This influential work by Sir James Donaldson provides a detailed history of Christian literature and doctrine from the time of the apostles to the Nicene Council. Covering the work of important figures such as Origen, Tertullian, and Augustine, Donaldson offers a comprehensive analysis of the development of Christian thought and its relationship to wider theological debates of the time. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.