Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Introduction to the Work.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
The
ECCLESIASTICAL HistorY,
BY
SOCRATES SCHOLASTICUS.
————————————
Book I.
Chapter
I.—Introduction to the Work.
Eusebius, surnamed
Pamphilus,109
| 109Eusebius seems to have adopted this name as a token
of friendship and respect for Pamphilus, bishop of Cæsarea. See
McGiffert, Prolegomena in Vol. I., Second Series of Post-Nicene
Fathers.
|
writing the History of the Church110
| 110Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History ends
with the death of Licinius in 323. His Life of Constantine is in
a sense a continuation of the History, and yet as it is very well
characterized by Socrates, it is a eulogy and therefore its style and
selection of facts are affected by its purpose, rendering it too
inadequate as a continuation of the Ecclesiastical History;
hence Socrates’ constraint to review some of the events which
naturally fall in Eusebius’ period.
|
in ten books, closed it with that period of the emperor Constantine,
when the persecution which Diocletian had begun against the Christians
came to an end. Also in writing the life of Constantine, this same
author has but slightly treated of matters regarding Arius, being more
intent on the rhetorical finish of his composition and the praises of
the emperor, than on an accurate statement of facts. Now, as we propose
to write the details of what has taken place in the churches since his
time to our own day, we begin with the narration of the particulars
which he has left out, and we shall not be solicitous to display a
parade of words, but to lay before the reader what we have been able to
collect from documents, and what we have heard from those who were
familiar with the facts as they told them. And since it has an
important bearing on the matter in hand, it will be proper to enter
into a brief account of Constantine’s conversion to Christianity,
making a beginning with this event.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
