SCRIPTURA

Church Fathers

Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions

Various Church Fathers

Translated by A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.)

Lactantius, the Didache, the Apostolic Constitutions and early liturgies.

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Contents · 148

  1. 1Introductory Notice
  2. 2Introductory Notice to Lactantius
  3. 3Book I. Of the False Worship of the Gods
  4. 4Chap. V.—Of the testimonies of poets and philosophers
  5. 5Chap. VIII.—That God is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation
  6. 6Chap. XIII.—How vain and trifling are the interpretations of the stoics respecting the gods, and in them concerning the origin of Jupiter, concerning Saturn and Ops
  7. 7Chap. XVIII.—On the consecration of gods, on account of the benefits which they conferred upon men
  8. 8Chap. XXIII.—Of the ages of vain superstitions, and the times at which they commenced
  9. 9Chap. IV.—Of images, and the ornaments of temples, and the contempt in which they are held even by the heathens themselves
  10. 10Chap. VIII.—Of the use of reason in religion; and of dreams, auguries, oracles, and similar portents
  11. 11Chap. XI.—Of living creatures, of man; Prometheus, Deucalion, the Parcæ
  12. 12Chap. XVII.—That astrology, soothsaying, and similar arts are the invention of demons
  13. 13Chap. II.—Of philosophy, and how vain was its occupation in setting forth the truth
  14. 14Chap. XI.—Of religion, wisdom, and the chief good
  15. 15Chap. XVI.—That the philosophers who give good instructions live badly, by the testimony of Cicero; therefore we should not so much devote ourselves to the study of philosophy as to wisdom
  16. 16Chap. XIX.—Cicero and others of the wisest men teach the immortality of the soul, but in an unbelieving manner; and that a good or an evil death must be weighed from the previous life
  17. 17Chap. XXVI.—It is divine instruction only which bestows wisdom; and of what efficacy the law of God is
  18. 18Chap. I.—Of the former religion of men, and how error was spread over every age, and of the seven wise men of Greece
  19. 19Chap. VII.—Of the name of Son, and whence he is called Jesus and Christ
  20. 20Chap. XIV.—Of the priesthood of Jesus foretold by the prophets
  21. 21Chap. XVIII.—Of the Lord’s passion, and that it was foretold
  22. 22Chap. XXIII.—Of giving precepts, and acting
  23. 23Chap. XXIX.—Of the Christian religion, and of the union of Jesus with the Father
  24. 24Chap. II.—To what an extent the Christian truth has been assailed by rash men
  25. 25Chap. V.—there was true justice under Saturnus, but it was banished by Jupiter
  26. 26Chap. IX.—Of the crimes of the wicked, and the torture inflicted on the Christians
  27. 27Chap. X.—Of false piety, and of false and true religion
  28. 28Chapter XIII.—Of the increase and the punishment of the Christians
  29. 29Chap. XIX.—Of virtue and the tortures of Christians, and of the right of a father and master
  30. 30Book VI. Of True Worship
  31. 31Chap. V.—Of false and true virtue; and of knowledge
  32. 32Chap. X.—Of religion towards God, and mercy towards men; and of the beginning of the world
  33. 33Chap. XV.—Of the affections, and the opinion of the Peripatetics respecting them
  34. 34Chap. XXI.—Of the pleasures of the ears, and of sacred literature
  35. 35Chap. I.—Of the world, and those who are about to believe, and those who are not; and in this the censure of the faithless
  36. 36Chap. V.—Of the creation of man, and of the arrangement of the world, and of the chief good
  37. 37Chap. X.—Of vices and virtues, and of life and death
  38. 38Chap. XV.—Of the devastation of the world and change of the empires
  39. 39Chap. XX.—Of the judgment of Christ, of Christians, and of the soul
  40. 40Chap. XXIV.—Of the renewed world
  41. 41Chap. XXVII.—An encouragement and confirmation of the pious
  42. 42Chap. V.—That the prophetic women—that is, the Sibyls—declare that there is but one God
  43. 43Chap. XXI.—Of the sacred rites of the Roman gods
  44. 44Chap. XXIX.—Of the patience and providence of God
  45. 45Chap. XXXVIII.—Of Plato, whose doctrine approaches more nearly to the truth
  46. 46Chap. XLVIII.—Of the disinheriting of the Jews, and the adoption of the Gentiles
  47. 47Chap. LVI.—Of justice, which is the worship of the true God
  48. 48Chap. LXVII.—Of repentance, the immortality of the soul, and of providence
  49. 49Elucidations
  50. 50A Treatise on the Anger of God Addressed to Donatus
  51. 51Chap. VII.—Of man, and the brute animals, and religion
  52. 52Chap. X.—Of the origin of the world, and the nature of affairs, and the providence of God
  53. 53Chap. XIII.—Of the advantage and use of the world and of the seasons
  54. 54Chap. XX.—Of offences, and the mercy of God
  55. 55Chap. XXIII.—Of the anger of God and the punishment of sins, and a recital of the verses of the Sibyls respecting it; and, moreover, a reproof and exhortation
  56. 56Chap. II.—Of the production of the beasts and of man
