Early Christianity

This is a list of legally free ebooks that are (a) written by the Fathers of the Church and other Christian writers of the first millennium; (b) written concerning early Christianity and the Fathers (patrology); (c) provide anthologies or collections of passages of early Christian writings (like catenae or “chains” of authorities).

Please note that this list is not focused on indexing the writings of the Fathers of the Church, which are more completely indexed and published on New Advent, among other websites. Hence, most of the ebooks listed below are commentaries on or compendia of early Christian writings.

This list is a work in progress and will be expanded further. For other legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

  1. Against Heresies [Or, Refutation and Overthrow of Knowledge falsely so-called ], by St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c.180 AD), trans. Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut; from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, eds. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885). Available on New Advent (rev. and ed. Kevin Knight), with active links to relevant Catholic Encyclopedia articles and Scripture passages; and on The Augustine Club. On Apologetics, Salvation, Heresy, Cosmology, Gnosticism, Divine Revelation, Bishops, Roman Primacy, Tradition, Sacraments, etc. [NB, A defense of Christianity against Gnosticism, which also shows that the early Church had a Catholic view of sacramental grace, the Roman primacy, the bishops as successors of the apostles, etc. Books I and II are somewhat difficult, so it may be better to start with Book III, which begins the summary of Christian teaching.]
  2. Augustinum Hipponensem, Apostolic Letter to the Bishops, Priests, Religious Families and Faithful of the Whole Catholic Church on the Occasion of the 16th Centenary of the Conversion of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor, by Pope St. John Paul II, 28 August 1986. Available at Catholic Treasury (Electronic Copyright, 1999, by EWTN. All Rights Reserved).
  3. Catena Aurea [Golden Chain of Commentaries on the Four Gospels], by St. Thomas Aquinas. May be read at Catechetics Online.
  4. Catena Aurea – 1 – The Gospel of Matthew – A Commentary on the Gospel by St. Thomas Aquinas. May be downloaded in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index,
  5. Catena Aurea – 2 – The Gospel of Mark – A Commentary on the Gospel by St. Thomas Aquinas. May be downloaded in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index,
  6. Catena Aurea – 3 – The Gospel of Luke – A Commentary on the Gospel by St. Thomas Aquinas.  May be downloaded in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index,
  7. Catena Aurea – 4 – The Gospel of John – A Commentary on the Gospel by St. Thomas Aquinas. May be downloaded in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index,
  8. Catena aurea or, A golden chain of evidences demonstrating from “analytical treatment of history,” that papal infallibility is no novelty; a memorial of the Papal jubilee, June 16, 1871 to honor the “Annos Petri completos” of our Holy Father, Pope Pius the Great, by an Old Catholic (Perry County, Ohio: St. Joseph’s College, 1871). Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive. [N.B., While author refers to himself as an “Old Catholic”, this appears to be an ironic use of the term, since the work sets out to refute the thesis of Dollinger and the “Old Catholic” sect. The work is therefore orthodox. However, please exercise caution in view of certain statements tending to anti-Semitism.]
  9. Cathedra Petri: or, The titles and prerogatives of St. Peter, and of his see and successors; as described by the early fathers, ecclesiastical writers, and councils of the church, by C.F.B. Allnatt (London: Burns and Oates, 1883). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library. The 1879 edition is available at Internet Archive and Open Library.The Catholic Doctrine of the Eucharist: demonstrably proved from Scripture, from Tradition, and from the writings of some of the most eminent Catholic and Protestant authors who have treated on the subject; in sixteen letters, with notes and appendices, addressed to the Lord Bishop of Exeter; and dedicated by permission to His Imperial and Royal Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Bohemia, etc., by M.D. Talbot (London: T. Jones, 1844). Available in various formats at Internet Archive and Open Library.Christ and the Church, by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences 2006 to 2011). May be read online at the EWTN Library. This provides a collection of the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on Christ and the Church, Apostolic Tradition, and the lives and works of Catholic teachers from the founding of the Church to modern times, including the Apostles, the Eastern and Western Fathers, and the Scholastics.
  10. Church History, by Eusebius of Caesarea, translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1, edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890). Available at New Advent (Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight, copyright 2009 by Kevin Knight).
