The Testimony of Christ is Confirmed by the Wonderful Life of the Church — Part I: Propagation and the Constancy of the Martyrs

Chapter XXIV.—The Testimony of Christ is Confirmed by the Wonderful Life of the Church

The Vatican Council teaches that the Church “because of its wonderful propagation, its extraordinary sanctity, its inexhaustible fecundity in well-doing, its Catholic unity and unshaken stability, is a great and perpetual motive of credibility, and an irrefragable Divine witness of its own Divine mission” (D. 1794).

The words of the Council suggest the division of this chapter: (1) Wonderful propagation of the Church; (2) Its extraordinary sanctity as seen in the constancy of martyrs and in its spiritual fecundity; (3) Its Catholic unity and unshaken stability.

Art. 1.—Wonderful Propagation of the Church.

The force of this argument lies in the disproportion between the propagation and natural causes. This disproportion is shown from a fourfold consideration of (1) the rapid diffusion of Christianity; (2) grandeur of the result obtained; (3) the many and serious obstacles; (4) the weakness of natural means.

I.—Rapid diffusion of Christianity.

(A) Numerically and geographically.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles that after Pentecost Peter converted 3,000 (Acts ii. 41), then 5,000 (Acts iv. 4). Later “the multitude of men and women who believed in the Lord was more increased” (Acts v. 14). At the time of the martyrdom of St. Stephen persecution began in Jerusalem, and the faithful “were all dispersed through the countries of Judea and Samaria … and they went about preaching the word of God” (Acts viii. 1-4). Some “went as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch … and a great number of believers was converted to the Lord” (Acts xi. 18-21). Barnabas and Saul were sent to Antioch for a year and “they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians” (Acts xi. 26).

Afterwards the Apostles founded churches through the Roman Empire, and beyond the limits thereof. About thirty years after the Ascension (A.D. 63-64) Peter wrote a letter “to the strangers dispersed through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia” (1 Peter i. 1). About the same time Paul wrote to the Romans: “Your faith is spoken of in the whole world” (Rom. i. 8). John in the reign of Domitian towards the end of the First Century wrote the Apocalypse “to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea” (Apoc. i. 11). Thus before the death of the Apostles the number of Christians was great.

After the death of the Apostles the number of the faithful continued to increase. Justin declared (c. A.D. 150) that there were no men, either barbarian or Greek, amongst whom prayers were not offered through the name of Jesus crucified (Dialog. cum Tryphone, n. 117). About the same time St. Irenæus testified that churches had been erected in Germany, Spain, Gaul, the East, Egypt, Lybia, Jerusalem and Judæa (Adv. Hæreses, Book I., c. 10, n. 2; Book III., c. 3, n. 2). At the beginning of the Third Century (A.D. 200) Tertullian wrote: “We are of yesterday, and we have filled your cities, islands, strongholds, free-towns, market-places, camps, tribes, decurias, the palace, the senate, the forum. We leave to you only your temples” (Apologet. c. 37). It was stated by others that the greater part of Carthage was Christian (Ad Scapulam c. 5).

The existence of multitudes of Christians was noted by Pagan writers, such as Tacitus (Annals, Book XV., c. 44) and Pliny, junior, who was propraetor in Bithynia and found many Christians there (Epis. 97). Harnack admits that at the beginning of the Fourth Century (A.D. 300) Christianity prevailed in Asia Minor, Thrace, Cyprus, Edessa; it was spread in Cœle-Syria, Egypt, in South and Central Italy, in proconsular Africa and Numidia, in Spain, Greece and Southern Gaul (“Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten,” 2nd Ed., 1906, Vol. II., Book IV.).

(B) Social diffusion.

Many Christians were of the common people; the prophecy was fulfilled “to the poor the Gospel is preached” (Is. xxix. 19). St. Paul writes: “See your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: but the foolish things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the strong” (1 Cor. i. 26, 27). Nevertheless it is certain that rich men and wise men became Christians.

(a) Rich men and women.

