Perhaps the Romans' attempt to tame and standardize the traditional oath had something to do with the persecution which resulted in martyrdom. Tertullian wrote a tract to encourage those about to suffer martyrdom. Martyrdom became the aim of Christianity, a society fed with a profound belief in the necessity for a pure membership, in the reality of God's judgment and in the ever-present guidance of the Holy Spirit. He rejected any compromise with the world and the affairs of the world. "He (the Christian) finds God, makes him known and then puts a practical seal on all theoretical questions about God with his action." Apology, 46, 9.