Antioch

Antioch, in Syria, was founded by Seleu-cus Nicator, about 300 b. c. It was situated not far from 300 miles north of Jerusalem on the left bank of the Orontes, sixteen and a half miles from the Mediterranean. It was the third city in the Roman Empire in population (500, 000), and wealth. It was who taught that a “truly spiritual man could and should be entirely indifferent to the moral sphere of human life.” The term was first employed by Luther in his opposition to the views advocated by John Agricola. In the reaction from the extreme stress laid upon the value of good works by the Roman Church, Agricola utterly ignored the claims of the moral law as a condition of salvation. His position was so earnestly opposed by Luther that he left Wittenberg. In later years he again opened the controversy which was kept alive by others for a long time. In England, during the seventeenth century, some extreme Calvinists held that an elect person did not sin, even if he did that which here the disciples were first called Christians (Acts xi. 26), and it became a centre from which the gospel spread.

The church at Antioch early became the most prominent one in Asia. It has been the seat of a patriarch since the fifth century. During the time of Chrysostom (b. there 347), it is said that of the population of two hundred thousand one-half were professing Christians. From 252 to 380’ ten councils were held here, some of them of importance in connection with the Arian controversy. In 635 the city fell into the hands of the Saracens, was retaken in 969, captured by the Crusaders, 109S, and since 1268 ruled by the Mohammedans. It has suffered repeatedly from earthquakes, and is now an insignificant town of about six thousand inhabitants. It still holds the position of a patriarchate both in the Greek and Latin churches. There is a flourishing Protestant mission in the place.