“Sergius Paulus, proconsul; Dionysius the Areopagite” (Acts xiii. 12; xvii. 34). Titus Flavius Clemens and his family and some from the house of Cæsar (Philipp. iv. 22). St. Cyprian (Epist. 80, 1), writing at the time of Valerian, notes that not a few were Christians amongst centurions and tribunes. In the epistles of St. Paul and in the Acts of the Apostles many notable men and women are named (1 Cor. i. 14; xvi. 15; Rom. xvi. 1, 3, 6, 7, 13, 15), and Pomponia Græcina (Tac. Annal. xiii. 32). Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History (vi. 21, 26; viii. 1) mentions relatives of illustrious men, such as Domitilla, Marcia, Julia, Mammæa, Severa wife of Philip, wife and daughter of Diocletian, wife of the prefect of Rome in the reign of Maxentius. Many suffered martyrdom for the Faith.

(b) Learned men, many of whom defended the Faith.

Dionysius the Areopagite, Apollo of Alexandria, Justin, Athenagoras, Aristides, Irenæus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen and the Alexandrian school. Arnobius (Adv. Gentes, Book II., 5) writes: “Orators of high gifts, grammarians, rhetoricians, doctors of law and of medicine, philosophers exploring secrets seek this (Christian) teaching, having surrendered the doctrine they formerly believed.”

Hence during the first three centuries, Christianity spread with rapidity throughout the Roman Empire and beyond its limits, and was diffused in all grades of society.

II.—Christianity thus diffused had a wonderful moral effect.

Many men putting aside vicious habits, unnatural crimes, the pride of worldly wisdom, were converted so as to lead a chaste, humble life of poverty. Representatives from every condition of life succeeded in “believing things so obscure, achieving things so difficult, hoping for things so lofty” (St. Thomas, c. Gentes, Book I., c. 6). Family life, the dignity of woman, the condition of slaves—the whole of society was reconstructed in a spirit of charity and justice.

St. Justin wrote: “They who formerly found pleasure in impurity now lead a chaste life. We who used to employ magical arts have consecrated ourselves to God … we, who indulged in hatred and murder now live together and pray for our enemies” (1 Apol. n. 14).

Lactantius wrote: “Take the case of a man who is irascible, scurrilous, unbridled in passion; through the influence of a few words of God I will make him as gentle as a lamb. Suppose the case of a man who is avaricious, greedy, stingy, I will make him generous, bestowing his money with both hands; a man, who fears pain and death, will despise the cross, the fire, the bull of Phalaris; an impure man, an adulterer, a debauchee will be seen sober, chaste, self-controlled; an unjust, foolish, sinful man will become gentle, prudent, innocent. All wickedness will disappear in the waters of regeneration” (Inst. div. Book III., c. 26).

Eusebius bears witness in the case of Persians, Scythians, Bactrians and others, who had indulged in horrible and unnatural sins: “The beastly plague of so many evils has been put to flight by the power of the Gospel law” (Præparatio Evangelica, Book I., c. 4).

Pagan writers—the younger Pliny (Book X., Epist. 97), Lucianus (de morte Peregrini), the Emperor Julian (Apud Sozom. His. Eccl., Book V., c. 26) praise Christians for their virtue and charity. Fr. Gatti, O.P., in his Apologetic (Vol. III. p. 217) contrasts the pagan idea of virtue, lauded by philosophers, with the Christian ideal directed to the glory and honour of God.

III.—Obstacles to be overcome.

(A) Acceptance of doctrine and worship.

“We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. i. 23).

(a) Jews.

The Jews expected a temporal Messiah, and they were unwilling to regard as true God Him whom they crucified. They were scandalised at the defeat (as it appeared to them) of Christ. They were unwilling to reject the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law.

(b) Gentiles.

The idea of the death of God, of the voluntary sacrifice made by a just and wise man—such ideas were foolishness to Gentile thought. Moreover, according to Christian teaching, pagan idolatrous statues must be destroyed, pagan temples overthrown, pagan sacrifices and superstitious practices regarded with abhorrence.

(B) Reformation of morals.

The Christian ethical system was hateful to pagan corrupt society, as it declared war on cupidity and pride. St. John wrote: “Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world … all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life” (1 John ii. 15, 16).

