Church History, Book III

Book III

• Church History III.1 — The Parts of the World in which the Apostles preached Christ. 1. Such was the condition of the Jews. Meanwhile the holy apostles and disciples of our Saviour were dispersed throughout the world. Parthia, according to…vatican.va
• Church History III.2 — The First Ruler of the Church of Rome. 1. After the martyrdom of Paul and of Peter, Linus was the first to obtain the episcopate of the church at Rome. Paul mentions him, when writing to Timothy from Rome, in the…vatican.va
• Church History III.3 — The Epistles of the Apostles. 1. One epistle of Peter, that called the first, is acknowledged as genuine. And this the ancient elders used freely in their own writings as an undisputed work. But we have learned that…vatican.va
• Church History III.4 — The First Successors of the Apostles. 1. That Paul preached to the Gentiles and laid the foundations of the churches “from Jerusalem round about even unto Illyricum,” is evident both from his own words, and from the…vatican.va
• Church History III.5 — The Last Siege of the Jews after Christ. 1. After Nero had held the power thirteen years, and Galba and Otho had ruled a year and six months, Vespasian, who had become distinguished in the campaigns against the Jews,…vatican.va
• Church History III.6 — The Famine which oppressed them. 1. Taking the fifth book of the History of Josephus again in our hands, let us go through the tragedy of events which then occurred. 2. “For the wealthy,” he says, “it was equally…vatican.va
• Church History III.7 — The Predictions of Christ. 1. It is fitting to add to these accounts the true prediction of our Saviour in which he foretold these very events. 2. His words are as follows: “Woe unto them that are with child, and to…vatican.va
• Church History III.8 — The Signs which preceded the War. 1. Taking, then, the work of this author, read what he records in the sixth book of his History. His words are as follows: “Thus were the miserable people won over at this time by…vatican.va
• Church History III.9 — Josephus and the Works which he has left. 1. After all this it is fitting that we should know something in regard to the origin and family of Josephus, who has contributed so much to the history in hand. He himself…vatican.va
• Church History III.10 — The Manner in which Josephus mentions the Divine Books. 1. “We have not, therefore, a multitude of books disagreeing and conflicting with one another; but we have only twenty-two, which contain the record of all time…vatican.va
• Church History III.11 — Symeon rules the Church of Jerusalem after James. 1. After the martyrdom of James and the conquest of Jerusalem which immediately followed, it is said that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord that were…vatican.va
• Church History III.12 — Vespasian commands the Descendants of David to be sought. He also relates that Vespasian after the conquest of Jerusalem gave orders that all that belonged to the lineage of David should be sought out, in order that…vatican.va
• Church History III.13 — Anencletus, the Second Bishop of Rome. After Vespasian had reigned ten years Titus, his son, succeeded him. In the second year of his reign, Linus, who had been bishop of the church of Rome for twelve years,…vatican.va
• Church History III.14 — Abilius, the Second Bishop of Alexandria. In the fourth year of Domitian, Annianus, the first bishop of the parish of Alexandria, died after holding office twenty-two years, and was succeeded by Abilius, the second…vatican.va
• Church History III.15 — Clement, the Third Bishop of Rome. In the twelfth year of the same reign Clement succeeded Anencletus after the latter had been bishop of the church of Rome for twelve years. The apostle in his Epistle to the…vatican.va
• Church History III.16 — The Epistle of Clement. There is extant an epistle of this Clement which is acknowledged to be genuine and is of considerable length and of remarkable merit. He wrote it in the name of the church of Rome to the…vatican.va
• Church History III.17 — The Persecution under Domitian. Domitian, having shown great cruelty toward many, and having unjustly put to death no small number of well-born and notable men at Rome, and having without cause exiled and confiscated…vatican.va
• Church History III.18 — The Apostle John and the Apocalypse. 1. It is said that in this persecution the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive, was condemned to dwell on the island of Patmos in consequence of his testimony to the…vatican.va
• Church History III.19 — Domitian commands the Descendants of David to be slain. But when this same Domitian had commanded that the descendants of David should be slain, an ancient tradition says that some of the heretics brought accusation…vatican.va
• Church History III.20 — The Relatives of our Saviour. 1. “Of the family of the Lord there were still living the grandchildren of Jude, who is said to have been the Lord’s brother according to the flesh. 2. Information was given that they…vatican.va
