CHURCH HISTORY. 41 



communities, in which it was considered merito- 

 rious to exterminate those who deserted the shrines 

 of the gods and called themselves by the hated 

 name of Christians, 



Much of the early history of the Church may be 

 said to be written in blood — the blood of those who 

 proved their fidelity to the Lord by suffering for 

 His sake. 



It was not the Roman power, however, that 

 inaugurated the persecutions. The Jews began 

 the shameful work. We learn that immediately 

 after the great Pentecostal day, when the Church 

 was first established, the persecutions in the city of 

 Jerusalem became so severe that many of the 

 Christians were compelled to flee from the place. 

 (Acts. ) St. Paul himself was once a leader of the 

 persecutors, and it was while on his way to secure 

 the arrest of some who had fled as far as Damascus, 

 that he was convinced of the error of his career, 

 and converted to the faith which he had been 

 trying* to destroy. (See Acts viii. ) 



In subsequent chapters of the same book we 

 learn that it was not uncommonly the case, even 

 in distant places, where the Jews had colonized, 

 for them to excite an uproar against the Christians, 

 and to subject them to violence. 



The persecutions by the Romans were of two 

 kinds ; there was one that was steady and persistent, 

 involving inconvenience, degradation, loss, and 



