Persecution of "The Way" PDF

Persecution of “The Way” In the early times of the early Church, the Romans carried fear and mistrust of Christianity to an extreme. First 3 centuries, rulers and mob are delighted in finding new and creative ways to torture and kill the followers of Christ in public spectacles. Christians...

Persecution of “The Way” In the early times of the early Church, the Romans carried fear and mistrust of Christianity to an extreme. First 3 centuries, rulers and mob are delighted in finding new and creative ways to torture and kill the followers of Christ in public spectacles. Christians who refused to denounce their faith were martyred in different places and circuses (Circus of Hadrian, Flaminus, and Nero’s Circus) Circus of Hadrian Circus of Flaminius Nero’s Circus Rome had been the site of so many martyrs’ death, they were held sacred by the Church. Materials of dismantles circuses were used in the building of churches. The Coliseum “Flavian’s amphitheater” the last and greatest of these arenas still standing has become associated with the many cruelties and injustices endured by the early martyrs of Faith. Pope St, Clement of Rome - the third Pope, relates that Christian was first taken across the Tiber to an arena on Vatican Hill called Nero’s Circus where St. Peter’s Basilica now stands. The First Persecution Under Emperor Nero (A.D. 64) The Emperor Nero (A.D. 37 – 68, emperor A.D. 54 – 68) was a figure of immense cruelty, psychological sickness and paranoia. Even the Roman historical tradition portrays him as a tyrant. The stepson of Emperor Claudius and the nephew of Emperor Caligula. Nero was the last of his Augustinian line.  His rule began at the age of 17 yrs old. Murdered his mother and then renounced and slandered his own wife, Octavia before having her beheaded. Nero forced Seneca(his advisor and tutor when he was young).  Early on the night of July 19 A.D. 64 fire broke out near the Circus Maximus and engulfed the city of Rome for 9 straight days. Immediately, the rumor began to circulate that Nero started the fire. The reason behind this rumor was Nero’s announced intention to seize private properties in the center of Rome in order to build an expansive new palace, later called the Domus Aurea (House of Gold) The rumor told of Nero taking delight in watching Rome burn while he read his own poetry.  Nero provided emergency shelter to victims and quickly sought to remove suspicion from himself by falsely accusing the Christians of starting the fire. He tortured several Christians, elicited from the force confessions and then ordered large numbers of other Christians to be arrested. They were sewn into animal skins and distributed throughout the gardens. Next Nero released hungry mastiff dogs into the gardens, which hunted down and ate the trapped Christians.  Nero coated hundred of live Christian with pitch and resin and then set them on fire to provide light for him as he passed through his Nerogardens was firstand along Christianity to declare city streets at night. and sought to punish all unlawful, believers with death under his principle Christiani non sint (Let the Christians be exterminated) Nero committed suicide.  Persecution Under Emperor Domitian, “Lord and God” Domitian (A.D. 51 – 96) served as emperor beginning in A.D. 81. An effective and hard working ruler. Domitian took particular interest in directing military campaigns and securing the patronage of the army. He had a good cause to curry the favor of the army for his relationship with the Roman Senate was less than ideal. He is reported to have opened his letters in the senate with the words. “Our lord god orders that this be done” He also habitually referred to himself in the third person as Dominus et Deus (“Lord and God”)  As the years passed, Domitian became pathologically suspicious of conspirators and once quipped. “No one believes in a conspiracy against an emperor until it has succeed.” Domitian was particularly intent on stopping the spread of Christianity from the lower classes to the aristocracy, which included members of his own family.  When he murdered his cousin he set in motion a conspiracy against him (his wife Domitia possibly being one of the conspirators) that culminated his assassination. Domitian levied a special tax only for Christians and Jews to pay for a new temple dedicated to Jupiter. “The Five Good Emperors” A.D. 96 - 180  Trajan’s Rescript (A.D. 112) Trajan began to in A.D. 98. His nearly 20 year reign is considered to be one of the most excellent in the empire’s history, both because of his humane treatment of abandoned children and the poor, and for his military conquest in Dacia and Parthia. Trajan who took for himself the title “Optimus” (Best) was an able military leader who actively sought military glory for himself and Rome.  Trajan’s decision thus confirmed that the profession of Christianity was itself a crime, but clarified under what conditions it could be prosecuted. Trajan’s rescript still left Christians with an awful choice: death or apostasy. While Trajan did seek to remedy the gross abuses of legal system that were often used in the persecution of Christians, in the end, he upheld the principle first attributed to Nero: Christiani non sint  With respect to Christianity, Trajan took what he deemed to be an enlightened and balanced approach. Trajan decreed that if Christians renounced their faith and offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, they would be allowed to live in spite of their past Christian life. Furthermore, Trajan declared that anonymous denunciations were not to be pursued. Nevertheless anyone denounced openly who admitted his status as a Christian was to suffer death. