Christians, they were called; after Christ their Lord and God. Weak
old men, poor women, slaves, even children, were among them. Not
many mighty, not many rich, not many noble, were called. They were
mostly weak and oppressed people, who had been taught by suffering
and sorrow.
One would have thought that the world would have despised these
Christians, and let them go their own way in peace. But it was not
so. The mighty of this world, and those who lived by pandering to
their vices, so far from despising the Christians, saw at once how
important they were. They saw that, if people went about the world
determined to speak nothing but what they believed to be true, and to
do nothing but what was right, then the wicked world would be indeed
turned upside down, and, as they complained against St. Paul more
than once, the hope of their gains would be gone. Therefore they
conceived the most bitter hatred against these Christians, and rose
against them, for the same simple reason that Cain rose up against
Abel and slew him, because his works were wicked, and his brother's
righteous. They argued with them; they threatened them; they tried
to terrify them: but they found to their astonishment that the
Christians would not change their minds for any terror. Then their
hatred became rage and fury.
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