  11. The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870, by Philip Hughes. With Imprimatur (1960). Available at Documenta Catholica Omnia and Christus Rex.The City of God, by Saint Augustine, translated by Marcus Dods. Available at Saint Wiki.
  12. A Commentary by Writers of the First Five Centuries on the Place of St. Peter in the New Testament: and that of St. Peter’s successors in the Church, by James Waterworth (London: Thomas Baker, 1871). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  13. Commentary on Boethius’ “On the Trinity” (Super Boethium De Trinitate), by St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1250s). Questions 1-4, translated by Rose E. Brennan, S.H.N. (Herder, 1946). Questions 5-6, translated by Armand Mauer (Toronto, 1953). May be read online at the website of the Dominican House of Studies, Priory of the Immaculate Conception. Also available at the Logic Museum, which contains parallel Latin and English texts.
  14. Commonitory, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies, by St. Vincent of Lerins, died c. 450 AD. Available at New Advent.
  15. Contra Errores Graecorum [Against the Errors of the Greeks], by St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P., translated by Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., re-edited and missing chapters supplied by Joseph Kenny, O.P. May be read online atDHS Priory of the Immaculate Conception. [N.B., This work demonstrates that the Eastern Fathers affirm the teaching of the Catholic Church on points disputed by the schismatic Eastern churches.] [N.B.2, In his essay “St. Thomas Aquinas, Papal Supremacy, and the Witness of the Eastern Churches in the First Millennium”, online at Credo of Buffalo, James Likoudis refutes objections to St. Thomas’ citations of the Fathers.]
  16. The Early Church Fathers,by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences). May be read online throughCatechesis of the Popes, and may be purchased in book form at Our Sunday Visitor and Ignatius Press.
  17. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, by John Henry Newman, 6th ed. (1878) Available in multiple formats at ManyBooks.net and Project Gutenberg, and may be read online at Newman Reader and Cambridge Books Online. The 7th edition (1890) is available in multiple formats at Internet Archive with a second copy here and at Open Library with a second copy here. [NB, One of the most important works by a major figure in 19th century Anglicanism, the Development of Christian Doctrine was published shortly before Newman’s conversion to the one true Church. It is a seminal work on the theology of Divine revelation and the sociology of Christian culture.]
  18. Essays on the Origin, Doctrines, and Discipline of the Early Irish Church, by Patrick Francis Moran (Dublin: James Duffy, 1864). Available in multiple formats at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  19. The Evidence for the Papacy: as Derived from the Holy Scriptures and from Primitive Antiquity, with an Introductory Epistle, by Colin Lindsay (London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1870). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  20. An Examination of the Evidence, Adduced by Mr. Keary, Against the Authenticity or Validity of Certain Passages from the Fathers: Contained in the “Faith of Catholics, on Certain Points of Controversy, Compiled by Rev. Jos. Berington and Rev. John Kirk”, by Rev. James Waterworth (London: J. Booker, 1834). Available in multiple formats at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  21. The Faith of Catholics, Confirmed by Scripture, and Attested by the Fathers of the Five First Centuries of the Church, compiled by Revs. Joseph Berington and John Kirk (1813). Available in various formats at Internet Archive and Open Library. The 2nd edition (London: Joseph Booker, 1830) is available at Internet Archive,  Open Library, and Google Books, with a second copy at Internet Archive and Open Library. [N.B., Later expanded into a 3-volume text by Rev. Waterworth and revised by Monsignor Capel, indexed in the following entries.]
  22. The Faith of Catholics: On Certain Points of Controversy, Confirmed by Scripture, and Attested by the Fathers of the Five First Centuries of the Church, Volume 1, 3rd enlarged edition, compiled by Revs. Joseph Berington and John Kirk, revised and recast by the Rev. James Waterworth, with Preface, corrections, and additions by the Right Rev. Monsignor Thomas John Capel (Ratisbon, Rome, New York, Cincinnati: Frederick Pustet & Co., 1909). Available in various formats at Internet Archive and Open Library, with a second copy at Internet Archive. The 2nd edition (1885) is available at Internet Archive.
