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The Library

Forty Centuries of Christian Writing

1774 works catalogued century by century, from the literature the Bible was written among to the present — each with a note on what it is, why it lasted, and where to read it.

1201–1300

The Thirteenth Century

2 works

1262–1268

Latin

The Golden Chain

Catena Aurea

Thomas Aquinas · 1225–1274

A continuous commentary on the four gospels assembled entirely from patristic quotations, chained together so the fathers appear to comment in sequence.

Scholastic · CommentaryMatthewMarkLukeJohnRead elsewhere

c. 1275–1282

Greek

On the Union of the Churches

John Bekkos · c. 1225–1297

A patriarch who had once opposed union argues from the Greek fathers themselves that through the Son and from the Son mean the same thing.

Byzantine · TheologyRead elsewhere

1501–1600

The Sixteenth Century

2 works

1562

Latin

An Apology of the Church of England

John Jewel · 1522–1571

A defence arguing that the English church has not innovated but returned to the doctrine of scripture and the first six centuries, and that Rome is the departure.

Anglican · ApologyRead elsewhere

1565–1573

Latin

Examination of the Council of Trent

Martin Chemnitz · 1522–1586

A patient decree-by-decree response to Trent, arguing from scripture and the fathers rather than from Luther, and conceding points where honesty required.

Lutheran · PolemicRead elsewhere