The Ancient Church: Its History, Doctrine, Worship, and Constitution

[435:1] The Ophites carried this feeling so far as to maintain that the serpent which deceived Eve was no other than the divine Aeon Sophia, or Wisdom, who thus weakened the pow...

[266:3] Maurice, in his work on Diocesan Episcopacy in reply to Clarkson, admits (p. 257) that in our Saviour's time, Laodicea had "but few inhabitants." Philadelphia is describ...

The persecutions of the early Church form an important and deeply interesting portion of its history. When its Great Author died on the accursed tree, Christianity was baptized...

[92:2] They may have perceptive powers of which we can form no conception, and may thus discern the approach of particular events as distinctly an we can now calculate the ebb a...

Nearly three years before the commencement of our era, [14:1] Jesus Christ was born. The Holy Child was introduced into the world under circumstances extremely humiliating. A de...

By "the Fathers" we understand the writers of the ancient Christian Church. The name is, however, of rather vague application, for though generally employed to designate only th...

Paul had already determined to leave Ephesus at Pentecost, [128:1] and as the secular games, at which the Asiarchs presided, took place during the month of May, the disorderly p...

"I am the good Shepherd," said Jesus: "the good Shepherd giveth his life _for the sheep_.... My sheep _hear my voice_, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them...

Any attentive reader who has marked the chronology of the early bishops of Rome, as given by Eusebius, [537:1] may have observed that the pastorates of those who flourished duri...

The Epistles attributed to Ignatius have attracted greater notice, and have created more discussion, than any other uninspired writings of the same extent in existence. The prod...

Justin Martyr, who had travelled much, and who was probably as well acquainted with the state of the Church about the middle of the second century as most of his contemporaries,...

Soon after returning from Jerusalem to Antioch, Paul was formally invested with his new commission. His fellow-deputy, Barnabas, was appointed, as his coadjutor, in this importa...

Though very few of the genuine productions of the ministers of the ancient Church of Rome are still extant, [343:1] multitudes of spurious epistles attributed to its early bisho...

To the primitive disciples the day on which our Lord rose from the grave was a crisis of intense excitement. The crucifixion had cast a dismal cloud over their prospects; for, i...

When our Lord bowed His head on the cross and "gave up the ghost," the work of atonement was completed. The ceremonial law virtually expired when He explained, by His death, its...

[12:2] See Cudworth's "Intellectual System," i. 318, &c. Edition, London, 1845. Warburton has adduced evidence to prove that this doctrine was imparted to the initiated in the h...

The apostles, and the other original heralds of the gospel, sought primarily _the conversion of unbelievers_. The commission given to Paul points out distinctly the grand design...

Some have an idea that the saintship of the early Christians was of a type altogether unique and transcendental. In primitive times the Spirit was, no doubt, poured out in rich...

For some time after the apostolic age, the doctrine of the Church remained unchanged. Those who had been taught the gospel by the lips of its inspired heralds could not have bee...

We cannot tell when the president of the presbytery began to hold office for life; but it is evident that the change, at whatever period it occurred, must have added considerabl...

Paul declares that Christ "gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the...

When Christianity made its appearance in the world, it produced a profound sensation. It spread on all sides with great rapidity; it was at once felt to be a religion for the co...

The Israelites were emphatically "a peculiar people." Though amounting, in the days of our Lord, to several millions of individuals, they were all the lineal descendants of Abra...

After leaving Philippi, and passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul made his way to Thessalonica. In this city there was a Jewish synagogue where he was permitted, for th...

The history of the Ignatian Epistles may well remind us of the story of the Sibylline Books. A female in strange attire is said to have appeared before Tarquin of Rome, offering...

It has often been remarked that the personal preaching of our Lord was comparatively barren. There can be no doubt that the effects produced did not at all correspond to what mi...

The word _catholic_, which signifies universal or general, came into use towards the end of the second century. Its introduction indicates a new phase in the history of the eccl...

The great doctrines of Christianity are built upon _the facts_ of the life of our Lord. These facts are related by the four evangelists with singular precision, and yet with a v...

The Apostle "took his leave" [115:1] of the Corinthian brethren in the spring of A.D. 54, and embarking at the port of Cenchrea, about eight or nine miles distant, set sail for...

Eusebius, already so often quoted, and known so widely as the author of the earliest Church history, flourished in the former half of the fourth century. This distinguished fath...

Whilst the Christian community was contending against the Gnostics, it was not without other controversies which were fitted to prejudice its claims in the sight of the heathen....

It has been already stated that, except in a few great cities where there were several Christian congregations, the introduction of Episcopacy produced a very slight change in t...