  23. The Faith of Catholics: On Certain Points of Controversy, Confirmed by Scripture, and Attested by the Fathers of the Five First Centuries of the Church, Volume 2, 5th revised and enlarged edition, compiled by Revs. Joseph Berington and John Kirk, revised and recast by the Rev. James Waterworth, with Preface, corrections, and additions by the Right Rev. Monsignor Thomas John Capel (Ratisbon, Rome, New York, Cincinnati: Frederick Pustet & Co., [1910]). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Internet Archive. The 2ndedition (1884) is available at Internet Archive.
  24. The Faith of Catholics: On Certain Points of Controversy, Confirmed by Scripture, and Attested by the Fathers of the Five First Centuries of the Church, Volume 3, 5th revised and enlarged edition, compiled by Revs. Joseph Berington and John Kirk, revised and recast by the Rev. James Waterworth, with Preface, corrections, and additions by the Right Rev. Monsignor Thomas John Capel (Ratisbon, Rome, New York, Cincinnati: Frederick Pustet & Co., [1910]). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive. The 2nd edition (1884) is available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  25. The Faith of Our Fathers, being a plain exposition and vindication of the Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, by James Cardinal Gibbons. Available in multiple formats at Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive (Book contributor: Project Gutenberg), with a 2nd copy and a 3rd copy at Internet Archive.
  26. FILIOQUE: A Response to Eastern Orthodox Concerns, by Mark J. Bonocore. May be read online on this page and available in PDF format on this page of Catholic Bridge. [N.B., This tract/article, which reaches 50 pages in PDF, is a thorough explanation of the authentic Christian teaching on the “Filioque” and why it poses no barrier to the reunion of separated Eastern churches with the Catholic Church.]
  27. Five Books of S. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, Against Heresies, translated by John Keble, with the Fragments that Remain of His Other Works (Oxford, London: James Parker & Co.; London, Oxford, Cambridge: Rivingtons, 1872). With a Preface by P.E. Pusey. Volume 42 of A Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, Anterior to the Division of the East and the West, translated by Members of the English Church. May be read online, and available in multiple formats (pdf, epub, text, kindle/mobi, etc.), atInternet Archive and Open Library, with a 2nd copy at Internet Archive, and 3rd (incomplete) copy, which begins only on page 6, at Internet Archive. May be read online, and available in PDF format, at Hathi Trust Digital Library. [Our further notes may be found on this post.]
  28. From Tarsus to Rome: the story of the first Christian hierarchy, by Herman Joseph Heuser (London, New York: Longmans, Green and co.1929). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Archive [microform] and may be read at Onread.com. NB, the Onread.com copy has many proofreading errors.
  29. The Government of the Church in the First Century: an Essay on the Beginnings of the Christian Ministry, by William Moran (Dublin: M.H. Gill & Son, 1913). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  30. Grande Munus: Encyclical on Ss. Cyril and Methodius, by Pope Leo XIII  (September 30, 1880. May be read online atthe Holy See, at Papal Encyclicals.net, and at Catholic Culture.org.
  31. A Handbook of Patrology, by Joseph Tiveront (St. Louis, Mo. : B. Herder, 1920). With Imprimatur. Available in multiple formats at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly – University of Toronto).
  32. “His Only Son”: The Truth of the Divinity of Christ, by William F. Robison, S.J. (St. Louis, Mo.; London: B. Herder, 1918). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats (pdf, text, epub, kindle/mobi, etc.) at Internet Archive.
  33. Histoire de Saint Martin, Évêque de Tours, contenant l’histoire de sa vie et celle de son culte, par Achille Dupuy (Tours: Imprimerie Ladeveze, 1852). Disponible dans Internet Archive , avec une copie deuxieme dans Internet Archive.
  34. The History of Heresies, and Their Refutation; or, The Triumph of the Church, by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, translated by the Rev. John T. Mullock, of the Order of St, Francis (Dublin: James Duffy, 1847). Available in PDF format through this page at Documenta Catholica Omnia; in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index, and in PDF format through the St Alphonsus Maria Liguori Page of the Traditional Catholic Library of St. Athanasius Press.
