This comprehensive volume is a collection of early Christian writings from the Ante-Nicene period, compiled and translated in the 19th century by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. This volume includes works of Lactantius as well as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and fragments of other early Christian texts, providing valuable insights into the intellectual and spiritual life of the early Church. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.