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The Early Church 

(c. 30 - c. 500 A.D.)



The following are links to Early Church History documents available online, in English translation, for free.  In some cases, there are better translations available in print, so for serious scholarly publications, you will want to consult those.  But for introductory purposes, the following links may be helpful.

• The Early Church Fathers Series is available at: 
         • New Advent (newadvent.org)
         • Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org)

• Additional Church Fathers' Writings - (tertullian.org)

• Apostolic Fathers
          • With Greek text on facing page, and with navigation tool

• For help finding Patristic primary sources in print in English translation (not necessarily online or free):  Patristics/Patrology

Early Church Individuals and Texts

• Ambrose of Milan:
          • On the Mysteries and On the Sacraments - (google book pdf; 1919 edition)
          • Letters - (google book pdf; no date given)
          • Selected Works and Letters (ccel.org)

• Apostolic Constitution
          • Liturgy of the Eighth Book
(google book pdf: 1900 edition)

• Athanasius:
          •
On the Incarnation - (ccel.org)
          • Select Treatises in Controversy with Arians - Volume 1 (google book pdf; 1854 edition); Volume 2 (google book pdf; 1890 edition)
          • Historical Writings of Athanasius, According to the Benedictine Text (google book pdf; 1881 edition)

 •  Augustine of Hippo (354-430) - North African theologian     
          • James O'Donnell's site
          • Plotinus' Enneads - Neo-Platonic text with which he interacts
          • City of God - Volume 1, Volume 2 (google book pdf; Marcus Dods translation; 1871)
          • City of God - Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 (google book pdf; 1906 edition)
          • City of God - Volume 1, Volume 2 (google book pdf; Marcus Dods translation; 1888)
          • Confessions - (google book pdfs: 1844 edition; 1860 edition, Shedd; etc.)
          • 17 Short Treatises - (google book pdf; 1847 edition; archive.org)
          • The Enchiridion - (archive.org)
          • Exposition on the Psalms
                    •
Library of the Fathers of the Catholic Church edition:  Volume 1 (1847), Volume 2 (1848), Volume 3, Volume 4 (1850), Volume 5 (1853) Volume 6 (1857) (google book or archive.org pdf's)
                    • Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers edition:  at ccel.org; at newadvent.org - (1888 edition)
          • Leaves from St. Augustine - excerpts from his writings (archive.org)
          • Letters of Augustine
                    • Marcus Dods edition - Volume 1, Volume 2 (= volume 13) (archive.org)
          • Meditations
                     • Pious Breathings (1770 edition on archive.org)
          • Homilies on Gospel of St. John and his Epistle - (archive.org)
          • Sermons on New Testament - Library of the Fathers of the Catholic Church edition, Volume 1, Volume 2
          • Sermons on the Mount and Harmony of the Evangelists - Marcus Dods edition, 1873 (archive.org)
          • On the Trinity - Marcus Dods edition (archive.org)
          • The Rule of St. Augustine 
                   1889 edition (archive.org)
                   1976 edition (Villanova University)
          • The Works of Aurelius Augustine series - (additional volumes are included above)
                    • The Anti-Pelagian Works - Part 1 (= Volume 4), Part 2 (= Volume 12) (T & T Clark, Marcus Dods 1872 edition) (archive.org)
                    • Works Related to Manichean Heresy - Marcus Dods edition (archive.org)
                    • Works Related to Donatist Controversy - Marcus Dods edition 1871 (archive.org)
                    •  On Instructing the Unlearned; Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen; On the Advantage of Believing; The Enchiridion to Laurentius - (archive.org)

• Chrysostom, John
          • Homilies on Gospel of St Matthew (archive.org)
          • Homilies on Gospel of St. John (archive.org)
          • Homilies on Acts of the Apostles (archive.org)
          • Sermons on Romans - (archive.org)
          • Homilies on I Corinthians (archive.org; audio)
          • Sermons on II Corinthians - (archive.org)
          • Homilies on 1 Timothy - (archive.org; audio)
          • Homilies on 2 Timothy - (archive.org; audio)
          • Homilies on Titus - (archive.org; audio)
     

• Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258)
           • in Ante-Nicene Fathers (google book pdf: 1903 edition)

• Dead Sea Scrolls - Community Rule

• The Didache (google book pdf: 1894 edition)

• Hippolytus
          • Refutation of Heresies and Excerpts in Ante-Nicene Fathers (google book pdf: 1903 edition)



• Jerome
          • in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (google pdf: 1892 edition)
          • Letters and Select Writings (google pdf: 1893 edition; archive.org: 1963 edition)
          • Commentary on Galatians (archive.org: 2010 edition)

• Justin Martyr
          • Ante-Nicene Fathers (google pdf:  1885 edition)
          • The Writings of Justin Martyr and Athenagoras (google pdf: 1868 edition)

• Origen
          • Links to works in English translation - see English column (john-uebersax.com)

• Perpetua's Diary - (earlychristianwritings.com)

• Philo of Alexandria
          • Writings of Philo

• Polycarp
          • Martyrdom of Polycarp - (earlychristianwritings.com)

• Tertullian
          • Tertullian.org - includes excerpt from many versions of each of about 30 of Tertullian's works
          • Against Praxeas (google book pdf: 1920 edition)
          • Apology (google book pdf: 1850 edition) - there are many 19 C versions
          • Apologetic and Practical Treatises (google book pdf: 1842 edition)
          • Concerning the Resurrection (google book pdf: 1922 edition)
          • Writings of Tertullian in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4 (google book pdf's)


Early Church Topics

• The Ancient Sourcebook at Fordham University has primary sources related to:
     • Rome
     • Late Antiquity
     • Christian Origins

• The Medieval Sourcebook at Fordham University has primary sources and links related to:
          • Church Councils
          • Early Church Martyrs
          • Writings of the Church Fathers
          • Late Antiquity 
 
• Rule of Faith
          • Irenaeus
          • Tertullian

• Development of NT Canon
     • List of primary sources

•  Early Monasticism
      • Life of Paul of Thebes (newadvent.org)
      • Life of St. Anthony (newadvent.org)
      • Book of Paradise (sayings of desert fathers) (google book pdf 1904 edition; 1907 edition)
      • Lausiac History of Palladius - (google book pdf) 1918 edition
      • John Cassian
               • Conferences
- (newadvent.org)
               • Institutes - (newadvent.org)
      • Augustine's Rule - (Zumkeller translation)

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