FAMTLY (1) The idea of the family in Greece was that of the nucleus of society or of the state. The idea of the Christian family, on the contrary (Eph, :15), is a communion resting on an ethico-religious foundation, and forming the closest of all human relationships. It is a copy of the highest and most perfect union, that of the church with Christ, its head. (McC. and Str. Bib. Cyc.) (2) The influence of the Cbri,tian religion upon the customs and habits of family life was very considerable, even from the first ; although it did not aim at making any abrupt or sudden changes, except in those things which were necessarily sinful.
The great Christian doctrines which so power fully affect the feelings, hopcs, and whole inner life of those who heartily receive them, led at once to the renunciation of idolatry in all its forms, and of the excesses and licentiousnesses then so common and so little thought of ; and inculcated mow principles of thought and action, which operated more or less powerfully in every direction. But the ordinary usages of domesti.c life, which wcre not directly connected with the religious and moral obliquities of the old poly theism, were apparently left untouchcd by any positive interference or command. Christianity proved itself the salt of the earth by gradually interpenetrating the surrounding mass of pagan civilization, and not by shrinking from all con tact with it.
The elevation of the female sex was one of the most conspicuous of the indirect results which rapidly followed the reception of the new reli gion. The position of women among the Jews, and the manner in which Jesus had received them as his disciples and friends, must have taught the apostles, if they needed any such teaching, what place women were entitled to hold in the social economy of the church. And accordingly, wherever Christ was proclaimed, women were invited and welcomed into the Christian commu nities, and were admitted equally with men to all Christian privileges. Hence in a Christian family the wife and mother held an honorable place; and the conjugal union, the source of all other family relationships, being thus honored, com municated a happy influence throughout the household.
(3) Before Christianity became the prevailing and established religion, families were in continual danger of being molested by popular violence, and of being utterly broken up in times of legal ized persecution. But, besides the,se dangers and
troubles, there were sometimes others hardly less painful within the family itself, when only a part of the household had become Christians. The antagonism and consequent discomfort, if not pos itive misery, must then have been almost per petual; and the difficulty of maintaining, religious faithfulness, without losing family affection or breaking family ties, must have been very great. Jesus himself had warned his disciples before hand that "a man's foes might be those of his own household ;" and that his religion, in such a case, might bring "not peace but a sword." St. Paul, while desirous that this difference of religion should not actually separate a husband and wife, admitted that it would and must sometimes have this effect. Tcrtullian (ad U xor. :4) describes in detail the sort of hindrances, opposition and ridicule which a Christian woman must expect if she married a husband who was an unbeliever; and how iinpossible she would find it to fulfill in peace, if she could fulfill at all, her Christian dii ties—even if nothing worse occurred. But in times of persecution, or of any strong excitement of anti-Christian feeling, it was not merely diffi culties and discomforts that had to be encoun tered. The strongest words of Christ were then often literally realized, when the most powerful natural affections were shattered. and Christians were betrayed and denounced by their nearest rel atives and given up to the persecutor's sword. See an early instance of this in Justin Martyr, Apol. II:2.
(4) Parental obligations include the mainte nance of children (i Tim. 5:8) and their educa tion in its fullest sense (Exod. xii:26, 27; Dent. vi :6, 7 ; Eph. vi :4).
The filial obligations are obedience (Luke ii :51; ; Col. iii:2o). reverence (Exod. xx :14. comp. Eph. vi:t, 2), and grateful requital (I Tim. v:4 ; comp. John xix :26).
(5) The entire life of the Christian family is a continuous act of worship in the more extended sense of the term. Hence the importance of fam ily worship.