Dr. Carroll
3. In its religion, the Roman Empire, at that time, was
pagan. A religion of many gods. Some material and
some imaginary. There were many devout believers
and worshipers. It was a religion not simply of the
people, but of the empire. It was an established
religion. Established by law and supported by the
government. (Mosheim, Vol. 1, Chap. 1.)
End Quote
Ancient Rome and Religion
Religion played an especially important role in the
daily life of Ancient Rome and the Romans. Roman
religion was centered around gods and explanations
for events usually involved the gods in some way or
another. The Romans believed that gods controlled
their lives and, as a result, spent a great deal of their
time worshipping them.
The most important god was Jupiter. He was the king
of gods who ruled with his wife Juno, the goddess of
the sky. Other gods were:
Mars
God of War
Mercury
The messenger of the gods
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Church History Through the Trail of Blood
Nepture
God of the Sea
Janus
God of the Doorway
Diana
Goddess of Hunting
Vesta
Goddess of the Hearth
Minerva
Goddess of Healing and Wisdom
Venus
Goddess of Love
After the reign of the Emperor Augustus (27 BC to
AD 14), the emperor was also considered to be a god
and he was worshipped on special occasions. Each
god had a special festival day which was usually a
public holiday. This holiday gave people the
opportunity to visit the temple for whichever god was
being celebrated. At this temple, priests would
sacrifice animals and offer them to the god.
Temples to worship the gods were built throughout
the Roman Empire. Temples usually always followed
the same building pattern. The roof was triangular
shaped and supported by great pillars. Steps led up to
the main doorway that was usually built behind the
pillars. The inside of the temple would have been very
beautifully decorated and there would have been a
statue of the god in it.
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There would also have been an altar where a priest
would have served the god and made sacrifices.
People called augurs could also be found in the
temples. These people used the entrails of the dead
animals to predict the future. The Romans took these
predictions very seriously and few ignored the advice
of an augur.
Each family home would also have a small altar and
shrine. The Romans had personal household gods or
spirits called ‘lares’ which were worshipped every
day at home. The shrine contained statues of the
‘lares’ and the head of the household led family
prayers around the shrine each day. The service was
considered so important that family slaves were also
invited. It is believed that most Romans were keener
to please their ‘lares’ than the public gods such as
Jupiter.
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A family shrine at a house in Pompeii
Dr. Carroll
4. The Jewish people, at that period, no longer a
separate nation, were scattered throughout the Roman
Empire. They yet had their temple in Jerusalem, and
the Jews yet went there to worship, and they were yet
jealous of their religion. But it, like the pagan, had
long since drifted into formalism and had lost its
power. (Mosheim, Vol. 1, Chap. 2.)
5. The religion of Christ being a religion not of this
world, its founder gave it no earthly head and no
temporal power. It sought no establishment, no state
or governmental support. It sought no dethronement
of Caesar. "Shew me the tribute money. And they
brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them,
Whose is this image and superscription? They say
unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them,
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled,
and left him, and went their way" (Matthew 22:19-
22)
"And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to
Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's. And they marvelled at him"
(Mark 12:17).
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Church History Through the Trail of Blood
Being a spiritual religion, it was a rival of no earthly
government. Its adherents, however, were taught to
respect all civil law and government. "Let every soul
be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of
God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers
are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which
is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For
he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou
do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the
sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a
revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for
wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this
cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very
thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to
whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear
to whom fear; honour to whom honour" (Rom. 13:1-
7)
"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and
powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every
good work" (Titus 3:1).
"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for
the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as
supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are
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sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for
the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of
God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using
your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the
servants of God" (I Peter 2:1316).
6. I want now to call your attention to some of the
landmarks or earmarks of this religion, the Christian
Religion. If you and I are to trace it down through
twenty long centuries, and especially down through
1,200 years of midnight darkness, darkened by rivers
and seas of martyr blood, then we will need to know
well these marks. They will be many times terribly
disfigured. But there will always be some indelible
mark. But let us carefully and prayerfully beware. We
will encounter many shams and make-believes. If
possible, the very elect will be betrayed and deceived.
We want, if possible, to trace it down through credible
history. But more especially through the unerring,
infallible, words and marks of Divine truth.
Some Unerring, Infallible Marks
If in going down through the centuries we run upon a
group or groups of people bearing not these
distinguishing marks and teaching other things for
fundamental doctrines, let us beware.
1. Christ, the author of this religion, organized His
followers or disciples into a Church. And the
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disciples were to organize other churches as this
religion spread and other disciples were "made."
(Bapt. Succession-Ray-Revised Edition, 1st Chap.)
2. This organization or church, according to the
Scriptures and according to the practice of the
Apostles and early churches was given two kinds of
officers and only two, pastors and deacons. The pastor
was called "Bishop." Both pastor and deacons to be
selected by the church and to be servants of the
church.
3. The churches in their government and discipline to
be entirely separate and independent of each other.
Jerusalem to have no authority over Antioch; nor
Antioch over Ephesus; nor Ephesus over Corinth, and
so forth. And their government to be congregational,
democratic. A government of the people, by the
people, and for the people.
4. To the church were given two ordinances and only
two, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These to be
perpetual and memorial.
5. Only the "saved" were to be received as members
of the church. "Praising God, and having favour
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47.) These
saved ones to be saved by grace alone without any
works of the law. "Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye
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are saved;)...For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians
2:5,8,9). These saved ones and they only, to be
immersed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19.) And
only those thus received and baptized, to partake of
the Lord's Supper, and the supper to be celebrated
only by the church, in church capacity.
6. The inspired scriptures, and they only, in fact, the
New Testament and that only, to be the rule and guide
of faith and life, not only for the church as an
organization, but for each individual member of that
organization.
7. Christ Jesus, the founder of this organization and
the savior of its members, to be their only priest and
kin, their only Lord and Lawgiver, and the only head
of the churches. The churches to be executive only in
carrying out their Lord's will and completed laws,
never legislative, to amend or abrogate old laws or to
make new ones.
8. This religion of Christ to be individual, personal,
and purely voluntary or through persuasion. No
physical or governmental compulsion. A matter of
distinct individual and personal choice. "Choose you"
is the scriptural injunction. It could be neither
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accepted nor rejected nor lived by proxy nor under
compulsion.
9. Mark well! That neither Christ nor His apostles,
ever gave to His followers, what is known today as a
denominational name, such as "Catholic," "Lutheran,"
"Presbyterian," "Episcopal," and so forth-unless the
name given by Christ to John was intended for such,
"The Baptist," "John the Baptist." "Verily I say unto
you, Among them that are born of women there hath
not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew
11:11), and ten or twelve other times. Christ called the
individual follower "disciple." Two or more were
called "disciples." The organization of disciples,
whether at Jerusalem or Antioch or elsewhere, was
called Church. If more than one of these separate
organizations were referred to, they were called
Churches. The word church in the singular was never
used when referring to more than one of these
organizations. Nor even when referring to them all.
10. I venture to give one more distinguishing mark.
We will call it--Complete separation of Church and
State. No combination, no mixture of this spiritual
religion with a tempor "Religious Liberty," for
everybody.
End Quote
Conclusion for Chapter Three
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In the next part, we will begin examining the chart in
detail.
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