Early Church Fathers
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6
Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe · AD 95–325 (English edition 1885–96)
Third-century fathers, including Methodius’ Banquet and Arnobius Against the Heathen.
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Contents
Gregory Thaumaturgus
Part I.—Acknowledged Writings2 pages
A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes12 pages
The Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen11 pages
- Argument I.—For Eight Years Gregory Has Given Up the Practice of Oratory, Being Busied with the Study Chiefly of Roman Law and the Latin Language
- Argument II.—He Essays to Speak of the Well-Nigh Divine Endowments of Origen in His Presence, into Whose Hands He Avows Himself to Have Been Led in a Way Beyond All His Expectation
- Argument VII.—The Wonderful Skill with Which Origen Prepares Gregory and Athenodorus for Philosophy. The Intellect of Each is Exercised First in Logic, and the Mere Attention to Words is Contemned
- Argument VIII.—Then in Due Succession He Instructs Them in Physics, Geometry, and Astronomy
- Argument IX.—But He Imbues Their Minds, Above All, with Ethical Science; And He Does Not Confine Himself to Discoursing on the Virtues in Word, But He Rather Confirms His Teaching by His Acts
- Argument X.—Hence the Mere Word-Sages are Confuted, Who Say and Yet Act Not
- Argument XII.—Gregory Disallows Any Attainment of the Virtues on His Part. Piety is Both the Beginning and the End, and Thus It is the Parent of All the Virtues
- Argument XVII.—Gregory Consoles Himself
- Argument XVIII.—Peroration, and Apology for the Oration
- Argument XIX.—Apostrophe to Origen, and Therewith the Leave-Taking, and the Urgent Utterance of Prayer
- Elucidations
Dubious or Spurious Writings
Elucidations9 pages
Four Homilies4 pages
Elucidations2 pages
Extant Fragments
II.—From the Books on Nature6 pages
- I. In Opposition to Those of the School of Epicurus Who Deny the Existence of a Providence, and Refer the Constitution of the Universe to Atomic Bodies
- II. A Refutation of This Dogma on the Ground of Familiar Human Analogies
- III. A Refutation on the Ground of the Constitution of the Universe
- IV. A Refutation of the Same on the Grounds of the Human Constitution
- V. That to Work is Not a Matter of Pain and Weariness to God
- III.—From the Books Against Sabellius. On the Notion that Matter is Ungenerated
Epistle II.—To Novatus2 pages
Epistle IV.—To Cornelius the Roman Bishop4 pages
Exegetical Fragments
Julius Africanus
The Extant Writings of Julius Africanus7 pages
The Extant Fragments of the Five Books of the Chronography of Julius Africanus
Anatolius and Minor WRiters
Alexander of Cappadocia
Theognostus of Alexandria
Pierus of Alexandria
Theonas of Alexandria
The Epistle of the same Phileas of Thmuis to Meletius, Bishop of Lycopolis
Malchion
Archelaus
- Introductory Notice to Archelaus
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 1 of 6)
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 2 of 6)
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 3 of 6)
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 4 of 6)
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 5 of 6)
- The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes (part 6 of 6)
Elucidations2 pages
Of the Manichaeans
Of the Manichæans20 pages
- Chapter I.—The Excellence of the Christian Philosophy; The Origin of Heresies Amongst Christians
- Chapter II.—The Age of Manichæus, or Manes; His First Disciples; The Two Principles; Manichæan Matter
- Chapter III.—The Fancies of Manichæus Concerning Matter
- Chapter IV.—The Moon's Increase and Wane; The Manichæan Trifling Respecting It; Their Dreams About Man and Christ; Their Foolish System of Abstinence