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch St. Ignatius (ca. A.D. 50 – ca. 107) was likely the third Bishop of Antioch, after Sts. Peter and Evodius, and he is thought to have listened at the feet of St. John the Evangelist. Because of his close association with Sts. Peter and John, he is an apostolic figure, i.e. one of those saintly figures who had direct contact with the Apostles and consequently his writings are considered especially authoritative. In fact St. Ignatius letters are considered the most important documents which link the 12 Apostles with the early Church.  Little is known of St. Ignatius’ life up to his arrest during the reign of Trajan for being a renowned Christian bishop. Under a guard of 10 soldiers he traveled to Rome to meet a martyr’s death. And it was during this time that St. Ignatius carried on a correspondence with the various churches of Asia Minor and the bishop of Smyrna, St. Polycarp. In these letters, known as the Seven Epistles, St. Ignatius makes clear his ardent desire for martyrdom, going so far as to ask the Christians not to intervene with the pagan officials to save his life. Instead, he wrote, “I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may found Christ’s pure bread”  St Ignatius denounced all heresy and schism, and he singled out the episcopacy in the Church as a bulwark against false belief and as a means of unity with Christ. First person to use the term “Catholic Church” Upon his arrival at Rome, was martyred in the Coliseum St. Ignatius was led out in front of a great crowd and was fed to lions. His feast day is celebrated October 17.  Hadrian’s Rescript The Emperor Hadrian succeeded Trajan in A.D. 117 and served until his death in A.D. 138. When Hadrian’s biological father died Trajan who was his 2nd cousin adopted him. Hadrian later married a great-niece of Trajan. He traveled extensively and strengthened the frontiers of the empire, building many defensive lines such as Hadrian’s Wall in England. Hadrian was an ardent advocate of Hellenism. He was interested in science, art, philosophy and enjoyed debating the sophist. It was said that Favorinus , a philosopher yielded the debate to Hadrian saying “Who could contradict the Lord of Thirty Legions?” In religion, Hadrian promoted the cult of the gods and designed a special temple built for Venus and Roma in the Roman Forum.  Hadrian banned the circumcision among Jews ad planned to turn Jerusalem into a Roman colony called Aelia Capitolina. In his official rescript, Hadrian emphasized the primacy of the rule of law over mob action. Furthermore, he ordered that Christians could only be prosecuted for actual violations of the common law, not just for professing Christian belief. If an accuser made false accusations, then the accuser himself was to be punished. Accordingly, under Hadrian, Christians enjoyed a relative amount of toleration, although there was no official codification of such toleration.  Marcus Aurelius adhered to Trajan’s Rescript, outlawing Christianity and persecuting the Christians. He reinstituted the practice of anonymous denouncements, and did not hesitate to kill Christians when it served the empire’s interest. Marcus Aurelius was the first emperor who had to deal aggressively with the Volkerwanderung (“people wanderings”) the Germanic invasions on the Empire’s northern borders. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was successful in his campaigns but ultimately these migrations and attacks would overcome the empire in later centuries. St. Polycarp, Bishop Of Smyrna St. Polycarp (ca. A.D. 69-ca. 155) suffered martyrdom during the long and peaceful reign of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (A.D. 86-161, emperor A.D. 138-1610. St. Polycarp spent much of his life defending orthodox Catholic belief against various heresies. He is an important link to the Apostles and a great number of Christian writers who live toward the end of the second century. Along with St. Ignatius and Pope St. Clement I, St. Polycarp is one of the most important Apostolic Fathers. He was a friend and correspondent of St. Ignatius. Only one of St. Ignatius’ letters to St. Polycarp ha survived.  After travelling to Rome to discuss the date of Easter with Pope St. Anacletus, St. Polycarp returned to Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey). Shortly Thereafter he was arrested during a pagan festival and charged with being a Christian. The letter “Martyrdom Polycarpi” (The Martyrdom of Polycarp) was written by someone of the church in Smyrna to the church Philomelium, and relates the details of St. Polycarp’s martyrdom.  