nor
formed any branches. The dispersion of the little circle scattered the
good seed to the four winds of heaven. The members of the Church of
Jerusalem, driven violently from their quarters, spread themselves over
every part of Judea and Samaria, and preached everywhere the Kingdom of
God. The deacons, in particular, freed from their administrative
functions by the destruction of the community, became excellent
evangelists.

The scene of the first missions, which was soon to embrace the whole
basin of the Mediterranean, was the region about Jerusalem, within a
radius of two or three days' journey. Philip the Deacon was the hero of
this first holy expedition. He evangelized Samaria most successfully.
Peter and John, after confirming the Church of Sebaste, departed again
for Jerusalem, evangelizing on their way the villages of the country of
Samaria. Philip the Deacon continued his evangelizing journeys,
directing his steps toward the south, into the ancient country of the
Philistines.

Azote and the Gaza route were the limits of the first evangelical
preachings toward the south. Beyond were the desert and the nomadic life
upon which Christianity has never taken much hold. From Azote Philip the
Deacon turned toward the north and evangelized all the coast as far as
Caesarea, where he settled and founded an important church. Caesarea was a
new city and the most considerable of Judea. It was in a kind of way the
port of Christianity, the point by which the Church of Jerusalem
communicated with all the Mediterranean.

Many other missions, the history of which is unknown to us, were
conducted simultaneously with that of Philip. The very rapidity with
which this first preaching was done was the reason of its success. In
the year 38, five years after the death of Jesus, and probably one year
after the death of Stephen, all this side of Jordan had heard the glad
tidings from the mouths of missionaries hailing from Jerusalem. Galilee,
on its part, guarded the holy seed and probably scattered it around her,
although we know of no missions issuing from that quarter. Perhaps the
city of Damascus, from the period at which we now are, had also some
Christians, who received the faith from Galilean preachers.

The year 38 is marked in the history of the nascent Church by a much
more important conquest. During that year we may safely place the
conversion of that Saul whom we witnessed participating in the stoning
of Stephen, and as