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Front matter

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Part I. The Ancient Period. (b. C. 4-a. D. 590.)

INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. JOHN DEWITT, D.D., LL. D. 1-3. PRELIMINARY.

History — Church History — History of the Christian Church — The Christian Church — Visible and invisible — Church History and secular History — Advantages of the study — Divisions 5-10

Chapter I. Condition Of The World

Preparation for Christianity — Contribution of Greece to this preparation — Contribution of Rome — Corrupt religion and morals — Judaism — The Pharisees — Sadducees — Essenes — Scribes — Synagogue — Dispersion — Alexandrian influence — Proselytes — Samaritans — Political history 1 1-17

Chapter II. The Apostolic Age (30-100)

Birth of Jesus Christ — Ministry and death — Pentecost — Original community — Appointment of deacons — Martyrdom of Stephen — Preaching in Samaria — Preaching to proselytes — Preaching to Gentiles — Paul's conversion — First missionary journey — Question concerning Gentile Christians — Assembly at Jerusalem — Second missionary journey — Third missionary journey — Peter — James — The other Apostles — John — The Christian Church and the world — Persecution under Nero and Domitian — Fall of Jerusalem — Polity of the Church— Worship — Lord's Supper — Baptism — Other ordinances — Literary activity (writing of the New Testament) — Heresies 18-30

CHAPTER III. THE SUB-APOSTOLIC AGE (100-170 A. d)

Spread of Christianity — Christianity distinguished from Judaism — The Jews after the fall of Jerusalem — Rabbinical schools — Christianity and the world— Laws affecting the Church — Pliny's letter to Trajan — Hadrian — Antoninus Pius — Marcus Aurelius. Literary productions — Apostolic Fathers — Clement — Barnabas — Ignatius — Hermas — Polycarp— Papias — The Teachings of the Tzvelve — The Apologists — Justin — Tatian — Heresies — Pseudo-Clementine writings — Nazarenes, Ebionites, etc — Gnostics in general — Special Gnostic systems — Bardesanes — Development of local association — Catholic Church — Worship — Montanism .... 31-43

iii.

iv. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV. THE ANTE-NICENE PERIOD (170-325 A. d)

Spread of Christianity — Attacks of Pagan philosophers — Apollonius of Tyana — Neo-Platonism — Porphyry — Persecutions — Alexander Severus — Maximin — Decius — Gallienus — Diocletian 44-50

Chapter V. Ante-nicene Christian Thought

Christian writings — Irenseus — Hippoly tus — Gaius — Hegesippus — Julius Africanus — Tertullian — Minor Latin writers — Alexandrian School — Pantaenus — Clement — Origen (life works, Theology) — Dionysius — Gregory Thaumaturgus — Methodius — Emergence of the Canon of the New Testament — The Rule of Faith — Heresies — The Alogi — Monarchianism — Dynamic Monarchianism — Theodotus — Paul of Samosata — Modal Monarchianism — Patripassians — Sabellius — Beryl — Chiliasm 51-59

Chapter VI. Ecclesiastical Development

Clergy and laity — The bishops — Presbyters and deacons — Lower clergy — Election and consecration of bishops — Support of clergy — Marriage — Hierarchical organization — Synods — Patriarchates — Primacy of Rome — Ecclesiastical law — Discipline — Schism of Callixtus and Hippolytus — of Novatian — Felicissimus — Fortunatus — Meletius — Worship — Baptism — Sacred Seasons — Quartodeciman controversy — Church buildings — Catacombs— Emblematic decorations — Asceticism — Hermits — Anthony — ManichaMsm 60-69

Chapter VII. Church And State In The Nicene Age (325-590)

Constantine and Licinnius — Christianity made the state religion — Character of Constantine — His sons— Julian — Restoration of Christianity — Attitude of Pagan philosophy — Suppression of heathenism — Hypsistarians and Euchetae — Christianity in Persia — In Armenia — In Abyssinia — Among the Goths— Among the Franks — In Britain — In Ireland — St. Patrick — In Scotland 70-77

Chapter VIII. The Hierarchy And Polity

Extension of episcopal administration — Privileges granted by the government to Church — New officers — Qualifications for entering clerical life — Ecumenical councils — Patriarchates — Claims of Rome — Leo 1 78-82

