After this, Steven the protomartyr, and Paul once him persecutor, had to expose the emptiness of all external santifications, and free the world from the law of Moses.

_Up_ to this point all Christians approve of progress; but _at_ this point they want to arrest it.
The arguments of those who resist Progress are always the same, whether it be Pagans against Hebrews, Jews against Christians, Romanists against Protestants, or modern Christians against the advocates of a higher spiritualism.

Each established system assures its votaries, that now at length they have attained a final perfection: that their foundations are irremovable: progress _up_ to that position was a duty, _beyond_ it is a sin.

Each displaces its predecessor by superior goodness, but then each fights against his successor by odium, contempt, exclusions and (when possible) by violences.

Each advances mankind one step, and forbids them to take a second.