Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation Author(s): Roberston, J. C. Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: This very brief overview of Christian history is a condensation of Robertson©s multi- volume series on the same subject, The History of the Christian Church from the Apostolic Age to the Reformation. Though not possessing the same depth of the larger work, Sketches is masterfully written and struc- tured in its breadth of information, making it perfectly access- ible for interested laypersons and students looking to review. As a scholar of Christian history, Robertson selects informa- tion carefully and strategically as to maximize his readers© understanding without overwhelming them with copious amounts of detail. Kathleen O©Bannon CCEL Staff Subjects: Christianity History By period Early and medieval i Contents Title Page 1 Part I 2 Chapter 1. The Age of the Apostles (A.D. 33–100) 3 Chapter 2. St. Ignatius (AD 116 6 Chapter 3. St. Justin Martyr (AD 166) 9 Chapter 4. St. Polycarp (AD 166) 12 Chapter 5. The Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne (AD 177) 14 Chapter 6. Tertullian; Perpetua and Companions (AD 181–206 16 Chapter 7. Origen (AD 185–254) 19 Chapter 8. St. Cyprian, Part I (AD 200–253) 22 Chapter 9. From Gallienus to the End of the Last Persecution (AD 261–313) 27 Chapter 10. Constantine the Great (AD 313–337) 32 Chapter 11. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) 36 Chapter 12. St. Athanasius 39 Chapter 13. The Monks. 47 Chapter 14. St. Basil and St. Gregory of Naziansum; Council of Constantinople 52 Chapter 15. St. Ambrose (AD 374–397 56 Chapter 16. The Temple of Serapis (AD 391) 59 Chapter 17. Church Government. 61 Chapter 18. Christian Worship 64 Chapter 19. Arcadius and Honorius (AD 395–423) 69 Chapter 20. St. John Chrysostom (AD 347–407) 71 Chapter 21. St. Augustine (AD 354–430) 79 Chapter 22. Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon (AD 431–451) 92 Chapter 23. Fall of the Western Empire (AD 451–476) 94 Chapter 24. Conversion of the Barbarians; Christianity in Britain 96 ii Chapter 25. Scotland and Ireland 98 Chapter 26. Clovis (AD 496) 101 Chapter 27. Justinian (AD 527–565) 103 Chapter 28. Nestorians and Monophysites. 105 Chapter 29. St. Benedict (AD 480–529) 107 Chapter 30. End of the Sixth Century 111 Chapter 31. St Gregory the Great (AD 540–604) 114 Part II 122 Chapter 1. Mahometanism; Image-Worship (AD 612–794) 123 Chapter 2. The Church in England (AD 604–734) 125 Chapter 3. St. Boniface (AD 680–755 127 Chapter 4. Pipin and Charles the Great (AD 741–814) 130 Chapter 5. Decay of Charles the Great's Empire (AD 814–887) 133 Chapter 6. State of the Papacy (AD 891–1046) 135 Chapter 7. Missions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries 136 Chapter 8. Pope Gregory the Seventh 140 Chapter 9. The First Crusade (AD 1095–1099) 145 Chapter 10. New Orders of Monks; Military Orders 150 Chapter 11. St. Bernard (AD 1091–1153) 154 Chapter 12. Adrian IV; Alexander III; Becket; The Third Crusade (AD 1153–1192) 157 Chapter 13. Innocent the Third (AD 1198–1216) 159 Chapter 14. Frederick II; St. Lewis of France (AD 1220–1270) 166 Chapter 15. Peter of Murrone (AD 1294) 169 Chapter 16. Boniface VIII 171 Chapter 17. The Popes at Avignon; the Ruin of the Templars (AD 1303–1312) 174 Chapter 18. The Popes at Avignon (continued) (AD 1314–1352) 178 Chapter 19. Religious Sects and Parties 180 Chapter 20. John Wyclif (AD c1324–1384) 182 Chapter 21. The Popes Return to Rome (AD 1367–1377) 184 Chapter 22. The Great Schism (AD 1378–1410) 185 Chapter 23. John Huss (AD 1369–1414) 187 Chapter 24. The Council of Constance (AD 1414–1417) 189 iii Chapter 25. The Hussites (AD 1418–1431) 192 Chapter 26. Councils of Basel and Florence (AD 1431–9) 194 Chapter 27. Nicolas V and Pius II (AD 1447–1464) 196 Chapter 28. Jerome Savonarola (AD 1452–1498) 198 Chapter 29. Julius II and Leo X (AD 1503–1521) 201 Chapter 30. Missions; The Inquisition 202 Indexes 205 Index of Scripture References 206 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 208 iv This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/robertson/history.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3004. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. v Title Page Title Page SKETCHES OF CHURCH HISTORY. From AD 33 to the Reformation by the late REV. J. C ROBERTSON, M.A., CANON OF CANTERBURY, PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE, LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C.; 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C. NEW YORK: EDWIN S. GORHAM. 1904 1 Part I Part I PART I 2 Chapter 1. The Age of the Apostles (A.D. 33±100) Chapter 1. The Age of the Apostles (A.D. 33–100) CHAPTER I: THE AGE OF THE APOSTLES (AD 33–100) The beginning of the Christian Church is reckoned from the great day on which the Holy Ghost came down, according as our Lord had promised to His Apostles. At that time, “Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven,” were gathered together at Jerusalem, to keep the Feast of Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks), which was one of the three holy seasons at which God required His people to appear before Him in the place which He had chosen (Deuteronomy xvi. 16). Many of these devout men there converted by what they then saw and heard, to believe the Gospel; and, when they returned to their own countries, they carried back with them the news of the wonderful things which had taken place at Jerusalem. After this, the Apostles went forth “into all the world,” as their Master had ordered them, to “preach the Gospel to every creature” (St Mark xvi. 15). The Book of Acts tells us something of what they did, and we may learn something more about it from the Epistles. And, although this be but a small part of the whole, it will give us a notion of the rest, if we consider that, while St. Paul was preaching in Asia Minor, Greece, and at Rome, the other Apostles were busily doing the same work in other countries. We must remember, too, the constant coming and going which in those days took place throughout the world, how Jews from all quarters went up to keep the Passover and other 2 feasts at Jerusalem; how the great Roman empire stretched from our own island of Britain as far as Persia and Ethiopia, and people from all parts of it were continually going to Rome and returning. We must consider how merchants travelled from country to country on ac- count of their trade; how soldiers were sent into all quarters of the empire and were moved about from one country to another. And from these things we may get some understanding of the way in which the knowledge of the Gospel would be spread, when once it had taken root in the great cities of Jerusalem and Rome. Thus it came to pass, that, by the end of the first hundred years after our Saviour's birth something was known of the Christian faith throughout all the Roman empire, and even in countries beyond it; and if in many cases, only a very little was known, still even that was a gain, and served as a preparation for more. The last chapter of the Acts leaves St. Paul at Rome, waiting for his trial on account of the things which the Jews had laid to his charge. We find from the Epistles that he afterwards got his liberty, and returned into the East. There is reason to suppose that he also visited Spain, as he had spoken of doing in his Epistle to the Romans (ch. xv. 28); and it has been thought by some that he even preached in Britain; but this does not seem likely. He was at last imprisoned again at Rome, where the wicked Emperor Nero persecuted the Christians very cruelly; and it is believed that both St. Peter and St. Paul were put to death there in the year of our Lord 68. The bishops of Rome afterwards set up claims to great power and honour, because they said that St. Peter was the first bishop of their church, and that they were his successors. But although we may reasonably believe that the Apostle was martyred 3 Chapter 1. The Age of the Apostles (A.D.