Some notes from Early Church writers

St Irenaeus

“It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times…” (3) “Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who … assemble in unauthorized meetings…by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops.  For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere”. (4)

“…the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it.  She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth.  For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same.  For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world.  But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shines everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth”. (5)

Tertullian

“Now, what that was which they (the Apostles) preached – in other words, what it was which Christ revealed to them – can, as I must here likewise prescribe, properly be proved in no other way than by those very churches which the apostles founded in person, by declaring the gospel to them directly themselves, both vivâ voce, as the phrase is, and subsequently by their epistles.  If, then, these things are so, it is in the same degree manifest that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches – those moulds and original sources of the faith must be reckoned for truth, as undoubtedly containing that which the (said) churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God.  Whereas all doctrine must be prejudged as false which savours of contrariety to the truth of the churches and apostles of Christ and God”. (6)

Origen

“…the teaching of the Church, transmitted in orderly succession from the apostles, and remaining in the Churches to the present day, is still preserved, that alone is to be accepted as truth which differs in no respect from ecclesiastical and tradition”. (7)

References

1. Irenaeus of Lyons (died c 202 AD) Against heresies, III, 1(1).  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103301.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

2. Irenaeus of Lyons (died c 202 AD) Against heresies, III, 4(1).  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103304.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

3. Irenaeus of Lyons (died c 202 AD) Against heresies, III, 3(1).  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103303.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

4. Irenaeus of Lyons (died c 202 AD) Against heresies, III, 3(2).  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103303.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

5. Irenaeus of Lyons (died c 202 AD) Against heresies, I, 10(2). Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103110.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

6. Tertullian (died c 222 AD) Prescription against heretics, 21.  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0311.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).

7. Origen (died 254 AD) De Principiis (Preface), 2.  Available from: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04120.htm  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).