[BRIEF OUTLINE
of the History of the Church after the Death of the Apostles]
[1. Progress of Christianity. The Christians are Persecuted]
At the time of Christ all the countries around the Mediterranean Sea were ruled by the Roman emperor. The Romans, and still more the Greeks, who were subject to them, excelled all other peoples at that time in science and arts. But they were heathens, and did not know the true God. Many had, however, lost faith in their own gods, and began to look about for salvation elsewhere. And with these the Gospel speedily found entrance. Paul had established Christian congregations in Macedonia and Greece; and even in Rome there was a large congregation. About one hundred years after the death of Christ there were congregations throughout the Roman empire. But heathenism was still very powerful, and many ridiculed the faith of the Christians, that One who had been crucified should be the Savior of the world, and sit at the right hand of God, and should return to judge the quick and the dead. They did not confine themselves to ridicule; many of the emperors permitted the Christians to worship their Lord and Savior in peace; but others persecuted them cruelly, as Nero had persecuted them in the days of the apostles. For about two hundred and fifty years the Christians were exposed to persecutions, and many were those who suffered death for Christ’s sake. Polycarp, who in his youth had heard the apostle John, was in his old age bishop of Smyrna, in Asia Minor. He was brought before the Roman governor, who promised him his liberty if he would curse Christ. But he answered: Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me aught but good; how can I then curse Him, my Lord and my Savior? The governor threatened to cast him before wild beasts. But Polycarp remained steadfast. He was sentenced to be burned alive, and he ascended the pyre, praising the Lord who found him worthy to suffer the death of a martyr.
Many both men and women remained steadfast during the tortures. Many heathens who beheld this were awakened to forsake their idols and believe on that Lord who could inspire His believers with such courage. And thus the persecutions served to open many hearts for Christianity.
[2. Constantine the Great]
Constantine, who has been called the Great, became emperor over the whole Roman empire in the year of our Lord 323. He was friendly toward Christianity, and proclaimed full religious liberty, so persecutions now ceased in all Roman countries. On his deathbed he confessed Christianity and was baptized. In his time magnificent churches were erected, and the clergy came to great influence and honor. Unfortunately he gave the Church, and especially the clergy, too many privileges, and helped to advance the power of the bishops. In the course of time this became more and more destructive to the Church.
At the time of Constantine there arose in Alexandria, in Egypt, a heretic by the name of Arius. He taught that Christ was not from eternity, but had a beginning, at the beginning of time, and was consequently a creature. Alexander, the bishop of Arius, defended the faith of the Church, that the Son was true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and One with the Father. Many took sides with Arius, and therefore Constantine called a council or synod of the Church at Nice, in Asia Minor, in the year 325. The Church had at that time eighteen hundred bishops. Of these, three hundred and eighteen met. Athanasius, who took the part of Alexander, especially exerted a great influence on the meeting through his clear exposition of the Word of God and by his great gift as a speaker. After a discussion lasting two months Arius was excommunicated from the Church as a heretic teaching false doctrines. His doctrine nevertheless found adherents for about three hundred years, and even at the present time we meet with them. The Church had to resist other heretics in subsequent times.
[3. Mohammed]
Southeast of Palestine the large peninsula of Arabia is situated. Here lived about the year 600 a man named Mohammed. He was a merchant, who for the sake of commerce visited many countries, and became acquainted with both the Jewish and the Christian religion. He was a clever man, and had great gifts as a speaker. He determined to start a new religion, composed partly of what he had heard and partly of his own inventions. He pretended, perhaps imagined, that the angel Gabriel had appeared to him in a cave, and had instructed him what to teach. His chief doctrine was: There is one God, and Mohammed is his prophet. God had sent many prophets into the world, such as Moses and Christ; but Mohammed was the last and the greatest. He promised his followers a paradise of sensual pleasures. There was at this time a great deal of division in the Church, and no single country was powerful enough to resist the Arabians. At the time of Mohammed’s death he ruled over all of Arabia; and his successors, called Caliphs, conquered many countries in Asia and Africa, and they nearly exterminated Christianity where they came into power. The Arabians penetrated even into Europe, and conquered Spain, where they existed for about eight centuries.
The teachings of Mohammed are contained in a book called the Koran. His adherents are called Mohammedans. The Turks are Mohammedans, but have taken the power from the Arabians, and the sultan of Turkey, residing in Constantinople, is the head of the “faithful.”