| Testimony of the Fathers Ante-Nicene Fathers The Writings of the Fathers to A.D. 325 |
The Writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers are a testimony to the beliefs, practices, world outlook and Spiritual fortitude, of those first to recieve the Gospel of Christ from the Apostles. Many of the Ante-Nicene Fathers were direct students of the Apostles or the students of those who worked with and studied with the Apostles. Their writings shed envaluable insight upon what was "orthodox" (meaning right doctrine)
Christianity and what was not, as well as provides the answers to many practical questions about the New Testament Church of Christ. At a time when the "Bible" had yet to be compiled it was the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers that provided the orthodox solidarity of the faithful that would eventually prove essential in the determination of the composition of the Christian Scriptures.
The Ante-Nicene Christian Fellowships accepts the Writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers as the "Testimony of the Fathers" and as such view them as instrumental to the further edification of the faithful. Any study of these writings will further enlighten the faithful student on the life changing nature of our faith and a clear understanding of the manifestations of that faith within the Chrsitian Community and the world in which the believer lives.
The following is taken from the web site http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ where the reader may also find writings of later Church leaders onward.
Volume I. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip, Microsoft Reader, pdf
Volume II. Fathers of the Second Century
Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria
Also available: pdf, text.zip WinHelp.zip, hermas.rtf
Volume III. Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian
Three Parts: I. Apologetic; II. Anti-Marcion; III. Ethical
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume IV. The Fathers of the Third Century
Tertullian Part IV; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume V. The Fathers of the Third Century
Hippolytus; Cyprian; Caius; Novatian; Appendix
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume VI. The Fathers of the Third Century
Gregory Thaumaturgus; Dinysius the Great; Julius Africanus; Anatolius and Minor Writers; Methodius; Arnobius
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume VII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries
Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, Liturgies
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume VIII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries
The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementia, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First Ages
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip
Volume X. Recently Discovered Additions to Early Christian Literature; Commentaries of Origen
The Gospel of Peter, The Diatessaron of Tatian, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Visio Pauli, The Apocalypses of the Virgin and Sedrach, The Testament of Abraham, The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, The Narrative of Zosimus, The Apology of Aristides, The Epistles of Clement (Complete Text), Origen's Commentary on John, Books I-X, Origen's Commentary on Mathew, Books I, II, and X-XIV
Also available: text.zip, WinHelp.zip