DEDICATED (BY PERMISSION)

TO HIS GRACE THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

A

LIBRARY OF FATHERS

OF THE

HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH,

ANTERIOR TO THE DIVISION OF THE EAST AND WEST.

TRANSLATED BY MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH,

WITH NOTICES OF THE RESPECTIVE FATHERS, AND BRIEF NOTES BY THE EDITORS, WHERE REQUIRED, AND SUMMARIES OF CHAPTERS AND INDICES.

EDITED BY

THE REV. E. B. PUSEY, D.D.

Regius Professor of Hebrew, Canon of Christ Church, late Fellow of Oriel College.

THE REV. JOHN KEBLE, M.A.

Professor of Poetry, late Fellow of Oriel College.

THE REV. J. H. NEWMAN, B.D.
Fellow of Oriel College.

A PUBLICATION, answering to the above title, appeared to the Editors calculated to answer many and important ends, and to supply considerable wants, some peculiar to our own Church and times, others more general. Their chief grounds for thinking it very desirable were such as the following:

1. The great intrinsic value of many of the works of the Fathers, which are, at present, inaccessible, except to such as have large libraries, and are familiar with the languages in which they are written; and this the more, since a mere general acquaintance with the language will not enable a person to read with ease many of the Fathers. E. g. Knowledge of Latin alone will not suffice to read Tertullian: and in cases less strong, ecclesiastical language and peculiarity of style will often present considerable difficulties at first.

2. The desirableness of bringing together select works of different Fathers. Many who would wish to become acquainted with the Fathers, know not where to begin; and scarcely any have the means to procure any great number of their works. Editions of the whole works of a Father, (such as we for the most part have,) are obviously calculated for divines, not for private individuals: they furnish more of the works of each Father than most require, and their expense precludes the acquisition of others.

3. The increased demand for sacred reading. The Clergy of one period are obviously unequal to meet demands so rapid, and those of our day have additional hindrances, from the great increased amount of practical duties. Where so much is to be produced, there is of necessity great danger that

2

much will not be so mature as, on these subjects, is especially to be desired. Our occupations do not leave time for mature thought.

4. Every body of Christians has a peculiar character, which tends to make them look upon the system of faith, committed to us, on a particular side; and so, if they carry it on by themselves, they insensibly contract its limits and depth, and virtually lose a great deal of what they think that they hold. While the system of the Church, as expressed by her Creeds and Liturgy, remains the same, that of her members will gradually become contracted and shallow, unless continually enlarged and refreshed. In ancient times this tendency was remedied by the constant living intercourse between the several branches of the Catholic Church, by the circulation of the writings of the Fathers of the several Churches, and, in part, by the present method-translation. We virtually acknowledge the necessity of such accessions by our importations from Germany and America; but the circumstances of Germany render mere translation unadvisable, and most of the American Theology proceeds from bodies who have altered the doctrine of the Sacraments.

5. The peculiar advantages of the Fathers in resisting heretical errors, in that they had to combat the errors in their original form, before men's minds were familiarized with them, and so risked partaking of them; and also in that they lived nearer to the Apostles.

6. The great comfort of being able to produce, out of Christian antiquity, refutations of heresy, (such as the different shades of the Arian ;) thereby avoiding the necessity of discussing, ourselves, profane errors, which, on so high mysteries, cannot be handled without pain, and rarely without injury to our own minds.

7. The advantage which some of the Fathers (e. g. St. Chrysostom) possessed as Commentators on the New Testament, from speaking its language.

8. The value of having an ocular testimony of the existence of Catholic verity, and Catholic agreement; that truth is not merely what a man troweth; that the Church once was one, and spake one language; and that the present unhappy divisions are not necessary and unavoidable.

9. The circumstance that the Anglican branch of the Church Catholic is founded upon Holy Scripture and the agreement of the Universal Church; and that therefore the knowledge of Christian antiquity is necessary in order to understand and maintain her doctrines, and especially her Creeds and her Liturgy.

10. The importance, at the present crisis, of exhibiting the real practical value of Catholic Antiquity, which is disparaged by Romanists in order to make way for the later Councils, and by others in behalf of modern and private interpretations of Holy Scripture. The character of Catholic antiquity, and of the scheme of salvation, as set forth therein, cannot be appreciated through the broken sentences of the Fathers, which men pick up out of controversial divinity.

11. The great danger in which Romanists are of lapsing into secret infidelity, not seeing how to escape from the palpable errors of their own Church, without falling into the opposite errors of Ultra-Protestants. It appeared an act of especial charity to point out to such of them as are dissatisfied with the state of their own Church, a body of ancient Catholic truth, free from the errors, alike of modern Rome and of Ultra-Protestantism.

12. Gratitude to ALMIGHTY GOD, who has raised up these great lights in the Church of Christ, and set them there for its benefit in all times.

PLAN OF THE WORK.

1. The subjects of the several treatises to be published shall mainly be, Doctrine, Practice, Exposition of Holy Scripture, Refutation of Heresy, or History.

