becoming an interesting in itself. It was not only being organized
as a great propagandist society, but it fulfilled many functions in
the great human life in which it was placed. Of course the
propaganda was its primary reason for existence, ¹ at the same
time hospitality to strangers, the supply of social life to the
lonely, of organized strength to the weak, of burial to the poor
were all functions of the early church. ² One thing was, as we
have seen (pages 101, 102 ) most essential. In the midst of a
critical and hostile community it was of tremendous importance
to maintain the outward unity of the organization. Uniformity
became confused with unity, and indeed real unity was often
seemingly less important in the eyes of the leaders than uni-
formity of conduct.

It became, therefore, wellnigh essential to gain a lasting and
satisfactory basis for uniformity. The account in Acts ³ of the
meeting at Jerusalem reveals the spirit and method that must
have animated the early group.

For Paul the only basis for the church life consisted in pos-
session by the Holy Spirit. This possession must, of course,
result in a distinct religious-moral type, and the approach to this
type could alone be a basis for effective fellowship, which is the

first edition, London, 1892.-- Harnack, A.: "Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte";
Freiburg, 1888- 1890; 3 vols.; English translation in 7 vols., Boston, 1895- 1900.
-- Harnack, A.: "Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten
drei Jahrhunderten"; Leipsic, 1902; second very much enlarged edition in
1906; English translation of the first edition by Moffatt: "The Expansion of
Christianity in the First Three Centuries"; New York, 1904- 1905; 2 vols.--
Gass, W.: "Geschichte der christlichen Ethik"; Berlin, 1880- 1887.-- Ziegler,
Theo.: "Geschichte der christlichen Ethik"; Strasburg, 1892.-- Bestmann,
H.: "Geschichte der christlichen Sitte"; Nördlingen, 1880- 1885.-- Smith, W.,
and Cheetham, S.: "A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities"; 1875- 1880.--
Luthardt, C. E.: "Geschichte der christlichen Ethik." Last edition two vols.
in one, 1888- 1893; also English translation of the first vol. of first edition,
Edinburgh, 1889.

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