Next to that of Peter we recognise the prominence of the apostle John, who, after protracted labors among the Jews in Palestine, took up his abode at Epliesus, from which centre he exercised supervision of the churches of Asia Minor till the period of his exile to Patmos, whence he yet speaks to the churches.
As to the other apostles, neither Scri]iture nor history gives definite information, but early and uncontradicted tradition assigns them severally to important and wide- spread mission fields. According to the general voice ' of antifpiity, James the Just remained at Jerusalem. Andrew preached in Scythia, Thrace, Jlacedonia. 'ihcs- saly, and Achaia ; Philip in Upper Asia. Scythia, and Phrygia, where he suffered martyrdom. Bartholomew penetrated India. Thomas visited Jledia and Persia, and possibly the coast of Coroniandel and the i^lan<l of Ceylon. Matthew went to Ethiopia, Parthia, and Abys- I sinia ; Simon Zeloles to Egypt, Cyrene, Lybia, and Mau- Iritaiiia; and Jude to (Jalilee, Samaria, Iduma?a, and ' ^lesopotamia. Whatever of literal friUh is embodied in the traditions (pioted. they at least show that the j grand missionary idea was associatcil with the history of tiie several apostles from the earliest period; and, taken in connection with known residts, they leave no I doubt that the lives of those chosen men were spent iu
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zealous and self-sacrificing efforts for the spread of the Gospel. Nor was this true only of the apostles, but also of the Christian believers of that period generally, who, when even scattered by persecution, " went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts viii, 4). On no other hy- pothesis than that of universal missionary activity on the part of both ministers and members of the Church of the apostles and their immediate successors, attended also by the divine blessing, is it possible to account for the extensive spread of early Christianity. During the last sixty years of the 1st century the new religion be- came diffused, to a greater or less extent, throughout the numerous countries embraced in the Roman empire, inclusive of Egypt, Northern Africa, Spain, Gaul, and Britain. As a direct result of the apostolic missions, the Christian Church is supposed to have contained in the year 100 half a million of living members, those of the tirst and second generations having mostly gone for- ward to join the Church triumphant.
The churches of the present and the future will find the most important lessons as to their responsibilities and duties in the history of apostolic missions. It may also be said that modern missions, and the comparatively recent development of the missionary spirit, have thrown much light upon the instrumentalities by which Chris- tianity was tirst established in the earth, and by which it was designed to become universal. From both classes of events it appears that consecrated men and consecrat- ed means are the active agencies to be employed for the establishment of Christ's kingdom upon the earth; and that these combined, under the guidance and bless- ing of the Head of the Church, may be expected to tri- umph over the most frigid indifference and the most violent opposition.
In the penury, the obscurity, and the lack of facil- ities of the early Church, the work of promoting the salvation of men, and of extending the truth, was one of individual and personal exertion, supplemented, of course, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. At tirst there were no churches for public assembly, no books for auxiUary influence, no organizations for the support of missionaries, home or foreign. Nevertheless, regen- erated men ^vent everywhere preaching the word. They founded churches wherever the word was received by believers, and the members of the churches were taught to sustain those who labored among them in the Lord, and also to let the riches of their liberahty abound, even out of their deep poverty, for the furtherance of the Gospel. They were also taught the duty of constant prayer, not only for one another, but especially that the word of God might have free course and be glorified, and that God would open to his servants a door of ut- terance to speak the mystery of Christ (2 Thess. iii, 1 ; Col. iv, 3). Thus the whole Apostolic Church Avas an agency for self-extension, and for the propagation of the truth. Though public preaching was practiced to the greatest extent practicable, yet the inference is in- evitable that the extension of Christian truth was ac- complished largely by means of personal influence in conversation, example, and private persuasion. In this way all could be " helpers of the truth." And by pub- lic and private means, united and in constant action, Christianity was diffused, notwithstanding the appar- ently insuperable obstacles that confronted it on every liand. There is good reason to believe that had the true character of the Apostolic Church been preserved, and its singleness of missionary aim and action been maintained, the development of Christianity in the world would have been constant, if not rapid, and that long ere this the remotest nations would have been evangelized.
II. Ancient Missions.— JJndcT this head, allusion will be made to the aggressive movements of the Church between the apostolic and medieval periods. That the 2d and 3d centuries witnessed great missionary activity on the part of Christians in the countries to which ac- cess could be secured, is proved not only by the multi-