The governor wished to save St. Polycarp, and ask him to curse Christ in public so that his life could be spared. St. Polycarp refused to renounce Christ and was sentenced to be burned alive. The executioners, impressed by St. Polycarp’s courage, honored his request to be tied to the stake, rather than fastened with spikes. Once the fire began, St. Polycarp remained unharmed from the flames. Finally, an executioner killed St. Polycarp with a sword. The Church celebrates his feast day on February 23.  Emperor Marcus Aurelius, The Philosopher King Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 121 – 180) was a favorite adopted son of Emperor Hadrian. Upon the death of Emperor Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius was an ardent Stoic, and philosophy was the central focus of his life. When he died Marcus Aurelius book Marcus Aurelius Meditations Meditations is a thoughtful was found on his person. and moving work that reflects the profound discipline of a Stoic’s life. He exemplified Stoicism ideal of living free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief and submitting without complaint to unavoidable fate.  St. Justin Martyr St. Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 100-ca. 165) was one of the most famous martyrs to die under the persecution of Marcus Aurelius. Born of pagan parents in Shechem in Samaria in Palestine, Justin studied philosophy from his early youth, and converted to Christianity in his thirtieth year. Tradition has it that Justin was walking along the sea one day and met a mysterious old man whom he had never seen before. The old man began talking to Justin and convinced him that true knowledge of God could not come only from philosophy, but must be supplemented by reading the revealed word of the prophets. After his conversation, Justin continued studying philosophy and became an excellent apologist for the Faith.  Justin worked tirelessly during the Roman persecutions to defend the Church against those pagans who falsely accused her, justin respected philosophy, but saw that its truths were mere shadows compared to Christ’s teachings. Sts. Perpetua and Felicity Two victims of the harsh persecution of Septimus Severus were Sts. Perpetua and Felicity. St. Perpetua was a noblewoman who sought instruction in Christianity for herself and her household, and St. Felicity was a slave in that household. When these two women and their fellow catechumens were discovered by Roman officials, both women were jailed and forced to raise their reject against Christianity for her own sake and for that of her family, but she refused.  While in prison, St. Felicity gave birth, and as she cried out because of her labor pains, the guards mocked her and told her that would soon undergo something much more painful. In a great spirit of faith, St. Felicity responded to her tormentors that at the present moment she was bearing her discomfort on her own, but Christ would bear her suffering during her execution.  In A.D. 203, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were martyred together with the catechumens in the main arena at Carthage. Sts. Perpetua and Falicity suffered a particularly gruesome martyrdom. St. Perpetua’s entire household was first scourged, and then attacked by various wild animals including leopards, bears, and wild boars. Finally, some of the Christian, including St. Perpetua had to be stabbed to death because they were not yet dead. Both Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are honored in the Roman canon; their feast day is celebrated on March 7. St. Irenaeus, Bishop Of Lyons St. Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 130-ca. 200) was a disciple of St. Polycarp, and is believed to have come from Smyrna. Although a native of Asia Minor, St. Irenaeus served as Bishop of Lyons, and is regarded as the preeminent figure of the early Church in Gaul. St. Irenaeus devoted much of his energy to combating heresies, especially Gnosticism. In his defense of orthodoxy, St. Irenaeus emphasized key elements of the Church: the episcopacy, Sacred scripture and Tradition. He spoke explicitly of the importance of recourse to the Church’s tradition, even though Christianity was still very much in its infancy. He argued, “If the revelation of God through creation gives life to all who live upon the earth, much does the manifestation of the Father through the Word give life to those who see God”  St. Iranaeus subsequently became the Bishop of Lyons in 178, and held the office for approximately twenty-five years. According to tradition, St. Irenaeus was martyred during the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus. His feast day is celebrated on June 28. The Edict Of Decius (A.D. After 250) the reign of Septimus Severus, Christians enjoyed relative peace for about fifty years. Emperor Alexander Severus (emperor A.D. 222-235) even permitted Christians to own property and build churches. However, in the second half of the third century the empire entered into a troubling political period. In a short span of just forty-six years (A.D. 238-284), there were eighteen legitimate emperors, and many others who sought illegitimate ascendance. Most of these emperors ruled for a brief time before meeting with a violent end,  Emperor Decius (emperor A.D. 249- 251)reigned for only three years, but he inaugurated the first empire-wide persecution of Christians. Other emperors had limited their directives, horrible as they may have been, to the city of Rome or to specific provincial communities. Decius, however, who believed that the survival of the empire depended upon the restoration of the old pagan cults, sought to extirpate Christianity from the empire.  