Gems
From Saint Irenaeus
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202),
one of the Fathers of the Church, and Bishop of Lyons, was a most prolific
writer, and defender of the Catholic Church against the heresies of his
day. He is often quoted. In his many writings, he mentioned the Catholic
Church by name several times.
Here are some of his "Gems".
"...as these teachers who are destitute of truly
divine wisdom maintain; while the Catholic Church possesses one and the
same faith throughout the whole world, as we have already said."
Adversus Haereses, Book I, chapter 10
"Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such
a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we
do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil
self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble
in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition
derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally
known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles,
Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which
comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For
it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church,
on account of its preeminent authority -- that is, the faithful everywhere
-- inasmuch as the Apostolic Tradition has been preserved continuously
by those who are everywhere."
Adversus Haereses, Book III, chapter 3-2
"The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built
up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.
Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded
Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement
was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles,
and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching
of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before
his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining
who had received instructions from the apostles. In the time of this Clement,
no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth, the
Church in Rome despatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting
them to peace, renewing their faith, and declaring the tradition which
it had lately received from the apostles, proclaiming the one God, omnipotent,
the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of man, who brought on the deluge,
and called Abraham, who led the people from the land of Egypt, spake with
Moses, set forth the law, sent the prophets, and who has prepared fire
for the devil and his angels. From this document, whosoever chooses to
do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached
by the Churches, and may also understand the apostolical tradition of the
Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now
propagating falsehood, and who conjure into existence another god beyond
the Creator and the Maker of all existing things. To this Clement there
succeeded Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the
apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was gloriously
martyred; then Hyginus; after him, Pius; then after him, Anicetus. Sorer
having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from
the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate. In this order, and
by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and
the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant
proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved
in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth."
Adversus Haereses, Book III, chapter 3-3
"The truth is to be found nowhere else but in the
Catholic Church, the sole depository of apostolical doctrine. Heresies
are of recent formation, and cannot trace their origin up to the apostles."
Adversus Haereses, Book III, chapter 4 Prologue
"Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary
to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church;
since the apostles,"
Adversus Haereses, Book III, chapter 4-1
"In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin
is found obedient, saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it
unto me according to thy word." But Eve was disobedient; for she did
not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a
husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise
"they were both naked, and were not ashamed," inasmuch as they,
having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the
procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come
to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient,
was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race;
so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless
a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to
herself and the whole human race... And thus also it was that the knot
of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the
virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set
free through faith."
Adversus Haereses, Book III, chapter 22-4
"Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters
who are in the Church -- those who, as I have shown, possess the succession
from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate,
have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure
of the Father. But [it is also incumbent] to hold in suspicion others who
depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together
in any place whatsoever, [looking upon them] either as heretics of perverse
minds, or as schismaries puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites,
acting thus for the sake of lucre and vainglory. For all these have fallen
from the truth. And the heretics, indeed, who bring strange fire to the
altar of God -- namely, strange doctrines -- shall be burned up by the
fire from heaven, as were Nadab and Abiud. But such as rise up in opposition
to the truth, and exhort others against the Church of God, [shall] remain
among those in hell (apud inferos), being swallowed up by an earthquake,
even as those who were with Chore, Dathan, and Abiron. But those who cleave
asunder, and separate the unity of the Church, [shall] receive from God
the same punishment as Jeroboam did."
Adversus Haereses, Book IV, chapter 26-2
"He shall also judge those who give rise to schisms,
who are destitute of the love of God, and who look to their own special
advantage rather than to the unity of the Church; and who for trifling
reasons, or any kind of reason which occurs to them, cut in pieces and
divide the great and glorious body of Christ, and so far as in them lies,
[positively] destroy it -- men who prate of peace while they give rise
to war, and do in truth strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel. For no
reformation of so great importance can be effected by them, as will compensate
for the mischief arising from their schism. He shall also judge all those
who are beyond the pale of the truth, that is, who are outside the Church;
but he himself shall be judged by no one."
Adversus Haereses, Book IV, chapter 33-7
"Now all these [heretics] are of much later date
than the bishops to whom the apostles committed the Churches; which fact
I have in the third book taken all pains to demonstrate. It follows, then,
as a matter of course, that these heretics aforementioned, since they are
blind to the truth, and deviate from the [right] way, will walk in various
roads; and therefore the footsteps of their doctrine are scattered here
and there without agreement or connection. But the path of those belonging
to the Church circumscribes the whole world, as possessing the sure tradition
from the apostles, and gives unto us to see that the faith of all is one
and the same..."
Adversus Haereses, Book V, chapter 20-1
"And indeed, although he writes again to the Corinthians
and to the Thessalonians for their correction, nevertheless it is shown
that there is one Church spread abroad through the whole world; for John,
too, in the Apocalypse, though he writes to only seven Churches, yet speaks
to all. Besides these, there is one to Philemon, and one to Titus, and
two to Timothy, in affection and love, but nevertheless regarded as Holy
in the Catholic Church, in the ordering of churchly discipline. There is
also circulated one to the Laodiceans and another to the Alexandrians,
forged under the name of Paul, in regard to the heresy of Marcion; and
there are several others which cannot be received by the Church, for it
is not suitable that gall be mixed with honey. The Epistle of Jude, indeed,
and the two ascribed to John, are received by the Catholic Church."
The Muritorian Fragment
Cardinal John Newman, a convert from
Anglicanism said it best in regards to historical documents: "To be
deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."
Compiled September 7, 2001
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