评论
打印
They spoke a language which left no doubt as to the future of unrepentant sinners. The Teutons were deeply impressed. They still had a deep respect for the wisdom of the ancient city of Rome. Those men were Romans. They probably spoke the truth. Soon the Christian missionary became a power in the savage regions of the Teutons and the Franks. Half a dozen missionaries were as valuable as a whole regiment of soldiers. The Emperors began to understand that the Christian might be of great use to them. In some of the provinces they were given equal rights with those who remained faithful to the old gods. The great change however came during the last half of the fourth century.
气度沉稳，言之凿凿。讲到拒不悔改的人在地狱的悲惨情形，让条顿人不由自主感到深深的触动。条顿人对古罗马的智慧向来怀有敬意，他们想，这些人既然来自罗马，那他们讲的大有可能是事实。这样，在条顿人和法兰克人聚居的蛮荒之域，基督传教团 很快成为一支强大的力量。六个传教士抵得上整整一个罗马军团 的威力。罗马皇帝开始意识到，基督教对帝国可能会大有益处。于是在某些行省，基督徒获得了与信仰古老宗教的人们同样的权利。不过发生根本性的变化，还要等到公元4世纪下半叶。
Constantine, sometimes (Heaven knows why) called Constantine the Great, was emperor. He was a terrible ruffian, but people of tender qualities could hardly hope to survive in that hard-fighting age. During a long and checkered career, Constantine had experienced many ups and downs. Once, when almost defeated by his enemies, he thought that he would try the power of this new Asiatic deity of whom everybody was talking. He promised that he too would become a Christian if he were successful in the coming battle. He won the victory and thereafter he was convinced of the power of the Christian God and allowed himself to be baptised.
当时在位的皇帝是康士坦丁，有时他也被称为康士坦丁大帝（天知道人们为什么这样称呼）。此人算得上一个可怕的暴君，不过在那个严酷的年代，一个仁慈温 顺的皇帝是很难活下去的。在其漫长坎坷的生涯里，康士坦丁经历了数不清的沉浮变幻。有一回，他几乎到了被敌人击败的边缘。他想，也许该试试这个人人都在谈论的亚洲新上帝，看看他到底有多大威力。于是他发誓，如果在即将来临的战役中获胜，他就信仰基督。结果他大败敌军。从此，康土坦丁信服了基督教上帝的权能，接受洗礼作了基督徒。
From that moment on, the Christian church was officially recognised and this greatly strengthened the position of the new faith.
从那时开始，基督教得到罗马官方的正式承认，这极大地增强了它在罗马的地位。
But the Christians still formed a very small minority of all the people,(not more than five or six percent,) and in order to win, they were forced to refuse all compromise.
不过基督徒在罗马的全部人口中依然处于少数，大约只占5％-6％。为赢得最终胜利，使所有群众信仰基督，他们拒绝任何妥协。
