Causes of the Apostasy.—External Causes, Continued.
Pagan persecution.—Roman opposition to Christianity, explanation of.—Number of persecutions by the Romans.—Persecution under Nero.—Under Domitian.—Under Trajan.—Under Marcus Aurelius.—Later persecutions.—Persecutions under Diocletian.—Extent of the Diocletian persecution.—Diocletian boast that Christianity was extinct.—The Church taken under state protection by Constantine the Great.
CHAPTER VI.
Causes of the Apostasy.—Internal Causes.
Diverse effect of persecution.—Imprudent zeal of some.—Return to idolatry by others.—"Libels" attesting individual apostasy.—Sad condition of the Church in third century.—Testimony as to conditions of apostasy at this period.—Decline of the Church antedates the conversion of Constantine.—Departure from Christianity.—Specific causes of the growing apostasy.
CHAPTER VII.
Internal Causes.—Continued.
First specific cause: "The corrupting of the simple principles of the gospel by the admixture of the so-called philosophic systems of the times."—Judaistic perversions.—Admixture of Gnosticism with Christianity.—Gnosticism unsatisfying.—New platonics.—Doctrine of the Logos.—"The World."—Sibellianism.—Arianism.—The Council of Nice and its denunciation of Arianism.—The Nicene Creed.—The Creed of Athanasius.—Perverted view of life.—Disregard for truth.
CHAPTER VIII.
Internal Causes.—Continued.