FATHERS, THE, a name applied to the early writers of the Christian Church —those writers who have given us ac counts of the traditions, practices, etc., that prevailed in the early Church. The term is mostly confined to those who lived during the first six centuries of the Christian era, and no writer is dignified with the title of father who wrote later than the 12th century. They are fre quently divided into the Greek and Latin fathers; and those who flourished before the Council of Nice, in 325, are called the ante-Nicene fathers. The chief fathers of the first six centuries were as follows: In the 1st century flourished Clement, Bishop of Rome, and Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch; in the 2d century we have Poly carp, Bishop of Smyrna, Justin Martyr, Hermias, Dionysius of Corinth, Hege sippus, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, Ireneas, Bishop of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, and Ter tullian; in the 3d century, Minucius Felix, Hippolytus, Origen, Cyprian, Dio nysius, Bishop of Alexandria, Gregory (Thaumaturgus) ; in the 4th century, Arnobius, Lactantius, Eusebius, Julius Firmicus, Maternus, Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Athanasius, Basil, Ephraim the Syrian, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan, Epiphanus. Bishop of Salamis, Chrysostom, Bishop of Con stantinople, Ruffin, Presbyter of Aqui leia ; in the 5th century, Jerome, Theo dorus, Bishop of Mopsuestia, Augustine, Cyril of Alexandria, Vincent of Lerins, Isidore of Pelusium, Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus in Syria, Leo I., surnamed the Great, Virgilius, Bishop of Thapsus; in the 6th century, Procopius of Gaza, Are tas, Gregory, Bishop of Tours, and Greg Dry I., surnamed the Great, Bishop of
Rome. The last of the fathers is Ber nard of Clairvaux, who died about the middle of the 12th century.
Learned men and theologians differ very much in opinion as to the value that is to be attached to the writings of the fathers. By some they are looked on as nearly of equal authority with the sacred Scriptures themselves, and as the most excellent guides in the paths of piety and virtue. Others regard them as un worthy of the least attention. The right we believe lies between these two ex tremes; and while the Roman Catholics exalt too highly the opinions of the fathers, yet by Protestants generally they are too much disregarded. Their writings contain many sublime senti ments, judicious thoughts, and things naturally adapted to form a religious temper, and to excite pious and virtuous affections; on the other hand, they abound still more with precepts of an excessive and unreasonable austerity, with stoical and academical dictates, with vague and indeterminate notions, and, what is still worse, with decisions absolutely false and in manifest opposition to the char acter and commands of Christ. Of the character and doctrines of the primitive Church they are competent witnesses, and, living within a comparatively short period of the apostles, there are many things which they relate regarding apos tolic times, which had come down to them by tradition, and which are therefore not to be altogether rejected.