30-313 - The Early Church

On Pentecost, the harvest feast of the Jews, the Holy Ghost descended on the assembled Apostles and disciples. After Peter's first sermon, three thousand were added to the Church; and a little later over five thousand more. These early Christians " were persevering in the teaching of the Apostles and in the communion of the breaking of bread and in prayer." They had a common fund. Seven deacons were appointed to take care of the poor and to assist in the preaching of the word of God. Mathias was chosen as an Apostle soon after the defection of Judas. All the Apostles, except St. John, suffered martyrdom.

Peter and John were accused before the Sanhedrin for having cured a lame man, and were forbidden to teach in the name of Christ. Before long, all the Apostles were imprisoned and scourged. The bitter opposition of the Jews broke out in an open persecution of the Christians; and the first victim, St. Stephen, was stoned to death in the year 36. Persecuted Christianity now gained disciples everywhere. Enlightened by God in the three visions of unclean animals, Peter received the first pagan convert, Cornelius the centurion, into the Church.

Herod Agrippa began to persecute the Christians about the year 44. St. James the elder, brother of St. John, was put to death; St. Peter was imprisoned, but having been liberated by an angel, "he went into another place," probably Rome.

Saul, a young Pharisee of Tarsus in Cilicia, a disciple of Gamaliel, had approved St. Stephen's death; but, as he was on his way to Damascus, Our Lord appeared to him and the violent enemy of the Christians was converted and baptized in the year 37. He remained in solitude for three years, and then went to Jerusalem " to see Peter." At Antioch he was ordained and officially recognized as an Apostle of the Gospel. Soon afterward, in company with Barnabas, he set out on his first missionary journey (46-48). He went first to Cyprus where he converted the proconsul, Sergius Paulus; passed thence to Asia Minor, spreading the Gospel and strengthening the people in the faith of Christ; and then returned to Antioch, and was known by the name of Paul.

In the years 50-53, St. Paul made his second missionary journey. It extended to Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, — where he tarried a year and a half at Corinth, — Ephesus and Antioch. On his third missionary journey (53-57), St. Paul went to Asia Minor, remained over two years at Ephesus, and then visited Corinth, Macedonia, Miletus, Caesarea and Jerusalem. Immediately upon his arrival in Jerusalem, the Jews attempted to put him to death, but the guard of the temple freed him. Having spent two years in prison at Caesarea (57-59), St. Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome, where he was imprisoned for two more years (60-62). Having recovered his freedom, he went to the far West (Spain), then to Asia Minor, Macedonia and Crete. He was again imprisoned and at last beheaded in Rome, on June 29th, of the year 67.

The early labors of St. Peter in Palestine are recorded by his companion, St, Luke, in the first twelve chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke afterwards became the companion of St. Paul, and for this reason the subsequent labors of St. Peter are not so well known as those of St. Paul. Soon after receiving the centurion and his household into the Church, Peter, the prince of the Apostles, presided as bishop over a large congregation at Antioch, where the followers of Christ were first called "Christians." Later on, he was a missionary traversing Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia and other countries.

Before the close of the first century, there were Christian communities in Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Ethiopia and Egypt. These communities included many persons of education and good social position.

The Apostles provided for a triple gradation of power, the apostolate (or episcopate), the presbyterate, and the diaconate. The Apostles and their successors, the bishops, performed functions not given to priests and deacons, who taught and baptized, but did not ordain or confirm. Priests and deacons were subordinate to the bishop. As the labors of the deacons increased, subdeacons, acolytes, exorcists, lectors and porters were appointed to assist them.

As the centre of diocesan unity is the local bishop, so the center of unity for the Universal Church is the "rock," upon which the entire edifice is built, namely the pope, the bishop of Rome. St. Peter's successors were recognized as heads of the Universal Church. The popes had little occasion to make use of their authority. Moreover, persecutions often interfered with the freedom of the popes, so that there are not so many evidences of their authority as might be expected.