(C) Persecutions.

Pagans were willing to tolerate forms of religion which could be reconciled with the worship in vogue throughout the Empire, but the Christian religion, which necessarily excludes all others, was hateful to them. In virtue of the law, Christians of a humble class were thrown to wild beasts, or burned alive; the better class were beheaded. Impediments therefore in the way of acceptance of Christian teaching, and of reformation of morals, were very great in number and severity, during the three centuries of persecution.

IV.—Natural means available for the recommendation of Christianity were feeble.

(A) Both the use of violent means and, on the other hand, the inducement of pleasure were impossible: “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor. x. 4).

(B) Natural eloquence and wisdom could not avail. What culture, knowledge of philosophy, power of eloquent exposition did the Apostles possess? St. Augustine notes: “The world believed in a small number of poor, weak, unskilled men, because Divine power itself, through witnesses so contemptible, brought conviction in a very wonderful way” (de Civ. Dei., Book XXII., c. 5). St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ. For I judged not myself to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling: And my speech and my preaching was not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in shewing of the spirit and power: that your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. ii. 1-5).

Conclusion: The disproportion between natural means and the wonderful propagation of Christianity is manifest. St. Thomas wrote: “It would be more wonderful than all miracles if the world without miracle had been induced by simple and poor men to accept doctrines so obscure, to achieve works so difficult, to cherish hopes so lofty” (c. Gentes, Book I., c. 6). St. Augustine has the following words: “If you do not believe in miracles, the one great miracle suffices that the whole world believed without miracles” (de Civ. Dei., Book XXII., c. 5).

Such wonderful conversion of multitudes was as it were the Seal of God in confirmation of the Divinity of the Christian Faith.

In Chapter xv. of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Gibbon attempts to account on natural grounds for the rapid propagation of Christianity. He assigns as intrinsic causes (1) the evident truth of Christian ethics, and as a consequence the purity of life of Christians; (2) the promise of eternal happiness; (3) the zeal wherewith Christians preached their faith as being alone true and necessary for salvation. The extrinsic causes assigned were (1) unity of the Roman Empire; (2) the insufficiency of pagan philosophy; (3) the invasion of barbarian races who became Christian.

Answer: As regards supposed intrinsic causes: (1) many Christian dogmas are obscure and incomprehensible; (2) there was threat of eternal punishment as well as a promise of eternal happiness; (3) Jews and Pagans adopted Christianity because they saw evident signs of its truth.

Concerning the supposed extrinsic causes: (1) if unity of the Empire helped the propagation of Christianity, it helped also the persecuting and destructive forces opposed to it; (2) Platonism and Stoicism were widely held under the Emperors Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, etc.; (3) when the barbarian races invaded the Empire, they found Christianity widely established. They adopted the Christian Faith, like Jews, Romans and Greeks, because of the motives of credibility—miracles, sublimity of Christian doctrine, extraordinary sanctity attesting the influence of the Church, heroic fortitude of Christian martyrs under persecution, etc. (Cf. Cardinal Newman, Grammar of Assent).

Art. 2.—Sanctity of the Church as shewn in its spiritual fecundity, and in the constancy of its martyrs.

Extraordinary and manifest sanctity is a Divine sign as it can come from God alone. Heroic sanctity implies the prompt, easy, frequent performance of arduous works exceeding the usual capabilities of man.

I.—The Church possesses the principles and means of sanctity for all. This is clear as regards doctrine, worship, and discipline.

(A) Doctrine.

The Church, now as in the first ages of Christianity, teaches the whole doctrine of Christ, as contained in Scripture and Tradition. The Church has opposed errors per excessum, and errors per defectum—Monophysitism and Nestorianism as regards Christ, Arianism and Sabellianism as regards the Trinity, Pelagianism and Jansenism as regards grace, rigorism and laxity as regards conscience. The Church encourages generous souls to follow the practice of the evangelical counsels, of self-denial, and to imitate, as far as their state of life allows, the example of Christ Our Lord.

(B) Worship.

