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To: CynicalBear; one Lord one faith one baptism; ReformedBeckite
Actually, Ireneus was referring to The Church, the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church. Here's something from his "Against Heresies (Book I, Chapter 10)"
1. The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father to gather all things in one, Ephesians 1:10 and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess Philippians 2:10-11 to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send spiritual wickednesses, Ephesians 6:12 and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.
1. The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, --> Catholic, not the PC America or some other purely one human-nation based sect, but Christ's Church, spread throughout the world

has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith -- Apostolic succession

He goes on to say
2. As I have already observed, 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. ...
"although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it" -- hmm... again the Catholic (Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, Assyrian) Church

yet the import of the tradition is one and the same Sacred Tradition

And he ends with
...while the Catholic Church possesses one and the same faith throughout the whole world, as we have already said.

Of course, need I remind you that Ireneus was raised by one of your fellow for this pre- versus post-millenialist fight (in which olofob and I have no dog in the fight so no comments, if you lot wish to return to your own discussions)
311 posted on 01/17/2011 6:12:27 AM PST by Cronos (Bobby Jindal 2012)
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To: Cronos

don’t bring facts to the table! you see St Iraneus was a “good Catholic”, while today’s “Catholics” are pagan!! makes sense to me, i guess denial is just not a river in Egypt!


477 posted on 01/17/2011 3:11:45 PM PST by one Lord one faith one baptism
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