217 Demolition of Becket's Shrine. Dissolution of the Larger Mo- ........................ Chronological Table ..... APPENDIX. ... 290 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. The figures attached to the questions at the foot of each page indicate the paragraphs which contain the answers. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. Ecclesiastical } 1. Mosheim defines Ecclesiastical History to be "a faithful narrative of those affairs which have either happened from without to that society of men which takes its name from Christ, or have been transacted within its own body. In this," he proceeds, "events are so connected with their causes, that men may both see God's providence in establishing and preserving it, and grow not less in piety than in wisdom." 1. Define Ecclesiastical History. B Church- 2. Our English word Church is derived from the Greek adjective Kupiakós, relating to the Lord, a compound of Kupiov and oixía, the House of the Lord: hence, Church signifies "any place peculiarly appropriated to, or set apart for, the worship of God." The word Church, however, is not restricted to this signification, but answers to all the senses in which Ecclesia is used in the New Testament.-Ecclesia comes from ¿ккaλεv, to call out, and was used originally to denote an assembly of Greeks, "called out," whether lawfully or otherwise, by the civil magistrate (Acts xix. 32, 39, 40). But in the New Testament the word has various significations:—(1) The whole body of true believers, or the visible Church (Matt. xvi. 18 -Eph. v. 23, 25, 27—Col. i. 18, 24): (2) The spirits of the just made perfect, or the invisible Church (Eph. v. 27): (3) Any congregation of Christians met together in a single place, or the body of believers resident in a town or district (Acts viii. 1; xi. 22; xvi. 5): (4) The place in which they assembled for Divine worship (Acts xi. 26— 1 Cor. xi. 18, 22.) Sources of Ecclesiastical History. 3. The sources from which we obtain our information concerning the Church of Christ during the first three centuries are the four Gospels, which bring down the history to A.D. 33; the Acts of the Apostles, as related by St. Luke, which extend over a period of about 30 years, from A.D. 33 to A.D. 63; the Fathers, to wit, Clement of 2. What is the word Church derived from, and what does it signify? Is it restricted to its derivative meaning? Give the derivation of Ecclesia, and its various significations in the New Testament. 3. Whence do we derive our information concerning the early history of the Church.? To what date do the historical books of the New Testament carry the history of the Christian Church? Who is the earliest, and who the chief, of ancient ecclesiastical writers? Rome, Barnabas, and Hermas, in the first century, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenæus, and Dionysius of Corinth, in the second century, and Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, and Gregory Thaumaturgus, in the third century; and ancient ecclesiastical writers, the earliest of whom is Hegesippus, who flourished about A.D. 170, and the chief of whom is Eusebius, who was probably born at Cæsarea in Palestine about A.D. 270. Political State of the World at Christ's Birth. 4. At the period of Christ's birth the Emperor Augustus reigned at Rome, and his dominion extended over the greater part of the known world. The Roman empire was then in the utmost perfection as to arts and magnificence; but much declining as to vigour and virtue. Distant nations, submitting to a power too mighty to be withstood, were either governed by Roman Proconsuls, invested with temporary commissions; or indulged by their conquerors with their own princes and laws, yet reduced to own the claim of Rome to supreme sovereignty, and to enroll themselves in the number of its sons and subjects. The Roman Senate and people, indeed, retained little of authority but the name, for the empire was in reality governed by the victorious and accomplished Augustus. It is said by Orosius that the temple of Janus was shut when Jesus Christ came down to men: whether this were so or not, it admits of no doubt that the time was eminently free from wars, as compared with preceding ages. The imperial laws were mild; but commotions were not uncommon, in consequence of the extortions and rapacity of provincial governors and taxgatherers. 4. Who reigned at Rome when our Blessed Lord was born? What was then the political state of the world? |