Chapter IX. Theology And Controversies

Arius and his views— Council of Nicaea 325 — Semi-Arian controversy — Anomaeans and Homoiousians — Ambrose and Hilary — Macedonianism — The Cappadocian theologians — Origen's influence — Origenistic controversy — Theophilus and Chrysostom — Christological controversies — Apollinaris — Theodore of Mopsuestia — Nestorianism — Etychianism — Monophysitism — Council of Chalcedon — Debates on Monophysitism — Fifth Ecumenical Council — Jacobites — Augustine — His work — His theology — Pelagianism — Julian of Eclanum — Semi-Pelagianism — Priscillianism 83-97

TABLE OF CONTENTS. v .

Chapter X. Nicene And Post-nicene Institutions

Eucharistic service — Doctrine of Sacrifice — Sunday — Easter — Epiphany and Christmas — Saint and martyr worship— The Virgin Mary— Angelworship — Image-worship — Opposition to images — Church buildings — Discipline — Baptism — Law — Donatists — Monasticism — Coenobites — Monastic rules — Western Monasticism — Jovinian 98-105

Chapter I. The General Character Of The Middle Ages

End of the Western Empire — The Church and the Dark Ages — Limits of

the Middle Ages — Geographical distribution of races 107-109

Chapter II. The Church In The East

The disturbing elements — Arabia — Its people and its religions — Life of Mohammed — System — The Koran — Spread of Mohammedanism — Monothelite controversy — Sixth Ecumenical Council — The Quinisext Council — Subsequent history of Monothelites — Image-worship — Controversy — Seventh Ecumenical Council — Final Conflict — The Western Church on Image-Worship — Paulicians 110-117

Chapter III. The Church In The West — The Frank Kingdom

Gregory I. — Controversy as to universal bishopric — Successors of Gregory — The Frank Kingdom — Charles Martel — Pepin the Short — Charlemagne — The Holy Roman Empire 118-121

Chapter IV. 4/ Christianization Of The Teutons

General character of medieval missions — Augustine and the Anglo-Saxons — The Keltic Churches — Christian literature in England— Columbanus — Willibrord — Boniface 122-125

CHAPTER V. s

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND LIFE IN THE WEST.

The Court of Charlemagne — Isidore of Seville — Adoptionism — Adoptionism condemned — Ecclesiastical corruption — Legislation passes into the hands of the civil government — Law of Spain — of Charlemagne — Legislation as to clergy — Ecclesiastical discipline — Penitential books — Homiliaria — Church music 126-130

Chapter VI. V The Papacy And The Holy Roman Empire (800-io73)

Decline of the Carolingian dynasty— Temporary decline of the Papacy — The Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals — The Female Pope Joanna — Nicholas I. — Hadrian II. — John VIII. — The Pornocracy — Tusculan Supremacy — Synod of Sutri and Reforms 131-136 vi. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Chapter VII. Christianization Of The Scandinavians And Slavs

Harald Klak — Ansgar in Denmark, in Sweden — Conversion of Denmark — Norway — Iceland — The Slavs — Christian] zation of Bulgaria — Moravia — Bohemia— Poland— Russia— the Wends— the Magyars 137-143

Chapter VIII. Controversies And Schisms

Augustinianism in the Church — Gotschalk — His view condemned — His imprisonment — Controversy carried on — John Scotus Erigena — End of the controversy — Sacramentarian controversy — Berengarius and his views— Differences between Eastern and Western churches— Separation in the ninth century— Final schism 144-150

Chapter IX. Life And Morals In The Middle Ages

Degeneration of morals — The Dark Century — The wholesome influence of the Church — Slavery — Private feuds—" Truce of God " — Discipline — Worship — Hymnology — Monasticism — Reforms — Clugny *5 1^*55

Chapter X

Accession of Gregory VI T. — Reforms — Ideals of Hildebrand — Conflict with and submission of Henry IV. — Rebellion of Henry, and death of the pope — Successors of Gregory — Guelph and GhibelHne — Arnold of Brescia — Conflict with Frederick Barbarossa — Henry II. and Thomas a Becket — Innocent III. — Frederick II. — Fifth Crusade — Conflict renewed — Fall of the Hohenstaufen — Louis IX. and the Pragmatic sanction— The Hapsburgs — Gregory X. — Martin IV.— Sicilian vespers — Celestine V 156-1 64

