This work is intended to meet the need I have felt in my own classes, and have heard expressed from fellow teachers and laymen, for a simple account of the evolution of the old Church minus all theological and dogmatic discussions. The purpose has been to show the origin of the Christian Church, its development in organisation, the forces which produced the Papacy, and the marvellous, formative influence of the Roman Church upon the civilisation of Western Europe. To that end the principal lines of development are emphasised at every point, while the subordinate influences have been minimised. Causes and results, continuity and differentiation, and unity have been constantly kept in mind. The subject-matter of this volume was worked out during a prolonged residence in Europe. Most of that time was spent in Germany under the inspiration of the foremost authorities in Church history, among whom may be mentioned Professor Nippold of Jena, Professor Loofs of Halle, Professor Hauck of Leipzig, and particularly Professor Harnack of Berlin. The work of the lecture-room and seminar was supplemented by investigation in the Royal Library of Berlin, the Vatican Library at Rome, the National Library at Paris, and the Library of the British Museum. The materials thus gathered were further organised and elaborated in a course of lectures on Church history given in Syracuse University. The references in the text and the bibliographies at the end of chapters are given, so far as possible, to English sources. It is believed that the exclusion of a pedantic list of foreign works will make the work more useful. It is hoped that the student will be induced to go to the library, the laboratory of the historian, and there by extensive and intensive reading supplement the text. Should this volume prove to be of service, it will be followed by two companion volumes--one on the Reformation and another on the modern Church. It is further planned to publish a source-book on Church history to supplement the texts. My indebtedness to books and men is so great that it would be impossible to enumerate them here. While all sources have been laid under tribute, special obligation is felt to many monographs and intensive studies. ALEXANDER C. FLICK. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I THE STUDY OF CHURCH HISTORY 1 OUTLINE: I.--Present status of history in college work. II.--Ecclesiastical history excluded since the Reformation by political history. III.--New view of the Mediæval Church and its influence. IV.--Renaissance of interest in Church history. V.--Pedagogical value and treatment of Church history. VI.--Sources. CHAPTER II GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON CHURCH HISTORY 12