ons. But we must remember that when they
were uttered the true God was known and adored only in an obscure, almost
isolated, corner of the earth, while triumphant idolatry was the otherwise
universal religion of the world.

The prophecies were fulfilled. The Apostles scattered themselves over the
surface of the earth, preaching the Gospel of Christ. "Their sound," says
St. Paul, "went over all the earth and their words unto the ends of the
whole world."(61) Within thirty years after our Savior's Crucifixion the
Apostle of the Gentiles was able to say to the Romans: "I give thanks to
my God through Jesus Christ because your faith is spoken of in the entire
world"(62)--spoken of assuredly by those who were in sympathy and communion
with the faith of the Romans.

St. Justin, Martyr, was able to say, about one hundred years after Christ,
that there was no race of men, whether Barbarians or Greeks, or any other
people of what name soever, among whom the name of Jesus Christ was not
invoked.

St. Irenaeus, writing at the end of the second century, tells us that the
religion so marvelously propagated throughout the whole world was not a
vague, ever-changing form of Christianity, but that "this faith and
doctrine and tradition preached throughout the globe is as uniform as if
the Church consisted of one family, possessing one soul, one heart, and as
if she had but one mouth. For, though the languages of the world are
dissimilar, her doctrine is the same. The churches founded in Germany, in
the Celtic nations, in the East in Egypt, in Lybia, and in the centres of
civilization, do not differ from each other; but as the sun gives the same
light throughout the world, so does the light of faith shine everywhere
the same and enlighten all men who wish to come to the knowledge of the
truth."(63)

"We are but of yesterday," says Tertullian, "and already have we filled
your cities, towns, islands, your council halls and camps ... the palace,
senate, forum; we have left you only the temples."(64)

Clement of Alexandria, at the end of the second century, writes: "The word
of our Master did not remain in Judea, as philosophy remained in Greece,
but has been poured out over the whole world, persuading Greeks and
Barbarians alike, race by race, village by village, every city, whole
houses and hearers one by one--nay, not a few of the philosophers
themselves."

And Origen, in the early part of the next century, observes: "In all
Greece