The general cause of the persecutions was the opposition between the Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the world: "Because you are not of the world . . . therefore the world hateth you." The Roman statesmen, seeing the Christians refuse to worship the national deities, proclaimed them enemies of the state. The Roman emperors became enraged because their ancient rights were attacked, for they had been supreme rulers in both religious and temporal matters. The religious concord of the world was principally supported by the implicit assent and reverence which the nations of antiquity expressed for their respective traditions and ceremonies. It might therefore be expected, that they would unite with indignation against any sect or people which should separate itself from the communion of mankind, and claiming the exclusive possession of divine knowledge, should disdain every form of worship except its own, as impious and idolatrous. The rights of toleration were held by mutual indulgence : they were justly forfeited by a refusal of the accustomed tribute.

St. Augustine enumerates ten general persecutions, the most cruel of which were the first, the seventh and the tenth. They cover a period of nearly three centuries. Those Christians who sealed their faith with their blood were called martyrs (witnesses); and their number is estimated at about eleven millions. Those who professed their faith openly at the risk of property and life, without, however, suffering death, were called confessors.

1. The First Persecution (6468) under Nero, was instigated by his wife, Poppaea. It raged for the most part in and about Rome, for the Christians were accused of having set the city on fire. As Tacitus relates, they were torn into pieces by wild beasts, drowned in the Tiber, covered with pitch to be lighted and used as torches. Sts. Peter and Paul were among the martyrs.
2. The Second Persecution (94-96) was under Domitian. Moved by the fear of rival claimants to the throne, he summoned before him the relatives of Christ. The sight of their hands, hardened by labor, convinced him that they were not dangerous to his supremacy.
3. The Third Persecution (98-117) was under Trajan. Among the martyrs were Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, cousin of Our Lord, and Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, whose seven letters, written on his way to martyrdom, are still extant. Pliny the Younger has given a beautiful description of the life of the Christians at this time.
4. The Fourth Persecution (160-180) was under Marcus Aurelius. St. Justin was among the martyrs.
5. The Fifth Persecution (202-211) was under Septimius Severus. St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, and Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua suffered martyrdom.
6. The Sixth Persecution (235-238) was under Maximin the Thracian.
7. The Seventh Persecution (249-251) was under Decius. It was especially directed against the bishops and priests as a menace to the safety of the state; and had registered their names in proof of their paganism, were called acta facienles (the registered) ; and still others, who surrendered the Sacred Scriptures to be burnt, were called traditores (traitors). The latter form of denial was especially common under Diocletian. Throughout the whole empire the most refined methods of torture were employed. Among the martyrs were Sts. Agatha, Apollonia and Pope Fabian. The persecution continued under Gallus and lasted until 253.
8. The Eighth Persecution (257-260) was under Valerian. Pope Sixtus II and his holy deacon Lawrence were martyred.
9. The Ninth Persecution (275) was under Aurelian.
10. The Tenth Persecution (303-305) was under Diocletian. Four different edicts issued against the Christians caused terrible scenes of bloodshed, and gave this period the name of " The Age of Martyrdom." Eusebius of Caesarea, an eye witness of the cruelties, writes: "The executioners were wearied with slaughter, and their swords blunted and broken." The hands of the martyrs were filled with incense and held over fire, so as to force them to offer sacrifice. Vinegar and salt were placed in their eyes and rubbed into their wounds. Molten lead was poured into their ears and mouths. "Christians who possessed the courage to endure such sufferings might easily have conquered the pagans," writes Tertullian, " were it not more wicked to kill than to be killed." The Theban Legion and its commander, St. Mauritius, together with Sts. Sebastian, Agnes, Catherine, Lucy and Afra, suffered martyrdom. The persecution continued under Galerius until 311.

In the year 313, the joint emperors, Licinius and Constantine, issued at Milan an edict of toleration "allowing each individual to practise whatever religion he professed." Constantine had gained a signal victory over the usurper Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge in 312. Having prayed to the God of the Christians, he and his whole army beheld at midnight a wonderful sign in the heavens with the inscription "In hoc Signo Vinces" [In this sign conquer]" Eusebius in his "Life of Constantine" relates that the emperor himself told this story. Constantine ordered the construction of a labarum, or imperial standard, bearing the monogram of Christ — IHS. In gratitude for the favor granted him, Constantine proclaimed liberty of worship and soon afterwards decreed that the churches and other property which had been confiscated should be returned to the Christians.

From the time that Christianity was invested with the supreme power, the governors of the church had been no less diligently employed in displaying the cruelty, than in imitating the conduct, of their Pagan adversaries.