Ecclesiastical History — Book I

St. Jerome

  1. 0. Greeting
  2. 1. Origin of the ArianHeresy.
  3. 2. List of the Principal Bishops
  4. 3. The Epistle of Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria to Alexander, Bishop of Constantinople
  5. 4. The Letter of Ariusto Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia
  6. 5. The Letter of Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, to Paulinus, Bishop of Tyre
  7. 6. General Council of Nicæa
  8. 7. Confutation of Arianismdeduced from the Writings of Eustathius and Athanasius
  9. 8. Facts relating to Meletius the Egyptian, from whom originated the Meletian Schism, which remains to this day.— Synodical Epistle respecting him
  10. 9. The Epistle of the Emperor Constantine, concerning the matters transacted at the Council, addressed to those Bishops who were not present
  11. 10. The daily wants of the Church supplied by the Emperor, and an account of his other virtues
  12. Chapter 11
  13. 12. Confutation of the blasphemies of the Arians of our time, from the writings of Eusebius, Bishop of Cæsarea
  14. 13. Extract from the Letter of Athanasius on the Death of Arius.
  15. 14. Letter written by the Emperor Constantine respecting the building of Churches.
  16. 15. The Epistle of Constantine concerning the preparation of copies of the Holy Scriptures
  17. 16. Letter from the Emperor to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, concerning the building of the Holy Church
  18. 17. Helena , Mother of the Emperor Constantine.— Her zeal in the Erection of the Holy Church
  19. 18. The Unlawful Translation of Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia
  20. 19. Epistle of the Emperor Constantine against Eusebius and Theognis, addressed to the Nicomedians
  21. 20. The artful Machinations of Eusebius and his followers against the Holy Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch
  22. 21. Bishops of Heretical opinions ordained in Antioch after the Banishment of St. Eustathius
  23. 22. Conversion of the Indians.
  24. 23. Conversion of the Iberians.
  25. 24. Letter written by the Emperor Constantine to Sapor , the King of Persia, respecting the Christians
  26. 25. An account of the plot formed against the Holy Athanasius
  27. 26. Another plot against Athanasius
  28. 27. Epistle of the Emperor Constantine to the Council of Tyre.
  29. 28. The Council of Tyre
  30. 29. Consecration of the Church of Jerusalem.— Banishment of St. Athanasius
  31. 30. Will of the blessed Emperor Constantine
  32. 31. Apology for Constantine
  33. 32. The End of the Holy Emperor Constantine

When artists paint on panels and on walls the events of ancient history, they alike delight the eye, and keep bright for many a year the memory of the past. Historians substitute books for panels, bright description for pigments, and thus render the memory of past events both stronger and more permanent, for the painter's art is ruined by time. For this reason I too shall attempt to record in writing events in ecclesiastical history hitherto omitted, deeming it indeed not right to look on without an effort while oblivion robs noble deeds and useful stories of their due fame. For this cause too I have been frequently urged by friends to undertake this work. But when I compare my own powers with the magnitude of the undertaking, I shrink from attempting it. Trusting, however, in the bounty of the Giver of all good, I enter upon a task beyond my own strength.

Eusebius of Palestine has written a history of the Church from the time of the holy Apostles to the reign of Constantine, the prince beloved of God. I shall begin my history from the period at which his terminates.