Earliest use of the English phrase "early Buddhism"?

[thomaslaw]

@thomaslaw

using the English phrase “Early Buddhism” to include Chinese Āgama texts (cf. pp. 2-7):

Also, Early Buddhism (pp. 3, 5: the first and second councils) refers to the two phases:

How Early Buddhism differs from Theravada: a checklist

Accordingly, there were two phases in Early Buddhism: 1. ‘Samyutta/Samyukta Buddhism’ based on saṃyukta-kathā 相應教, and 2. ‘Nikaya/Agama Buddhism’ based on the four principal Nikayas/Agamas (according to Ven. YinShun’s The Formation of Early Buddhist Texts ). However, the extant Nikayas/Agamas are sectarian texts. One can seek an understanding of early Buddhist teachings by studying them comparatively.