steve-b:
Yes, New Advent has the old Schaff 37 volume Church Fathers collection online. Since it was published over 100 years ago, it is in the public domain, so it can be made available for free. But, that also means the translation is over 100 years old, and so isn’t always as readable.
And Schaff was Protestant, so that occasionally creeps in. It’s generally good enough for most purposes, though.
Re: Schaff and Protestantism creeping into his work,
I’ve used the following example to make THAT point.
Example:
In Irenaeus
Against Heresies Bk 3 Chapter 3 v 2, Schaff admits to trying to find a less damaging phrase than “pre eminent authority” when Irenaeus was referring to the Church of Rome compared to all other churches… So what does that say about Schaff?
Schaff, clearly isn’t comfortable with this language of Irenaeus. He admits difficulty reading this. So he tries to do damage control through footnoting.
here’s the footnote for that point in the passage. (
emphasis mine)
3313 The Latin text of this difficult but important clause is, “Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam.” Both the text and meaning have here given rise to much discussion. It is impossible to say with certainty of what words in the Greek original “potiorem principalitatem” may be the translation.
We are far from sure that the rendering given above is correct, but we have been unable to think of anything better. A most extraordinary confession. It would be hard to find a worse; but take the following from a candid Roman Catholic, which is better and more literal: “For to this Church, on account of more potent principality, it is necessary that every Church (that is, those who are on every side faithful) resort; in which Church ever, by those who are on every side, has been preserved that tradition which is from the apostles.” (
Berington and Kirk, vol. i. p. 252.) Here it is obvious that the faith was kept at Rome, by those who resort there from all quarters. She was a mirror of the Catholic World, owing here orthodoxy to them; not the Sun, dispensing her own light to others, but the glass bringing their rays into a focus. See note at end of book iii.] A discussion of the subject may be seen in chap. xii. of Dr. Wordsworth’s St. Hippolytus and the Church of Rome."
he appeals to 2 liberal Catholics to help him out of his dilemma, to make (preeminent authority) something else, and NOT what the passage is claiming.
Personally I’m always on the lookout for footnoting that raise question marks for not following the context
But they are pretty good from what I have seen.
