Again from St. Ignatius, this time from his letter to the Philadelphians:
Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of His Blood; one altar, as there is one bishop and presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons.From St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, inter A.D. 180-199 (This one is quite long but leaves no doubt that the church of the Martyrs was Catholic):
It is possible, then, for everyone in every Church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the Apostles which has been cade known throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the Apostles, and their successors to our own times: men who neither knew nor taught anything like these heretics rave about. For if the Apostles had known hidden mysteries which they taught to the elite secretly and apart from the rest, they would have handed them down especially to those very one to whom they were committing the self-same Churches. For surely the wished all those and their successors to be perfect and without reproach, to whom they handed on their authority.I would encourage to read more of the Church Fathers. Again, it is not that their writings are inspired or equal to the Bible (indeed they often disagree with one another) but they give testimony to what the early church actually believed.But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the Churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where is proper, by pointing out here the succession of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient Church know to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul, that Church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the Apostles. For with this Church, because of its superior origin, all Churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world; and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the Apostolic tradition.
The blessed Apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded built up the Church [of Rome], they handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus. Paul makes mention of this Linus in the Epistle to Timothy. To him succeeded Anecletus; and after him, in the third place from the Apostles, Clement was chosen for the episcopate. He had seen the blessed Apostles and was acquainted with them. It might be said that he still heard the echoes of the preaching of the Apostles, and had their tradition before his eyes. And not only he, for there were many still remaining who had been instructed by the Apostles. … To this Clement, Evaristus succeeded; an Alexander succeeded Evaristus. Then, sixth after the Apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesphorus, who also was gloriously martyred. Then Hyginus; after him, Pius; and after him, Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place after the Apostles, the lot of the episcopate has fallen to Eleutherus. In this order, and by the teaching of the Apostles handed down in the Church, the preaching of the truth has come down to us.
… Again, giving counsel to His disciples to offer to God the first-fruits from among His creatures, not as if He needed them, but so that they themselves might be neither unfruitful nor ungrateful, He took from among creation that which is bread, and gave thanks, saying, “This is My Body.” The cup likewise, which is from among the creation to with we belong, He confessed to be His Blood.
He taught the new sacrifice of the new covenant, of which Malachias, one of the twelve prophets, had signified beforehand: “ ‘You do not do My will,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting My name is glorified among the gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure sacrifice; for great i My name among the gentiles,’ says the Lord Almighty.” By these words He make ti plain that the former people will cease to make offerings to God; but that in every place sacrifice will be offered to Him, and indeed, a pure one; for His name is glorified among the gentiles.
Sacrifice as such has not bee reprobated. There were sacrifices then, sacrifices among the people; and there are sacrifices now, sacrifices in the Church. Only the kind has been changed; for now the sacrifice is offered not by slaves but by free men.
But what consistency is there in those who hold that the bread over with thanks have been given is the Body of their Lord, and the cup His Blood, if they do not acknowledge the He is the Son of the Creator of the world, that is, His Word, through whom the food bears fruit, and the fountains gush forth, and the earth gives first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain on the ear? How can they say that the flesh with has been nourished by the Body of the Lord and by His Blood gives way to corruption and does not partake of life? Let them either change their opinion, or else stop offering the things mentioned.
For thanksgiving is consistent with our opinion; and the Eucharist confirms our opinion. For we offer to Him those things which are His, declaring in a fit manner the gift the acceptance of flesh and spirit. For the bread from the earth, receiving the invocation of God, is no longer common bread but the Eucharist, consisting of two elements, earthly and heavenly, so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible but have the hope of resurrection into eternity.
… It is necessary to obey those who are the presbyters in the Church, those who, as we have shown, have succession from the Apostles; those who have received, with the succession of the episcopate, the sure charism of truth according to the good pleasure of the Father.
thanks for the info. and the early church fathers were also against abortion too, despite what plastic face pelosi stated.