost defeated by his enemies, he thought that he would try the power of this new Asiatic deity of whom everybody was talking. He promised that he too would become a Christian if he were successful in the coming battle. He won the victory and thereafter he was convinced of the power of the Christian God and allowed himself to be baptised.
當時在位的皇帝是康士坦丁，有時他也被稱為康士坦丁大帝（天知道人們為什么這樣稱呼）。此人算得上一個可怕的暴君，不過在那個嚴酷的年代，一個仁慈溫 順的皇帝是很難活下去的。在其漫長坎坷的生涯里，康士坦丁經歷了數不清的沉浮變幻。有一回，他幾乎到了被敵人擊敗的邊緣。他想，也許該試試這個人人都在談論的亞洲新上帝，看看他到底有多大威力。于是他發誓，如果在即將來臨的戰役中獲勝，他就信仰基督。結果他大敗敵軍。從此，康土坦丁信服了基督教上帝的權能，接受洗禮作了基督徒。
From that moment on, the Christian church was officially recognised and this greatly strengthened the position of the new faith.
從那時開始，基督教得到羅馬官方的正式承認，這極大地增強了它在羅馬的地位。
But the Christians still formed a very small minority of all the people,(not more than five or six percent,) and in order to win, they were forced to refuse all compromise.
不過基督徒在羅馬的全部人口中依然處于少數，大約只占5％-6％。為贏得最終勝利，使所有群眾信仰基督，他們拒絕任何妥協。
