The second period of church history, from the death of the Apostle John to the end of the persecution, or to the rise of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, is the classic age of persecution by the pagans, the age of martyrdom and heroism of Christians, the bright sacrifice of earthly blessings and life itself for the sake of heaven inheritance. It is a constant commentary on the Savior's words: "Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves"| "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Simple human faith would not have survived such a trial by fire for three hundred years. The final victory of Christianity over Judaism, paganism and the most powerful of the empires of the ancient world, a victory won not by physical strength, but by the moral strength of patience and perseverance, faith and love, is one of the most sublime phenomena of history, one of the most weighty evidence in favor of divinity and indestructibility. of our faith.But no less sublime and significant were the intellectual and spiritual victories of the Christian Church during this period - victories over pagan science and art, over invasions of the Gnostic and Ebionite heresy, over open and secret enemies, a great confrontation with which gave rise to numerous works in defense of Christian truth and contributed to its comprehension.