1. Describe the simplicity of public worship in early Christian times. (Note 2, end of section III.)
2. What changes in the public worship were gradually introduced? (Note 1).
3. What was the object in introducing these changes?
4. In what manner was incense introduced into public worship?
5. What especially obnoxious practice became prevalent in the 4th century?
6. What can you say of the worship of martyrs? (Note 2).
7. Give an account of the decline of spiritual gifts in the church.
8. On this point what difference exists between Catholics and Protestants?
9. What can you say of Protestant excuses for the absence of the spiritual gifts of the gospel? (Notes 3 and 4).
10. What does the absence of spiritual gifts prove?
11. In what way were grievous offenses punished by the church?
12. What ceremonies finally became associated with excommunication?
13. What temporal punishments were sometimes associated with excommunication?
{ 179} 14. What can you say of the mingling of pagan philosophy with the Christian religion?
15. Give the scriptural doctrine respecting God.
16. Give an instance from scripture where the personages of the Godhead are seen to be distinct.
17. In what does the oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost consist? (Note 5.)
18. How did the early Christians regard the scriptural doctrine of the Godhead?
19. By what means did men at last try to explain the revelation?
20. Give the Gnostic idea respecting God.
21. How did the Gnostics account for the creation of the world?
22. In what way did the Gnostics avoid making God the author of evil?
23. What is the nature of man according to the Gnostic philosophy?
24. What did the Gnostic philosophy look to as the culmination between the struggle of man with evil?
25. In what light did the Gnostics look upon Jesus Christ?
26. What fanciful theory did some of them hold respecting him? (Note 7).
27. To what two modes of life did the Gnostic philosophy lead?
28. What was the new Platonic philosophy?
30. In what way was there an attempt to harmonize the philosophy of Plato with the writings of St John?
31. State the "orthodox" doctrine respecting Deity in those times.
35. In what way did the Nicene Council decide the trinity controversy?
36. What confession did Athanasius make as to his inability to comprehend the Nicene creed?