Jesus Christ was a Jew, and it might have been expected that the advent of the most illustrious of His race, in the character of the Prophet announced by Moses, would have been...

The same system of doctrine is inculcated throughout the whole of the sacred volume. Though upwards of fifteen hundred years elapsed between the commencement and the completion...

The conduct of our Lord, as a religious teacher, betokened that He was something more than man. Mohammed dictated the Koran, and left it behind him as a sacred book for the guid...

[218:4] The rite of confirmation, as now practised, has no sanction in the New Testament. The "baptisms" and "laying on of hands," mentioned Heb. vi. 2, are obviously the "diver...

The Book of the Acts terminates abruptly; and the subsequent history of Paul is involved in much obscurity. Some have contended that the apostle was never released from his firs...

The Apocalypse is a book of symbols. The light which we obtain from it may well remind us of the instruction communicated to the Israelites by the ceremonies of the law. The Mos...

Upwards of a quarter of a century before the Birth of Christ, the grandnephew of Julius Caesar had become sole master of the Roman world. Never, perhaps, at any former period, h...

After the Council of Jerusalem, the gospel continued its prosperous career. When Paul had remained for some time at Antioch, where he returned with the deputation, he set out to...

When the venerable Polycarp was on the eve of martyrdom, he is reported to have said that he had served Christ "eighty and six years." [472:1] By the ancient Church these words...

The Greek word translated _heresy_ [200:1] in our authorised version of the New Testament, did not primarily convey an unfavourable idea. It simply denoted a _choice_ or _prefer...

The religion of the primitive Christians must have appeared exceedingly strange to their pagan contemporaries. The heathen worship was little better than a solemn show. Its vict...

The dawn of the second century was full of promise to the Church. On the death of Domitian in A.D. 96, the Roman Empire enjoyed for a short time [275:1] the administration of th...

When the Evangelist Matthew is describing the ministry of John the Baptist, he states that there "went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan...

Baptism and the Lord's Supper may be regarded as a typical or pictorial summary of the great salvation. In Baptism the gospel is exhibited subjectively--renewing the heart and c...

[626:2] See Mosheim's "Commentaries," by Murdock, cent. ii. sec. 71. Dr Schaff seems disposed to deny this, but he assigns no reasons. See his "Hist. of the Christ. Church," p....

[254:1] For a more particular account of the constitution of the meeting mentioned in the 15th chapter of the Acts, see Period I. sec. i. chap. v. p. 82.

Comparative length of the lives of the early bishops of Rome, 537 Observations relative to a change in the organization of the Roman Church in the time of Hyginus, 538 1. The st...

Statement of Justin Martyr, 499 Great obscurity resting on the subject, 500 Illustrated by the Epistles of Clement and Polycarp, ib. Circumstances which led to the writing of Cl...

Genuine letters of the early bishops of Rome and false Decretal epistles, 343 Discovery of the statue of Hippolytus and of his "Philosophumena," 344 The Roman bishops Zephyrinus...

Apostles sought, first, the conversion of sinners, and then the edification of their converts, 605 No general union of Churches originally, 606 But intercourse in various ways m...

Spectators impressed by the sufferings of the Christians, 284 The blood of the martyrs the seed of the Church, 285 Persecution promoted the purity of the Church, ib. Christian g...

Why our Lord wrote nothing Himself, 176 The order in which the Gospels appeared, 177 Internal marks of truthfulness and originality in the writings of the Evangelists, 178 The A...

Unity of the Church of Israel, 248 Christian Church also made up of associated congregations, 249 The Apostles act upon the principle of ecclesiastical confederation, 250 Polity...

Paul preaches in Macedonia and Illyricum, 128 Writes the First Epistle to Timothy, and the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 129 Arrives in Corinth, and writes the Epistle to t...

Previous position of Paul and Barnabas, 70 Why now ordained, 71 Import of ordination, 73 By whom Paul and Barnabas were ordained, 74 They visit Cyprus, Perga, Antioch in Pisidia...

The successful preaching of the Apostles in Jerusalem, 52 The disciples have all things common, ib. The appointment of the deacons, 54 The Apostles refuse to obey the rulers of...

The date of the Birth of Christ, 14 The place of His Birth, ib. The visit of the angel to the shepherds, 15 The visit of the Magi--the flight into Egypt--and the murder of the i...

Enumeration of ecclesiastical functionaries in Ephesians iv. 11, 12, and 1 Corinthians xii. 28, 230 Ordinary Church officers, teachers, rulers, and deacons, 232 Elders, or bisho...

The Church invisible and its attributes, 636 The visible Church and its defects, 637 The holy Catholic Church--what it meant, 639 Church visible and Church invisible confounded,...