Decius assumed control of the Roman Empire at a precarious point in history. The empire was threatened both by the army, which essentially controlled the emperor, and by external enemies, specifically Germanic hordes who constantly attacked along the eastern frontier. Faced with such a bleak political situation. Decius sought to reinvigorate the empire’s strength and unity through a return to ancient religious practices of the state.  Emperor Decius promulgated an edict of extermination against the Christians. Anyone suspected of being Christians had to present him or herself before the local magistrate and offer a simple sacrifice to prove he or she had given up the Faith. Those Christians who offered sacrifice to the pagan gods were known as sacrificanti; those who burned incense to the pagan gods were thurificati. Certificates, purchased at a price from the officials, stating that the bearer had already offered sacrifice to the gods were also available. Christians who purchased these certificates were called libellatici.  Decius ordered arrest of all known Christians who failed to appear before the magistrate or who could not produce a certificate. Christians who refused to renounce the their faith were sent to exile or put to death, and all of their property was confiscated. The Church’s loss was two- fold in these times: she lost those faithful Christians who were martyred during the persecutions, and she lost those unfaithful Christians who committed apostasy. Apostasy is the willful denunciation of the Faith in its entirety.  The persecutions of Decius unfortnately resulted in many apostates, and the leaders of the Church at this time had difficult decisions to make regarding the status of apostates and their possible re-entry into the community of believers. The most rigorous factions of the Church denied the lapsi-Christians who formally renounced their faith, offering sacrifices to pagan gods-could be readmitted. The popes decided that with long penances, the lapsi would be allowed to return. The controversy surrounding these lapsi gave rise to the Novatianist schism. The Roman presbyter Novatian led a “rigorist” faction, declaring that those who had renounced the Faith (the lapsi) could never be re-admitted into the Church.  Decius was afraid of the Christians because of their fidelity to Christ and his Church. He felt that the practice of Christianity would detract from the allegiance to the state. This bias has reappeared in different forms throughout history of the Church. It first appeared among the Romans, but has been used as a pretext for persecution and discrimination against Catholics in Elizabethan England, Bismarck’s Kulturkampf in Germany in the nineteenth century, and in many places today. Origen: Theologian and Biblical Exegete Origen (ca. A.D. 185 – ca. 254) was the most prolific writer and important theologian and biblical exegete in the eastern part of the Empire. Origen was an Egyptian who spent much of his life working ad teaching in Alexandria. His father was martyred during a persecution in A.D. 202 and Origen later became the head of the first Catechetical school in Alexandria. This institution combined instruction in Catholic doctrine with an investigation into the sciences and philosophy and in some ways might be considered first catholic universe.  Origen was ordained to the priesthood. Origen’s bishop in Alexandria then stripped him of his teaching position as well as his faculties for the exercise of his priesthood, claiming that his ordination was not valid because these actions, Origen moved permanently to Caesarea in A.D. 231 where he founded a new school similar to the one in Alexandria.  During persecution of Emperor Decius Origen was taken into custody in A.D. 250. For approximately 2 years he was brutally tortured. He was eventually released and lived for several more years but his broken body quickly gave out. It is estimated Origen wrote between two and five thousand different tracts, nearly all of which are lost. However, one of his chief works “De Principiis” survives. Origen is considered to have initiated the concept of the homily. Pope St. Sixtus II And Deacon St. Lawrence Emperor Valerian ruled from A.D. 253 to 260, and during this time issued two rescripts, one in A.D. 257 and one in A.D. 258. the rescript of A.D. 257 forbade Christians from meeting in public places and celebrating the Eucahrist in the catacombs. The rescript of A.D. 258, however, was harsher. Under this rescript, issued beacuse of political pressure, bishops, priests, and deacons were immediately executed, and Christians of rank were removed from their offices and often sold into slavery.  Valerian’s persecutions subsided toward the end of his reign, largely because the Gothic invasions and the rise of Persia demanded greater imperial attention. Eventually the Persian leader Sapor I captured Valerian and held him as prisoner of war for five years. Humiliated and tortured Valerian nonetheless showed courage before dying in captivity. Valerian was the first Roman emperor to be captured by a foreign enemy. After his death, the Persians stuffed Valerian’s body and hung inside the temple.  