Chapter XI. The Crusades — Wars Of The Church Against Infidels And Heretics

Mohammedan control of Palestine — Peter the Hermit — The First crusade — Consequences — Knightly orders — Second crusade — Third crusade — Fourth crusade — Fifth crusade — Sixth and seventh crusades — Good and evil results — Albigensian crusade — Waldensians — Petrobrusians — Bogomiles 165-170

Chapter XII. Monasticism And Scholasticism — Learning And Piety

Spirit of independence — New orders — Cistercians — Other orders — The Carthusians — The Mendicants — Dominican order — Franciscan order — Growth of the Mendicant orders — Universities — Arabic and Jewish Aristotelianism — Scholasticism — Anselm — Abelard — Bernard of Clairvaux — Gilbert of Porree — School of St. Victor — Peter Lombard — Alexander Hales — John of Salisbury — Albertus Magnus — Thomas Aquinas — Bonaventura — Duns Scotus — Roger Bacon — Raymond Lull 171-179

TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii.

Chapter XIII. Decline Of The Papacy

Boniface VIII. and Philip the Fair — Removal to Avignon — Babylonian captivity of the papacy — Feud with the empire — The Golden Bull — Rieuzi— End of the captivity — The great schism — Attempts to heal the breach — Council of Constance — Council of Basel — Removal to Florence — Plan to reunite the Eastern and Western churches — Fall of Constantinople — Revival of crusading — The " wicked " popes — Leo X. 180-187

Chapter XIV. Literature And Philosophy

Scholasticism — William of Occam — Marsilius of Padua — Gabriel Biel — Mysticism — Eckhart — Tauler — Nicholas of Basel — Henry Suso — John Ruysbroek — The Friends of God — Thomas a Kempis — Natural Science — Raymond of Sabunde — Biblical learning — Nicholas de Lyra — Faber Stapulensis — The Renaissance — Reuchlin— Erasmus — Colet and More. 188-192

Chapter XV. Spiritual Life

The Jubilee — Indulgences — Inquisition — Wyclif — John Huss — Hussite

war — Calixtines and Taborites — Savonarola 193-197

Chapter I

Leo X. decides on the sale of indulgences — Martin Luther's early life — Martin Luther a monk and professor at Wittenberg — The posting of the ninety-five theses — Leipzig disputation — Excommunication — Melanchthon — Diet of Worms — Luther at the Wartburg — The Zwickau prophets at Wittenberg — Diets of Nuremberg and Speyer — Diet of Augsburg — Luther's marriage — His disputes wjth Henry VIII. — With Erasmus — Peasants' war — Zwingli — His removal to Zurich and spread of his views — Political complications — Lutheran and Zwinglian reforms compared — Sacramentarian controversy — Marburg conference — Religious war in Switzerland — Death of Zwingli — League of Smalcald — Conference at Ratisbon — Death of Luther — Smalcaldic War — Peace of Augsburg 198-209

Chapter II. The Spread Of The Reformation

The Reformation in Denmark — Norway, Ireland, Sweden — In France — under Francis I. — Under Henry II. — In England under Henry VIII. — Rupture with Rome — Progress of Reformation — Edward VI. — Geneva and Farel — John Calvin — Institutes — Calvinism at Geneva — Libertines — Servetus 210-218 viii. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Chapter III. The Counter-reformation

Effect of the reformation on the Catholic Church— Italy and the reformation — Oratory of the Divine Love— Two tendencies— Contarini and his party— Caraffa — Council of Trent— Decision as to Scripture— Theological questions — Sacraments — Suspension of sessions — Resumption — Paul IV. and Carlo Borromeo— Moral reforms and effects of the Council—The Inquisition— The Index Expurgatorius— The Inquisition in Spain— New monastic orders— The Jesuits— Origin— Constitution- Labors — Missions 219-228

Chapter IV. Struggles Of Protestantism On The Continent (1555-1648)

