The Early Church Fathers

The Early Church Fathers is a 38-volume collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church. This collection is divided into three series, the Ante-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers.

These files have the majority of the text printed in the actual books -- however, some portions have been excluded, such as the prefaces written by the editors, footnotes, indices, etc. In fact, Volume IX of the Ante-Nicene Series was omitted because it consists entirely of index information. --Adapted from the introduction to the Electronic Bible Society CD-ROM Volume 1.

These volumes are 1.5 to 3.5 MB each. Because of this and because the text paragraphs are not wrapped, you will probably have to download them to your system and read them with a word processor. A windows-based word processor is preferable because some special characters from the Windows character set are used.

If you would like to contribute to making these accessible on the WWW, you could volunteer to format a volume in HTML. If you would like to do so, please read these HTML markup guidelines. Thanks! (There is also a list of "claimed" volumes on that page.)

You can or will soon be able to get the Early Church Fathers commercially on a CD-ROM from Logos Research Systems, Inc. Some of the founders of that company, incidentally, also founded the Electronic Bible Society.


Contents

Ante-Nicene Fathers to A.D. 325

Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors.

Volume I -- The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus: Clement, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus. text, zip

Volume II -- Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria. text, zip -- hermas.rtf

Volume III -- Latin Christianity: Its Founder Tertullian: I. Apologetic, II. Anti-Marcion, III. Ethical. text, zip

Volume IV -- Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodianus, Origen. text, zip

Volume V -- Fathers of the Third Century: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian, Appendix: Baptism of Heretics, Anonymous Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian, Anonymous Treatise on Rebaptism. text, zip

Volume VI -- Fathers of the Third Century: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius and Minor Writers, Archelaus, Alexander of Lycopolis, Peter of Alexandria, Alexander of Alexandria, Methodius, Arnobius. text, zip

Volume VII -- Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, Dionysius of Rome, Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, The Homily Ascribed to Clement, Early Liturgies. text, zip

Volume VIII -- Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Theodotus: Excerpts, Epistles Concerning Virginity, Pseudo-Clementine Literature, Apocrypha of the New Testament, Decretals Memoire of Edessa and Ancient Syriac Documents, remains of the Second and Third Centuries. text, zip

Volume X -- Original supplement to the American Edition: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron of Tatian, Apocalypse of Peter, Visio Pauli, Apocalypses of the Virgin and of Sedrach, Testament of Abraham, Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, Narrative of Zosimus, Apology of Aeristides, Epistles of Clement (complete), Origen's Commentaries on John and Matthew (partial). text, zip

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I

Philip Schaff, editor

St. Augustine Volumes:

Volume I -- Prolegomena; Life and Works; Confessions; Letters text, zip

Volume II -- The City of God; Christian Doctrine text, zip, html

Volume III -- Doctrinal Treatises; Moral Treatises text, zip html

Volume IV -- Anti-Manichaean and Anti-Donatist Writings text, zip

Volume V -- Anti-Pelagian Writings text, zip

Volume VI -- The Sermon on the Mount; Harmony of the Gospels; Homilies on the Gospels text, zip

Volume VII -- Homilies on the Gospel and the First Epistle of John; Soliloquies text, zip

Volume VIII -- Expositions on the Psalms text, zip

St. Chrysostom Volumes:

Volume IX -- Prolegomena; On the Priesthood; Ascetic Treatises; Select Homilies and Letters; Homilies on the Statues text, zip

Volume X -- Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew text, zip

Volume XI -- Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Romans text, zip

Volume XII -- Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians text, zip

Volume XIII -- Homilies on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon text, zip

Volume XIV -- Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews text, zip

NICENE AND POST-NICENE FATHERS, Series II

Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, editors

Volume I -- Eusebius; Church History; Life of Constantine the Great; Oration in Praise of Constantine text, zip, html

Volume II -- Socrates Scholasticus: Ecclesiastical History; Sozomenus: Ecclesiastical History text, zip

Volume III -- Theodoret: Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, Letters; Jerome and Gennadius: Illustrious Men; Rufinus and Jerome; Life of Rufinus; Apology vs. Rufinus text, zip

Volume IV -- Athanasius: Select Works and Letters text, zip

Volume V -- Gregory of Nyssa: Select Writings and Letters; Dogmatic Treatises text, zip

Volume VI -- St. Jerome: Letters and Select Works text, zip

Volume VII -- St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures; St. Gregory Nazianzen: Select Orations, Sermons, Letters; Dogmatic Treatises text, zip

Volume VIII -- St. Basil: Treatise De Spiritu Sancto; Nine Homilies of Hexaemeron text, zip

Volume IX -- St. Hilary of Poitiers: Select Works on the Trinity and Psalms; John of Damascus: Exposition of Faith text, zip

Volume X -- St. Ambrose: Principal Works, Dogmatic Treatises, Ethical Works, etc. text, zip

Volume XI -- Sulpitius Severus: Extant Works; Vincent of Lerins: The Catholic Faith; John Cassian: On Institutes of the Coenobia; The Eight Principal Faults; Conferences; On the Incarnation vs. Nestorius text, zip

Volume XII -- Leo the Great: Letters, Sermons; Gregory the Great: Pastoral Rule, etc. text, zip

Volume XIII -- Gregory the Great: Selected Epistles; Ephraim the Syrian: Hymns, Homilies; Aphrahat: Demonstrations text, zip

Volume XIV -- The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church; Canons and Decrees; Canons of Local Synods with Ecumenical Acceptance text, zip


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This document (last modified May 03, 1996) from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library server, at Wheaton College