conservative, conciliatory, and respectful towards the various forms of positive Christianity, and reaching the hand of fellowship to all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and in truth, it sails into the ocean of a deeply distracted, yet most interesting and hopeful age, where amid powerful fermentations and keen birth-throes a new era of church history seems to be preparing. Whatever the future may bring, we know, that the Church of Christ is built upon a rock, against which even the gates of hell shall never prevail; that she must go on conquering and to conquer, until the whole world shall bow to the peaceful sceptre of the cross; and that all obstructions and persecutions, all heresies and schisms, all wickedness and corruption of men, will only tend at last, in the hands of infinite wisdom and mercy, to bring out her glorious attributes of unity, catholicity, and holiness in brighter colors and with more triumphant power. May the great Head of the Church use this representation of her history as an humble instrument to promote His own glory, to serve the cause of truth, unity and peace, and to strengthen the faith of His people in the divine character, immovable foundation and ultimate triumph of the kingdom of God! Mercersburg, Pa., September, 1853. PHILIP SCHAFF. 29 Relation to other Departments of Theology, 13 16 17 18 19 21 CHAPTER IV. MOST IMPORTANT WORKS ON CHURCH HISTORY. 829 (a) Period of Polemic Orthodoxy. Flacius, 30 (b) Period of Unchurchly Pietism. Arnold. Milner, . 31 (c) Period of Latitudinarian Supranaturalism and Subjective Pragmatism. Mosheim. Schroeckh. Planck, 32 (d) Period of Vulgar Rationalism. Semler. Henke. Gieseler, . ? 33 Rationalistic Historians in England. Gibbon. Priestley, 34 (e) Period of Organic Development and Evangelical Catholicism, ? 36 Baur and the Tübingen School. Pantheistic Rationalism and THE PREPARATION FOR CHRISTIANITY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, 48 Political Condition of the Jews at the Time of Christ, 49 Religious Condition of the Jews at the Time of Christ, 266 First Missionary Tour of Paul and Barnabas (A. D. 45), 67 Journey to the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. Settlement of the Dispute between the Jewish and Gentile Christians (A. D. 50), 75 Epistles to the Thessalonians (A. D. 53), 78 Parties in the Corinthian Church (A. D. 56 and 57), ́ 79 New Visit to Greece. Second Epistle to the Corinthians (A.D. 57), |