EDITORIAL PREFACE.

IT is with a sense of deep gratitude to Mr. Robertson, the special editor, that this volume of the Post-Nicene series of the Fathers is presented to the subscribers and the public. We believe it provides a more comprehensive and thorough introduction to the study of Athanasius St. Athanasius of Alexandria, a 4th-century church father known for defending the doctrine of the Trinity than is available elsewhere, and the labor and devotion he has bestowed upon it are beyond all praise. Thanks must also be expressed to the publishers, whose generosity allowed us to extend the standard length of the volumes in this series so that such an important Church Father as Athanasius could be represented as fully as possible.

Mr. Robertson’s Preface explains the care and respect with which the translation and notes of Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman, a 19th-century theologian and cardinal have been treated while being reprinted for this edition. However, there were some inaccuracies in the original translation that could not be kept in a version intended to represent the original text faithfully; for that reason, and only for that reason, the text has been corrected. Any correction made to the Cardinal’s notes is clearly indicated.

I must also express my particular gratitude to my friend, the Rev. J. H. Lupton, Surmaster a senior teacher or assistant headmaster of St. Paul’s School, for his generous help in reading the translations and for his various valuable suggestions. The assistance of his scholarly learning gives me additional confidence in presenting this volume to the public.

I must take this opportunity to express my great regret that there has been such a significant delay in the release of this series. However, due to the sudden failure—partly from illness and partly from unforeseen causes—of two important contributions at the very moment they were needed, the editor and the publishers faced difficulties that were temporarily insurmountable. Other volumes in the series are now progressing steadily, and we believe there will be no further interruptions in the publication.

HENRY WACE.

King’s College, London,
21 Nov. 1891.