With the start of 2025 many books published in the UK whose authors died in 1954 enter the public domain for the first time, including the translations of early church texts undertaken by James H. Srawley.* James Herbert Srawley [1868-1954] If this subject is of interest, you will find several series of early church translations…
In the early 20th Century SPCK published a very useful series of translations of many of the writings of the early and medieval church – the Translations of Christian Literature. Many of these are now in the public domain and are now available for free download. Visit this page to see all the books in…
From around 1917 to 1927 the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) published a series of translations of early documents that provided valiable background material to the New Testament and Early Church. The object of the Series was to provide short, cheap, and handy text-books for students, either working by themselves or in…
Today’s free book is a recently out-of-copyright translation of the letters of Augustine of Hippo. This public domain title was digitised from the copy of the books held in Spurgeon’s College library. William John Sparrow-Simpson [1859-1952], translator, The Letters of St. Augustine. London: SPCK, 1919. Hbk. pp.336. [Click here to visit the download page for…
Today’s free book is a series of seven studies by Henry Gwatkin on Arianism. This public domain volume was digitised using the copy held in Spurgeon’s College library Henry Melvill Gwatkin [1844-1916], Studies of Arianism. Chiefly Referring to the Character and Chronology of the Reaction Which Followed the Council of Nicaea. Cambridge: Deighton, Bell, and…
Today’s free book is Henry Gwatkin’s History of the Church up to the time of Constantine the Great. This public domain work was digitised using the copy held in Spurgeon’s College library. Henry Melvill Gwatkin [1844-1916], Early Church History to A.D. 313, 2 Vols., 2nd edn. London: MacMillan & Co., Ltd., 1912. Hbk. pp.311+382. [Click…
Ireneaus was a Second Century Bishop of Lugdunum in what is today southern France. He is notable for his missionary activity and for his writings promoting apostolic teaching and refuting heresy. He traced his knowledge of the apostolic teaching through Polycarp of Smyrma back to the Apostle John and was last person we know of…
Today’s free book is Richard Bertram Tollinton’s substantial work on the life of Origen’s predecessor at the Catachetical School in Egypt, Clement of Alexandria. This public domain work was digitised from the copy held in Spurgeon’s College library. Robert Bertram Tollinton [1866-1932], Clement of Alexandria: A Study in Christian Liberalism, 2 Vols. London: Williams and…
