[Mrs. Don-o]

The fact that something didn't "show up" for 300 years or more (e.g. the Nicene Creed) doesn't mean it wasn't taught, believed, and lived for 300 years. Most of what "shows up" is just confirmation, clarification and documentation for stuff that was the belief and practice of the Churches since the first century AD.

For instance, just because the words "Incarnation" and "Trinity" don't appear until a couple of centuries later, doesn't mean that nobody believed in the Incarnation or the Trinity until, say, 325 AD.

BTW, do you believe in the Incarnation of Christ, and the Trinity?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“For instance, just because the words “Incarnation” and “Trinity” don’t appear until a couple of centuries later, doesn’t mean that nobody believed in the Incarnation or the Trinity until, say, 325 AD.”

Both can be learned exactly as is from the Holy Scriptures today. The particular circumstances of heresy opposing the Church from within led to the issue being spelled out in 325ad.