***Thank God for the early “birds”. They seemed to tell it straight unlike what developed CENTURIES later. In Clement of Alexandria case calling people who fall for group think and not studying the Scriptures THEMSELVES are called “slothful”. Imagine that. I have plenty more but the RCC seem to think 4th CENTURY and on “fathers” should be held in higher regard.***
When did the Church tell people to not study Scripture? There is more Scripture read and there is more praying to God in a Catholic Mass than at any Protestant worship service that I have ever attended.
So. 4th century is the cutoff line for you is it?
Better put your Bible away. Pope Damasus didn’t get his list together until nearly 400 AD and Pope Innocent didn’t declare it until 405, after reviewing the Council of Hippo (393) and the Council of Carthage (397). Can’t have it. Put it away.
You can have the Apostle’s Creed since that developed in halfway through the second century, but you most certainly cannot have the Nicene Creed (325) and forget the Athenasian Creed (sometime after 451) altogether.
I’m glad that you were able to shed all that excess baggage of the Church in later years. Happy theology, my friend.
So I guess there was Scripture before Carthage, well that is a start.
Guess what, the Assumption (Stick to the subject matter) was never “inspired” yet or included ANYWHERE. That officially was declared 1552 YEARS later and the legend was not even “hot” yet at Carthage.
As for your question the Council of Toulouse, Terragona and Pius IV seemed to think otherwise.