Abdication of Charles V.— Phillip II. in the Netherlands— The princes of Holland— Break with Philip II.— Formation of the Dutch Republic- Prince Maurice — France under Henry II. — under Francis II. — Charles IX. — Treaty of St. Germain — Henry III. — Henry of Navarre — Edict of Nantes — Beginning of the Thirty Years' War — First and second periods— Gustavus Adolphus— Richelieu— The Treaty of Westphalia 229-236

Chapter V. Churches Of England And Scotland

Accession of Mary — Persecutions — Accession of Elizabeth — Origin of Puritanism — Independency — James I.— Authorized version of the Bible — Severity against Catholics — Conflict with Parliament — Charles I. — Strafford and Laud — The Book of Sports — Conflict with Hampden and Cromwell — Long Parliament — Execution of Strafford and Laud — Civil war — Execution of the king — Reforms in Scotland — Organization of the Congregation and Covenant — John Knox — Mary Queen of Scots — Melville — Efforts to episcopalianize the Church of Scotland 237-246

Chapter VI. Development Of Protestant Theology

The Augsburg confession and the Loci Communes — Agricola and Antinomianism — Schwenkfeld and Osiander — Lutherans and Melanchthonians — Adiaphoristic controversy — Synergistic controversy — Flacianism — Crypto-Calvinism — Formula of Concord — Rise of Arminianism — The Remonstrance — Synod of Dort — Westminster Assembly — The Solemn League and Covenant — Work of the Westminster Assembly 247-254

Chapter VII. The Political Changes And The Roman Catholic Church

Changes brought about by the treaty. of Westphalia — Decline of Holy Roman Empire — Poland, Sweden, and Spain — Growth of Russia and the Netherlands — France — The last Stuarts — The Gallican question — Jansenism — Port Royal — Pascal and the Provincial Letters — Quesnel's Moral Reflections — Bulls in Veniam Dominus and Unigenitus — End of Jansenism — Quietism — Madame Guyon and Fenelon — St. Francis of Sales — The Jesuits on the mission-field — unpopularity at home — Suppression of the order 255.261

TABLE OF CONTENTS. i x

Chapter VIII. Lutheran Orthodoxy And Dissent

Lutheranism in Germany and Scandinavia — Pietism — Spener — Francke — Zinzendorf — The Moravian Brethren — Moravian theology — Swedenborg — Swedenborgianism — The New Jerusalem Church — Kenotic-Cryptic controversy — Calixtine controversy — Syncretism 262-266

Chapter IX. The Anglican And Reformed Churches

Cromwell and the Independents — Charles II. — Scotland — Cameronians — James II. — William and Mary — Queen Anne — Bounty Fund — Sachevernell case — Bangorian controversy — Roman Catholics — The Reformed Church in France, in Switzerland — Holland, Cocceians and Voetians — Federal Theology — Amyraldian theology 267-271

Chapter X

Bacon — Descartes — New beginning in philosophy — Spinoza — Locke — Leibnitz and Wolf — Berkeley and idealism — Kant — Deism — Herbert of Cherbury — Thomas Hobbes — Charles Blunt — John Toland — Anthony Collins — Bolingbroke — Hume — French Deists — Voltaire — Rousseau — The Encyclopedists — German Rationalism — (The A tifklarung) Frederick II. — Degeneration of pulpit — Lessing — Unitarianism in England — Samuel Clark — Nathaniel Lardner — William Whiston — Theophlius Lindsey — Joseph Priestley — Unitarian defences — Bull — Waterland — Butler — Paley — Scholars and theologians — Leighton, Burnet, Prideaux, Bingham, Jeremy Taylor, Pearson, Barrow, South — Puritans Baxter, Owen, Howe, Seldon, Milton, Bunyan — Latitudinarianism Cudworth — Tillotson — Hymn-writing, Toplady, Watts, the Wesleys, Doddridge 272-280

CHAPTER XL

QUAKERS AND METHODISTS.

