The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-05-13
CHRISTIANITY,
Rapid Growth of the Early Christian
Church.


Church.
The number of disciples who assem-
bled IN an upper room at Jerusalem at
ter the ascension of Christ was only
100, but the miracles OF the day OF Pen
fecost, and the sermon of 81. Peter,
added 5000 new believers, and before
very long, according to the testimony
of the second chapter OF Acts,
their number was 5000. We are next
told that 'the work of God increased,
eud the number of disciples multiplied
Il Jerusalem greatly" For some
ears after the orucifixion the Gospel
was preached at Jerusalem only; but
the first great persecution there, Ia
which st. Stephen was stoned to death,
I'm the year 81, scattered the disciples,
md they preached the new faith in Ju.
dea, Samaria, PhUnicia, Cyprus, and
Syria In Tyre and Sidon there were
bands of converts, and the number Of
believers az Antioch soon formed
strong organization, and it was in the
last-named city that tine followers Of
the new faith first received their dis
tinctive name Of Christians. The mis-
sion OF the APOSTLE Paul to the Gen
tiles began about the year A. The re-
suit OF his first journey with Barnabas
into Asia was the establishment OF
churches in Pamphyha, Pisidia, Lyca-
onia, and Cilicia, IN the southern part
OF Asia Minor. His next circuit ex-
tended the church into Phrygia, Gala
tia, Troas, Macedonia, and Greece. In
another Journey the Church of Ephesus
was formed over which Paul preached
for many years. Carried TO Rome in
tue year %, Paul found the church
had already gained foothold in Italy,
and he largely augmented the number
of believers in the Eternal City by his
preaching and died by martyrdom
there in 6S. The other apostles also
preached at different places. ST. Peter
visited the northern provinces of Asia
Minor and Chaldea; st. Thomas
taught at Odessa and in Mesapotamia,
and is thought TO have extended his
Journeys 10 India; St. Mark founded
the church at Alexandria in Egypt,
and there. are traditions that Persia,
Arabia. and Ethiopia were visited by
others of the apostles. Thus the little
grain of mustard seen was growing into
large tree. The historian Tacitus, in
describing the prosecutions IN the time
of Nero. from the years 81 to 6S, speaks
of the Christians as having become
vast multitude. Pliny, the Roman
Governor of Pontus and Bithynia,
writing in the year 107, said that Chris
tianity had caused the worship OF the
gods in his provinces to be almost en-
tirely given up. After the death Of the
apostles we have little record of the
work of the church for some years.
But Justin Martyr wrote about the
year $50, as follows: "There is no
race Of men, whether barbarians or
Greek, or by whatever other name they
NAV lie designated, among whom pray
ers aud thanksgivings are not offered to
the ather and Creator of all in the
name of the crucifed Jesus. Ireneus,
Bishop of Lyons, writing about the
year IFS, said that the Gospel had been
received In Germany, France. Spain,
and Libya; and Tertullian, in tine year
19S, declares that Parthia, Media, Ar
menia, Gaul Britain, "and other ma
tions and island innumerable" had all
received the light of the Gospel and
had added large numbers to the ranks
of Christian believers. In the year 2l4
Origen conducted a mission among the
Arabs and converted many. Missiona-
ries during that century taught
throughout Gaul, and founded several
churches in Germany. Early in the
third century, during the prosecutions,
Tertullian said that if the Christians
were all forced TO emigrate, the Roman
Empire would become desert. These
peraecutionS only served 70 stimulate
the spread of the church, and in the
year 3O3 these cruelties came to an
end. The year 324 was an important
one for the church, for in that year the
Emperor Constantine joined the Chris.
tians. and the hitherto prosecuted
church was lifted 10 place and power.
In that century, however, the rapid
growth of Christianity was checked by
the appearance of the first heresy, the
Arian. and in the early part of the fifth
century the incursions of the barba-
rian tribes and the overthrow of the
Roman Empire were even more seri
ious hindrance to its prosperous growth.
But 10y this time it had nearly 700 bish-
ops, several thousand priests, and dea-
cons. ard adherents without number in
Southern Europe, in Asia, and in
Egypt. In fine, it had utterly over
thrown, before that date, all the heather
religions, though it had made little i'm
preston upon the Jews, and was des-
tined in two more centuries to be Who'll
ly driven from the Oriental countries
10y the rise and spread of Mahommed-
anism Inter Ocean.