• Church History III.21 — Cerdon becomes the Third Ruler of the Church of Alexandria. 1. After Nerva had reigned a little more than a year he was succeeded by Trajan. It was during the first year of his reign that Abilius, who had ruled the…vatican.va
• Church History III.22 — Ignatius, the Second Bishop of Antioch. At this time Ignatius was known as the second bishop of Antioch, Evodius having been the first. Symeon likewise was at that time the second ruler of the church of Jerusalem,…vatican.va
• Church History III.23 — Narrative Concerning John the Apostle. 1. At that time the apostle and evangelist John, the one whom Jesus loved, was still living in Asia, and governing the churches of that region, having returned after the death…vatican.va
• Church History III.24 — The Order of the Gospels. 1. This extract from Clement I have inserted here for the sake of the history and for the benefit of my readers. Let us now point out the undisputed writings of this apostle. 2. And in the…vatican.va
• Church History III.25 — The Divine Scriptures that are accepted and those that are not. 1. Since we are dealing with this subject it is proper to sum up the writings of the New Testament which have been already mentioned. First then must be…vatican.va
• Church History III.26 — Menander the Sorcerer. 1. Menander, who succeeded Simon Magus, showed himself in his conduct another instrument of diabolical power, not inferior to the former. He also was a Samaritan and carried his sorceries to no…vatican.va
• Church History III.27 — The Heresy of the Ebionites. 1. The evil demon, however, being unable to tear certain others from their allegiance to the Christ of God, yet found them susceptible in a different direction, and so brought them over…vatican.va
• Church History III.28 — Cerinthus the Heresiarch. 1. We have understood that at this time Cerinthus, the author of another heresy, made his appearance. Caius, whose words we quoted above, in the Disputation which is ascribed to him, writes…vatican.va
• Church History III.29 — Nicolaus and the Sect named after him. 1. At this time the so-called sect of the Nicolaitans made its appearance and lasted for a very short time. Mention is made of it in the Apocalypse of John. They boasted that…vatican.va
• Church History III.30 — The Apostles that were Married. 1. Clement, indeed, whose words we have just quoted, after the above-mentioned facts gives a statement, on account of those who rejected marriage, of the apostles that had wives. “Or…vatican.va
• Church History III.31 — The Death of John and Philip. 1. The time and the manner of the death of Paul and Peter as well as their burial places, have been already shown by us. 2. The time of John’s death has also been given in a general way,…vatican.va
• Church History III.32 — Symeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, suffers Martyrdom. 1. It is reported that after the age of Nero and Domitian, under the emperor whose times we are now recording, a persecution was stirred up against us in certain cities…vatican.va
• Church History III.33 — Trajan forbids the Christians to be sought after. 1. So great a persecution was at that time opened against us in many places that Plinius Secundus, one of the most noted of governors, being disturbed by the great…vatican.va
• Church History III.34 — Evarestus, the Fourth Bishop of the Church of Rome. 1. In the third year of the reign of the emperor mentioned above, Clement committed the episcopal government of the church of Rome to Evarestus, and departed this…vatican.va
• Church History III.35 — Justus, the Third Bishop of Jerusalem. 1. But when Symeon also had died in the manner described, a certain Jew by the name of Justus succeeded to the episcopal throne in Jerusalem. He was one of the many thousands of…vatican.va
• Church History III.36 — Ignatius and His Epistles. 1. At that time Polycarp, a disciple of the apostles, was a man of eminence in Asia, having been entrusted with the episcopate of the church of Smyrna by those who had seen and heard the…vatican.va
• Church History III.37 — The Evangelists that were still Eminent at that Time. 1. Among those that were celebrated at that time was Quadratus, who, report says, was renowned along with the daughters of Philip for his prophetical gifts. And…vatican.va
• Church History III.38 — The Epistle of Clement and the Writings falsely ascribed to him. 1. Thus Ignatius has done in the epistles which we have mentioned, and Clement in his epistle which is accepted by all, and which he wrote in the name…vatican.va
• Church History III.39 — The Writings of Papias. 1. There are extant five books of Papias, which bear the title Expositions of Oracles of the Lord. Irenæus makes mention of these as the only works written by him, in the following words:…vatican.va