*4.* _Philosophical Foundations._—The laws of Greece, down to the time of Plato, were thoroughly pagan. But, following the philosophical foundations laid by Plato and Aristotle, unintentionally and unwittingly the laws of Greece became imbued with the spirit of natural law.(6) *5.* _Rome, Natural Justice._—Prior to the introduction of Grecian law into Rome, the laws of that nation were pagan. Grecian law from its introduction to the time of Octavius was the civilizing element of the empire. Then it took a turn for the worse, the element of natural justice being reduced and the element of arbitrary rule becoming dominant.(7) *6.* _Canon Law._—We will now turn to the first period of canon law, which covers the early history of the Church up to the reign of Constantine the Great.(8) Canon law is composed of the following elements: 1. Holy Scriptures; 2. Ecclesiastical tradition; 3. Decrees of Councils; 4. Bulls and rescripts of Popes; 5. The writings of the Fathers; 6. Civil law.(9) *7.* _Early Christians._—Owing to the persecutions, the early Christians were, in a sense, isolated from the State; they held their property in common, and were governed in matters among themselves by the canon law. However, for want of freedom of discussion and publication, they were unable, even within a single nation of the empire, to promulgate a system of canon law. The foundation of canon law being laid, its development upon the manumission of the Church was rapid.(10) *8.* _Persecutions, Defenses._—During the religious persecutions the Christians almost had law forced into them by surgical operations. The necessity for their making defenses in the Roman tribunals induced many of them to give Roman law a careful study. Also, the great number of Christians held for trial on all sorts of accusations made that branch of the law of the realm very lucrative for lawyers, and called into the field many Christians. Incidently, men studying for the priesthood made a study of Roman law with a view to avoiding its machinations and continuing their functions as clergymen without being caught in the net of persecution.(11) *9.* _Constantine, Blending the Law._—When Emperor Constantine became a Christian (325 A.D.), there was a great change, and the members of the bar and judges were mostly Christians. It then became necessary for students of law to study the principles of divine right as taught in the Church, and while the books of the civil law were read by students for the priesthood, the Scriptures and the works of the Fathers were read by the students in law, thus blending the law of the two realms to some extent.(12)