Piety of the early Christians not superior to that of all succeeding ages, 312 Covetous and immoral pastors in the ancient Church, 313 Asceticism and its pagan origin, 314 The u...

Power of the president of a court, 589 Power of the ecclesiastical president increased when elected by the people, 590 The superior wealth of the bishop added to his influence,...

Christians assembled for worship on the first day of the week, 210 Our Lord recognized the permanent obligation of the Fourth Commandment, 211 Worship of the Church resembled, n...

Leading doctrines of the gospel still acknowledged, 445 Meaning of theological terms not yet exactly defined, ib. Scripture venerated and studied, 446 Extraordinary scriptural a...

Weak historical foundation of Romanism, 329 Church of Rome not founded by either Paul or Peter, ib. Its probable origin, 330 Little known of its primitive condition, ib. Its ear...

The journeys undertaken in search of the Ignatian Epistles, and the amount of literature to which they have given birth, 389 Why these letters have awakened such interest, 390 T...

Our Lord during His short ministry trained eighty-two preachers--the Twelve and the Seventy, 36 Various names of some of the Twelve, 37 Relationship of some of the parties, 39 O...

The mysterious symbols of the Apocalypse, 263 The seven stars seven angels, 264 These angels not angelic beings, and not corporate bodies, but individuals, 265 The name angel pr...

Where Christians formed only a single congregation Episcopacy made little change, 575 The bishop the parish minister, ib. Every one who could might preach if the bishops permitt...

Paul's first visit to Ephesus; 115 Aquila and Priscilla instruct Apollos, 116 Position of the Jews in Alexandria, ib. Gifts of Apollos, 117 Ministry of Apollos in Corinth, ib. P...

Thessalonica and its rulers, 100 The more noble Bereans, 101 Athens and its ancient glory, ib. Paul's appearance among the philosophers, 102 His speech on Mars' Hill 104 Altar t...

The history of these Epistles like the story of the Sibylline books, 413 The three Curetonian Letters as objectionable as those formerly published, 414 The style suspicious, cha...

The Jews at first the chief persecutors of the Church, 163 Their banishment from Rome by Claudius, 164 Martyrdom of James the Just, 165 Why Christians so much persecuted, 166 Pe...

The amount of their extant writings, 364 The Epistle of Polycarp, 365 Justin Martyr, his history and his works, ib. The Epistle to Diognetus, 367 Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus...

Evidences of Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment, 152 His visit to Spain, 153 Writes the Epistle to the Hebrews, 154 Revisits Jerusalem, and returns to Rome, 155 Hi...

THE GNOSTICS, THE MONTANISTS, AND THE MANICHAEANS. The early heresies numerous, 429 The systems with which Christianity had to struggle, 430 The leading peculiarities of Gnostic...

Eusebius. The defects of his Ecclesiastical History, 522 Superior erudition of Jerome, 523 His account of the origin of Prelacy, 524 Prelacy originated after the apostolic age,...

Same system of doctrine in Old and New Testaments, 188 The New Testament the complement of the Old, ib. The views of the Apostles at first obscure, 189 New light received after...

Danger of changing any part of a typical ordinance, 483 How the Holy Supper was administered in Rome in the second century, 484 The posture of the communicants--sitting and stan...

Confession often made at Baptism by disciples of John the Baptist, and of Christ, 491 The early converts forthwith baptized, 492 In the second century fasting preceded Baptism,...

Original meaning of the word Heresy, 200 How the word came to signify something wrong, 201 The Judaizers the earliest errorists, ib. Views of the Gnostics respecting the present...

History of the word Catholic, 561 Circumstances in which the system originated, ib. The bishop the centre of unity for his district, 562 Principal or apostolic Churches--their p...

THE ROMAN EMPIRE AT THE TIME OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. PAGE The boundaries of the Empire, 3 Its population, strength, and grandeur, ib. Its orators, poets, and philosophers, 5 The...

The rise of the Nazarenes, 623 Lessons taught by their history, 624 The Paschal controversy and Victor's excommunication, 625 Danger of depending on tradition, 628 Institution o...

Polycarp probably baptized in infancy, 472 Testimony of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus for Infant Baptism, 473 Testimony of Origen, 474 Objections of Tertullian examined, 475 Sponso...

Date of Paul's first appearance in Europe, 90 History of Philippi, ib. Jewish Oratory there, 91 Conversion of Lydia, ib. The damsel with the spirit of divination, 92 Paul and Si...

Prospects of the Church in the beginning of the second century, 275 Christianity recommended by its good fruits, 276 Diffusion of Scriptures and preparation of versions in other...

Splendour of the Pagan and Jewish worship--simplicity of Christian worship, 462 The places of worship of the early Christians, 463 Psalmody of the Church, 464 No instrumental mu...