Chapter VII: Part I: A.d. 64-A.d. 180

INTRODUCTORY

The early Church remained continually under the veiled
shadow of persecution--This state of things we learn, not
from the “Acts of the Martyrs,” which, save in a certain
number of instances, are of questionable authority, but from
fragments which have come down to us of contemporary
writings--Extracts from two groups of the more important of
these are quoted 163

I

QUOTATIONS FROM APOSTLES, ETC.

_First Group._--From writings of apostles and apostolic men,
including the Epistle to the Hebrews--1 Peter--Revelation
of S. John--First letter of S. Clement of Rome--The seven
genuine letters of S. Ignatius 166

II

QUOTATIONS FROM WRITINGS OF THE SECOND CENTURY

_Second Group._--Early writings, dating from the time of
Trajan to the death of Marcus Antoninus (A.D. 180);
including--“Letters of Pliny and Trajan”--“Letter to
Diognetus”--“The Shepherd of Hermas”--“1st Apology of Justin
Martyr”--“Minucius Felix”--“Writings of Melito of
Sardis”--“Writings of Athenagoras”--“Writings of Theophilus
of Antioch”--“Writings of Tertullian”--the last-named a very
few years later, but bearing on same period 177