THE

ECCLESIASTICAL CLASS BOOK,

OR

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

FROM

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE PRESENT TIME;

ADAPTED TO THE USE OF

ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS.

WITH ENGRAVINGS.

BY CHARLES A. GOODRICH.

HARTFORD:

PUBLISHED BY F. J. HUNTINGTON.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, by CHARLES A. GOODRICH, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Connecticut.

PREFACE.

Ar the present day, an acquaintance with History to some extent is considered an essential part of even a common education; and to no branch of study does the student commonly apply himself with more pleasure or profit, than to this. Yet, that branch of history called Ecclesiastical, has been comparatively neglected; chiefly, it is believed, from the want of a Class Book, which might be safely put into the hands of children belonging to different denominations of Christians.

The first edition of the following work, published a few years since, was designed to be such a Class Book; and, although adopted in several academies and schools, and, in general, well received, it was soon suggested that the work admitted of important improvements, especially in respect to a clearer statement of the claims of the several religious communities noticed in the volume, and the omission of such observations as might justly be attributed to a censorious or sectarian spirit. These points the author has endeavoured to keep in view, in the revision of the work. He has desired to treat every religious denomination with candour. Controverted points have been designedly excluded, and private opinion suppressed. The author has confined himself to facts, and such facts as seemed to be of the greatest importance.

By many, the work may perhaps be considered as too general; but great particularity would have swelled the volume