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The attitude of the church in the post-Nicene period differs from that in the ante-Nicene in two important respects.

But as it is implicit and not part of his distinctive message, it did not hinder his book from enjoying wide quasi-canonical honour during most of the Ante-Nicene period.

Throughout the ante-Nicene period, until the reign of Constantine, Christian churches were few in number, and any public dedication of them would have been attended with danger in those days of heathen persecution.

There is an English translation in the Library of the Ante-Nicene Fathers.

Athanasius, St., represents the principles on which the ante-nicene Church maintained the faith, 389;how he states the authority of Scripture, 370;the rule of faith, 392;what he thinks of private judgment, 393;his tests of heresy, 393;on ecclesiastical definitions, 394;says Scripture and Tradition are united in the Church’s magisterium, 395;how he accounts for the cessation of idolatry, oracles, and magic, 440-443.