  57. 57Chap. VIII.—Of the parts of man: the eyes and ears
  58. 58Chap. XIII.—Of the lower members
  59. 59Chap. XX.—Of himself and the truth
  60. 60Chap. V
  61. 61Chap. XIV
  62. 62Chap. XXIII
  63. 63Chap. XXXIII
  64. 64Chap. XLIII
  65. 65Chap. LI
  66. 66A Poem on the Passion of the Lord
  67. 67The Extant Writings of Asterius Urbanus
  68. 68On the Creation of the World
  69. 69From the first chapter
  70. 70From the second chapter
  71. 71From the third chapter
  72. 72From the fourth chapter
  73. 73From the sixth chapter
  74. 74From the tenth chapter
  75. 75From the twelfth chapter
  76. 76From the fourteenth chapter
  77. 77From the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters
  78. 78General Notes by the American Editor
  79. 79Introductory Notice
  80. 80Elucidations
  81. 81Introductory Notice
  82. 82Section 4.—Authenticity
  83. 83Chapter II.—The Second Commandment: Gross Sin Forbidden
  84. 84Chapter XV.—Bishops and Deacons; Christian Reproof
  85. 85Introductory Notice
  86. 86Sec. I.—General Commandments
  87. 87Book II. Of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons
  88. 88Sec. III.—How the Bishop is to Treat the Innocent, the Guilty, and the Penitent
  89. 89Sec. IV.—On the Management of the Resources Collected for the Support of the Clergy, and the Relief of the Poor
  90. 90Sec. V.—On Accusations, and the Treatment of Accusers
  91. 91Sec. VI.—The Disputes of the Faithful to Be Settled by the Decisions of the Bishop, and the Faithful to Be Reconciled
  92. 92Sec. VII.—On Assembling in the Church
  93. 93Sec. I.—Concerning Widows
  94. 94Sec. II.—On Deacons and Deaconesses, the Rest of the Clergy, and on Baptism
  95. 95Sec. I.—On Helping the Poor
  96. 96Sec. II.—On Domestic and Social Life
  97. 97Sec. I.—Concerning the Martyrs
  98. 98Sec. II.—All Association with Idols is to Be Avoided
  99. 99Sec. III.—On Feast Days and Fast Days
  100. 100Sec. I.—On Heresies
  101. 101Sec. II.—History and Doctrines of Heresies
  102. 102Sec. III.—The Heresies Attacked by the Apostles
  103. 103Sec. IV.—Of the Law
  104. 104Sec. VI.—Conclusion of the Work
  105. 105Sec. I.—On the Two Ways,—The Way of Life and the Way of Death
  106. 106Sec. II.—On the Formation of the Character of Believers, and on Giving of Thanks to God
  107. 107Sec. III.—On the Instruction of Catechumens, and Their Initiation into Baptism
  108. 108Sec. V.—Daily Prayers
  109. 109Sec. II.—Election and Ordination of Bishops: Form of Service on Sundays
  110. 110Sec. III.—Ordination and Duties of the Clergy
  111. 111Sec. IV.—Certain Prayers and Laws
  112. 112Sec. V.—All the Apostles Urge the Observance of the Order of the Church
  113. 113The Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles · 1 of 2
  114. 114The Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles · 2 of 2
  115. 115Elucidations
  116. 116The Second Epistle of Clement
  117. 117Introductory Notice by Professor M. B. Riddle, D.D
  118. 118The Homily
  119. 119The Nicene Creed
  120. 120Introductory Notice · 1 of 2
  121. 121Introductory Notice · 2 of 2
  122. 122The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 1 of 11
  123. 123The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 2 of 11
  124. 124The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 3 of 11
  125. 125The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 4 of 11
  126. 126The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 5 of 11
  127. 127The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 6 of 11
  128. 128The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 7 of 11
  129. 129The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 8 of 11
  130. 130The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 9 of 11
  131. 131The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 10 of 11
  132. 132The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord · 11 of 11
  133. 133The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 1 of 9
  134. 134The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 2 of 9
  135. 135The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 3 of 9
  136. 136The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 4 of 9
  137. 137The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 5 of 9
  138. 138The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 6 of 9
  139. 139The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 7 of 9
  140. 140The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 8 of 9
  141. 141The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, The Disciple of the Holy Peter · 9 of 9
  142. 142The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 1 of 6
  143. 143The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 2 of 6
  144. 144The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 3 of 6
  145. 145The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 4 of 6
  146. 146The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 5 of 6
  147. 147The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles · 6 of 6
  148. 148Elucidations