TQC-””The Catholics tried to suppress them through violence, and when that failed, have continued to try to lie about what these groups believed and practiced, but they were there nevertheless, the true adherents to the apostolic Christianity, instead of the paganised “Christianity” which arose in the 4th century when Constantine tried to unite the various belief systems of the Empire together, which eventually resulted in Catholicism.””
What you just wrote is one of the biggest historical lies that protestants have been taught to believe,and many are brainwashed by this lie even today.
The Church was called Catholic and Catholicism was the practiced Faith of the persecuted Christians before Constantine
The persecuted before Costantine were the ones who believed in the TRUE PRESENCE of Christ in Eucharist ,they believed along with all the other Sacraments that make up Catholicism because they were taght by the Apostles themselves.
Here are some writings from Saint Ignatius ,a direct Disiple of the Apostle Saint John.
“See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Christ Jesus does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles. Do ye also reverence the deacons, as those that carry out the appointment of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrneans, 8:2 (c. A.D. 110).
...and here is what He says about Eucharist
“I have no taste for the food that perishes nor for the pleasures of this life. I want the Bread of God which is the Flesh of Christ, who was the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood which is love that cannot be destroyed.”
Saint Igantius-”Letter to the Romans”, paragraph 7, circa 80-110 A.D.
If you call Igantius a lier than your calling the Apostle Saint John a lier
Also,Constantine did not influence Catholicism,he only made it legal.
The Early Church Fathers called Constantine an antichrist for his arian beliefs amongst other things.
Take a look...
“But nowadays, we have to do with a disguised persecutor, a smooth-tongued enemy, a Constantius who has put on Antichrist; who scourges us, not with lashes, but with caresses who instead of robbing us, which would give us spiritual life, bribes us with riches, that he may lead us to eternal death; who thrusts us not into the liberty of a prison, but into the honours of his palace, that he may enslave us: who tears not our flesh, but our hearts; who beheads not with a sword, but kills the soul with his gold; who sentences not by a herald that we are to be burnt, but covertly enkindles the fire of hell against us. He does not dispute with us, that he may conquer; but he flatters us, that so he may lord it over our souls. He confesses Christ, the better to deny him; he tries to procure a unity which shall destroy peace; he puts down some few heretics, so that he may also crush the Christians; he honours Bishops, that they may cease to be Bishops; he builds up Churches, that he may pull down the Faith.” - Saint Hilary of Poiters
Was that Constantius or Constantine?
Why would that be? He writings were poor and inconsistent and being a Bishop, it is self-beneficial to claim power for that position. Certainly interesting writings for an insight into early history, but not reliable text and certainly not divinely inspired.