- Chapter V.—The Worship of the Sun and Moon Under God; Support Sought for the Manichæans in the Grecian Fables; The Authority of the Scriptures and Faith Despised by the Manichæans
- Chapter VI.—The Two Principles of the Manichæans; Themselves Controverted; The Pythagorean Opinion Respecting First Principles; Good and Evil Contrary; The Victory on the Side of Good
- Chapter VII.—Motion Vindicated from the Charge of Irregularity; Circular; Straight; Of Generation and Corruption; Of Alteration, and Quality Affecting Sense
- Chapter VIII.—Is Matter Wicked? Of God and Matter
- Chapter XI.—The Transmitted Virtue of the Manichæans; The Virtues of Matter Mixed with Equal or Less Amount of Evil
- Chapter XII.—The Destruction of Evil by the Immission of Virtue Rejected; Because from It Arises No Diminution of Evil; Zeno's Opinion Discarded, that the World Will Be Burnt Up by Fire from the Sun
- Chapter XIV.—Noxious Animals Worshipped by the Egyptians; Man by Arts an Evil-Doer; Lust and Injustice Corrected by Laws and Discipline; Contingent and Necessary Things in Which There is No Stain
- Chapter XV.—The Lust and Desire of Sentient Things; Demons; Animals Sentient; So Also the Sun and the Moon and Stars; The Platonic Doctrine, Not the Christian
- Chapter XVII.—The Manichæan Idea of Virtue in Matter Scouted; If One Virtue Has Been Created Immaterial, the Rest are Also Immaterial; Material Virtue an Exploded Notion
- Chapter XVIII.—Dissolution and Inherence According to the Manichæans; This is Well Put, Ad Hominem, with Respect to Manes, Who is Himself in Matter
- Chapter XX.—The Divine Virtue in the View of the Same Manichæus Corporeal and Divisible; The Divine Virtue Itself Matter Which Becomes Everything; This is Not Fitting
- Chapter XXI.—Some Portions of the Virtue Have Good in Them, Others More Good; In the Sun and the Moon It is Incorrupt, in Other Things Depraved; An Improbable Opinion
- Chapter XXII.—The Light of the Moon from the Sun; The Inconvenience of the Opinion that Souls are Received in It; The Two Deluges of the Greeks
- Chapter XXV.—The Manichæan Abstinence from Living Things Ridiculous; Their Madness in Abhorring Marriage; The Mythology of the Giants; Too Allegorical an Exposition
- Chapter XXVI.—The Much-Talked-of Fire of the Manichæans; That Fire Matter Itself
- Elucidation
The Canonical epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras
The Canonical Epistle, With the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras16 pages
Fragments from the Writings of Peter9 pages
- I.—Letter to the Church at Alexandria
- II.—On the Godhead
- III.—On the Advent of Our Saviour
- IV.—On the Sojourning of Christ with Us
- V.—That Up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews Rightly Appointed the Fourteenth Day of the First Lunar Month
- VI.—Of the Soul and Body
- VII.—Fragment
- VIII.—On St. Matthew
- IX.—From a Sermon
Epistles on the Arian Heresy and the Deposition of Arius
Epistles on the Arian Heresy And the Deposition of Arius6 pages
The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity
The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; Or, Concerning Chastity83 pages
- Persons of the Dialogue: Euboulios, Gregorion, Arete; Marcella, Theophila, Thaleia, Theopatra, Thallousa, Agathe, Procilla, Thekla, Tusiane, Domnina
- Discourse I.—Marcella
- Chapter II.—Virginity a Plant from Heaven, Introduced Late; The Advancement of Mankind to Perfection, How Arranged
- Chapter III.—By the Circumcision of Abraham, Marriage with Sisters Forbidden; In the Times of the Prophets Polygamy Put a Stop To; Conjugal Purity Itself by Degrees Enforced
- Chapter IV.—Christ Alone Taught Virginity, Openly Preaching the Kingdom of Heaven; The Likeness of God to Be Attained in the Light of the Divine Virtues