2. The treatises shall be published entire, so as to form a whole.

3. The notices of the respective Fathers shall be confined to such brief accounts of them (mostly taken from ancient sources) as shall put the general reader in possession of their age, character, and the like.

4. The notes shall be limited to the explanation of obscure passages, or the removal of any misapprehension which might not improbably arise (after the manner of the Benedictines).

5. The best editions shall be procured for the Translators.

6. Each volume shall consist either of a work or works of a single Father, or of those of several Fathers upon the same subject, or connected subjects, as in selections of Homilies.

7. Each volume (or at most two volumes) shall form a whole in itself; but the volumes shall be continued uniform, so that those who wish for fuller sets, may be able to obtain them. Each volume to contain from 400 to 600 pages.

8. The Editors hold themselves responsible for the selection of the several treatises to be translated, as also for the faithfulness of the translations; they will, however, thankfully receive any hints upon the subject, especially from divines, or their ecclesiastical superiors.

9. The work shall be published in closely printed 8vo volumes; and with as much attention to cheapness as is consistent with the good execution of the work, and the necessary remuneration of the Translators and Booksellers.

10. The Editors have assented to the suggestion of the Publishers, that the work should be published by subscription, in the hope that its price may thereby be considerably reduced, in consequence of the increased number of copies printed. The Editors declining all pecuniary profit, that arising from the additional copies printed, will go to the reduction of the price of the whole. It must, however, be distinctly understood, that the Editors hold themselves under no responsibility to the Subscribers, as such, with regard to the choice of the works to be translated.

11. The originals of the works translated shall be printed, either at once or subsequently, if this shall appear desirable. It would be well, therefore, if Subscribers would specify, if they wish for the originals, either with or without the translations.

12. It is understood that subscriptions continue, until it be intimated that they are discontinued, and that they extend, under ordinary circumstances, to the end of each year. It will be arranged, however, that the works of each year should form a whole; so that the subscription might be broken off without inconvenience to the Subscriber.

13. Subscriptions might be confined, if desired, to certain larger works (as St. Chrysostom on the Epistles of St. Paul), but this obviously would be too complicated to be extended to works of small compass.

14. Four volumes are to appear in each year: the price to Subscribers not to exceed 98. for a closely printed 8vo of 400 pages; to the public it will be raised one-fourth. When old Translations are revised, the price will be diminished.

AUGUSTINE, S.

Preparing for Publication.

Doctrinal Treatises.........

F. Rogers, M.A. Fellow of Oriel.

........ Four Orations against the One of the Editors.

Arians

Tracts on the Incarnation and
Holy Spirit.

Historical Documents........Rev. M. Atkinson, M.A. Fellow of Lincoln.
Anti-Pelagian Tracts
Rev. F. Oakeley, M.A. Fellow of Balliol.
Homilies on St. John's Gospel Rev. C. A. Heurtley, M.A. Fellow of C. C. C.

Epistle

First

the Psalms

BASIL, S. THE GREAT.... Letters, Treatises, and Ho-} Rev. Is. Williams, M.A. Fellow of Trinity ·

milies

CHRYSOSTOM, S. ........ Homilies on St. Matthew .... Rev. Sir G. Prevost, M.A. Oriel.

CYPRIAN, S.

-St. John

St. Paul

On the Priesthood
Select Epistles

. Epistles

Rev. J. Nelson, M.A. St. John's.

Rev. T. Keble, M.A. late Fellow of C. C. C.
Rev. W. J. Copeland, M.A. Fellow of Trinity.
Rev. C. Miller, M.A. late Demy of Magdalen.
Rev. H. K. Cornish, M.A. late Fellow of Exeter.
Rev. W. C. Cotton, M.A. Student of Ch. Ch.
Rev. A. Grant, M.A. Fellow of New College.
S. F. Wood, M.A. Oriel.

The late Bp. Jebb, finished by Rev. J. Jebb, M.A.
Rev. E. Churton, M.A. Christ Church.

.Rev. H. Carey, M.A. Worcester College.

Rev. J. H. Newman, B.D.

Rev. G. H. S. Johnson, M.A. Queen's.

DRIA

Rev. R. F. Wilson, M.A. Oriel.

GUS, OF NAZIANZUMŠ

GREGORY, S. OF NYSSA.. Sermons and Commentaries.. Rev. C. Seager, M.A. late Scholar of Worcester.

....On the Donatist Schism......Rev. F. A. Faber, B.A. Fellow of University.

.......

Against Celsus.

Works

Ecclesiastical History
Compendium of Heresies
and Dialogues

St. Clement of Alex.

"Quis

dives salvetur?" Ep. ad
Diognetum; Tracts of Hip-
polytus.

Rev. T. Mozley, M.A. late Fellow of Oriel.

. Rev. C. Dodgson, M.A. late Student of Ch. Ch.

Rev. C. Marriott, M.A. Fellow of Oriel.

Rev. R. Scott, M.A. Fellow of Balliol.

Subscribers are requested to transmit their names either direct to the Publishers, or to their

respective Booksellers.

RIVINGTONS, LONDON. J. H. PARKER, OXFORD.