I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing that “Church Father” mentality at work first hand.
One evening, during an intense after dinner discussion in my home, I reached for my (NJB) Bible to look up a particular scripture. (I know what’s in there, but do not have it all committed to memory.) I was startled and taken back a bit when my guest erupted from the other side of the table:
“Put that thing down! That book is not for you! The Church Fathers have read it for you - they tell you what it says!”
My guest was a well-read man of the Orthodox tradition, who was otherwise quite reasonable. On matters of faith, however, Dogma and Catechism trumped scripture and reason every time.
I am not going to suggest a cause and effect relationship, but the hour of his deathwas reminiscent of Young Goodman Brown - “...they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom.”
It is true though that if a theological opinion is not shared by the early Church, then it is not likely to be of value. Of course, it will also contradict the scripture in that case — although not possibly every interpretation of the scripture.