In the days of Valerian’s second rescript. Pope St. Sixtus II was apprehended while celebrating Mass with seven deacons, one of whom was St. Lawrence. Pope St. Sixtus and six of the deacons were beheaded on the spot, but Lawrence was spared for the time. The authorities demanded that he bring the Church’s treasure to them, and sent him to get it. When he returned a short time later Lawrence brought with him a group of poor people- the Church’s treasure. In response, the Roman authorities sentenced Lawrence to be roasted alive on a gridiron. Tradition holds that as he burned, Lawrence told the judge, “I am roasted enough on this side; turn me around.” Persecution Under Diocletian Born in Dalmatia, Diocletian rose through the ranks of the Roman army served with emperor’s guards during the Persian campaign. When Numerian was murdered the army made Diocletian the new emperor. Diocletian desired to unify the empire. He used his organizational prowess to this end eventually crushing the Persian Empire and ending the crisis of the 3rd century.  Diocletian spent much of his 10 years as emperor battling the barbarians on the German and Persian frontiers. This diversion initially inclined the early Church historian Eusebius to praise Diocletian’s cleency towards Christians. But in A.D. 303 with the Barbarians defeated. Diocletian turned his attention to the church. On Feb 23 a new edict was issued at Nicomedia and the “Great Persecution” begun. Christian churches were destroyed, books were burned.  The palace at Nicomedia was set ablaze prompting additional edicts. For the next 10 years until Constantine defeat Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge and the “Edict of Milan” the Christians throughout the Empire were imprisoned, tortured, forced to offer sacrifices to pagan gods and martyred according to the changing fortunes of the Imperial rulers.  The Tetrarchy (A.D. 293) Due to the enormous size of the Roman Empire, Diocletian decided to divide it into four administrative districts, each with its own Caesar, or regional ruler. Diocletian himself ruled Thrace, Egypt and Asia Minor; Maximian ruled Italy and Africa; Constantius presided over Gaul, Spain and Britain; and Galerius ruled along the Danube River. Diocletian himself retained full leadership over the entire empire, but found it expedient to grant his appointed Caesars considerable governing power within their separate spheres. Diocletian effectively split the empire in two; he and Galerius ruled the easter half, and Maximian and Constantius govern the western half.  Not one of the Tetrarchs liven in Rome, causing this great imperial city to begin to lose its preeminent status as the capital of the empire. (Diocletian visited it only once during his reign.) Diocletian further weakened the senate by removing its effective political influence. He wanted to make the line of succsession clearer, and thus avoid needless conflict; and second, he hoped to fortify the borders of the empire, which in the past decades had been under aggressive foreign attack. later divided the provinces into smaller units called “dioceses” in an attempt to achieve a higher degree of administrative efficiency.  During Diocletian’s reign, his reforms helped spare the empire the crisis of succession that it had known all too well during the previous half-century. However, after Diocletian’s abdication in A.D. 305, the tetrarchy failed to function effectively. The four positions of power competed with one another for absolute supremacy.  Four Edicts Though he was superstitious, Diocletians was initially tolerant of Christianity, and even admired some of its adherents, Maximian and Galerius, on the other hand, were wary of the religion and pressed Diocletian to eradicate it for the good of the empire. At their request, Diocletian issued four edicts. These edicts resulted in the worst of all persecutions the Christians suffered under the Romans. Diocletian’s first edict commanded the destruction of churches and the burning of the Scriptures, as well as banning all Christians gatherings. Those who opposed this law faced execution or enslavement.  The succeeding edicts were applied only in the east by Galerius and Diocletian. The second edict sanctioned the imprisonment of the clergy. The third edict demanded pagan sacrifice from the clergy. Finally, the fourth edict demanded sacrifice from every Christian, not just the clergy. This last edict resulted in the deaths of many thousands of Christians who refused to offer pagan sacrifice. Constantine the Great later commented that the Romans had slain as many barbarians as they had slaughtered Christians during the reign of Diocletian, there would be no barbarians left to threaten the safety of the Empire. St. Agnes: A Child Martyr for Christ St. Agnes is one of the most highly revered of the virgin martyrs. She believed to have died during Diocletian’s persecution sometime during the 4th century possibly in A.D. 304 or A.D. 305 when she was only 12 or 13 year old. This oral tradition states that St. Agnes was a beautiful young woman, and that many of the leading young men of Rome desired her hand in marriage. However, she decided at a young age to consecrate herself to Christ and to live as a virgin.  