In fact: this religion cannot pretend to _self-sustaining power._ Hardly was it started on its course, when it began to be polluted by the heathenism and false philosophy around it.

With the decline of national genius and civil culture it became more and more debased.

So far from being able to uphold the existing morality of the best Pagan teachers, it became barbarized itself, and sank into deep superstition and manifold moral corruption.

From ferocious men it learnt ferocity.

When civil society began to coalesce into order, Christianity also turned for the better, and presently learned to use the wisdom, first of Romans, then of Greeks: such studies opened men's eyes to new apprehensions of the Scripture and of its doctrine.