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 *[[Ethiopian Christianity]]
 *[[Non-Catholic Christians]]
+The Christian churches in the second century were persecuted, but vibrant:
+*Various Churches had been established with a succession of Bishops tracing back to the Apostles,
+*Mighty men continued in the missionary tradition of the Apostles,
+*Supernatural signs continued to follow the Christian believers
+*The complete New Testament had been written and compiled.
+*Christian doctrine had been fully established.
+*The churches continued to fight against heresies, and experienced persecutions.
+[[Irenaeus]] provides evidence of this wealth in his writings:
+*He quotes from all of the New Testament books except Philemon, 3 John and Jude,
+*He testifies of healings and miracles in his own ministry (while noting that these signs are absent from the heretic's ministries),
+*He became a missionary (and then Bishop) in the French city of Lyons, having been raised in Smyrna in Polycarp's Church.
+*He wrote in length against heresies, and on the correct doctrine of the nature of Christ.
+::''All the other expressions, likewise, bring out the title of one, and the same being, the Lord of Power, the Lord, the Father of All, God Almighty, Most High, Creator, Maker and such like, these are not the names and the titles of a succession of different beings, but of one and the same''. (Irenaeus, Volume 1, page 412 of the Ante Nicene Fathers, )
+*He confirms that a number of churches continued to exist that were established by the Apostles (including, but not limited to the Church at Rome).
+Christians were severely persecuted by Pagan Rome between 170 AD and 312 AD.  Marcus Aurelis executed a number of Christians in Lyon, France, in 177 AD.  Septimus Severus (193 - 211 AD) upheld the already-established laws against Christianity, allowing logal governers to persecute them (especially strong in Africa) while sheltering the Christians in Rome itself.  Alexander Severus (222-235 AD) wanted to build a temple to the founder of Christianity, but was dissuaded by pagan priests.  Maximinus Thrax (235-238 AD) persecuted Christians relentlessly, as did Decius (249-251 AD) and Valerian (253-260 AD).
+The Roman Emperor Diocletian was figure of contrasts.  Born to a poor family, he rose in stature in the Roman army and cavalry, until claiming the Empire for himself in 284.  Taking the title "Jovius" and "Dominus et deus" (Lord and God), he reinstituted the Roman form of Emperor worship, forcing all who came to see him to prostrate themselves before his throne, and forbidding visitors to look at him.  At the same time, Diocletian gave half of the empire to his friend Maximian (who took the title "Herculius"), and together they unified the power of the Roman Empire.  His military and economic reforms formed the basis of the Byzantine Empire (which was to last another thousand years), and enabled the western Roman empire to continue another hundred years.  In 305, after becoming sick, Diocletian became one of the few Roman Emperors to retire, and he took up the hobby of cabbage farming at his palace in Dalmatia.
+In 303 the Roman Emperor Diocletian published an "Edict against the Christians"  <ref name="Bleckmann"> (Bleckmann, Bruno. (2002–). "Diocletianus". Brill's New Pauly 4: 429–438. Ed. Hubert Cancik and Helmut Schneider. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9004122591.)</ref>  ordering the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship across the Empire, while prohibiting Christians from assembling for worship. Fires in Diocletian's palace in Nicomedia caused him to increase this persecution.  In 304, Diocletian ordered everyone in the empire to sacrifice <ref name="Liebeschuetz"> (Liebeschuetz, p. 249–250.)</ref> , which was a sign of apostacy to Christians, with persecution, imprisonment, or execution for those refusing to participate.
+The Emperor Galerius continued Diocletian's ruthless persecution of Christianity until 311 when he wrote an edict of tolerance on his death bed.  The persecutions still continued, primarily in the eastern provinces, until the year 312 when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan, formalized religious tolerance in the Empire.
+Origin of Doctrines:
+*The doctrine of One God in Three Persons (the [[Trinity]]) was formulated by Tertullian, a priest in Carthage (Tunisia).  The Church of Rome did not initially agree with Tertullian, but this doctrine slowly gained status in the Church at Rome until Bishop Felix began advertising this doctrine to the Church at Alexandria.
+*The Bishops in the churches that had Apostolic succsession began to exert influnece over other churches, excommunicating those who did not listen (sending them outside the camp), while fighting among themselves.
+*Traditions were implemented (like pennance) that were not Biblical.
+*Hippolytus' writings accuse Bishop Callixtus of allowing abortions,
+*Bishop Marcellinus recanted Christianity and sacrificed to idols to escape persecution (although it is said he later recanted).
+What is visible from this list of Roman Bishops is the rise of the doctrine of the Trinity, the Church of Rome's growing influence over other Churches in the Roman Empire, and the direct interference of Roman Emperors with the Church with Emperor Maxentius deposing consecutive Bishops until a more 'suitable' Bishop could be found.
 [[Martin]] of Tours (d. 397) became a missionary in Gaul.  While little is recorded of his teachings, his piety was not disputed, and supernatural signs and wonders followed his ministry.  Martin's nephew, Patrick (d. 493), also became a missionary, preaching in Ireland.  Near the end of the 6th century, Columba (d. 597) became a missionary to Scotland, and was known as a prophet for the mighty works that followed his ministry.  Each of these men developed their ministries independent of the Church in Rome, and independent of political support.  It is known that both Martin and Columba did everything in the Name of Jesus Christ.