[PetroniusMaximus]

Coming from a website named “Biblical Evidence for Catholicism”, I guess your answer is a foregone conclusion.

[Quix]

Just cooked up a fresh batch of popcorn last night.

[Nosterrex]

Since I've read all your references over the years, especially as required reading for some of my classes, you have only selected certain references that prove your a priori conclusion. I really wish that you wouldn't do that, it's most misleading. I could go through those same sources and take certain references out of context and prove just the opposite. Church history is not nearly as clear and simple as you wish to make it. First, I suggest that you start by defining the term “catholic.” There are at least four definitions to that term that I know. Secondly, you have to determine who or what determines who or what is catholic and who or what is not. Until those two decisions are made, it is useless to discuss catholicity.

[ModelBreaker]

“If any one expects to find in this period [100-325], or in any of the church fathers, Augustin himself not excepted, the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, . . . he will be greatly disappointed . . . Paul’s doctrine of justification, except perhaps in Clement of Rome, who joins it with the doctrine of James, is left very much out of view, and awaits the age of the Reformation to be more thoroughly established and understood.”

Are you saying that the second century church fathers rejected Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith or just ignored it. Paul is pretty unambiguous on this count. Seems to me that relying on tradition instead of the writings of a apostle explicitly chosen by our Lord is a pretty slim reed to stand on. Or am I misunderstanding your argument?

[donmeaker]

On my good days I could be a Pelagian heretic.

[Iscool]

If any one expects to find in this period [100-325], or in any of the church fathers, Augustin himself not excepted, the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, . . . he will be greatly disappointed

Now there's an interesting statement...It's interesting because it's not true...

First off, most of 'your' early church fathers quoted far more often the texts that were compiled to become the Majority Texts than they quoted your LXX texts...

Plus, a number of your early church fathers made the claim that if you can't find it in the scripture, stay away from it...

The scriptures are full of statements about justification without works...

If you can come up with 'church' fathers that deny this, it only proves what Paul said about people in his midst who are already corrupting the word of God...

And what's even funnier is, you guys claim your religion wrote the very scripture that condemns such beliefs...

[Salvation]

A lot more information about the Early Church Fathers -- many of them with Biblical references too!

Were the Church Fathers Closer to Protestantism Than to Catholicism?
The Faith of Our Fathers
The Early Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers on The Church (Catholic Caucus)

Early Church Fathers on (Oral) Tradition - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Apostolic Succession - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Purgatory - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Salvation Outside the Church [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Early Church Fathers on Mary’s Perpetual Virginity - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on The Primacy of Peter/Rome (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

The Early Church Fathers on Hell - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Intercession of the Saints - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on The Real Presence - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Confession / Reconciliation - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on the Immaculate Conception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus

The Early Church Fathers on Justification - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Contraception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on Baptism - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
The Early Church Fathers on The Mother of God - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Quotes from the Early Church Fathers

Early Church Fathers - Worship on Sabbath or Sunday
The Early Church Fathers on the Assumption [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Look to the Church Fathers to Shed Light on Modern Problems, Writes the Pope
On St. Clement of Rome -The Church Has a Sacramental, Not Political Structure (March 7, 2007)
Truly a Doctor of Unity (St. Ignatius of Antioch) (March 14, 2007)

St. Justin Martyr: He Considered Christianity the “True Philosophy” (March 21, 2007)
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: The First Great Theologian of the Church (March 28, 2007)
St. Clement of Alexandria: One of the Great Promoters of Dialogue Between Faith and Reason (April 18, 2007)
On Origen of Alexandria: He Was a True Teacher (April 25, 2007)
Origen: The Privileged Path to Knowing God Is Love

[narses]

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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[NYer]

Wow ... we posted nearly identical threads on the same day! Here's a link to mine.

THE CHURCH FATHERS: A DOOR TO ROME (fundamentalist warns saying they sound too Catholic)

It's a hoot!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Thanks for posting! About 12 years ago when I was still Anglican, I came across David’s web site, checked it out and found it very interesting. At the time, he had a Catholic-Protestant-Eastern Orthodox forum and I participated in it for a few years. When David came to visit some friends that live in my neck of the woods, they invited me over and I got to meet him. Very engaging and personable guy. We don’t keep in touch as often as we used to, but every so often we email each other. My experience with David is that he is very gracious and respectful of his Protestant and Eastern Orthodox fellow Christians.

[NKP_Vet]

http://www.staycatholic.com/about_the_early_fathers.htm