  35. A History of the Church to the Eve of the Reformation, by Philip Hughes. Ecclesiastial history. Available on Documenta Catholica Omnia and on the Roman Catholic Resource Index of the Secular Franciscan Order, Five Franciscan Martyrs Province.
  36. A History of the Mass and its Ceremonies in the Eastern and Western Church, by John O’Brien (New York: Benziger, c1879). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly Library, University of Toronto). History, Sacraments, Liturgy.
  37. On Holy Images (Followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption), by St. John of Damascus (7th-8th century AD), translated from the original Greek by Mary W. Allies (London: Thomas baker, 1898). With Imprimatur. Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  38. The Ideal of the Monastic Life Found in the Apostolic Age, by Germain Morin, translated by C. Gunning, with a preface by Dom Bede Camm (London: R. & T. Washbourne, 1914). With Imprimatur. Available on Internet Archive and Open Library (Digitizing sponsor: MSN; Book contributor: Regis College Library, University of Toronto).
  39. India and the Apostle Thomas: An Inquiry, with a Critical Analysis of the Acta Thomae, by Dr. A. E. Medlycott, Bishop of Triconia (London: David Nutt, 1905). Available at Internet Archive (which appears to have the better copy) and Internet Archive (2nd copy). [N.B., F.A. D’Cruz in his St. Thomas, the Apostle, in India (1905) notes that Dr. Medlycott was at one time Vicar Apostolic of Trichur in Cochin State.]
  40. Indulgences: Their Origin, Nature, and Development, by Alexius M. Lépicier [Alexis-Henri-Marie Cardinal Lépicier] (London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner 1895). With approbation. Available at Open Library. And Internet Archive.
  41. Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Early Church Fathers, by Michael J. Partyka. Available in PDF format, and in large-print PDF format, at Stay Catholic.com. [This tract refutes Jehovah’s Witness literature that use spurious citations of early Christian writers to attack the authentic Christian teaching on the Holy Trinity, by extensively quoting the actual words of these writers, all of whom manifest the Trinitarian faith of the early Church.]
  42. The Life of Saint Columba, Apostle of Scotland, Second Edition, by Frances Alice Forbes (London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow: R. & T. Washbourne, Ltd., 1919). With Imprimatur. Part of the series Standard-bearers of the Faith: A Series of Lives of the Saints for Young and Old. Available at Project Gutenberg, and in epub, fulltext and kindle formats at Internet Archive.
  43. The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints [or, Butler’s Lives of the Saints], by Alban Butler (1895). With Imprimatur. Available in many formats at Manybooks. Another edition (Dublin: James Duffy, 1866) may be read online at Bartleby.com (New York: Bartleby.com, 2010).
  44. The Lives of the Saints: Catechesis on the great Christian writers of both East and West, by Pope Benedict XVI (General Audiences 2007-2011). May be read online through Catechesis of the Popes. This provides a collection of the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on the Early Church Fathers (Ante-Nicene and Nicene, Post-Nicene), the Medieval Church Fathers, the Great Women of the Middle Ages, and the Modern Doctors of the Church. Some of the addresses on the Early Church Fathers may also be found at Position Papers.ie.
  46. A Manual of Church History, by Franz Xaver von Funk, translated by Luigi Cappadelta (St. Louis, Mo.: B. Herder, 1910). With Imprimatur. Volume 1 available at Open Library and Internet Archive; Volume 2 available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly Library, University of Toronto).
  47. A Manual of Church History, by Franz Xaver von Funk, translated by Luigi Cappadelta (St. Louis, Mo.: B. Herder, 1910). With Imprimatur. Volume 1 available at Open Library and Internet Archive; Volume 2 available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly Library, University of Toronto).
  48. A Manual of the History of Dogmas, Volume 1: The Development of Dogmas during the Patristic Age, 100-869, Third Edition, by Rev. Bernard John Otten, S.J. (St. Louis, London: B. Herder, 1922). With Imprimatur. May be read online and available in pdf, epub, daisy, djvu, kindle/mobi, and text formats at Internet Archive and Internet Archive (2nd copy).