- Chapter V.—Christ, by Preserving His Flesh Incorrupt in Virginity, Draws to the Exercise of Virginity; The Small Number of Virgins in Proportion to the Number of Saints
- Discourse II.—Theophila
- Chapter II.—Generation Something Akin to the First Formation of Eve from the Side and Nature of Adam; God the Creator of Men in Ordinary Generation
- Chapter III.—An Ambiguous Passage of Scripture; Not Only the Faithful But Even Prelates Sometimes Illegitimate
- Chapter IV.—Human Generation, and the Work of God Therein Set Forth
- Chapter V.—The Holy Father Follows Up the Same Argument
- Chapter VI.—God Cares Even for Adulterous Births; Angels Given to Them as Guardians
- Chapter VII.—The Rational Soul from God Himself; Chastity Not the Only Good, Although the Best and Most Honoured
- Discourse III.—Thaleia
- Chapter II.—The Digressions of the Apostle Paul; The Character of His Doctrine: Nothing in It Contradictory; Condemnation of Origen, Who Wrongly Turns Everything into Allegory
- Chapter III.—Comparison Instituted Between the First and Second Adam
- Chapter IV.—Some Things Here Hard and Too Slightly Treated, and Apparently Not Sufficiently Brought Out According to the Rule of Theology
- Chapter V.—A Passage of Jeremiah Examined
- Chapter VI.—The Whole Number of Spiritual Sheep; Man a Second Choir, After the Angels, to the Praise of God; The Parable of the Lost Sheep Explained
- Chapter VII.—The Works of Christ, Proper to God and to Man, the Works of Him Who is One
- Chapter VIII.—The Bones and Flesh of Wisdom; The Side Out of Which the Spiritual Eve is Formed, the Holy Spirit; The Woman the Help-Meet of Adam; Virgins Betrothed to Christ
- Chapter IX.—The Dispensation of Grace in Paul the Apostle
- Chapter X.—The Doctrine of the Same Apostle Concerning Purity
- Chapter XI.—The Same Argument
- Chapter XII.—Paul an Example to Widows, and to Those Who Do Not Live with Their Wives
- Chapter XIII.—The Doctrine of Paul Concerning Virginity Explained
- Chapter XIV.—Virginity a Gift of God: the Purpose of Virginity Not Rashly to Be Adopted by Any One
- Discourse IV.—Theopatra
- Chapter II.—The Protection of Chastity and Virginity Divinely Given to Men, that They May Emerge from the Mire of Vices
- Chapter III.—That Passage of David Explained; What the Harps Hung Upon the Willows Signify; The Willow a Symbol of Chastity; The Willows Watered by Streams
- Chapter IV.—The Author Goes on with the Interpretation of the Same Passage
- Chapter V.—The Gifts of Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband, Christ
- Chapter VI.—Virginity to Be Cultivated and Commended in Every Place and Time
- Discourse V.—Thallousa
- Chapter II.—Abraham's Sacrifice of a Heifer Three Years Old, of a Goat, and of a Ram Also Three Years Old: Its Meaning; Every Age to Be Consecrated to God; The Threefold Watch and Our Age
- Chapter III.—Far Best to Cultivate Virtue from Boyhood
- Chapter IV.—Perfect Consecration and Devotion to God: What It is
- Chapter V.—The Vow of Chastity, and Its Rites in the Law; Vines, Christ, and the Devil
- Chapter VI.—Sikera, a Manufactured and Spurious Wine, Yet Intoxicating; Things Which are Akin to Sins are to Be Avoided by a Virgin; The Altar of Incense (a Symbol Of) Virgins
- Chapter VII.—The Church Intermediate Between the Shadows of the Law and the Realities of Heaven
- Chapter VIII.—The Double Altar, Widows and Virgins; Gold the Symbol of Virginity
- Discourse VI.—Agathe
- Chapter II.—The Parable of the Ten Virgins
- Chapter III.—The Same Endeavour and Effort After Virginity, with a Different Result
- Chapter IV.—What the Oil in the Lamps Means
- Chapter V.—The Reward of Virginity
- Discourse VII.—Procilla
- Chapter II.—The Interpretation of that Passage of the Canticles
- Chapter III.—Virgins Being Martyrs First Among the Companions of Christ
- Chapter V.—The Sixty Queens: Why Sixty, and Why Queens; The Excellence of the Saints of the First Age
