Chapter I: Front Matter

*A Source Book for Ancient Church History*

*From the Apostolic Age to the Close of the Conciliar Period*

*by Joseph Cullen Ayer, Jr., Ph.D.*

Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the Divinity School of the
Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia

New York

Charles Scribner’s Sons

1913

CONTENTS

Errata.
Preface.
General Bibliographical Note
The First Division Of Ancient Christianity: The Church Under The Heathen
Empire: To A. D. 324
Period I. The Apostolic Age: To Circa A. D. 100
§ 1. The Neronian Persecution
§ 2. The Death of Peter and Paul
§ 3. The Death of the Apostle John
§ 4. The Persecution under Domitian
Period II. The Post-Apostolic Age: A. D. 100-A. D. 140
§ 5. Christianity and Judaism
§ 6. The Extension of Christianity
§ 7. Relation of the Roman State to Christianity
§ 8. Martyrdom and the Desire for Martyrdom
§ 9. The Position of the Roman Community of Christians in the Church
§ 10. Chiliastic Expectations
§ 11. The Church and the World
§ 12. Theological Ideas
§ 13. Worship in the Post-Apostolic Period
§ 14. Church Organization
§ 15. Church Discipline
§ 16. Moral Ideas in the Post-Apostolic Period
Period III. The Critical Period: A. D. 140 to A. D. 200
Chapter I. The Church In Relation To The Empire And Heathen Culture
§ 17. The Extension of Christianity
§ 18. Heathen Religious Feeling and Culture in Relation to
Christianity
§ 19. The Attitude of the Roman Government toward Christians, A.
D. 138 to A. D. 192
§ 20. The Literary Defence of Christianity
Chapter II. The Internal Crisis: The Gnostic And Other Heretical
Sects
§ 21. The Earlier Gnostics: Gnosticism in General
§ 22. The Greater Gnostic Systems: Basilides and Valentinus
§ 23. Marcion
§ 24. Encratites
§ 25. Montanism
Chapter III. The Defence Against Heresy
§ 26. The Beginnings of Councils as a Defence against Heresy
§ 27. The Apostolic Tradition and the Episcopate
§ 28. The Canon or the Authoritative New Testament Writings
§ 29. The Apostles’ Creed
§ 30. Later Gnosticism
§ 31. The Results of the Crisis
Chapter IV. The Beginnings Of Catholic Theology
§ 32. The Apologetic Conception of Christianity
(A) The Logos Doctrine
(B) The Doctrine of the Trinity
(C) Moralistic Christianity
(D) Argument from Hebrew Prophecy
§ 33. The Asia Minor Conception of Christianity
Period IV. The Age Of The Consolidation Of The Church: 200 to 324 A. D.
Chapter I. The Political And Religious Conditions Of The Empire
§ 34. State and Church under Septimius Severus and Caracalla
§ 35. Religious Syncretism in the Third Century
§ 36. The Religious Policy of the Emperors from Heliogabalus to
Philip the Arabian, 217-249
§ 37. The Extension of the Church at the Middle of the Third
Century
Chapter II. The Internal Development Of The Church In Doctrine,
Custom, And Constitution
§ 38. The Easter Controversy and the Separation of the Churches
of Asia Minor from the Western Churches
§ 39. The Religion of the West: Its Moral and Juristic Character
§ 40. The Monarchian Controversies
(A) Dynamistic Monarchianism
(B) Modalistic Monarchianism
§ 41. Later Montanism and the Consequences of its Exclusion from
the Church
§ 42. The Penitential Discipline
§ 43. The Catechetical School of Alexandria: Clement and Origen
§ 44. Neo-Platonism
Chapter III. The First General Persecution And Its Consequences
§ 45. The Decian-Valerian Persecution
§ 46. Effects of the Persecution upon the Inner Life of the
Church
Chapter IV. The Period Of Peace For The Church: A. D. 260 To A. D.
303
§ 47. The Chiliastic Controversy
§ 48. Theology of the Second Half of the Third Century under the
Influence of Origen
§ 49. The Development of the Cultus
§ 50. The Episcopate in the Church
§ 51. The Unity of the Church and the See of Rome
§ 52. Controversy over Baptism by Heretics
§ 53. The Beginnings of Monasticism
§ 54. Manichæanism
Chapter V. The Last Great Persecution
§ 55. The Reorganization of the Empire by Diocletian
§ 56. The Diocletian Persecution
§ 57. Rise of Schisms in Consequence of the Diocletian
Persecution
The Second Division Of Ancient Christianity: The Church Under The
Christian Empire: From 312 To Circa 750
Period I: The Imperial State Church Of The Undivided Empire, Or Until