  49. The Maronites: The Origins of an Antiochene Church: A Historical and Geographical Study of the Fifth to Seventh Centuries, by Abbot Paul Naaman, translated by the Department of Interpretation and Translation (DIT), Holy Spirit University, Kaslik, Lebanon (Trappist, Kentucky: Cistercian Publications; Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2009). Available in PDF format on this page of the Liturgical Press.
  50. The Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul, by Arthur Stapylton Barnes, with a Foreword by William Henry Cardinal O’Connell (London: Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford, 1933). Available in various formats at Internet Archive.
  51. La Mère de Dieu et la Mère des Hommes: d’après les Pères et la Théologie, 1e Partie: LaMère de Dieu, par le P. J.B. Terrien, S.J. (P. Lethielleux, 1900). Avec Imprimatur. Tome 1e est disponible en Internet Archive. Tome 2e est disponible en Internet Archive.
  52. La Mère de Dieu et la Mère des Hommes: d’après les Pères et la Théologie, 2e Partie: LaMère des Hommes, par le P. J.B. Terrien, S.J. (P. Lethielleux, 1900). Avec Imprimatur. Tome 1e disponible en Internet Archive. Tome 2e disponible en Internet Archive.
  53. The Mother of Christ: or, The Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic Tradition, Theology, and Devotion, by Oliver Rodie Vassall-Phillips (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, 1922). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries, Book contributor: Wellesley College Library).
  54. On the Incarnation, in 7 books, by John Cassian (c. 360-c. 435). May be read online on this page of New Advent. [N.B., This treatise provides a detailed exposition of the authentic doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord, and a systematic refutation of objections to that teaching. However, please read Cassian’s definition of grace with prayerful caution, as it partly reflects his personal opinion and not the authoritative teaching of the Church.]
  55. On the Incarnation of the Word, by St. Athanasius. Available at New Advent.
  56. On the Unity of the Church, by St. Cyprian of Carthage. Available at New Advent.
  57. The Orthodox Eastern Church, 2nd edition, by Adrian Fortescue, Ph.D., D.D. (London: Catholic Truth Society, 1908). May be read online, and available in various formats (pdf, mobi/kindle, epub, etc.) at Internet Archive and Open Library., with a second copy at Internet Archive and Open Library. The 1stedition (1907), with illustrations by the author, is available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  58. Patres Apostolici, Volume I, edited by Francis Xavier Funk (Tubingae: H. Laupp, 1901). In Latin and Ancient Greek. With Imprimatur. A collection of works by the Apostolic Fathers (Christian writers immediately after the Apostles), including Pope St. Clement I, Bishop Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop St. Papias of Hierapolis, Quadratus, Bishop St. Irenaeus of Lyon, and Hermas. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive.
  59. Patrology; the lives and works of the fathers of the church, by Otto Bardenhewer, Thomas Joseph Shahan (Freiburg im Breisgau, St. Louis, Mo., B. Herder1908). With Imprimatur and comments of approbation from various bishops. Available in multiple formats at Open Library and Internet Archive.
  60. Penance in the Early Church: With a Short Sketch of Subsequent Development, by Michael J. O’Donnell (Dublin: Gill, 1908). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Regis College Library, University of Toronto).
  61. Peter’s name; or, A divine credential in a name, by Smyth-Vaudry, Telesphor (Techny, Ill.: Printed by the Society of the Divine Word, 1909). Available at Internet Archive.
  62. Peter’s rock in Mohammed’s flood: from St. Gregory the Great to St. Leo III, being the Seventh Volume of The Formation of Christendom, by Thomas William Allies (London: Burns & Oates; New York: Catholic Publications Society, 1890). Available at Open Library and Internet Archive (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: Kelly Library, University of Toronto). History, Islam.
