These ideas of peace and justice were a prelude to Christianity which while preaching brotherhood among all men established its principal center in Rome When the Empire fell under the sword of the barbarian the ideal of humanitarianism and peace survived in Italy by finding refuge and support in the Roman church The church set out to educate even the barbarians it opposed the cruelty of the times with the Christian law of love and it almost always used its moral authority intensified by the very violence and rampant anarchy of the day to foster the free and civil association of peoples This international arbitration which for want of any communal law we still regard as the best protection of peace today was practiced by the best and greatest of the pontiffs of the early Middle Ages who censured injustice and the corruption of the aristocracy and who defended the liberty of the common man
The Truces of God which at certain times of the year punctuated any continuous wars between neighboring countries; or between communities or even between factions within the same community were also a beneficent inspiration of the Roman church They sprang into existence and multiplied in a feudal society whose aristocracy beyond our mountain ranges gloried in celebrating any event joyous or sad with battles and massacres