Clement, bishop of Rome circa A.D. 95, writing to the Church at Corinth, speaks of "the great multitude of Christians" who suffered in the persecution of Nero, a.d. 64.[1]
Hermas, in his book termed the Shepherd, shows us that in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, circa A.D. 130-40, there was resident a large number of Christians in the capital, many of them well-to-do and wealthy citizens.
Soter, bishop of Rome, writing to the Church of Corinth,[2] shortly after A.D. 165, refers to the Christians as superior in numbers to the Jews, no doubt especially alluding to the Roman congregation mentioned.
In the Acts of the Martyrdom of Justin, circa A.D. 165, an undoubtedly genuine piece, Rusticus the Roman prefect asks Justin where the Christians assembled. In reply, Justin said, "Where each one chooses and can; for do you imagine that we all meet in the very same place?"
Irenæus in a very striking passage,[3] written circa A.D. 180, alludes to the size and importance of the Roman congregation. His words are as follows:
"Since, however, it would be most tedious in such a volume as this to reckon up the (Episcopal) succession of all the Churches, we confound all those who assemble in unauthorized meetings by indicating the tradition handed down from the apostles of the most great, the very ancient, and universally known Church organized by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul."
The statements of Tertullian circa A.D. 195-200 are well known and are often quoted; and though they are probably exaggerated, still such assertions, although they are rhetorical rather than simple statistics, would never have been advanced by such a learned and weighty writer if the numbers of the Christians of his time (the latter years of the second century) had not, in many cities and countries, been very great.
- ↑ Clement of Rome, Epist. ad Cor. vi.
- ↑ The quotation referred to is from the so-called 2nd Epistle of Clement of Rome (section 2), which Harnack attributes to Soter, bishop of Rome. Lightfoot, however, places the Epistle even earlier (circa A.D. 140), and considers it the work of an anonymous writer.
- ↑ Irenæus, adv. Hær., book iii. 2.
