"It is interesting to see early writers like Ignatius of Antioch quoting from a number of texts like Matthew."
Not just to Matthew, but also Mark, John, Paul and Timothy, all me he either knew or knew within a degree of familiarity, in his Epistle to the Philippians alone. It is a shame that more Protestants don't know the Fathers. If they did, they'd have to begin to wonder if maybe they've been misinterpreting things all along and that Holy Tradition is both real and reliable.
Monday evenings at 8pm on EWTN (available via cable or satellite dish network), Marcus Grodi (a convert) hosts a live, call in program. Each week, he invites a convert on to the show to tell his or her story and answer any questions emailed or phoned in. 9 times out of 10, it is the writings of the early church fathers that eventually convict these individuals that the Catholic Church is the original church. Some of these stories are absolutely extraordinary.
If you have never watched The Journey Home, regardless of your beliefs, I strongly encourage you to tune in, watch and listen to these remarkable stories of great faith, all of which began with an individual's search into the early history of the church.