Council have been put into the hands of
competent translators. These will make it their first and principal aim
to produce translations as faithful as possible, uncoloured by any
bias, dogmatic or ecclesiastical. They will also endeavour, in brief
notes, to place the English reader in the position of those acquainted
with the original languages. They will indicate important variations in
the text; they will give different translations of the same passage
where more than one have been proposed; they will note the various
meanings attributed to the words in ecclesiastical controversies; and
when the ancient documents appear in widely different forms, the
various forms will be presented. At the same time, they will strive to
combine with this strict accuracy and faithfulness as much elegance as
may be consistent with the main aim. Short biographical [Pg 526] and
explanatory notices will be prefixed to each translation; and in every
case where there is variety of opinion, the writer will abstain from
expressing his own sentiments, and confine himself simply to an
impartial statement of the opinions of the most noteworthy critics on
the point.

The following are the works which are now being translated:--

I. The Apostolical Fathers, including the Epistles of Clemens Romanus,
the Epistles of Ignatius in their various forms, the Epistle of
Barnabas, the Epistle of Polycarp, the Epistle to Diognetus, and the
Pastor of Hermas, with the Martyria of Ignatius and Polycarp.

II. The undoubted and doubtful works of Justin Martyr,--the Apologies,
the Dialogue with Trypho, the Oratio ad Gentiles, the Cohortatio, the
De Monarchia, and the fragments on the Resurrection, along with the
Martyrium of one Justin.

III. The works of Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, Hermias,
and the fragments of the rest of the Apologists.

IV. Irenaeus: All his extant works.

V. Clemens Alexandrinus: All his extant works.

VI. Origen. The Series will include the De Principiis, and the Contra
Celsum. The rest of his works will be translated if the Series is
successful.

VII. The fragments of Julius Africanus, and of the other writers given
in Dr Routh's Reliquiae Sacrae.

VIII. The works generally ascribed to Hippolytus, along with the
recently discovered Refutatio Omnium Haeresium.

IX. The works ascribed to Dionysius of Alexandria, Gregory
Thaumaturgus, Methodius, and others of the same period.

X. The Recognitions and the Clementin