Page:New historical catechism (1).pdf/13

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A. There was many that had embraced the doc- trine of the apostles and believed in Christ, ia ani robout Jerusalem; but Lanctanties relates. Thas at: ter they had put to death the two James's, and b2- guished both Peter and Paul and others that Christ vho has always.a care over luis own appeared to Pe. er and Paul at Rome, before their martyrdom and leclared that within three or four years after their leath, he would take revenge on the Jews, by the datter destruction of Jerusalem, and that generation; cwbich he says, they revealed to the Christians in Ju- dea, whereupon Eusebius caith they dejarted from Jerusalem, not long before the siege begin, to build 1 a town called Pilla, beyond Jordan, to which Jesus had directed them, it being under the government of Agrippa, wlio being in amity with the Itomane, would be safe.

Q. Who was the first Emperor that embraced the Ciuistian faith, and proclaimed liberty unto them?

A. Constantine the Great was the first that este- blished the Christian religion, he died peaceably in lis bed, which for 300 years before few or none e- scaped divine justice.

Q. What was the first heathen country that em- baced the Christian religion.

A. Of all other nations in the world, none earlier embraced the Christian religion with more readiness than the Egyptians, deinolishing their idolatrous i. mages before any other leathen nation, and giving example to other countries to do the same, so they were the best who, after the coming of Christ, re. tured to the worship of the true God.

Q. Do you mind the apology that Tertullian wrote to the Heathen Emperor, ia the defence of Christian religion, in the time of the fourth persecution.

A. In few years Christianity was spread over all