Ante-Nicene Fathers
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{{Christianityportal}}
The '''''Ante-Nicene Fathers''''', subtitled ''"The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325"'', is a collection of books in 10 volumes (one volume is indexes) containing [[English language|English]] translations of the majority of [[Early Christian]] writings. The period covers the beginning of Christianity until before the promulgation of the [[Nicene Creed]] at the [[First Council of Nicaea]]. The translations are very faithful, but sometimes rather old-fashioned.
==Publication==
The series was originally created by the presbyterian publishing house of T. & T. Clark in Edinburgh as the [[Ante-Nicene Christian Library]] and published in the 1860's. The volumes were edited by Rev. [[Alexander Roberts]] and [[James Donaldson]]. This series was published by subscription, and the editors were unable to interest enough subscribers to commission a translation of the homilies of Origen.
In 1885 a US firm, the Christian Literature Company, first of Buffalo, then New York, began to issue the volumes in a reorganised form, edited by the episcopalian bishop of New York, A. Cleveland Coxe. This was in fact piracy of the ANCL, and treated as such by T. &. T. Clark at the time. However there was little recognition of overseas copyright in the USA at this date, and Clark's were obliged to accept the situation. Coxe gave his series the title, ''The Ante-Nicene Fathers''.
The contents are entirely derived from the ANCL, but in a more logical order. However Coxe took the liberty of adding his own introductions and notes, which were criticised by Roman Catholic reviewers. One approved the faithfulness of the translations, but wrote that Coxe:
::"...deemed it his duty to distort the sense and purpose of the text by the addition of prefatory notices and footnotes, and to indulge in sectarian bigotry by endeavoring to explain away the evidence of Catholic doctrine taught by the Fathers... the notes of Dr Coxe abound in similar falsehoods and vile insinuations, and that no open-minded and honest student, Catholic or non-Catholic, of the Fathers, can profit by such interpretations of the Patristic books."
==Contents==
The volumes include the following:
Volume I. [[Apostolic Fathers]] with [[Justin Martyr]] and [[Irenaeus]]
* Apostolic Fathers: [[Epistles of Clement|Clement]], [[Ignatius of Antioch|Ignatius]], [[Polycarp]], [[Epistle of Barnabas|Barnabas]], [[The Shepherd of Hermas|Hermas]], [[Epistle to Diognetus]], [[Papias]]
* [[Justin Martyr]], [[Irenaeus]]
Writings.
[[Didache]]
Volume II. Fathers of the Second Century
* [[Tatian]], [[Theophilus of Antioch]], [[Athenagoras of Athens]], [[Clement of Alexandria]]
Volume III. Latin Christianity: Its Founder, [[Tertullian]]
* I. Apologetic
* II. Anti-Marcion
* III. Ethical
Volume IV. The Fathers of the Third Century
* IV; [[Minucius Felix]]; [[Commodian]]; [[Origen]]
Volume V. The Fathers of the Third Century
* [[Hippolytus (writer)|Hippolytus]]; [[Cyprian]]; [[Caius]]; [[Novatian]]; Appendix
Volume VI. The Fathers of the Third Century
* [[Gregory Thaumaturgus]]; [[Dionysius of Alexandria|Dionysius the Great]]; [[Sextus Julius Africanus]]; [[Anatolius]] and Minor Writers; [[Methodius of Olympus]]; [[Arnobius]]
Volume VII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries
* [[Lactantius]], [[Venantius]], [[Asterius]], [[Victorinus of Pettau]], [[Dionysius of Corinth]], [[Apostolic Constitutions]], Homily, Liturgies, [[Liturgy of St James]],
Volume VIII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries
* [[Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs]], The [[Clementine literature|Clementia]] , Memoirs of [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] and [[Syriac Christianity|Syriac]] Documents, Remains of the First Ages, [[Decretals]],
* [[Apocrypha]]
**[[Gospel of Thomas]],
* [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf08-27.htm#P1229_298987 Pseudo-Clementine Literature]
**[http://www.compassionatespirit.com/Recognitions/Recognitions-TOC.htm Recognitions of Clement]
**[http://www.compassionatespirit.com/Homilies/Homilies-TOC.htm Clementine Homilies]
**[http://www.compassionatespirit.com/Homilies/Epistle-Peter-to-James.htm Epistle of Peter to James]
Volume IX. 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 [[Pope Clement I|Clement]] (Complete Text), Origen's Commentary on John, Books I-X, Origen's Commentary on Mathew, Books I, II, and X-XIV
==See also==
{{Christianityportal}}
*[[Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers]]
*[[Jacques Paul Migne]]
==External links==
{{Wikisource}}
* The full text of the '''Ante-Nicene Fathers''' is freely available at the [http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html/ Christian Classics Ethereal Library]
* [http://neonostalgia.com/weblog/?p=355]] - Details of the creation and piracy of the ANCL
* [http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=&scope=books#q=ante-nicene%20christian%20library%20review&filter=all&start=1&t=9XE3TR4jAsypdrQohHeY2w&sq=ante-nicene%20christian%20library%20review American Ecclesiastical Review at Live Books. Vol. 24 (1901) Pp 210-11 contain the review criticising Coxe]
[[Category:1867 books]]
[[Category:1885 books]]
[[Category:Christian studies books]]
[[Category:Patristics]]
[[Category:Church Fathers]]
[[Category:Translations]]