|
Among those that were celebrated at that time was Quadratus, 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. For indeed
most of the disciples of that time, animated by the divine word with a
more ardent love for philosophy, had already fulfilled the command of
the Saviour, and had distributed their goods to the needy. 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. 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. 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.
|
|