Ecclesiastical History, Books 1–5 (The Fathers of the Church)

by Eusebius

Publisher:

Catholic University of America

, 1953

ISBN: 9780813214450

(10)

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Overview

Eusebius was commonly known among the ancients as Eusebius of Caesarea or Eusebius Pamphili. The first designation arose from the fact that he was bishop of Caesarea for many years; the second from the fact that he was a close friend and admirer of Pamphilus, a proselyte of Caesarea and a martyr. At least 40 contemporaries bore the same name, among which the most famous were Eusebius of Samosata—and so arose the necessity of distinguishing him from these others by specific designation.

The year of the Edict of Milan, which divides the first from the second epoch of Church history, does like service for the life and for the literary medium of the Church’s first historian. According to the growing assent of scholars, 313 marks off chronologically the Alexandrian from the Byzantine period of Greek literature, and it is 313 that cleaves into uneven but appropriate parts that career of Eusebius Pamphilil. In training and in literary taste, Eusebius belongs to the earlier time. Officially and in literary productivity, he belongs to the later. It was shortly after 313 that Eusebius became a bishop, as it was, for the most part, after 313 that his works were actually composed. Of events contemporary with these later years, Eusebius recorded much that is valued, but it is for what he tells of the earlier period—of the days before the Peace of the Church—that he looms so large in the history of history and of literature. Through him—through him almost alone—are preserved to us the feeble memories of an age that died with himself.

For more of the church fathers, check out the Fathers of the Church: Greek Fathers of the Nicene Era (35 vols.).

Top Highlights

“My work, as I have said, will begin with the dispensation⁷ conceived in relation to Christ and the divinity ascribed to Him, loftier and greater than human conception. For, he who intends to hand down in writing the story of the Church’s leadership would have to begin with the very origin of Christ’s dispensation itself, more divine than it seems to most, since we have laid claim to our name from Him.” (Page 37)

“Now, one letter of Peter, his so-called first Epistle, is admitted to be genuine,¹ and the ancient presbyters made use of this Epistle as undisputed in their own writings. The reputed second Epistle we have ascertained to be not canonical;² nevertheless, since it appeared useful to many, it has been studied together with the other Scriptures.” (Page 139)

“Nor is it at all proper to suppose that the theophanies described above were of subordinate angels and ministers of God, since whenever one of these appears to men the Scripture does not conceal the fact, calling them precisely by name not God nor indeed Lord, but angels, as it is easy to prove by countless references.” (Page 41)

“And the fourteen⁸ Epistles of Paul are manifest and clear, yet it is not right to ignore that some have rejected the Epistle to the Hebrews⁹ as spurious, saying that it was disputed by the Church of Rome, on the ground that it was not by Paul.” (Page 140)

“Such were the actions against James, whose Epistle is said to be the first of the so-called Catholic epistles. But, we must realize that it is considered spurious; at least not many of the ancients quote it, as is true also of the so-called Epistle of Jude, which itself is one of the seven called Catholic; yet we know that these Epistles³⁴ have been used publicly together with the rest in most churches.” (Page 130)

Eusebius of Caesarea (c. AD 263–339) also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon. He wrote Demonstrations of the Gospel, Preparations for the Gospel, and On Discrepancies between the Gospels, studies of the Biblical text.