The Church treasures the Sacrifice of the Mass, in which “the same Christ is, without the shedding of His blood, contained, and offered, who once for all with the shedding of His blood offered Himself on the altar of the Cross” (Conc. Trid. Sess. xxii., c. 2). By the Sacrifice of the Mass, the merits of Christ’s Passion are applied, and the fruit of Redemption offered to us. The Church treasures the Sacraments as channels of Divine Grace. The Church stresses the need of prayers and of other good works.

(C) Discipline.

Laws of the Church impose duties of hearing Mass on Sundays and Holy days, Annual Communion, fasting and abstinence, etc.

II.—The extraordinary sanctity of the Church appears in the heroic constancy of its martyrs.

1° Number of Martyrs.

In 1684 H. Dodwell wrote a dissertation entitled The fewness of the Martyrs, in which he attempted to prove that the persecutions were not general. Ruinart in his Acta Martyrum, examined and confuted his thesis.

From A.D. 64 to A.D. 313 there were according to Lactantius six persecutions. It is certain that many thousands of martyrs suffered in the city of Rome alone. According to Tacitus (Annal. xv. 43-45) “multitudo ingens,” i.e., a great multitude of Christians were put to death under Nero A.D. 64. Eusebius relates (Hist. Eccl. iii., c. 33) that in the reign of Trajan (A.D. 98-117) many suffered, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 164-180) great numbers of martyrs bore their testimony both within and without the boundaries of the Empire (Hist. Eccl. V., c. 1). Similarly under Severus, there were martyrs in all the Churches, especially at Alexandria (Hist. Eccl. VI., c. 1). So also (Hist. Eccl. VII., c. 11) of the persecution under Decius (A.D. 250-251). In the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian (A.D. 303-311) “batches” of Christians were burned, as Lactantius (De morte persecut. c. 16), Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. VIII. c. 3-13), and Sulpicius Severus (Historia Sacra II., c. 32) relate. In the Catacombs, inscriptions have been discovered: “Marcella and Martyrs of Christ dl.” (550), “cl. (150) Martyrs of Christ,” etc. St. Cyprian declared (De exhortatione Martyrii, c. xi.) that martyrs were too numerous to be reckoned. Sozomenus estimates (Hist. Eccl., Book II., c. xiv.) that in Persia under Sapor 190,000 Christians suffered. Subsequently, in Mahometan countries, in Japan, China, Annam, Asia, Africa, the testimony of blood has been without intermission (Cf. E. Le Blant, Les persécuteurs et les martyrs).

2° Social condition of those who suffered.

Martyrs included not only unlettered men, such as Theodotus, Severus, etc., but nobles as Flavius Clemens, Apollonius; learned men as Justin, Irenæus, Cyprian; not only men physically strong as the soldiers, Victor, Sebastian, Mauritius, but women, Perpetua, Cecilia, Agatha, Blandina, Potamiæna; old men, Polycarp and Simeon; boys and girls as Tharcisius, Quiricus, Eulalia, Agnes.

3° Motive, for the cause of which they suffered, was filial reverence towards God, and faith in Christ, the Son of God. The Greek word “martyr” means “witness.”

As St. Thomas notes “all works of virtue, referred to God, are as it were protestation of Faith. Hence John the Baptist was a martyr, though he died, not because he would not deny the Faith, but because he denounced the adultery of Herod” (IIᵃ IIᵃᵉ q 124 a 5).

Christianity was regarded as an obstinate superstition (Pliny Ep. x. 97). Occurrence of calamities was attributed to the Christians: “If the Tiber overflows its banks, if the Nile does not spread its waters over the fields … if there is famine or pestilence, let the Christians be thrown to the lions” (Christianos ad leonem), so wrote Tertullian (Apolog. c. 40). Christians were loyal subjects of the Empire. They were persecuted, not for their political, but for their religious, views: “You shall be brought before governors and before kings for my sake for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matt. x. 18).

4° Torments.

