The History of the Church

I would rather recommend you to read this short history since you may read enough about the history from RCC view.


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Eusebius could have been the starting point of all the perversion. The Older the Better? Then what about the Bible itself? All the writers are after the Bible then. You don't have to look at the history.

 

Early history...no where will you find the early believers called catholic. They were called Christians.

You were raised IFB and are now a catholic. I was raised catholic and am now IFB. I think I chose the better way... :jesus:

 

Agnus_Dei: Eusebius cannot be considered a Roman Catholic source, as Roman Catholicism did not exist yet. At that time, the bishop of Rome stood with the other metropolitan bishops as `first among equals.'

Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History is considered a classic, and his work has been gleaned for valuable insights by church historians. Much of the work does seem rather fanciful, and/or relays legends current in the fourth century that were fanciful. These somewhat diminish the value of the work, but not enough to recommend against you reading it.

If you are willing to take the time to read that work, I doff the proverbial hat to you. It is a worthy intellectual task, and you will be smarter for it.

 

It is a good read.
If I can find my copy,
if I can find some time,
then I might talk about what is in it.

I like the part where Eusebius tells about
a group of 'Christians' rounded up to make
homage to the emperor claimant. About
half a dozen made homage to the wanna-be-emperor.
They were killed along with the Christians
for the crime of hanging out with Christians.

Are you sure you want to continue 'hanging out' on
BB (Baptist Board)?

 

Ah, found it THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
(Barns & Noble Books, 1965) by Eusebius
(English Translation by G.A. Wiliamson).

Is there an on-line version?
(Cuting & Pasting is so much easier than
typing :godisgood:

 

Books 6-10 are available from links here:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/eusebius/eusehe.html .

 

[surfacing]
Yeah, I read it a year ago. I have the copy edited by Paul Maier. It's a very good read, although slow in certain spots. It has a lot of good information on the early church, particularly picking up where The ACTS of the APOSTLES left off. The accounts of the martyrdoms are inspiring...and convicting.

You must not have read a lot of primary documents from early history then. The letters of Ignatius written at the beginning of the second century reveal that the word "catholic" was already in currency as a description of the Church maintaining the "whole faith" (which is what "catholic" originally meant--"according to the whole") in distinction to heretics such as Judaizers and Gnostics who deviated from the Apostolic faith. You can find these letters in any good copy of THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

[/submerging]

 

I may be mistaken....but the earliest you can go they weren't called Christians...but followers of the Way. catholic isn't a bad term. RCC is different than the term catholic (notice the little "c").

 

Ah, that starts with Origen of Alexandria and ends
at the end of the book: i.e. Eusebius and the rise of
Constintine as sole emperor.

 

I have read it and I think a fair statement of it's value is found here:

"The value of the work does not lie in its literary merit, but in the wealth of the materials which it furnishes for a knowledge of the early church....

"...he was not only diligent in gathering material, but also far more thorough-going than most writers of antiquity in discriminating between trustworthy and untrustworthy reports, frank in acknowledging his ignorance, scrupulous in indicating his authorities in doubtful cases, less credulous than most of his contemporaries, and unfailingly honest...

"...in spite of its defects the Church History is a monumental work..."

http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Eusebius_of_Caesarea

CA

 

History of the Church

"It is no wonder, Satan himself has become an angel of light."

"The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

"Marvel not what I say unto you, you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God."

Choose wisely,

Bro. James