The Death Of Theodosius The Great, 395
Chapter I. The Church And Empire Under Constantine
§ 58. The Empire under Constantine and His Sons
§ 59. Favor Shown the Church by Constantine
§ 60. The Repression of Heathenism under Constantine
§ 61. The Donatist Schism under Constantine
§ 62. Constantine’s Endeavors to Bring about the Unity of the
Church by Means of General Synods: The Councils of Arles and
Nicæa
Chapter II. The Arian Controversy Until The Extinction Of The
Dynasty Of Constantine
§ 63. The Outbreak of the Arian Controversy and the Council of
Nicæa, A. D. 325
§ 64. The Beginnings of the Eusebian Reaction under Constantine
§ 65. The Victory of the Anti-Nicene Party in the East
§ 66. Collapse of the Anti-Nicene Middle Party; the Renewal of
Arianism; the Rise of the Homoousian Party
§ 67. The Policy of the Sons of Constantine Toward Heathenism and
Donatism
§ 68. Julian the Apostate
Chapter III. The Triumph Of The New Nicene Orthodoxy Over Heterodoxy
And Heathenism
§ 69. The Emperors from Jovian to Theodosius and Their Policy
toward Heathenism and Arianism
§ 70. The Dogmatic Parties and Their Mutual Relations
§ 71. The Emperor Theodosius and the Triumph of the New Nicene
Orthodoxy at the Council of Constantinople, A. D. 381
Chapter IV. The Empire And The Imperial State Church
§ 72. The Constitution of the State Church
(A) The Ecumenical Council
(B) The Hierarchical Organization
§ 73. Sole Authority of the State Church
§ 74. The Position of the State Church in the Social Order of the
Empire
§ 75. Social Significance of the State Church
§ 76. Popular Piety and the Reception of Heathenism in the Church
§ 77. The Extension of Monasticism Throughout the Empire
§ 78. Celibacy of the Clergy and the Regulation of Clerical
Marriage
Period II. The Church From The Permanent Division Of The Empire Until
The Collapse Of The Western Empire And The First Schism Between The
East And The West, Or Until About A. D. 500
Chapter I. The Church At The Beginning Of The Permanent Separation
Of The Two Parts Of The Roman Empire
§ 79. The Empire of the Dynasty of Theodosius.
§ 80. The Extension of the Church about the Beginning of the
Fifth Century
Chapter II. The Church Of The Western Empire In The Fifth Century
§ 81. The Western Church Toward the End of the Fourth Century
§ 82. Augustine’s Life and Place in the Western Church
§ 83. Augustine and the Donatist Schism
§ 84. The Pelagian Controversy
§ 85. Semi-Pelagian Controversy
§ 86. The Roman Church as the Centre of the Catholic Roman
Element of the West
Chapter III. The Church In The Eastern Empire.
§ 87. The First Origenistic Controversy and the Triumph of
Traditionalism
§ 88. The Christological Problem and the Theological Tendencies
§ 89. The Nestorian Controversy; the Council of Ephesus A. D.
431.
§ 90. The Eutychian Controversy and the Council of Chalcedon A.
D. 451
§ 91. Results of the Decision of Chalcedon: the Rise of Schisms
from the Monophysite Controversy
§ 92. The Church of Italy under the Ostrogoths and during the
first Schism between Rome and the Eastern Church
Period III. The Dissolution Of The Imperial State Church And The
Transition To The Middle Ages: From The Beginning Of The Sixth Century
To The Latter Part Of The Eighth
Chapter I. The Church In The Eastern Empire
§ 93. The Age of Justinian
§ 94. The Byzantine State Church under Justinian
§ 95. The Definitive Type of Religion in the East: Dionysius the
Areopagite
Chapter II. The Transition To The Middle Ages. The Foundation Of The
Germanic National Churches
§ 96. The Celtic Church in the British Isles
§ 97. The Conversion of the Franks. The Establishment of
Catholicism in the Germanic Kingdoms
§ 98. The State Church in the Germanic Kingdoms
§ 99. Gregory the Great and the Roman Church in the Second Half
of the Sixth Century
§ 100. The Foundation of the Anglo-Saxon Church
Chapter III. The Foundation Of The Ecclesiastical Institutions Of
The Middle Ages
§ 101. Foundation of the Mediæval Diocesan and Parochial
Constitution
§ 102. Western Piety and Thought in the Period of the Conversion
of the Barbarians
§ 103. The Foundation of the Mediæval Penitential System
§ 104. The New Monasticism and the Rule of Benedict of Nursia
§ 105. Foundation of Mediæval Culture and Schools