A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, FROM THE EARLIEST AGES ΤΟ THE REFORMATION. BY THE REV. GEORGE WADDINGTON, M.A. FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, AND PREBENDARY OF FERRING, IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF chichester. PUBLISHED UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE SOCIETY LONDON: BALDWIN AND CRADOCK, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCXXXIII. A.D. 134 Testimony of the Emperor Adrian, respecting the religious character Establishment there of the Catechetical School, and subsequent la- PAGE 16 16 CHAPTER II.-On the Numbers, Discipline, Doctrine, and Morality of the Primitive Church. 200 The great extent over which Christianity was spread before the end The earliest converts were chiefly of the middle or lower classes; The great facility of intercourse throughout the Roman Empire, the On the miraculous powers claimed by the Church, and the period 17 17 18 19 20 The episcopal government generally established after the death On the subordinate office of deacon, and the extent of the spiritual Very early origin of the distinction between clergy and laity, esta- The Bishop co-operated with the Council of Presbyters in the 150 et seq. Origin and composition of the first provincial assemblies From these synods proceeded the title and dignity of the Metro- 1 The primitive institution of the Lord's Day 23 24 25 26 26 27 27 The two most ancient festivals were those of the resurrection The only public fast on the day of the crucifixion The variety of early creeds, and primitive use of the Apostles' Creed. Exemplary morality of the early Christians, proved from the writ- CHAPTER III.-Progress of Christianity from 200 till Constantine's Accession. The first appearances of corruption in the Church necessarily pro- 313 Before the time of Constantine, Christianity was deeply rooted in Some vague pretensions of Rome advanced and resisted 251 The Roman Synod against Novatian was attended by sixty Bishops 203 Origen was made President of the Catechetical School, and re A.D. mained so for nearly thirty years. His great diligence and er- 192 Tertullian was made Presbyter of the Church of Carthage. He fell 250 Cyprian was raised to the See of Carthage The dignity of the Metropolitans was exalted, and the general dis- Some inferior classes in the ministry were instituted; the distinc- The sect of the Eclectics, founded by Ammonius Saccas, tended to the injury and corruption of Christianity. His successor, Plotinus, made a compromise with his religion The Millennarian opinions prevalent in the early Church should probably be ascribed to the error of Papias CHAPTER IV.-Persecutions of several Roman Emperors. The theory of pure Polytheism permits an unlimited reception of divinities, and, as such, is tolerant; but the Polytheism of Rome was a political engine; the laws were rigid in excluding foreign Gods; and the practice of the Republic was continued in the empire The Number of Ten Persecutions became popular after the fifth century. The name of persecution should be confined to four or five 64 Whether the persecution of Nero was general or confined to Rome, and whether his laws against the Christians were more than an application to them of the standing statutes of the empire 94 or 95 The grandsons of St. Jude were brought before Domitian, and dismissed in security PAGE 34 335 35, 36 36, 37 36, 37 38 39 40 41, 43 44 44, 45 45 46 The Rescript of Trajan enjoined death as the punishment of a convicted Christian; forbidding, however, inquisition 138-161 The Christians suffered, during the reign of Antoninus Pius, through popular violence, rather than legal oppression 162-181 The first systematic persecution was that of Marcus Antoni nus, and it lasted during his whole reign. He encouraged inquiry after the suspected and inflicted every punishment. He censured the enthusiasm of the martyrs, yet not himself free from the charge of superstition, though adorned by many virtues 202-211 The Edict of Severus against the Christians remained in force; it was most destructive in Egypt 250 Decius pretended to constrain all his subjects to return to the religion of their ancestors; many perished; and many fell away from the faith 258 Cyprian suffered martyrdom in the reign of Valerian, on his re fusal to sacrifice 303 The teachers of philosophy were instrumental in bringing Diocletian to begin his persecution. It was continued for ten years, with a severity comprehending every form of oppression; and ceased not till the accession of Constantine 313 The early unpopularity of the Christians is accounted for by ancestral prejudices, the fame of peculiar sanctity, converting zeal, |