And in face of it all the Church stood completely unarmed.  Unarmed?  No, irresistibly armed, as St Paul says, with the “…whole armour of God” – “the belt of truth”, “the breastplate of righteousness”, “the shield of faith”, “the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit…” (NRSV, Ephesians 6:13-17).  And it was the Sword of the Spirit that triumphed.

Indeed, in the end the enemies of the Faith were converted to it.  And when at last the Roman Empire reached the evening of her long day and the calm of her latter years was shattered and swept away by the stormy night of the barbarian invasions and the old civilisation was wiped out, it was the invincible Church which survived; and not only survived, but gradually converted the savage conquerors and brought them to Christ.