They tried
They tried but they were unsuccessful. Instead, to God's delight, all that was used by political and economic systems and religions in history to fight, persecute, enchain, stop, restrain it was torn to pieces by the Gospel itself, not because the Gospel is violent, but because it is powerful, extremely powerful. Anyone who has tried to manipulate, to control, to silence or use the Gospel to his/her own advantage or to make it seem obsolete, has been wripped off the wall of history like wallpaper during a hurricane. Trying to restrain the innovative, spiritual, intrinsic power of the Gospel is like trying to stop the explosive power of the biggest vulcano on earth using a coffee cup. The Gospel is new wine and as such it must be poured into new hearts capable of tasting its amazing, innovative, healing, enlightening and liberating power. The Gospel is not looking for proselytes, but for hearts that are new in Spirit.