When taken before the magistrate, St. Agnes refused to renounce her faith in and commitment to Christ. She confessed her faith even while being tortured by fire. Her courage so angered the judge that he sentenced her to force prostitution at the public brothel. St. Agnes however remained firm in her loyalty to Christ, believing that her purity would be protected even at the brothel. As the story goes, the first young man who looked at her with eyes of lust was immediately stuck blind. Amazed and scared, the crowd backed away from her. The judge hearing of this sentenced St. Agnes to be beheaded.  The Church Triumphs Due to his falling health. Diocletian abdicated on May 1, A.D. 305, and he convinced Maximian to step down as well. Galerius remained in power in the East, and Contantius took over control of the West. Constantius was succeeded by his son Constantine in A.D. 307.  Constantine was friendly with the Christians, although he was not one himself, but Galerius continued the persecution of the in the East until just before his death. In A.D. 311, however, Galerius was stricken with an eastern form of leprosy that left his body crippled and decrepit. He confessed and whimpered in utter terror that his sickness was divine retribution of the Christian God. On April 30, A.D. 311, Galerius issued an edict admitting the failure of his policy with regard to the Christians. He then instituted the free exercise of the Christians religion as long as Christians obeyed the law and promised to pray for the emperor and the empire. Galerius’ edict was also adopted in the West, Thus the last and greatest persecution begun under Diocletian gave way to a tentative peace.  Upon death of Galerius, a complex struggle for power ensued. Maxentius who was Maximian’s son and who now controlled Italy, sought to defeat the army of Constantine and gain control of the Rome. At the Milvian Bridge, just oustside the city, the two armies met.  Before engaging in battle, Constantine claimed that he had looked above the sun and saw the symbol of the cross inscribed with the words in hoc signo vinces (“in this sign you will conquer”). After this vision, Constantine instructed his soldiers to put sign on their shields. With the crosses etched into Roman shields, Constantine’s army met Maxentius in battle. Though Maxentius’ forces rule over West. Maxentius drowned near the Milvian Bridge.  After his victory against Maxentius, Constantine declared that the Christian God has favored him, and that he intended to stay in this God’s good graces. He immediately restored the property of the Church, and began aiding in the construction of churches. In Rome the Arch of Constantine commemorated his victory, and his statue was placed in the city. In one hand the statue held the Labarum, the standard cross, with the inscription. “Through this saving sign I freed your city form the tyrant’s yoke.”  The Edict Of Milan (A.D. 313) Constantine met with the only other living caesar, Licinius, in Milan in A.D. 313. Together they issued the edict of Milan. This edict restored all property taken from the Church by the empire, and it granted Christians the freedom to practice religion. The edict of Milan represented a outlawed since Nero’s decree in A.D. 64, and solidified the presence of Christianity in the public square.  It would be remiss not to mention the clear political motives that were at least partly responsible for the Edict of Milan. Like many Roman rulers before him, Constantine sought unity in his empire, and he saw Christianity was a religion likely to provide such unity. In this Constantine followed the regular practice of using religion to support political ends. However, it would be ridiculous to suppose that Constantine, Christianity was nothing but a tool for the state. He is known to have prayed daily, and to have received instruction in the Faith until he was formally received into the Church, penitent and hopeful, receiving the Sacrament of Baptism on his deathbed.  Conclusion The early Church was often perceived as a small segment of Judaism, beginning after the Ressurection of Jesus. She then suffered through a long period of intermittent, though intense, persecution, and, finally (and quite remarkably), she emerged as an imperially sanctioned religion in A.D. 313. The first three hundred years of the Church’s history were tumultuous, although they contain many lessons that remain perennially applicable. The martyrs of the early Church are emulated today by many Christians who live in cultures that are as hostiles to Christianity now aw as Rome two-thousand years ago. The lives of martyrs such as Sts. Ignatius of Antioch and Agnes remain quite relevant to Christians then as well as today, who share in the communion of saints. The complex and often troubling relationship between the Church and the state is one that began in the Roman Empire, and still remains today. Lastly, the structure of the episcopacy and the importance of Tradition for resolving theological disputes both found expression in the many writings of Apostolic Fathers like St. Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus. An understanding of the early Church is therefore Thank you!