Posted on 01/27/2007 6:12:35 AM PST by NYer
The Early Church Fathers were the leaders and teachers of the early Church. They lived and wrote during the first eight centuries of Church history. Some of their writings were composed to instruct and / or to encourage the faithful. Other writings were composed to explain or defend the faith when it was attacked or questioned. The writings of the Early Fathers are widely available and studied. They are accepted by Catholic and non Catholic scholars alike. Thus they provide common ground in establishing the beliefs and practices of the early Church.
The earliest of the fathers are known as the Apostolic Fathers. Their writings come to us from the first two centuries of Church History. They were the immediate successors of the Apostles. Three of them were disciples of one or more of the Apostles. Clement of Rome was a disciple of the apostles Peter and Paul. Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna were disciples of the Apostle John. Naturally we would expect that those who were taught directly by the Apostles would themselves believe and teach correctly.
Protestantism is based on the allegation that the Catholic Church became corrupt shortly after 312 AD. That’s when the emperor Constantine converted and made Christianity the state religion. It is alleged that pagan converts came into the Church bringing with them many of their pagan beliefs and practices. According to Protestant historians the pagan practices that were brought into the Church became the distinctive doctrines of Catholicism. Thus the Catholic Church was born and true Christianity was lost until the Reformation. But history tells us a different story.
Shortly after the death of the apostle John, his disciple, Ignatius of Antioch, referred to the Church as the Catholic Church. In his Letter to the Smyrnaeans he wrote: "Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" (8:2 [A.D. 107]).
In reading the Early Fathers we see a Church with bishops in authority over priests and deacons. We see a church that baptized infants and believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We see a Church that believed in the primacy of Rome, the intercession of the saints in heaven and the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Thus we are lead to the inescapable conclusion that the early Church was the Catholic Church.
As you can see, the writings of the Early Fathers are especially helpful in refuting the Protestant claim that many Catholic doctrines were invented in later years. Although they are wrong concerning the age of Catholic doctrines their reasoning is sound. If a teaching appears after the apostolic age without evidence of previous support it must be false. Curiously enough though, they abandon this line of reasoning when it comes to many of their own beliefs such as the doctrine of Scripture Alone (mid 1500’s), The Rapture (late 1800’s), the licitness of artificial contraception (1930) and many others.
It is important to note that some doctrines existed in a primitive form during the early years. These doctrines would develop over time. One example is the Doctrine of the Trinity. All of its elements were present at the beginning but it wasn’t clearly defined the way it is today. It wasn’t until later that it was fully understood. This would not make it a late teaching as all of the information was there from the beginning. Other doctrines were developed in this same way.
Also worthy of note is the fact that the Early Fathers occasionally disagreed on minor issues that were not yet settled by the Church. This does not present us with a problem as we do not claim that the Fathers were infallible. While they were not infallible they were unmistakably Catholic. They clearly illustrate the fact that the early Church had no resemblance to Protestantism.
John Henry Newman was one of the more famous converts to Catholicism. After studying the Early Fathers he wrote: "The Christianity of history is not Protestantism. If ever there were a safe truth it is this, and Protestantism has ever felt it so; to be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant" (An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine).
Christianity was started by Christ 2000 years ago and it has existed for 2000 years. It didn’t go away for 1200 years and come back. Indeed that would have rendered Jesus’ words impotent. In Matthew 16:18 as He was establishing His Church Jesus gave us a guarantee. He said: "I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." If the Protestant hypothesis is correct, the gates of hell did some serious prevailing and Jesus Christ is a liar. But of course such is not the case.
We're waiting ...
But the God does not exists line makes good sense in any language, I think.
Bring it on! That would be truly interesting! (just so long as the Catholic Caucus may provide the historical background for said 'convert'), for example: Episcopal Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, who left the Catholic Church when she realized that it would never accede to the ordination of women. Fair enough?
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How many times have we wanted to discuss the Early Church Fathers?
This is your chance!
That is hardly accurate.
Protestantism is based on theological error. The corruption that opened eyes was Middle Age corruption. The indulgence controversy was shown to have legs by the RC deciding to change their ways. Apparently, once that rock was overturned and corruption was discovered, there were many who saw corruption elsewhere in church history.
But the crux of the indulgence controversy was not about corruption, it was about theological error. The very notion that one could buy and sell forgiveness was contrary to so much scriptural doctrine that it's hard to list it all.
It took Luther some 95 points. :>)
Neither I nor the Catholics disagree with this.
This is quite laughable when one considers the many admonitions Paul gave the early churches in the New Testament.
Your qualifying statement as to why you posted this thread as a "Catholic Caucus" in keeping within the guidelines of the Religion Moderator, is most interesting. I applaud you for your tactful choice of words in your statement.
Reading the Early Church Fathers was what brought my husband into the Catholic Church, after he first kicked and screamed when I mentioned I was being drawn toward it. We converted several years ago.
Tell me a bit about being a chaplain. You are talking about in the military?
Yes. I was an Army Chaplain. Retired at 20 years.
I am glad that you crossed the Tiber!
The early Church Fathers , as sandyeggo has posted regarding their influence, have had a significant meaning in my life, even though I became familiar with them much later after my own conversion to Catholicism. They have enriched my understanding of my faith.
I am always uplifted when I read them and have some favorites.
The Early Church Fathers on The Church (Catholic Caucus)
Early Church Fathers on (Oral) Tradition - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
We are glad we crossed the Tiber too. Funny that it took so long; we would not go back.
So you prescribe oral contraceptives to your male Catholic patients? Wow...does FDA know you're marketing a male oral contraceptive?
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