HISTORY of the CHRISTIAN CHURCH*
CONTENTS
SECOND PERIOD
ANTE-NICENE CHRISTIANITY
a.d. 100–311 (325).
––––––––
INTRODUCTION.
§ 1. General Literature on the Ante-Nicene Age
§ 2. General Character of Ante-Nicene Christianity.
CHAPTER I:
Spread of Christianity.
§ 3. Literature.
§ 4. Hindrances and Helps.
§ 5. Causes of the Success of Christianity.
§ 6. Means of Propagation.
§ 7. Extent of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
§ 8. Christianity in Asia.
§ 9. Christianity in Egypt.
§ 10. Christianity in North Africa.
§ 11. Christianity in Europe.
CHAPTER II:
Persecution of Christianity and Christian Martyrdom.
§ 12. Literature.
§ 13. General Survey.
§ 14. Jewish Persecution.
§ 15. Causes of Roman Persecution.
§ 16. Condition of the Church before the Reign of Trajan.
§ 17. Trajan. a.d. 98–117—Christianity Forbidden
§ 18. Hadrian. a.d. 117–138.
§ 19 Antoninus Pius. a.d. 137–161. The Martyrdom of Polycarp.
§ 20. Persecutions under Marcus Aurelius. a.d. 161–180.
§ 21. Condition of the Church from Septimius Severus to Philip the Arabian. a.d. 193–249.
§ 22. Persecutions under Decius, and Valerian. a.d. 249–260. Martyrdom of Cyprian.
§ 23. Temporary Repose. a.d. 260–303.
§ 24. The Diocletian Persecution, a.d. 303–311.
§ 25. The Edicts of Toleration. a.d. 311–313.
§ 26. Christian Martyrdom.
§ 27. Rise of the Worship of Martyrs and Relics.
CHAPTER III.
Literary Contest of Christianity with Judaism and Heathenism.
§ 28. Literature.
§ 29. Literary Opposition to Christianity.
§ 30. Jewish Opposition. Josephus and the Talmud.
§ 31. Pagan Opposition. Tacitus and Pliny.
§ 32. Direct Assaults. Celsus.
§ 33. Lucian.
§ 34. Neo-Platonism.
§ 35. Porphyry and Hierocles
§ 36. Summary of the Objections to Christianity.
§ 37. The Apologetic Literature of Christianity.
§ 38. The Argument against Judaism.
§ 39. The Defense against Heathenism.
§ 40. The Positive Apology.
CHAPTER IV:
Organization and Discipline of the Church.
§ 41. Progress in Consolidation.
§ 42. Clergy and Laity.
§ 43. New Church Officers.
§ 44. Origin of the Episcopate.
§ 45. Development of the Episcopate. Ignatius.
§ 46. Episcopacy at the time of Irenaeus and Tertullian.
§ 47. Cyprianic Episcopacy.
§ 48. The Pseudo-Clementine Episcopacy.
§ 49. Beginnings of the Metropolitan and Patriarchal Systems
§ 50. Germs of the Papacy.
§ 51. Chronology of the Popes.
§ 52. List of the Roman Bishops and Roman Emperors during the First Three Centuries.
§ 53. The Catholic Unity.
§ 54. Councils.
§ 55. The Councils of Elvira, Arles, and Ancyra.
§ 56. Collections of Ecclesiastical Law. The Apostolical Constitutions and Canons.
§ 57. Church Discipline.
§ 58. Church Schisms.
CHAPTER V:
Christian Worship.
§ 59. Places of Common Worship.
§ 60. The Lord’s Day.
§ 61. The Christian Passover. (Easter).
§ 62. The Paschal Controversies.
§ 63. Pentecost.
§ 64. The Epiphany
§ 65. The Order of Public Worship.
§ 66. Parts of Worship.
§ 67. Division of Divine Service. The Disciplina Arcani.
§ 68. Celebration of the Eucharist.
§ 69. The Doctrine of the Eucharist.
§ 70. The Celebration of Baptism.
§ 71. The Doctrine of Baptism.
§ 72. Catechetical Instruction and Confirmation.
§ 73. Infant Baptism.
§ 74. Heretical Baptism.
CHAPTER VI:
Christian Art.
§ 75. Literature.
§ 76. Origin of Christian Art.
§ 77. The Cross and the Crucifix.
§ 78. Other Christian Symbols.
§ 79 Historical and Allegorical Pictures
§ 80. Allegorical Representations of Christ.
§ 81. Pictures of the Virgin Mary.
CHAPTER VII:
The Church in the Catacombs.
§ 82. Literature.
§ 83. Origin and History of the Catacomb.
§ 84. Description of the Catacombs.
§ 85. Pictures and Sculptures.
§ 86. Epitaphs.
§ 87. Lessons of the Catacombs.
CHAPTER VIII:
The Christian Life in Contrast with Pagan Corruption.
§ 88. Literature.
§ 89. Moral Corruption of the Roman Empire.
§ 90. Stoic Morality
§ 91. Epictetus.
§ 92. Marcus Aurelius.
§ 93. Plutarch.
§ 94. Christian Morality.
§ 95. The Church and Public Amusements.
§ 96. Secular Callings and Civil Duties.
§ 97. The Church and Slavery.
§ 98. The Heathen Family.
§ 99. The Christian Family.