- Chapter VI.—The Eighty Concubines, What; The Knowledge of the Incarnation Communicated to the Prophets
- Chapter VII.—The Virgins, the Righteous Ancients; The Church, the One Only Spouse, More Excellent Than the Others
- Chapter VIII.—The Human Nature of Christ His One Dove
- Chapter IX.—The Virgins Immediately After the Queen and Spouse
- Discourse VIII.—Thekla
- Chapter II.—The Lofty Mind and Constancy of the Sacred Virgins; The Introduction of Virgins into the Blessed Abodes Before Others
- Chapter III.—The Lot and Inheritance of Virginity
- Chapter IV.—Exhortation to the Cultivation of Virginity; A Passage from the Apocalypse is Proposed to Be Examined
- Chapter V.—The Woman Who Brings Forth, to Whom the Dragon is Opposed, the Church; Her Adornment and Grace
- Chapter VI.—The Works of the Church, the Bringing Forth of Children in Baptism; The Moon in Baptism, the Full Moon of Christ's Passion
- Chapter VII.—The Child of the Woman in the Apocalypse Not Christ, But the Faithful Who are Born in the Laver
- Chapter VIII.—The Faithful in Baptism Males, Configured to Christ; The Saints Themselves Christs
- Chapter IX.—The Son of God, Who Ever Is, is To-Day Begotten in the Minds and Sense of the Faithful
- Chapter X.—The Dragon, the Devil; The Stars Struck from Heaven by the Tail of the Dragon, Heretics; The Numbers of the Trinity, that Is, the Persons Numbered; Errors Concerning Them
- Chapter XII.—Virgins are Called to the Imitation of the Church in the Wilderness Overcoming the Dragon
- Chapter XIII.—The Seven Crowns of the Beast to Be Taken Away by Victorious Chastity; The Ten Crowns of the Dragon, the Vices Opposed to the Decalogue; The Opinion of Fate the Greatest Evil
- Chapter XIV.—The Doctrine of Mathematicians Not Wholly to Be Despised, When They are Concerned About the Knowledge of the Stars; The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac Mythical Names
- Chapter XV.—Arguments from the Novelty of Fate and Generation; That Golden Age, Early Men; Solid Arguments Against the Mathematicians
- Chapter XVI.—Several Other Things Turned Against the Same Mathematicians
- Chapter XVII.—The Lust of the Flesh and Spirit: Vice and Virtue
- Discourse IX.—Tusiane
- Chapter II.—Figure, Image, Truth: Law, Grace, Glory; Man Created Immortal: Death Brought in by Destructive Sin
- Chapter III.—How Each One Ought to Prepare Himself for the Future Resurrection
- Chapter IV.—The Mind Clearer When Cleansed from Sin; The Ornaments of the Mind and the Order of Virtue; Charity Deep and Full; Chastity the Last Ornament of All; The Very Use of Matrimony to Be Restrained
- Chapter V.—The Mystery of the Tabernacles
- Discourse X.—Domnina
- Chapter II.—The Allegory of the Trees Demanding a King, in the Book of Judges, Explained
- Chapter III.—The Bramble and the Agnos the Symbol of Chastity; The Four Gospels, that Is, Teachings or Laws, Instructing to Salvation
- Chapter IV.—The Law Useless for Salvation; The Last Law of Chastity Under the Figure of the Bramble
- Chapter V.—The Malignity of the Devil as an Imitator in All Things; Two Kinds of Fig-Trees and Vines
- Chapter VI.—The Mystery of the Vision of Zechariah
- Discourse XI.—Arete
- Chapter II.—Thekla Singing Decorously a Hymn, the Rest of the Virgins Sing with Her; John the Baptist a Martyr to Chastity; The Church the Spouse of God, Pure and Virgin
Elucidations2 pages
From the Discourse on the Resurrection
VII. The Same Methodius. Human nature cannot clearly perceive pure justice in the soul, since, as to many of its thoughts, it is but dim-sighted
Two Fragments, Uncertain
Arnobius
The Seven Books of Arnobius Against the Heathen. (Adversus Gentes.)6 pages
Book III2 pages
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe (1885–96). Public domain. Text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.