IN CHURCH HISTORY. 39 



been proclaimed from Jerusalem eastward to the 

 Indies and the Euphrates, and westward to the 

 Thames. Tacitus, the Roman historian, admits 

 that in the year of our Lord 68 "vast multitudes " 

 of Christians were discovered in all parts of the 

 Roman empire, and the Roman empire then in- 

 cluded most portions of the then inhabited globe. 

 Thus, ere the first century closed, the Son of Man 

 had lived His wonderful life, and died the death 

 which atoned for the sins of the world ; the Holy 

 Ghost had been poured out upon the infant Church; 

 Jerusalem had been cast down into the dust ; and 

 in every direction the heralds of the cross had gone, 

 proclaiming the tidings of salvation; twelve Roman 

 emperors had passed away, among them the cruel 

 Nero, and Domitian, under whom two bitter perse- 

 cutions of the Christians had been carried on ; new 

 names had appeared upon the world's history, to be 

 forever more famous than emperors and kings ; 

 new truths had been announced, which were des- 

 tined to revolutionize all existing institutions, and 

 to usher in better, brighter times for men ; and 

 there had been developed that society against 

 wh ; s:h the gates of hell should never prevail. 