  63. A Polemical Treatise on the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin,by Cardinal Lambruschini; to which is added, a History of the doctrine, by Father Felix, S.J.; the French portion of the work translated by Mrs. J. Sadlier; and the Latin extracts from the Holy Fathers, by a clergyman, to which are appended, a Discourse on the Immaculate Conception, by St. Alphonsus Marie de Liguori; the Letters Apostolic Pope Pius IX, Cardinal Wiseman’s Pastoral on the Declaration of the Dogma at Rome, etc., etc. (New York, Boston, Montreal: D. & J. Sadlier & Co., 1855). With the approbation of Very Rev’d. Wm. Starrs, V.G. May be read online at available in pdf, epub, kindle/mobi, djvu, txt, and Daisy formats at Internet Archive and Open Library with a 2nd copy at Internet Archive and Open Library. A microfilm copy of the 1860 edition is available at Internet Archive and Open Library, and of the 1855 edition at Internet Archive and Open Library. [N.B., This work sets out the proofs for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception from reason and from divine revelation.]
  64. Popes through the Ages, by Joseph Brusher S.J. May be read online at Internet Archive, which is the 7 June 2011 snapshot of Christ’s Faithful People (possibly defunct as of 15 October 2012).
  65. The Primacy of the Apostolic See Vindicated, by Francis Patrick Kenrick (Baltimore: J. Murphy, 1875). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library (Digitizing sponsor: National Institute for Newman Studies, Book contributor: Saint Mary’s College of California).
  66. The Primacy of the Successor of Peter in the Mystery of the Church: Reflections of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, (from L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 18 November 1998, page 5-6). May be read online at EWTN Library and Catholic Information Network.
  67. The Primitive Church and the See of Peter, by Luke Rivington, with an Introduction by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster (London: Longmans, Green, 1894). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive , with a second copy at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  68. The Protoevangelium of James: The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ (ca. A.D. 125). May be read online at New Adventand Fish Eaters. Its role as historic evidence of early Christian teaching on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother is discussed on Catholic Answers. [N.B., While it has many other useful materials, certain texts on the Fish Eaters site have an extremely negative view of the Second Vatican Council, which may require correction with the hermeneutic of continuity. Please approach materials at the website with caution.]
  69. The Roman Primacy, A.D. 430-451, by Rev. Luke Rivington (London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899). With Imprimatur. May be read online, and available in various formats (pdf, epub, mobi/kindle,  djvu, text, etc.) at Internet Archive and Open Library, with a second copy at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  70. The Rule of St. Benedict – Latin and English Edition. May be downloaded in PDF format through the Saints’ Books index.
  71. Rule of St. Benedict: a commentary by the Right Rev. Dom Paul Delatte, Abbot of Solesmes and Superior-General of the Congregation of the Benedictines in France, translated by Dom Justin McCann, monk of Ampleforth (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, 1921). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive.
  72. S. Peter, Bishop of Rome, or, The Roman Episcopate of the Prince of the Apostles: proved from the Fathers, history, and archaeology, and illustrated by arguments from other sources, by Rev. T. Livius, C.Ss.R. (London: Burns & Oates; New York: Catholic Publication Society, 1888). With Imprimatur. Available in various formats at Open Library and Internet Archive, which states that it is co-authored by Thomas Stiverd Livius.
  73. Saint Athanasius: The Father of Orthodoxy, by Frances Alice Forbes (London: R. & T. Washbourne, Limited, 1919). With Imprimatur. Part of the series Standard-bearers of the Faith: A Series of Lives of the Saints for Young and Old. Available in many formats at Manybooks , in fewer formats at Project Gutenberg , and in epub, fulltext and kindle formats at Internet Archive.
  74. Saint Benedict, by Frances Alice Forbes (New York, P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1921). With Imprimatur. Part of the series Standard-bearers of the Faith: A Series of Lives of the Saints for Young and Old.  (1921). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  75. Select treatises of St. Athanasius in controversy with the Arians, by Saint Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, d. 373; John Henry Newman, 1801-1890 (London: Pickering, 1881). Available on Internet Archive and Open Library (Digitizing sponsor: MSN, Book contributor: University of California Libraries).
  76. Slavorum Apostoli: Encyclical Epistle in Commemoration of the Eleventh Centenary of the Evangelizing Work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, by Pope John Paul II (2 June 1985). May be read online at the Holy See, which has a second copy at this page, at IntraText.com, at the John Paul II Foundation, and at the Catholic Information Network.
  77. Slavorum Apostoli: Encyklika w tysiąc setną rocznicę dzieła ewangelizacji świętych Cyryla i Metodego, przez Papiez Jan Paweł II (02 Czerwca 1985). W języku Polskim. Dostępne na Opoka.org. [N.B., If the translation from English is wrong, please correct me. Thanks.]
