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Ancient Documents

Is the Bible true? Can we trust the Bible? Did God write the Bible?

Trying to find that obscure document for a homework assignment? It just might be here. I’ve collected a pretty sizeable group of documents from the early Christian church and the rest of the ancient world. Let me know if you think I should add something…and let me know if I’ve misattributed a text.

Adrian

  • The Epistle of Adrian

Africanus

  • A Letter to Origen from Africanus about the History of Susanna

Antoninus

  • The Epistle of Antoninus to the Common Assembly of Asia

Athenagoras

  • A Plea for the Christians by Athenagoras the Athenian: Philosopher and Christian
  • The Treatise of Athenagoras the Athenian…On the Resurrection of the Dead

Barnabas

  • The Epistle of Barnabas

Clement of Alexandria

  • Praise of the Corinthians Before the Breaking Forth of Schism Among Them
  • A Hymn to Christ the Saviour
  • Fragments from Antonius Melissa
  • Exhortation to the Heathen
  • Fragments of Clemens Alexandrinus
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book I (Chap. I to Chap. XV)
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book II
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book III
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book IV (Chap. I to Chap. XIII)
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book V (Chap. I to Chap. XII)
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book VI (Chap. I to Chap. X)
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book VII (Chap. I to Chap. X)
  • The Stromata, or Miscellanies: Book VIII
  • Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?

Commodianus

  • The Instructions of Commodianus In Favour of Christian Discipline

Corderius

  • The Catena on Luke

Eusebius

  • Eusebius — Ecclesiastical History

Ignatius

  • The Second Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
  • The Third Epistle of the Same St. Ignatius
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Antiochians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to Hero
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to Mary At Neapolis, Near Zarbus
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philippians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyraeans
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to St. John the Apostle
  • A Second Epistle of Ignatius to St. John
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Tarsians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
  • The Epistle of Ignatius to the Virgin Mary

Irenaeus

  • Irenaeus Against Heresies — Book I
  • Irenaeus Against Heresies — Book II
  • Irenaeus Against Heresies — Book III
  • Irenaeus Against Heresies — Book IV
  • Irenaeus Against Heresies — Book V
  • Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus

Justin Martyr

  • The First Apology of Justin Martyr
  • The Second Apology of Justin Martyr
  • Justin Describes His Studies In Philosophy and Other Articles
  • Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin
  • Fragments of the Lost Work of Justin on the Resurrection
  • It Is Proved That This Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled and Other Articles
  • Christ Refers All Things to the Father and Other Articles
  • Justin’s Hortatory Address to the Greeks
  • Justin on the Sole Government of God
  • The Discourse to the Greeks
  • Dialog with Trypho

Marcion of Smyrna

  • The Encyclical Epistle of the Church At Smyrna Concerning the Martyrdom of the Holy Polycarp

Marcus Aurelius

  • The Epistle of Marcus Aurelius

Mary of Cassobelae

  • The Epistle of Maria the Proselyte to Ignatius

Martin Luther

  • 95 Theses

Melito of Sardis

  • Peri Pascha (“On the Passover”)

Methetes

  • The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

Minucius Felix

  • The Octavius of Minucius Felix (Chap. I to Chap. XXI)

Nicetas

  • Nicetas Bishop of Heraclea — from His Catena

Origen

  • Origen Against Celsus — Book I
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book II
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book III
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book IV
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book V
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book VI
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book VII
  • Origen Against Celsus — Book VIII
  • Origen De Principiis
  • A Letter from Origen to Africanus
  • A Letter from Origen to Gregory

Papias, St.

  • Fragments of Papias

Pastor, the

  • The Pastor: Book First — Visions
  • The Pastor: Book Second — Commandments
  • The Pastor: Book Third — Similitudes
  • The Pastor: Book First — Visions

Pliny the Younger

  • Pliny to the Emperor Trajan (and Trajan’s reply)

Polycarp

  • The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians

Tatian

  • Tatian’s Address to the Greeks

Tertullian

  • Ad Martyras
  • Against All Heresies
  • Against Hermogenes
  • The Five Books Against Marcion — Book I
  • The Five Books Against Marcion — Book II
  • The Five Books Against Marcion — Book III
  • The Five Books Against Marcion — Book IV
  • The Five Books Against Marcion — Book V
  • Against Praxeas
  • Against the Valentinians
  • De Fuga In Persecutione
  • Of Patience
  • On Baptism
  • On Exhortation to Chastity
  • On Fasting
  • On Modesty
  • On Monogamy
  • On Prayer
  • On Repentance
  • On the Apparel of Women
  • On the Flesh of Christ
  • On the Pallium
  • On the Resurrection of the Flesh
  • On the Veiling of Virgins
  • Scorpiace: Antidote for the Scorpion’s Sting
  • Ad Nationes — Book I
  • Ad Nationes — Book II
  • An Answer to the Jews
  • The Apology (Chap. I to Chap. XXIII)
  • On Idolatry
  • The Prescription Against Heretics
  • The Chaplet, or de Corona
  • The Shows, or de Spectaculis
  • The Soul’s Testimony
  • To Scapula
  • A Treatise on the Soul
  • To His Wife

Instructor, the

  • The Instructor — Book I
  • The Instructor — Book II
  • The Instructor — Book III
  • The Instructor — Elucidations and Hymns

Theophilus of Antioch

  • Theophilus to Autolycus — Book I
  • Theophilus to Autolycus — Book II
  • Theophilus to Autolycus — Book III

Thomas a Kempis

  • The Imitation of Christ

Wesley, John

  • A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

Unknown

  • The Martyrdom of Ignatius
  • The Martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs: Justin, Chariton, Charites, Paeon, and Liberianus
  • Prayer to the Paedagogus
  • To the Paedagogus
  • Fragments Found In Greek Only In the Oxford Edition / Not Given In the Oxford Edition
  • The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas
  • Reply of the Blessed Virgin to This Letter
  • Maximus and Antonius Melissa

Pseudepigrapha

  • The Book of Enoch

Disclaimer:

These documents are included for your reference. I don’t agree with everything written in each of these documents. I offer them as a service, and appreciate any feedback you feel appropriate, from broken links to documents that you think I should add to my collection. If you believe that I have violated a copyright, please contact me.