Emma Leslie Church History Series, Early Church Set

This 6-book series includes such notable events as the Council of Nicea, the martyrdom of Polycarp, and the rise of Islam, and such notable people as Paul, Constantine, Athanasius, and Mohammed.

The set includes:

1. Glaucia the Greek Slave: A Tale of Athens in the First Century

After the death of her father, Glaucia is sold to a wealthy Roman family to pay his debts. She tries hard to adjust to her new life but longs to find a God who can love even a slave. Meanwhile, her brother, Laon, struggles to find her and to earn enough money to buy her freedom. But what is the mystery that surrounds their mother’s disappearance years earlier and will they ever be able to read the message in the parchments she left for them?

Story Setting: Athens in 59 – 64 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Paul, Nero, Greek Philosophers, Great Fire at Rome
Originally published in 1874; 270 pages; For Ages 10 – Adult

2. The Captives: Or, Escape from the Druid Council

The Druid priests are as cold and cruel as the forest spirits they claim to represent, and Guntra, the chief of her tribe of Britons, must make a desperate deal with them to protect those she loves. Unaware of Guntra’s struggles, Jugurtha, her son, longs to drive the hated Roman conquerors from the land. When he encounters the Christian Centurion, Marcinius, Jugurtha mocks the idea of a God of love and kindness, but there comes a day when he is in need of love and kindness for himself and his beloved little sister. Will he allow Marcinius to help him? And will the gospel of Jesus Christ ever penetrate the brutal religion of the proud Britons?

Story Setting: Roman England in 66 – 67 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Druids, Roman Centurions
Originally published in 1873; 169 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

3. Out of the Mouth of the Lion: Or, The Church in the Catacombs

When Flaminius, a high Roman official, takes his wife, Flavia, to the Colosseum to see Christians thrown to the lions, he has no idea the effect it will have. Flavia cannot forget the faith of the martyrs, and finally, to protect her from complete disgrace or even danger, Flaminius requests a transfer to a more remote government post. As he and his family travel to the seven cities of Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation, he sees the various responses of the churches to persecution. His attitude toward the despised Christians begins to change, but does he dare forsake the gods of Rome and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ?

Story Setting: Asia Minor in 163 – 166 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Melito, Polycarp’s Martyrdom
Originally published in 1875; 265 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

4. Sowing Beside All Waters: A Tale of the World in the Church

There is newfound freedom from persecution for Christians under the emperor, Constantine, but newfound troubles as well. Errors and pagan ways are creeping into the Church, while many of the most devoted Christians are withdrawing from the world into the desert as hermits and nuns. Quadratus, one of the emperor’s special guards, is concerned over these developments, even in his own family. Then a riot sweeps through the city and Quadratus’ home is ransacked. When he regains consciousness, he finds that his sister, Placidia, is gone. Where is she? And can the Church handle the new freedom, and remain faithful?

Story Setting: The Roman Empire in 313 – 363 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Constantine, Athanasius, Augustine, Council of Nicea
Originally published in 1875; 264 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

5. From Bondage to Freedom: A Tale of the Times of Mohammed

At a Syrian market two Christian women are sold as slaves. One of the slaves ends up in Rome where Bishop Gregory is teaching his new doctrine of “purgatory” and the need for Christians to finish paying for their own sins. The other slave travels with her new master, Mohammed, back to Arabia, where Mohammed eventually declares himself to be the prophet of God. In Rome and Arabia, the two women and countless others fall into the bondage of man-made religions—will they learn at last to find true freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ alone?

Story Setting: Rome and Arabia in 594 – 632 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Mohammed, Pope Gregory I, the Rise of Islam
Originally published in 1877; 272 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

6. The Martyr’s Victory: A Story of Danish England

Knowing full well they may die in the attempt, a small band of monks sets out to convert the savage Danes who have laid waste to the surrounding countryside year after year. The monks’ faith is sorely tested as they face opposition from the angry Priest of Odin as well as doubts, sickness and starvation, but their leader, Osric, is unwavering in his attempts to share the “White Christ” with those who reject Him. Then the monks discover a young Christian woman who has escaped being sacrificed to the Danish gods—can she help reach those who had enslaved her and tried to kill her?

Story Setting: Danish England in 879 – 883 A.D.
Notable People and Events: King Edmund, King Guthrum, Viking Invasions
Originally published in 1886; 266 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult