Councils: First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology, The
Leo Donald Davis
Number of quotes: 12
Book ID: 224 Page: 13
Section: 4B
The decurions or town councilors, the well-to-do middle class property owners who managed and maintained the cities, began to evade their increasingly burdensome duties. Since the Empire was in fact a great federation of self-governing cities, the dying civic loyalty of the decurions threatened the whole administrative and financial structure of the Empire.. . . .
The old order was shaken. Concludes A.H.M. Jones: “Now the sense of noblesse oblige was failing among the aristocracy, the spirit of civic patriotism was fast vanishing in the middle class, the discipline of the troops was decaying, and there was nothing to take their place.”
Pastor John’s note: late 3rd century
Quote ID: 5621
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 224 Page: 14
Section: 3B
Diocletian surrounded his person, now clad in gold and jewels, with the elaborate Persian court ceremonies. Everything associated with him became sacred as he ruled under the protection of Jupiter. He was addressed as “Lord and God.” All prostrated themselves when entering his presence. All stood while he remained seated during imperial consistories (a term which later passed into papal practice to describe the formal meetings of the pope and his cardinals).Pastor John’s note: Cathous IOX more killed than in the Colosseum and they were Christians.
Quote ID: 5622
Time Periods: 34
Book ID: 224 Page: 17
Section: 4B
The Romans were traditionally tolerant of the beliefs of others, willing to allow a wide diversity as long as believers supported the state and did not outrage the Roman sense of decency.Pastor John note: Pope Boniface extreme evil
Quote ID: 5623
Time Periods: 45
Book ID: 224 Page: 21
Section: 3A3B
Moreover, the Christians expressed their communion practically by taking care of their own. In times of emergency the Christian clergy was often the only group capable of organizing the food supply and burying the dead. By 250 the Church in Rome was supporting 1500 poor and widows. In 254 and 256 the Churches of Rome and Carthage sent large sums of money to Africa and Cappadocia to ransom Christian captives from the bands of barbarian invaders. It was perhaps above all this sense of community which attracted to the ranks of the Church the Roman citizen lost as an individual in a vast impersonal empire, whose ancient cities had lost his allegiance.
Quote ID: 5624
Time Periods: 34
Book ID: 224 Page: 22
Section: 2D3A
In the face of the increasing institutionalization of the Christian Church, Montanus taught the apocalyptic outpouring of the Holy Spirit….COPIED
Quote ID: 5625
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 224 Page: 22
Section: 2D3A
In 175 the earliest known council of bishops and laymen was called to deal with the problem of Montanism and by 200 a series of Asiatic councils had condemned the sect.COPIED
Quote ID: 5626
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 224 Page: 23
Section: 3A3
There is evidence to show that the deliberative procedures of the Roman Senate left their mark on the collective deliberations of the Christian bishops. Bishops adopted for many of the councils the official senatorial formulae of convocation.
Quote ID: 5627
Time Periods: 45
Book ID: 224 Page: 23
Section: 3A1
Constantine would later find the Church governed by procedures with which he was familiar.
Quote ID: 5628
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 224 Page: 25
Section: 1A,3C
For the conversion of a Roman emperor to Christianity, of Constantine in 312, might not have happened—or, if it had, it would have taken on a totally different meaning—if it had not been preceded for two generations by the conversion of Christianity to the culture and ideals of the Roman world.
Quote ID: 5629
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 224 Page: 25
Section: 1B
For the Christian apologists of the early fourth century like Lactantius (250-320), Christianity was the sole guarantee of Roman civilization. Only by being confirmed by Christian revelation could the best traditions of classical philosophy and ethics be saved from the ravages of the barbarians. Only the Christian God could save the Empire from destruction.
Quote ID: 5630
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 224 Page: 29
Section: 3C
When proclaimed emperor in 306 by the legions at York in Britain in succession to his father Constantius Chlorus, he was like his father a solar syncretist, worshipping a solar divinity under the name of Apollo. His religious outlook gradually gave to a philosophic monotheism and reverence for the divine spirit by whom the universe was governed and whose symbol was the sun.
Quote ID: 5631
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 224 Page: 30
Section: 2B2,2E4,3A1
By law, the clergy were exempted from onerous public functions; wills in favor of the Church were permitted, and slaves could be freed in the Christian churches. Still these privileges were already those of pagan priests and institutions. Even the declaration of the first day of the week as a day of rest was ambiguous, since it was both the day of Christ’s resurrection and the day sacred to the sun.
Quote ID: 5632
Time Periods: 4
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