Preface
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Encouraged by the
assured co-operation of competent Patristic scholars of Great
Britain and the United States, I have undertaken the general
editorship of a Select Library of the Nicene and
Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. It is to
embrace in about twenty-five large volumes the most important works
of the Greek Fathers from Eusebius to Photius, and of the Latin
Fathers from Ambrose to Gregory the Great.
The series opens with St. Augustin, the
greatest and most influential of all the Christian Fathers. Protestants and Catholics are equally interested in his writings, and most of all in his Confessions, which are contained in this volume. They will be followed by the works of St. Chrysostom, and the Church History of Eusebius.
A few words are necessary to define the object of
this Library, and its relation to similar collections.
My purpose is to furnish ministers and intelligent
laymen who have no access to the original texts, or are not
sufficiently familiar with ecclesiastical Greek and Latin, with a
complete apparatus for the study of ancient Christianity. Whatever
may be the estimate we put upon the opinions of the Fathers, their
historical value is beyond all dispute. They are to this day and
will continue to be the chief authorities for the doctrines and
usages of the Greek and Roman Churches, and the sources for the
knowledge of ancient Christianity down to the age of Charlemagne. But very few can afford to buy, or are able to use such collections as Migne’s Greek Patrology, which embraces 167 quarto volumes, and Migne’s Latin Patrology which embraces 222 volumes.
The three leaders of the now historic
Anglo-Catholic movement of Oxford, Drs. Pusey, Newman, and Keble, began, in 1837, the publication of “A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, anterior to the Division of the East and West. Translated by Members of the English Church,” Oxford (John Henry Parker) and London (J. G. F. & J. Rivington). It is dedicated to “William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England.” The editors were aided by a number of able classical and ecclesiastical scholars. Dr. Pusey, the chief editor and proprietor, and Dr. Keble died in the communion of the church of their fathers to which they were loyally attached; Dr. Newman alone remains, though no more an Anglican, but a Cardinal of the Church of Rome. His connection with the enterprise ceased with his secession (1845).
The Oxford Library was undertaken not so much for an
historical, as for an apologetic and dogmatic purpose. It was to
furnish authentic proof for the supposed or real agreement of the
Anglo-Catholic school with the faith and practice of the ancient
church before the Greek schism. The selection was made accordingly. The series embraces 48 vols. It is very valuable as far as it goes, but incomplete and unequal. Volume followed volume as it happened to get ready. An undue proportion is given to exegetical works; six volumes are taken up with Augustin’s Commentary on the Psalms, six with Gregory’s Commentary on Job, sixteen with Commentaries of Chrysostom; while many of the most important doctrinal, ethical, and historical works of the Fathers, as Eusebius, Basil, the two Gregorys, Theodoret, Maximus Confessor, John of Damascus, Hilary, Jerome, Leo the Great, were never reached.
In 1866, Mr. T. Clark, Lord Provost of
Edinburgh, and an Elder in the Free Church of Scotland, who has
done more than any publisher for the introduction of German and
other foreign theological literature to the English reading
community, began to issue the valuable “Ante-Nicene Christian Library”, edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts, D. D., and James Donaldson, LL. D., which was completed in 1872 in 24 volumes, and is now being republished, by arrangement with Mr. Clark, in America in 8 volumes under the editorship of Bishop A. Cleveland Coxe, D. D. (1884–1886). Mr. Clark, in 1871, undertook also the publication of a translation of select works of St. Augustin under the editorial care of Rev. Marcus Dods, D. D., of Glasgow, which was completed in 15 volumes. The projected translation of Chrysostom was abandoned from want of encouragement.
Thus Episcopal divines of England, and Presbyterian
divines of Scotland have prepared the way for our American
enterprise, and made it possible.