Universal decline of spiritual life in the post-Reformation age — Reformation age — Origin of Friends — The Inner light extravagances — The Oxford Methodists — Wesley and the Moravians — Wesley's visit to Herrnhut — Whitefield — Preaching by the revivalists — Wesley's work — Name of organization — Methodist society becomes a church — Whitefield in Wales and America— Results — Theology and learning 281-286

Chapter XII. New Conditions In The Nineteenth Century

Philosophy and politics potent factors — French revolution, causes — Outbreak — Radical changes — Bonaparte — Restoration of Church affairs in France — Changes in the rest of Europe — Progress in England — Philosophy until Hegel — Fitchte, Herbert, Schelling — Hegel — Schopenhauer — Comte — Spencer — Scottish philosophy — Jacobi — Lotze 287-293

Chapter XIII. The Roman Catholic Church In The Nineteenth Century

Pius VII. — Gregory XVI. — Pius IX. — Vatican Council — Dogma of infallibility — Old Catholic movement — The pope as a prisoner at the Vatican — Leo XIII. — Diverging tendencies in Romanism — Ultramontainism — The Kultur-Kampf— Schools Jesuits — May laws — Reconciliation 294-298

X TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. Protestantism In The Nineteenth Century

Reunion of Lutheran and Reformed churches in Germany— The Reformed Churchin France— Waldensians in Italy— The Church in Holland- Free Church in Scotland— Schleiermacher— His influence— Strauss, Baur and the Tubingen school— Ritschl — S. T. Coleridge— Broad' Church party in England— Tractarianism— Low Church party— Edward Irving and the Catholic Apostolic Church — Practical tendency- Missions, Carey, London Missionary Society, its missionaries— Morrison, Williams, Ellis, Moffat, Livingstone— Scottish Missionary Society, Robert Haldane— Church Missionary Society— The missionary idea across the Channel— Special missions— Churches as missionary organizations—Bible societies— Sunday schools— Evangelical Alliance— Its constitution and work 299-308

Chapter XV. Christianity In America— In The Colonial Era

Discoveries — Explorations and colonizations of western hemisphere — Missionaries with Spaniards — Olmedo — French and Jesuits — English colonies — The Pilgrims — Winthrop and the Puritans — Hooker and the Connecticut colony — Calvert — and Maryland — Pennsylvania — Georgia — Smaller companies — Carolinas — Dutch settlement, New York — Catholicism and Puritanism in America — Forms of Protestantism — Roger Williams and Rhode Island — Church Government in Massachussetts — Cambridge platform — Saybrook platform — Half-way Covenant — Education in the Colonies : Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton — Theologians — Hutchinsonianism — Solomon Stoddard's view of the Lord's Supper — Religious life — Witchcraft delusion — Missions— Eliot — Sargeant— Brainerd 309-320

Chapter XVI. The National Era

Low condition of religion— Deism and infidelity — Revival of 1796-1803 — Free Church system — Denominationalism — The Episcopal Church — Timothy Cutler — White — Seabury — Low Church and Broad Church — Rise of Unitarianism — Parker — Transcendentalism — New England Theology — Missions of Congregationalists — Emerson — Baptists — Missions— Campbellites — Presbyterians in New England — Makemie Disruption of 1745-1748 — Disruption of 1837 — Cumberland Presbyterian Southern Church— Presbyterian missions— Dutch and German Reformed Churches — Lutherans — Methodism — Divisions — Roman Catholics—Archbishop Carroll— Universalists— Relly — Murray, „ , , . 321-334

Introduction

Every writer on education recognizes the fine influence exerted by the study of history in disciplining and cultivating the faculties and in enlarging the intellectual horizon. The study of history can best be pursued from the point of view of the Christian Church. For the Christian Church, as the exponent, guardian and missionary of the Christian religion, not only is entrusted with the most important interests of individual men and of human society, but, for that very reason, stands in the most intimate and complex relations to all other institutions and forces, and to all events which affect the welfare of mankind. In this view of it, the history of the Christian Church is the history of man from the standpoint of religion ; and this is the true standpoint. No other point of view embraces within its range so large a prospect, or presents its details in their profoundest inter-relations. In these respects, the point of view of politics, or of the fine arts, or of science, or of industry and commerce, or of all combined in the term civilization, must yield to that of religion, and especially of Christianity considered as the absolute and therefore the universal religion.

