PREPARATION FOR RESUMING THE EXAMINATION OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROGRESS OF EUROPE. _Religious Ideas of the primitive Europeans.--The Form of their Variations is determined by the Influence of Rome.--Necessity of Roman History in these Investigations._ _Rise and Development of Roman Power, its successive Phases, territorial Acquisitions.--Becomes Supreme in the Mediterranean.--Consequent Demoralization of Italy.--Irresistible Concentration of Power.--Development of Imperialism.--Eventual Extinction of the true Roman Race._ _Effect on the intellectual, religious, and social Condition of the Mediterranean Countries.--Produces homogeneous Thought.--Imperialism prepares the Way for Monotheism.--Momentous Transition of the Roman World in its religious Ideas._ _Opinions of the Roman Philosophers.--Coalescence of the new and old Ideas.--Seizure of Power by the Illiterate, and consequent Debasement of Christianity in Rome._ 239 CHAPTER IX. THE EUROPEAN AGE OF INQUIRY. THE PROGRESSIVE VARIATION OF OPINIONS CLOSED BY THE INSTITUTION OF COUNCILS AND THE CONCENTRATION OF POWER IN A PONTIFF. RISE, EARLY VARIATIONS, CONFLICTS, AND FINAL ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY. _Rise of Christianity.--Distinguished from ecclesiastical Organization.--It is demanded by the deplorable Condition of the Empire.--Its brief Conflict with Paganism.--Character of its first Organization.--Variations of Thought and Rise of Sects: their essential Difference in the East and West.--The three primitive Forms of Christianity: the Judaic Form, its End--the Gnostic Form, its End--the African Form, continues._ _Spread of Christianity from Syria.--Its Antagonism to Imperialism; their Conflicts.--Position of Affairs under Diocletian.--The Policy of Constantine.--He avails himself of the Christian Party, and through it attains supreme Power.--His personal Relations to it._ _The Trinitarian Controversy.--Story of Arius.--The Council of Nicea._ _The Progress of the Bishop of Rome to Supremacy.--The Roman Church; its primitive subordinate Position.--Causes of its increasing Wealth, Influence, and Corruptions.--Stages of its Advancement through the Pelagian, Nestorian, and Eutychian Disputes.--Rivalry of the Bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Rome._ _Necessity of a Pontiff in the West and ecclesiastical Councils in the East.--Nature of those Councils and of pontifical Power._ _The Period closes at the Capture and Sack of Rome by Alaric.--Defence of that Event by St. Augustine.--Criticism on his Writings._ _Character of the Progress of Thought through this Period.--Destiny of the three great Bishops._ 266 CHAPTER X. THE EUROPEAN AGE OF FAITH. AGE OF FAITH IN THE EAST.