§ 100. Brotherly Love, and Love for Enemies.
§ 101. Prayer and Fasting.
§ 102. Treatment of the Dead
§ 103. Summary of Moral Reforms.
CHAPTER IX:
Ascetic Tendencies.
§ 104. Ascetic Virtue and Piety.
§ 105. Heretical and Catholic Asceticism.
§ 106. Voluntary Poverty.
§ 107. Voluntary Celibacy.
§ 108. Celibacy of the Clergy.
CHAPTER X:
Montanism.
§ 109. Literature.
§ 110. External History of Montanism.
§ 111. Character and Tenets of Montanism.
CHAPTER XI:
The Heresies of the Ante-Nicene Age.
§ 112. Judaism and Heathenism within the Church.
§ 113. Nazarenes and Ebionites (Elkesaites, Mandaeans).
§ 114. The Pseudo-Clementine Ebionism.
§ 115. Gnosticism. The Literature.
§ 116. Meaning, Origin and Character of Gnosticism.
§ 117. The System of Gnosticism. Its Theology.
§ 118. Ethics of Gnosticism.
§ 119. Cultus and Organization.
§ 120. Schools of Gnosticism.
§ 121. Simon Magus and the Simonians.
§ 122. The Nicolaitans.
§ 123. Cerinthus.
§ 124. Basilides.
§ 125. Valentinus.
§ 126. The School of Valentinus. Heracleon, Ptolemy, Marcos, Bardesanes, Harmonius.
§ 127. Marcion and his School.
§ 128. The Ophites. The Sethites. The Peratae. The Cainites
§ 129. Saturninus (Satornilos).
§ 130. Carpocrates.
§ 131. Tatian and the Encratites.
§ 132. Justin the Gnostic.
§ 133. Hermogenes.
§ 134. Other Gnostic Sects.
§ 135. Mani and the Manichaeans.
§ 136. The Manichaean System.
CHAPTER XII:
The Development of Catholic Theology.
§ 137. Catholic Orthodoxy.
§ 138. The Holy Scriptures and the Canon.
§ 139. Catholic Tradition.
§ 140. The Rule of Faith and the Apostles’ Creed.
§ 141. Variations of the Apostles’ Creed.
§ 142. God and the Creation.
§ 143. Man and the Fall.
§ 144. Christ and the Incarnation.
§ 145. The Divinity of Christ.
§ 146. The Humanity of Christ.
§ 147. The Relation of the Divine and the Human in Christ.
§ 148. The Holy Spirit.
§ 149. The Holy Trinity.
§ 150. Antitrinitarians. First Class: The Alogi,Theodotus, Artemon, Paul of Samosata.
§ 151. Second Class of Antitrinitarians: Praxeas, Noëtus, Callistus, Berryllus.
§ 152. Sabellianism.
§ 153. Redemption.
§ 154. Other Doctrines.
§ 155. Eschatology. Immortality and Resurrection.
§ 156. Between Death and Resurrection.
§ 157. After Judgment. Future Punishment.
§ 158. Chiliasm.
CHAPTER XIII:
Ecclesiastical Literature of the Ante-Nicene Age, and Biographical Sketches of the Church Fathers.
§ 159. Literature.
§ 160. A General Estimate of the Fathers.
§ 161. The Apostolic Fathers.
§ 162. Clement of Rome.
§ 163. The Pseudo-Clementine Works.
§ 164. Ignatius of Antioch.
§ 165. The Ignatian Controversy.
§ 166. Polycarp of Smyrna.
§ 167. Barnabas.
§ 168. Hermas.
§ 169. Papias.
§ 170. The Epistle to Diognetus.
§ 171. Sixtus of Rome.
§ 172. The Apologists. Quadratus and Aristides.
§ 173. Justin the Philosopher and Martyr.
§ 174. The Other Greek Apologists. Tatian.
§ 175. Athenagoras.
§ 176. Theophilus of Antioch.
§ 177. Melito of Sardis.
§ 178. Apolinarius of Hierapolis. Miltiades.
§ 179. Hermias.
§ 180. Hegesippus.
§ 181. Dionysius of Corinth.
§ 182. Irenaeus
§ 183. Hippolytus.
§ 184. Caius of Rome.
§ 185. The Alexandrian School of Theology.
§ 186. Clement of Alexandria.
§ 187. Origen.
§ 188. The Works of Origen.
§ 189. Gregory Thaumaturgus.
§ 190. Dionysius the Great.
§ 191. Julius Africanus.
§ 192. Minor Divines of the Greek Church.
§ 193. Opponents of Origen. Methodius
§ 194. Lucian of Antioch.
§ 195. The Antiochian School.
§ 196. Tertullian and the African School.
§ 197. The Writings of Tertullian.
§ 198; Minucius Felix.
§ 199. Cyprian.
§ 200. Novatian.
§ 201. Commodian.
§ 202. Arnobius.
§ 203. Victorinus of Petau.
§ 204. Eusebius, Lactantius, Hosius.
––––––––
Illustrations from the Catacombs.
Alphabetical Index.
* Schaff, Philip, History of the Christian Church, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1997. This material has been carefully compared, corrected¸ and emended (according to the 1910 edition of Charles Scribner's Sons) by The Electronic Bible Society, Dallas, TX, 1998.