For religion, after all, is the central, persistent and universal historical force and cause. The claim made by St. Paul (Rom. i. 16) that the gospel is the power of God

2 INTRODUCTION.

(duvapusOeou) is by nothing more strikingly and abundantly confirmed, than by the history of the peoples of Europe and America since this gospel has entered as a force into their civilizations. No one can read the great and accepted histories of these peoples or of sections of them, such as Gibbon's Rome, Guizot's Civilization, Hallam's Middle Ages, Robertson's Charles V., Hume's England, Macaulay's English Revolution, Motley's Rise of the Dutch Republic, Bancroft's United States and others which need not be mentioned here, without being profoundly impressed by the fact, that all of these great historians, whether deists, moderates, or believing Christians, agree in the belief that not politics but religion is the greatest of historical energies, the true historical cause of causes. For this reason, it is through the study of the history of Christianity that we have a right to hope that we shall achieve and be able finally to formulate the philosophy of history.

But how shall the history of Christianity be studied? What can the layman or theological student or clergyman do, in order to grasp surely and hold in his mind this vast and complicated mass of facts? We all know that the materials of history are so abundant and so various, that when one first thinks of them with a view to their mastery, he is apt to be overwhelmed and to abandon the task in sheer despair.

This despair, I believe, would in most cases be dissipated if the student were to give himself in the first place to the modest work of making himself perfectly familiar with a brief and trustworthy outline of Church history. At all events, the mastery of such an outline is an indispensable prerequisite to the interested and intelligent study of

INTRODUCTION. 3

the subject. One must have a synoptic view of the whole life of Christianity in the world, in order to understand the detailed narrative of a particular historical personage or period or movement. Hence the writer who contributes a satisfactory outline of Church history, that is to say, an outline marked by clearness, reasonable fullness, accuracy and true perspective, renders a great service to all historical students and readers.

Precisely this great service has been rendered by my friend and former colleague, Prof. A. C. Zenos, of Mc- Cormick Theological Seminary, in the volume I have the great honor thus to introduce. I know no better outline than this one. The author's knowledge of the sources and literature of the subject is exceptionally large. The conception of history which dominates his book is the true conception. He holds that the historical movement is vital and organic. And his experience as Professor of History in one of the largest and most influential of the theological seminaries of the Church has enabled him to adjust his volume to the needs of theological students. His work merits a wide circulation and faithful studv.

JOHN DEWITT.

Princeton Theological Seminary, July 13th, 1896.

PRELIMINARY.

History is either the sum and substance of events themselves or the narrative and record of those events. It is

that which happens or a true account of it. The History. word may be and is used legitimately in both

of these senses. As long as it is clearly understood which of the meanings is attached to it there is, of course, no harm from this twofold use of the term. History as a study, as a species of literature and a science, deals with the second of the two conceptions above named. It is an attempt to represent to the mind as truthfully as possible, that is,in its chronological andgenetic flow the history that has taken place. By as much as this is accomplished, by as much, that is to say, as the record corresponds with the events that have occurred, the true and complete idea of history is fulfilled. It becomes therefore extremely important to begin with a clear conception of the special field which the student of any special history is about to enter.

In a very broad sense Church History has been defined as the history of God's people on earth. In this

sense it begins with the creation of the first Church His- human pair. When by the Fall the human race

forfeited as a unit the title and the privileges of the people of God, a promise was given of restoration (Gen. iii. 1 5). In the fulfillment of this promise two stages are to be distinguished : First the period of the unfolding of the promise. This, regarded from another point of view, is a period of preparation. A portion of the race was separated, made the special guardian of the promise and subject of its beneficent provisions. The promise itself became more and more clearly revealed, not only to

S the people that received it, but to the world through them. Church history during this stage of the development of the promise is the history of this specially favored portion of the human race. They are the people of God. The second stage in the realization of the promise begins with the actual and complete fulfillment of it in the person of Jesus Christ. Appearing within the people of God as organized in the first stage, Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom of God. He called to his side a body of men whom he especially instructed and trained to be the leaders of the new order of things. He promised them the Holy Spirit to take his own place as their guide, when he himself should leave them, and to enlighten their minds as occasion should present itself in the perfecting of the new dispensation. Accordingly, at the proper time, the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the disciples of Jesus, and they spontaneously formed themselves into a new community. Ever since that occasion Church history has been the history of this new or Christian community.

