First published in the early eighteenth century, this classic work explores the history of the Christian church from its origins to the end of the fourth century. It covers a wide range of topics, such as the life of Christ, the apostolic age, the development of the church's hierarchy and liturgy, and the controversies and heresies that challenged Christian orthodoxy. Written with erudition and clarity, it remains a valuable source of information and insight into the early centuries of Christianity. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.