The Ancient Church

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PREFATORY NOTE.

PREFACE.

PERIOD I. FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLE JOHN, A.D. 100. SECTION I. HISTORY OF THE PLANTING AND GROWTH OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

CHAPTER I. THE ROMAN EMPIRE AT THE TIME OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. Upwards of a quarter of a century before the Birth of Christ

CHAPTER II. THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE TO CHAPTER II. THE YEAR OF CHRIST'S BIRTH.

CHAPTER III. THE TWELVE AND THE SEVENTY.

CHAPTER IV. THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL FROM THE DEATH OF CHRIST TO THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLE JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JOHN.

CHAPTER V. THE ORDINATION OF PAUL AND BARNABAS; THEIR MISSIONARY TOUR IN ASIA MINOR; AND THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM.

CHAPTER VI. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL INTO EUROPE, AND THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AT PHILIPPI.

CHAPTER VII. THE MINISTRY OF PAUL IN THESSALONICA, BEREA, ATHENS, AND CORINTH.

CHAPTER VIII. THE CONVERSION OF APOLLOS, HIS CHARACTER, AND THE MINISTRY OF PAUL IN EPHESUS.

CHAPTER IX. PAUL'S EPISTLES; HIS COLLECTION FOR THE POOR SAINTS AT JERUSALEM; HIS IMPRISONMENT THERE, AND AT CAESAREA AND ROME.

CHAPTER X. PAUL'S SECOND IMPRISONMENT, AND MARTYRDOM; PETER, HIS EPISTLES, HIS MARTYRDOM, AND THE ROMAN CHURCH.

CHAPTER XI. THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, AND ITS CONDITION AT THE TERMINATION OF THE FIRST CENTURY.

SECTION II. THE LITERATURE AND THEOLOGY OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

CHAPTER I THE NEW TESTAMENT

CHAPTER II. THE DOCTRINE OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

CHAPTER III. THE HERESIES OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE.

SECTION III. THE WORSHIP AND CONSTITUTION OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

CHAPTER I. THE LORD'S DAY--THE WORSHIP OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH--ITS SYMBOLIC ORDINANCES AND ITS DISCIPLINE. 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

CHAPTER II. THE EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH; AND ITS ORDINARY OFFICE-BEARERS, THEIR APPOINTMENT, AND ORDINATION.

CHAPTER III. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

CHAPTER IV. THE ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES.

PERIOD II. FROM THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLE JOHN TO THE CONVERSION OF CONSTANTINE, A.D. 100 TO A.D. 312. SECTION I. THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER I. THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH. The dawn of the second century was full of promise to the Church. On the death of Domitian in A.D. 96

CHAPTER II. THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER III. FALSE BRETHREN AND FALSE PRINCIPLES IN THE CHURCH: SPIRIT AND CHARACTER OF THE CHRISTIANS.

CHAPTER IV. THE CHURCH OF ROME IN THE SECOND CENTURY.

CHAPTER V. THE CHURCH OF ROME IN THE THIRD CENTURY.

SECTION II. THE LITERATURE AND THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER I. THE ECCLESIASTICAL WRITERS. By "the Fathers" we understand the writers of the ancient Christian Church. The name is

CHAPTER II. THE IGNATIAN EPISTLES AND THEIR CLAIMS. THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE.

CHAPTER III. THE IGNATIAN EPISTLES AND THEIR CLAIMS. THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE.

CHAPTER IV. THE GNOSTICS, THE MONTANISTS, AND THE MANICHAEANS.

CHAPTER V. THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.

SECTION III. THE WORSHIP AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER I. THE WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH. 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 victims adorned with garlands

CHAPTER II. BAPTISM.

CHAPTER III. THE LORD'S SUPPER.

CHAPTER IV. CONFESSION AND PENANCE.

CHAPTER V. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE SECOND CENTURY.

CHAPTER VI. THE RISE OF THE HIERARCHY CONNECTED WITH THE SPREAD OF HERESIES.

CHAPTER VII. PRELACY BEGINS IN ROME.

CHAPTER VIII. THE CATHOLIC SYSTEM.

CHAPTER IX. PRIMITIVE EPISCOPACY AND PRESBYTERIAN ORDINATION.

CHAPTER X. THE PROGRESS OF PRELACY.

CHAPTER XI. SYNODS--THEIR HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION.

CHAPTER XII. THE CEREMONIES AND DISCIPLINE OP THE CHURCH AS ILLUSTRATED BY CURRENT CONTROVERSIES AND DIVISIONS.

CHAPTER XIII. THE THEORY OF THE CHURCH, AND THE HISTORY OF ITS PERVERSION.

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