izing and

Jewish
Christianity.

after the fierce uprising under Bar-cochab, a pretended Messiah, in the time of Hadrian (135), which was crushed with tremendous slaughter, the old rites were wholly excluded from that city. The enmity of the bulk of the Jews to the Christian faith, and the verFate of juda dict uttered against them as a nation, through appalling acts of Providence, extinguished all hope of a triumph of the new kingdom under Judaic auspices, and with it the main support of the Mosaic rites as practised in the Church. The rapid progress of the Church among the Gentiles conduced to the same result. The Gospel and the Epistles of John are as catholic in their tone as are the writings of Paul. Judaic Christianity was a thing outgrown. The religion of Jesus had broken the chain of bondage to the Old Testament system. Thenceforward, such as clung to the observances of the law more and more sink into the position of heretical parties, tenacious of life, but isolated and destined to extinction.

Legends of

the Apostles.

Among the many unfounded legends respecting the labors of the Apostles is the tale that it was determined by lot among them to what countries they should go, and that the Apostles were divided for this purpose into three groups. Ancient, but untrustworthy, traditions represent Andrew as preaching in Scythia, Thomas in Parthia, and, according to later accounts, in India, and Mark as the founder of the Church in Alexandria. The ambition to trace national churches back to the apostolic age accounts for the claim of the Spaniards that James, the brother of John, preached in Spain, and that his body was transported to that country and was buried at Compostella; of the French, that, among others, Dionysius the Areopagite, and Lazarus planted the gospel in their land; of the English, that Simon Zelotes, Joseph of Arimathea, and even Paul, labored in Britain, etc. The truth is that the lives of most of the Apostles, as well as the circumstances of their death, are involved in the deepest obscurity.

There was an early tradition, which is not incredible, that the Emperor Domitian had ordered the descendants of David to be slain; that the grandchildren of Judas, the brother of by Domitian, Jesus, were brought before him; but that finding that

Persecution

c. 95 A.D. they were poor, harmless rustics, expecting no earthly kingdom, he dismissed them with contempt. Toward the close of his reign Domitian subjected the Christians at Rome to savage persecution. His naturally morose and jealous temper was further soured by military reverses. He took up the charge of atheism, which was beginning to be made against Christians as well as Jews.

Among the converts who perished was Flavius Clement, the em peror's cousin. This martyr's wife, Flavia Domitilla, was banished. A cemetery of "Domitilla," one of the early burial-places of Christians, was not unlikely her gift to her Christian brethren. Other Christians were put to death, some were banished, and the property of others was confiscated.

When we take into view the results of the preaching of the Apostles we see that great things were effected. With some, at Results of the a time when miracle and mystery had a peculiar fascipreaching. nation, the signs and wonders wrought by the Apostles had a decisive influence. Others, like the Ethiopic proselyte at Gaza, saw how conformed to ancient prophecies was the death of Jesus on the cross. To many whose burdens were heavy, the peace of God, which Christianity announced, brought hope in the room of hopelessness, strength where there was weakness, an attractive influence that lifted them above all misgivings and difficulties, even under the scoffs of philosophers. Intercourse with kindly Christians and glimpses of their quiet domestic virtues, mingled as these were with the courage with which a man like Paul bade defiance to danger, aroused the yearning for God which Christ had implied would appear when the disciples should let their light shine before men. The great proclamation of the gospel and the powerful religious awakening everywhere consequent, produced the most extraordinary commotion." At Jerusalem, as we have seen, thousands at one time embraced the gospel. At Antioch, in Pisidia, almost the whole population were drawn together to hear Paul. At Ephesus, Jewish and Greek magicians cast their books into the fire. Hostile Jews-exorcists-used the name of Jesus to conjure with. Silversmiths who made shrines of Diana were afraid that their business would be gone. The goddess was in danger of being deserted by her votaries. The churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome were very large. The Church at Jerusalem comprised thousands of members. At Rome, Tacitus informs us, the Christians were a great multitude. The cry at Thessalonica was that the Apostles had turned the world upside down. Paul could say that the gospel had been preached to every creature, and was in all the world bearing fruit.' The Apocalypse indicates that the number of converts was very great.' If they were generally from the ranks of the

1Col. i. 23, 6.

2 Rev. vii. 4-9; xiv. 1, 4.

poor and the suffering, this was not uniformly the fact. Among them were persons who belonged to the imperial household. In the Church there were women of wealth and social position, as Lydia in Philippi, and even Domitilla, the kinswoman of Domitian. There were also men of distinction. "Such were Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus; Publius, the Roman ruler in Malta; Flavius Clement, who had held the office of consul at Rome; the Asiarchs, or chief officers of Asia, at Ephesus; Dionysius, a member of the Council of Areopagus at Athens; Erastus, the public treasurer at Corinth; the centurion Cornelius, at Cæsarea; Luke, the physician, and Theophilus, to whom he addressed his writings; Crispus, ruler of the Jewish synagogue at Corinth; and, among the Jews, members of the Sanhedrim, Pharisees, and priests."

