their
reunions and closed their cemeteries. In 258 he ordered the immediate
trial of bishops, priests and other officers of the churches, and set
penalties for the various grades of the clergy who persisted in their
beliefs. But Valerian's persecution also was brief and ended with his
defeat and capture by the Persians in 258 A. D. Naturally, in so large a
body as the Christians now were not all were animated by the zeal and
sincerity of the early brethren, and under threat of punishment many, at
least openly, abjured their faith. However, many others cheerfully
suffered martyrdom and by their example furthered the Christian cause.
Truly, "the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church." The
persecutions tried the church sorely, but it emerged triumphant from the
ordeal.

*Organization of the Christian church.* The early Christians formed a
number of small, independent communities, united by ties of common
interest, of belief, and of continual intercourse. Although the majority
of their members were drawn, from the humbler walks of life, they were by
no means confined to the proletariat. In their organization these
communities were all of the same general type, resembling the Roman
religious _collegia_, but local variations were common. Each church
community was directed by a committee, whose members were called at times
elders (presbyters), at times overseers (bishops). These were assisted by
deacons, who, like themselves, were elected by the congregation to which
they belonged. Among the presbyters or bishops one may have acted as
president. The functions of the bishops were primarily administrative,
including the care of the funds of the association, the care of the poor,
the friendless, and traveling brethren, and of discipline among the
members of the community. The deacons were the subordinates of the
bishops, and assisted in the religious services and the general
administration of the community.

But before the close of the principate this loose organization had been
completely changed as a result of separatist tendencies among the
Christians themselves and the increasing official oppression to which they
were exposed. The opposition to these forces resulted in a strict
formulation of evangelic doctrine and a firmer organization of the church
communities. This organization came to be centralized in the hands of the
bishops, now the representatives of the communities. The episcopate was no
longer collegiat