Miscellanies,
vol. ii. p. 221.]

The progress of Christianity was not confined to the Roman empire; and
according to the primitive fathers, who interpret facts by prophecy, the
new religion, within a century after the death of its divine Author, had
already visited every part of the globe. "There exists not," says Justin
Martyr, "a people, whether Greek or Barbarian, or any other race of men,
by whatsoever appellation or manners they may be distinguished, however
ignorant of arts or agriculture, whether they dwell under tents, or
wander about in covered wagons, among whom prayers are not offered up in
the name of a crucified Jesus to the Father and Creator of all things."
[177] But this splendid exaggeration, which even at present it would be
extremely difficult to reconcile with the real state of mankind, can be
considered only as the rash sally of a devout but careless writer, the
measure of whose belief was regulated by that of his wishes. But neither
the belief nor the wishes of the fathers can alter the truth of history.
It will still remain an undoubted fact, that the barbarians of Scythia
and Germany, who afterwards subverted the Roman monarchy, were involved
in the darkness of paganism; and that even the conversion of Iberia, of
Armenia, or of Aethiopia, was not attempted with any degree of success
till the sceptre was in the hands of an orthodox emperor. [178] Before
that time, the various accidents of war and commerce might indeed
diffuse an imperfect knowledge of the gospel among the tribes of
Caledonia, [179] and among the borderers of the Rhine, the Danube, and
the Euphrates. [180] Beyond the last-mentioned river, Edessa was
distinguished by a firm and early adherence to the faith. [181] From
Edessa the principles of Christianity were easily introduced into the
Greek and Syrian cities which obeyed the successors of Artaxerxes; but
they do not appear to have made any deep impression on the minds of the
Persians, whose religious system, by the labors of a well disciplined
order of priests, had been constructed with much more art and solidity
than the uncertain mythology of Greece and Rome. [182]

[Footnote 177: Justin Martyr, Dialog. cum Tryphon. p. 341. Irenaeus adv.
Haeres. l. i. c. 10. Tertullian adv. Jud. c. 7. See Mosheim, p. 203.]

[Footnote 178: See the fourth century of Mosheim's History of the
Church. Many, though very confused circumstances, that relate to the
conversion of Iberia and Armenia, may