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Early Church Collection, Volume 5

Various

This collection begins with two biographical sketches, followed by the extant works of St. Patrick of Ireland. John Chrysostom's first homily in this collection was translated in 1544 and moves from a verse in 1 Thessalonians into the lives of Abraham and Job. Asterius of Amasea takes the occasion afforded by the parable to exhort his hearers concerning possessions and Basil suggests to students how to 'plunder the Egyptians' by drawing moral lessons from pagan poets. Maxmius the Confessor's dialogue with Pyrrhus concerns the two natures of Christ and his corresponding two wills and Gregory Thaumaturgus also deals with the incarnation. Gregory of Nazianzus gives many interesting biographical details in the tomb-inscriptions he wrote, many of which were an attempt to deter grave-robbers. The exchange between John Chrysostom and Pope Innocent I was occasioned the 'Synod of the Oak' where Theophilus of Alexandria arrived at Constantinople unexpectedly and accused and then deposed Chrysostom. Various ethical discourses follow by Cyprian of Carthage and John Chrysostom. Noetus, whom Hippolytus wrote against espoused Modalism, namely that "Christ was the Father Himself, and that the Father Himself was born, and suffered, and died". The 'Mysteries' that Ambrose discusses are called sacraments in modern terminology. Two eulogies from John Chrysostom concern martyrs from the city of Antioch, 100 years apart. Pamphilus gives an early exposition of the structure of the book of Acts, finding 40 sections. Melito apology is directed to Marcus Aurelius. - Summary by InTheDesert