The growth of the Church in her first three hundred years was faster and stronger than can easily be accounted for on purely historical grounds. While Christianity offered a brighter hope to a weary world than rival religions, it demanded a drastic change of life: the courage of Christians under persecution and their care for the poor and widows were remarkable, but in the end Fr. Meredith attributes her remarkable vigour to her message about Jesus and the continuous guidance of the Holy Spirit.