Church History – The First Century Part 6

Please note that the following is taken from a book published in 1840 which was written from a Presbyterian perspective. Therefore some of this might be outdated but nevertheless I hope this is of some benefit to Christians.

Excerpted from Chapter 1 of James Wharey Church History (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board Of Publication, 1840).

6. Persecution

From the very beginning, the church has been called to suffer persecution. This was first from the Jews, and about the time that Stephen was stoned to death, persecution seems to have raged very high; so that the disciples were compelled to make their escape, and to flee into distant countries. After this, we are told (Acts 12:1) that "Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church." James he killed with the sword, and Peter he imprisoned. And this he did to gain favour with the Jews. But the Jewish power was then limited, and soon after destroyed, by the utter destruction of their city and temple by Titus, and the final dispersion of their nation.

Nero was the first Roman emperor that persecuted the Christians; and his cruelty was extreme. He falsely accused them of setting fire to the city of Rome, of which crime he was guilty himself. Multitudes were put to the most excruciating death in a variety of ways. The streets of the city, and pleasure gardens, were illuminated at night by the burning of those whom he caused to be sewed up alive in garments covered over with pitch. This persecution commenced about A. D. 64, and raged until the death of Nero, about four years. Paul and Peter are said to have suffered martyrdom at Rome during this persecution; the one by decapitation, the other by crucifixion, with his head downwards. This manner he chose, as being less honourable than that in which his Lord had been crucified. The fury of this persecution subsided after the death of Nero, until it was renewed, near the end of the century by Domitian; in character little inferior to Nero for baseness and cruelty. Under this persecution the apostle John was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Revelation. It has been said upon the authority of Tertullian, that he had been previously thrown into a caldron of boiling oil, and came out unhurt. But this is doubted.

(This concludes the First Century)