HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

IN THE FIRST CENTURY

BY

EDWARD BURTON

REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY

THE present volume intends to instruct the general reader in the knowledge of the early Fathers of the Christian Church. It may thus be learned how the Church passed through the Apostolic era into that of the "Apostolic Fathers". These Fathers belong to the period between the close of the New Testament Canon and the days of St Irenaeus (AD 160) a period during which the record of the progress of the Church and of its heroes is very scanty. From the time of the great Bishop of Lyons onwards we have an abundant Church literature, and much fuller details in history than before. We see at that epoch how the Church had spread itself far and wide, but the seed had grown almost secretly. There were many writers during the interval whose works have perished, though, it is even now possible that some of them may yet be found buried away in the lumber rooms of Eastern monasteries.

CHAPTER 1.

CONDUCT AND PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES TO THE TIME OF THE DEATH OF STEPHEN; WITH THE CAUSES WHICH OPERATED TO PROMOTE THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL

CHAPTER II.

FIRST PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIANS - CONVERSION OF SAUL - INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL INTO SAMARIA; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SIMON MAGUS AND THE GNOSTICS.

CHAPTER III.

PAUL'S FIRST JOURNEY - DISSENSIONS AT ANTIOCH ABOUT THE GENTILE CONVERTS - COUNCIL AT JERUSALEM - DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN PAUL AND PETER.

CHAPTER IV.

PAUL'S SECOND JOURNEY THROUGH MACEDONIA, TO ATHENS AND CORINTH; HE VISITS JERUSALEM, AND RESIDES THREE YEARS AT EPHESUS - DISORDERS IN THE CHURCH OF CORINTH - PAUL AGAIN AT CORINTH - HE RETURNS THROUGH MACEDONIA TO JERUSALEM-SENT AS A PRISONER TO CESAREA - LABOURS OF OTHER APOSTLES - LUKE WRITES HIS GOSPEL.

CHAPTER V.

PAUL IS SENT TO ROME WHERE HE STAYS TWO YEARS - HE PREACHED IN MANY COUNTRIES AFTER HIS RELEASE - DEATHS OF JAMES THE BISHOP OF JERUSALEM, AND OF MARK THE EVANGELIST - PERSECUTION BY NERO - DEATHS OF PETER AND PAUL.

CHAPTER VI.

LIVES OF THE APOSTLES - DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM - FLIGHT OF THE CHRISTIANS TO PELLA - RISE OF THE NAZARENES AND EBIONITES - EFFECT OF THE DISPERSION OF THE JEWS - GNOSTIC NOTIONS CONCERNING CHRIST.

CHAPTER VII.

SEES OF JERUSALEM, ANTIOCH, ROME, AND ALEXANDRIA - EPISTLE OF CLEMENT - SPURIOUS WRITINGS - DOMITIAN PERSECUTES - CAUSES OF PERSECUTION - BANISHMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN - EXILES RECALLED BY NERVA - CANON OF SCRIPTURE.