Just finished Eusebius's Historia Ecclesiae, my review
I am just at the end of Eusebius's Church history and thought I would write my review of the book.
It is defiantly something every Catholic(and protestant) should read. It goes into detail of the Roman Pagan persecutions during Trajan, Severus and Diocletian. The detail of the persecutions are horrible. People fed to live animals, burnt in fire and pitch, dismemberment and beheading. Some of the tortures were drawn out and long, sometimes for years. One story brought up of a person being tortured in the prisons for almost 10-20 years total.
Many miracles were recorded during these executions. Noticeable is the martyrdom of Polycarp and his teacher Pamphilus. Many bishops deaths are brought up, including unknown people who died. Christians were forced to recant Jesus or make an offering to the Pagan Gods, and if they didn't they were executed or tortured.It also goes into the many heresies and heretics that caused problems in the Church, sabellius and marcion. Even a few corrupt bishops within the Church(Paul Of Samosata).
He praised Constantine much in the end of the book. And also writes a separate book on his life. Eusebius saw Constantine as the great liberator of the Christians and was viewed as a hero(and rightfully so). And so the book ends right during the reign of Constantine and his great defeat on Pagan Rome.
The persecutions written in the book are so great. What the martyrs went through sometimes even makes me feel unworthy at times because I am able to practice my faith without being persecuted at the threat of death. The strength of our early Christian fathers is beyond amazing to read. And it makes me even hold more dear the people who died and were tortured for they're faith.
My next work I am going to read is the Stomata by Clement. I just finished "The Instructor" by him, which is a general summary on how a christian should live, act, dress and eat. Today I start with his Stomata.
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the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority.- St. Irenaeus
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