  78. Slavorum Apostoli: Epistola Enciclica nel Ricordo dell’opera Evangelizzatrice dei Santi Cirillo e Metodio dopo Undici Secoli, da Papa Giovanni Paolo II (2 Giugnio 1985). Disponibile presso Maranatha.it [N.B., If the translation from English is wrong, please correct me. Thanks.]
  79. St. Peter at Rome: being an historical dissertation; with an appendix, containing reference to the discussion held in Rome, February 9th and 10th, 1872, in the Hall of the Pontificia Academia Tiberina, between three Catholic priests and three evangelical ministers, concerning the coming of St. Peter to Rome, by John Stewart M’Corry (London: Burns and Oates,1874). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  80. St. Peter, his name and his office: as set forth in holy scripture, by T. W. Allies (1852). Available at Internet Archive.
  81. Studies in Church History, Volume 1: Centuries I-VIII, 2nd edition, by Rev. Reuben Parsons, D.D. (New York, Cincinnati: Fr. Pustet  & Co., 1896). With Imprimatur. Available at Open Library and Internet Archive.
  82. Study Guide for “The Fathers” by Pope Benedict XVI, compiled by Amy Welborn (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008). Available in PDF format at Our Sunday Visitor as linked by Catechesis of the Popes, which states that it may be purchased through this page of Our Sunday Visitor. The Study Guide complements the teaching addresses of Pope Benedict on the Early Church Fathers, which may be read online at Catechesis of the Popes.
  83. The Summa Theologica [or Summa Theologiae, or Summation of Theology], by St. Thomas Aquinas, translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province (Second and Revised Edition, 1920). With Imprimatur. May be read on New Advent, with active links to relevant Scriptural passages and Catholic Encyclopedia articles. Another edition (Benziger Bros., 1947) is available on Catholic Primer and at the website of the Dominican House of Studies, Priory of the Immaculate Conception. The Logic Museum contains parallel Latin and English texts, the latter from the Dominican translation. [Included in this list because St. Thomas makes copious citations of the Fathers]
  84. A Tale of Two Wonderworkers: St. Nicholas of Myra in the Writings and Life of St. Thomas Aquinas, by Peter A. Kwasniewski, International Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, Gaming, Austria [Footnote 1 states: “This article was developed from a lecture given at the International Theological Institute on December 6, 2002.”]. Available in PDF format at DeSales University.
  85. The Theological Tractates and the Consolation of Philosophy, by Boethius, the Tractates translated by H.F. Stewart, D.D. and E.K. Rand, Ph.D. [who also wrote an excellent Introduction], and the Consolation translated in 1609 by “I.T.” and revised by H.F. Stewart (1918). Available at ManyBooks.net and Project Gutenberg. The Tractates included are: The Trinity is one God not three Gods; Whether Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may be substantially predicated of the Divinity; From the same to the same, how substances can be good in virtue of their existence without being absolute goods; On the Catholic Faith; A Treatise against Eutyches and Nestorius.
  86. The Tradition of the Syriac Church of Antioch, Concerning the Primacy and the Prerogatives of St. Peter and of his Successors the Roman Pontiffs, by the Most Rev. Cyril Benham Benni, Syriac Archbishop of Mossul (Nineveh), translated under the direction of the author by Joseph Gagliardi (London: Burns, Oates, & Co., 1871). Available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
  87. The Woman Blessed by All Generations; or Mary, the Object of Veneration, Confidence and Imitation to All Christians, by Rev. Raphael Melia, D.D. (Longmans, Green & Co., 1868). May be read online and available in various formats (pdf, epub, djvu, kindle/mobi, etc.) at Internet Archive and Open Library. Also available at Google Books. A hard copy is offered for sale (on this page) at Pilgrim Reader Books.

1 thought on “Early Christianity”

  1. igwe macdonald said:

    please kindly assit me with a book that contains the following: Apostolic fathers, church fathers, patristic fathers, greek fathers, cappadocian fathers , latin fathers and desert fathers

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s