Testimony of the Council of Arles to the above principles, 397 And Constantine's public recognition that the Magisterium of Christ is lodged in the Bishops, 398 CHAPTER VIII. THE CHURCH'S BATTLE FOR INDEPENDENCE OVER AGAINST THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Alliance of the Two Powers in the Roman Empire at the Advent of Christ, 400 The Emperor official guardian of all religions, 401 The Christian religion a singular exception, 403 Its cause the position of Christians towards heathendom, 404 Contradiction in belief, worship, and government, 405 The Christian people as the outcome of these three constituents, 411 The course of the Roman Empire and the Christian Church in three hundred years, 414 The ten persecutions from Nero to Diocletian, 417 The Martyrs champions of a great army, 421 St. Paul's account of this army's creation, 422 The wonder of this creation, 424 Supernatural character of the conversion wrought in these times, 426 Accounted for only by the internal action of the Holy Ghost, 427 Power of the κήρυγμα insisted on by Clement of Alexandria, 429 Contrasted by him with the impotence of philosophy, 430 Sufferings which followed on conversion according to Tertullian, 431 Martyrs enduring or God what heroes endured for goods of nature, 432 Origen insists on the divine power shown in converting sinners, 434 On miracles of conversion as greater than bodily miracles, 435 The spread of the Church and the conversion of sinners viewed together, 436 Miracles only could account for the spread of the Church, 437 Statement of Irenæus as to miraculous powers exercised in his time, 438 Athanasius on the cessation of idolatry, oracles, and magic, 440 And on the greatness of the conversion wrought by Christ, 442 The necessity of miracles in proof of our Lord's mission, 444 The connection between miracles and martyrdom, 445 Parallel between them as to their principle, witness, power, and perpetuity, 449 How the liberty of the Church was gained against the empire, 455 How the Martyrs constructed a basis for civil liberty, 456 The five conflicts of the Church with Judaism, Heresy, Idolatry, Philosophy, and the Roman State, 459 PROLOGUE. THE KINGDOM AS PROPHESIED AND AS FULFILLED.