Some of the physical tortures are described by Tacitus (Annal. xv. 44). Christians were covered with skins of wild beasts, that they might be torn to pieces by dogs; others were crucified; others again burned to death, their bodies having been smeared with inflammable material so that they might serve as lights in the night time. Tertullian (Apolog. xii.), Lactantius (Div. Inst., Book V., c. 11) and Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., Book VII., c. 10-12) bear witness that Christians were thrown to wild beasts, impaled, burned by the application of torches, their limbs broken, their flesh torn so that there was no place for further wounding.

Moral torments were not less severe. Not only were families reduced to extreme poverty, but martyrs were called upon to withstand the tears of parents, wife and children. As prophesied by Our Lord: “He who loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. x. 37).

5° Heroic Fortitude.

Martyrdom is an act of fortitude which represses fear. To repress fear is a more difficult achievement than to moderate boldness. Fortitude is not a virtue unless in association with other virtues; it must be under the direction of prudence so as to give strength for the achievement of good apart from the obstinacy of pride.

Heroic fortitude accomplishes works exceeding the ordinary capabilities of man, promptly, cheerfully, as occasion needs, frequently (Bened. xiv. de Canon. Sanct. Book III., c. 21).

Martyrs endured atrocious torments with the following dispositions: (1) as they were human they felt fear at times, but prayed and repressed this passion; (2) they were not carried away by feelings of desperation, but quite tranquilly bore their sufferings; (3) their fortitude was joined to charity, faith, hope, prudence, justice, chastity, humility, meekness, and like Our Lord and St. Stephen they prayed for their executioners; (4) they went cheerfully to death as if they were going to victory, and their joy continued in the midst of torments. Like the Apostles, “they went from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus” (Acts v. 41) (Cf. Sulpicius Severus, Hist. Sacra. Book II., c. 32; St. Hilarius Tract. in Ps. 65 n. 21; Tertullian Ad Scapulam, c. 4).

The words of St. Ignatius (Ep. ad Rom. n. 4-5) are well known: “I am the wheat of God: I shall be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.” Words of thanksgiving and of joy were spoken by SS. Polycarp, Irenæus, Cyprian, Felix, Victor, Vincentius, Theodorus, etc. (Cf. Ruinart Acta Martyrum). Women bore their testimony in the same heroic way, e.g., SS. Perpetua and Felicitas, Blandina, etc.

6° This heroic fortitude is a miracle of the moral order.

Major: Such fortitude implies heroic acts of the principal virtues often repeated—heroic acts accomplished by countless men, women, girls of every social condition, accomplished cheerfully and constantly in the midst of physical and moral torments, without any hope of temporal reward unless in the abandonment of their faith.

Minor: But heroic acts of the principal virtues cannot be accomplished so often, so cheerfully and constantly, amidst atrocious sufferings by multitudes of all conditions of life, age, and sex, and accomplished without human motive, unless there be an extraordinary intervention of Divine assistance.

Conclusion: Therefore the fortitude of the martyrs, all circumstances considered, is a miracle of the moral order.

The Major of this syllogism is historically certain.

The Minor is proved in a twofold way—indirectly by excluding natural causes as insufficient, and directly by showing in the constancy of the martyrs extraordinary sanctity—the work of God.

(a) Indirect proof.

Rationalists see in the constancy of the martyrs only fanaticism and the hope of praise.

Fanaticism is blind obstinacy, far removed from the wisdom, prudence, moderation, meekness, which the martyrs manifested. In their case the words of St. Paul were exemplified: “We are reviled and we bless: we are persecuted and we suffer it: we are blasphemed and we entreat: we are made as the refuse of the world, and the offscouring of all even until now” (1 Cor. iv. 12, 13).

The hope of praise cannot explain the constancy of the martyrs. They were as humble as they were magnanimous, and this union of virtues points to the special help of God. Moreover, many martyrs were secretly executed, and the hope of praise could not enter in.

(b) Direct proof.

The extraordinary sanctity shewn by the martyrs implies the special help of God. Martyrdom is a sign of the highest degree of charity, and charity joined to other virtues, charity joyful in the crisis of horrible torture, manifests its supernatural origin. Hence the fact to which an appeal is made, is the constancy of martyrs in so far as it is miraculous and manifestly different from the obstinacy of fanatics.