While the above is a very broad and in many respects logical idea of Church history, usage has settled down to

a slightly different one. It has been the prac- Historyofthe tice, uniform for a long time past, to speak of ChurcS n Church history as the history, in a loose sense

of the Christian Church, leaving out the pre- Christian part of the history of God's people for another rubric under one of several titles, such as History of the Jewish Church, The History of Israel, The History of the 'Old Testament, etc. Church history, according to this almost universal practice, includes only the second stage of the history of God's people as above described. In the search for a clearer conception of the field of Church history we are thus led to limit ourselves to the inquiry, What is the Christian Church ?

The Christian Church is that spiritual society which Jesus Christ founded to participate in the benefits of the

kingdom of God and communicate the same to The Christian the whole world. This society is essentially a

Church, visible • •, i • 1 •. - j ■• ■

and invisible, spiritual organization, and its true and inner history transcends the observation of the

PRELIMINARY. ?

senses. Its Head is the glorified Jesus Christ himself, and its organizing force the Holy Spirit. Yet it is manifested first, in an outward fellowship, consisting of all those who profess their faith in Jesus, then in clearly defined forms of religious life, and lastly in institutions calculated to promote the spiritual life according to the ideals presented by its great Head. To distinguish between the Church of Jesus Christ strictly conceived of and the outward and institutional manifestations of the same, the adjectives " visible " and " invisible " have been and are sometimes used. While these adjectives express a difference and may serve a good purpose, it is more convenient practically to set aside this distinction. Church history cannot, after all, be the history of the Christian Church either in its invisible or its visible form. The history of the invisible Church, from the nature of the case, cannot be studied scientifically, and as for the visible form of it, it would entail very much research and division of opinion to undertake to determine what the Church is in this sense, besides departing from that usage which has already been appealed to as favoring the idea of Church history as the history of the Christian Church only in a loose sense. More precisely, then, Church history is the history of Christianity. It is only on the basis of this conception of it that we shall see the propriety of beginning, as Church historians uniformly do, with the organization of Christianity in the Apostolic age, and including in our survey all the facts which either directly or indirectly have issued from or centered in Christianity.

The relation of Church history to secular history on the basis of this idea will appear much closer than the

terms secular and ecclesiastical strictly concwh History strued would lead one to suppose. Christi- History! 1 anity is planted in the world with the evident

purpose of conveying to the world certain benefits. Whether it endeavor to do this by attracting the world into its own organized society, or diffusing itself through the world of human society in some inexplicable way, as some of its most recent interpreters claim it must do, it stands in the closest relations to the world. The stream of the world's history cannot run separately and in a parallel channel to its own, but must mingle, and at times be identical with it. To attempt to disentangle Church history from secular history is to shut off much of the light in which the facts of Church history must be seen in order to be correctly interpreted.

The advantages of the study of Church history to

ministers and theologians are very apparent. The same

advantages exist in this study for others than

tf d thTstud ministers and theologians. Some of these

may be specially mentioned.

First, the subject is full of interest in itself. There is in this field enough to arrest the attention, to stimulate thought and gratify the thirst for information which exists, and should exist, in every healthy human soul.

Secondly, for the Christian this natural interest is enhanced by the consciousness that he is here face to face with his spiritual pedigree. The Church of the past is his ancestry. If he feel his vital connection with the people of God, he appropriates to himself some share in the best deeds of the best men the world has produced. If he lack this feeling, no means will be found more effectual in arousing it in him than the actual contact with these men and deeds.

Thirdly, Church history, as dealing with the course of the kingdom of God on earth, appeals to the interest of the Christian in the divine purpose. Even if one were to be indifferent to its attractions as a field in which he might learn of his own spiritual ancestry, as a field where he has an opportunity to trace the fortunes of a divine institution and a divine purpose, it should not fail to attract the Christian.

Fourthly, the study is full of instruction. History is said to repeat itself. This is not only true but practically an extremely valuable truth to bear in mind. The past is full of parallels to the present. One who has familiarized himself with these will not find himself at a loss as to how to meet difficulties. The successes of those who in the past met the situations that confront him will guide him also to success if he imitate their course ; and their