The basis of ecclesiastical organization was the fraternal equality of believers. "All ye are brethren.": Instead of a sacerdotal

The origin of

order there was a universal priesthood.' Jesus had Church organ- spoken of "the Church," in a sense answering to the ization. "congregation" of Israel, a conception familiar to Old

Testament readers. Of this Church he was to be the builder. Complaints on the part of one disciple against another were to be carried to "the Church," the body of disciples, with the Apostles at their head. His injunctions to the Apostles to superintend the flock, and the rites of baptism and of the Lord's supper, imply definite association. The synagogue naturally served as a model in the organization of churches. They are even called by that name in the Epistle of James.' This was their character at the outset. Yet the first office created, that of deacons, sprung out of the special needs of the Church at Jerusalem, there being no ofand the elder fice just like it in the synagogue. The organization of the Gentile brotherhoods was gradual. In writing to Corinth, Paul does not distinctly refer to officers as existing there; yet he speaks of those called of God to help and to govern. At first the deacons had it for their business to see to the poor. Luke gives no account of the institution of the eldership, perhaps because this same office was a well-known feature in the Jewish synagogues. In the Church, as in the synagogue, the elders or presbyters were equal in rank, although one of the "rulers of the synagogue" among the

The diaconate,

ship.

5

1 Pet. ii. 5, 9.

Cor. xii. 28.

Jews may have sometimes acted as president of the board. In the Gentile churches, the presbyters are also called "bishops," the translation of a Greek word meaning 66 overseers." The two words are applied in the New Testament to the same officers indiscriminately. The word bisho, or overseer," was familiar in this sense to readers of the Old Testament in the Septuagint version. Both terms, presbyter" and "bishop," appear to have been in use in Syria and Asia Minor to designate officers of municipal and of private corporations. What influence was exerted from this use of the terms, and from the Gentile example of similar offices, remains to be determined. The work of the council of elders in all the churches was primarily to superintend religious worship, and in part to watch over the temporal well-being of the brotherhood. They were first chosen "to rule," not to teach; yet the ability to teach was soon deemed an important qualification, and became both an essential and a leading function of the office.'

Officers, and how appointed.

The capacity to hold office, or to minister in whatever way to the spiritual upbuilding of the Church, was regarded as a gift of the Spirit-a charisma. Of course, the designation to these varied ministries accorded with the natural talents and aptitudes of the individuals thus selected and empowered by the Holy Spirit. As far as spiritual quickening and instruction were concerned, they comprised the gift of tongues, a form of ecstatic, unintelligible utterance, which those possessed of a gift of interpretation explained; the gift of prophecy, or of fervent speech, which deeply moved the auditors, whether believers already, or heathen who came into the meetings; the gift of discerning spirits, or of judging whether the addresses made came from a true and divine source; and the gift of teaching, or of discoursing in a more quiet and connected style. Those perceived to be endowed with this last gift were recognized as "teachers," and formed a class called by this name. "Evangelists" were missionaries, deputies of the Apostles, selected by them to assist in their missionary work. Timothy, Titus, Silas, and others belonged to this class. The elders and deacons in the several churches were chosen by the body of disciples. There was but one organization within the limits of a town. The church "in the house" of this or that individual was simply a religious meeting held there as a matter of convenience, the term "church" being used in its ordinary sense of "assembly." The connection of the churches

The churches municipal;

their connection.

1 Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24; 1 Tim. iii. 2; 2 Tim. ii. 24.

was not organic. They were bound together only by ties of sympathy, save that they acknowleged in common the supervision of the Apostles. To the Apostles had been given the power of the keys and the power of binding and loosing, that is, the authority to exercise Christian discipline, and a legislative or judicial function in connection with the planting of the gospel. Yet at Corinth it is the Church as a body, acting under the monition of the Apostle, that excommunicates an unworthy member.' Influential in promoting mutual knowledge and a spirit of union among the scattered Christian societies, were the journeys of the Apostles, especially of Paul, their letters, which were sometimes sent from one church to another,' the journeys of apostolic helpers and of other Christians, almsgiving, and the liberal exercise of hospitality.

CHAPTER III.

CHRISTIAN LIFE: CHRISTIAN WORSHIP: CHRISTIAN TEACHING.

The Church at

the common

treasury.

ACCORDING to the picture given us by Luke of the Church at Jerusalem, it was at the beginning like a family. Yet the surrender of goods into the common treasury was purely voluntary. Jerusalem: It was neither universal on the part of the members nor was it a permanent custom.' It was a part of the first outpouring of brotherly love among the followers of the risen Jesus. Galilean disciples who remained at Jerusalem may have sold their possessions at home and offered the proceeds as a gift to the brotherhood. Such a practice could not continue. The Church was not to supplant, but to sanctify, natural relations, such as give rise to individual ownership and underlie the family and the state. Yet this example of giving up private property, coupled with the going forth of the Apostles without wallet or gold or silver, had great effect in after ages, when the desire sprung up for a literal imitation of the first disciples.

Religious

In addition to the ordinary Jewish worship at the stated hours in the temple, the disciples met daily in groups at private houses. In these meetings they sat at the table together, and parmeetings; the took of a common meal, the agape, or love-feast. At the love-feast. close of this repast, whoever presided handed round the bread and wine, as Jesus had done at the Last Supper. This was the primitive form of the sacrament. As time went on, the Jewish 11 Cor. v. 3-5. 2 Col. iv. 16. Acts v. 4; vi. 1; xii. 12.