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| The Evangelists that were still Eminent at that Time.
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Chapter
XXXVII.—The Evangelists that were
still Eminent at that Time.
1. Among those that were celebrated at that time was
Quadratus,929
| 929 This
Quadratus had considerable reputation as a prophet, as may be gathered
from Eusebius’ mention of him here, and also from the reference
to him in the anonymous work against the Montanists (see below, Bk. V.
chap. 16). We know nothing about this Quadratus except what is told us
in these two passages, unless we identify him, as many do, with
Quadratus the apologist mentioned below, in Bk. IV. chap. 3. This
identification is possible, but by no means certain. See Bk. IV. chap.
3, note 2. | who, report says, was renowned along
with the daughters of Philip for his prophetical gifts. And there were
many others besides these who were known in those days, and who
occupied the first place among the successors of the apostles. And they
also, being illustrious disciples of such great men, built up the
foundations of the churches which had been laid by the apostles in
every place, and preached the Gospel more and more widely and scattered
the saving seeds of the kingdom of heaven far and near throughout the
whole world.930
| 930 This
rhetorical flourish arouses the suspicion that Eusebius, although he
says there were “many others” that were well known in those
days, was unacquainted with the names of such persons as we, too, are
unacquainted with them. None will deny that there may have been some
men of prominence in the Church at this time, but Eusebius apparently
had no more information to impart in regard to them than he gives us in
this chapter, and he makes up for his lack of facts in a way which is
not at all uncommon. |
2. For indeed most of the
disciples of that time, animated by the divine word with a more ardent
love for philosophy,931
| 931 That
is, an ascetic mode of life. See Bk. VI. chap. 3, note 9. | had already
fulfilled the command of the Saviour, and had distributed their goods
to the needy.932
| 932 See Matt. xix. 21. Eusebius agrees with
nearly all the Fathers, and with the Roman Catholic Church of the past
and present, in his misinterpretation of this advice given by Christ to
the rich young man. | Then starting out upon long
journeys they performed the office of evangelists, being filled with
the desire to preach Christ to those who had not yet heard the word of
faith, and to deliver to them the divine Gospels.
3. And when they had only laid
the foundations of the faith in foreign places, they appointed others
as pastors, and entrusted them with the nurture of those that had
recently been brought in, while they themselves went on again to other
countries and nations, with the grace and the co-operation of God. For
a great many wonderful works were done through them by the power of the
divine Spirit, so that at the first hearing whole multitudes of men
eagerly embraced the religion of the Creator of the
universe.
4. But since it is impossible
for us to enumerate the names of all that became shepherds or
evangelists in the churches throughout the world in the age immediately
succeeding the apostles, we have recorded, as was fitting, the names of
those only who have transmitted the apostolic doctrine to us in
writings still extant. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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