Church Fathers Reference
The Catholic Church By Name...




Many non-Catholics teach that the Catholic Church is not the same Church
which Jesus Christ founded. They say the original Church apostatized
during the time of Constantine, or around 320 A.D. Here is a list of
references of Early Church Fathers which spans a time period from
106 A.D. until 523 A.D.. It is interesting to note that if the apostasy
were true, that the Fathers made no mention of it whatsoever from 2
centuries before Constantine and continuously until 2 centuries after.

My Challenge is for any non-Catholic to show me documented proof of this so-called apostasy. If you cannot produce the documents, then why do
you persist in perpetuating this lie?
Read Rev 21:27 to see what happens to those who perpetuate lies.


These writings can be freely downloaded from the net Here or Here .

Church Fathers writings in which they reference the Church which
Jesus Christ founded as the 'Catholic Church'.
+ means more references than listed.
The Jxxx is the section number in Jurgens, 'Faith of the Early Fathers'.

The Catholic Church mentioned by name...

*Ignatius, Letter to the Smyrneans 8:1-2. J65 106AD (On this website)
Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 16:2. J77,79,80a,81a, 155AD
*Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 7:17:107:3. J435 202AD
Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4-6. J555-557 251AD
Cyprian, Letter to Florentius 66:69:8. J587 254AD
*Lactantius,Divine Institutions 4:30:1. *J637 304AD
Alexander of Alexandria, Letters 12. J680 324AD
Athanasius, Letter on Council of Nicea 27. J757 350AD
*Athanasius, Letter to Serapion 1:28. J782 359AD
Athanasius, Letter to Council of Rimini 5. J785 361AD
*Cyril of Jerusalem, Catachetical Lectures 18:1. J836-*839
Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u 382AD
Serapion, The Sacramentary 13:1. J1239a 350AD
*Pacian of Barcelona, Letter to Sympronian 1:4 J1243 375AD
*Augustine, Letter to Vincent the Rogatist 93:7:23. J1422
Augustine, Letter to Vitalis 217:5:16. J1456 427AD
*Augustine, Psalms 88:2:14, 90:2:1. J1478-1479 418AD
*Augustine, Sermons 2, 267:4. *J1492, *J1523 430AD
*Augustine, Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed 6:14. J1535
*Augustine, The True Religion 7:12+. *J1548, *J1562, J1564
**Augustine, Against the Letter of Mani 4:5. *J1580-1581
*Augustine, Christian Instruction 2:8:12+. *J1584, J1617
Augustine, Baptism 4:21:28+. J1629, J1714, J1860a, J1882
*Augustine, Against the Pelagians 2:3:5+. *J1892, *J1898
Innocent I, Letter to Probus 36. J2017
*Fulgence of Ruspe, Forgiveness of Sins 1:19:2, J2251-2252, 523AD

The Antiquity of the Catholic Church...

Hermas, The Shepherd Vis 2:4:1. J82
Anonymous 2nd Letter of Clement to Corinthians 14:2. J105
Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 7:17:107:3. J435
Augustine, Letter to Deogratias 102:15. J1428
*Augustine, Psalms 90:2:1. J1479
Augustine, Predestination of Saints 9:18. J1985
Gregory I, Letter to John 5:44:18. J2295 595AD

The Catholic Church Will Last Forever... 
Hmmm, GOD and the Church Fathers all said the Catholic Church
will last forever.
Show me your proof of where YOU say it ended!

Clement, Letter to Corinthians 42:1,64. J20,29a 80AD
*Anonymous, 2nd letter of Clement to Rome 14:2. J105
*Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556
Cyprian, Letter to the Lapsed 33:27:1. J571
*Hilary, The Trinity 7:4. J865 Augustine, Psalms 90:2:1. J1479
*Augustine, Sermon to Catechumens 6:14. J1535

The Catholic Church Founded...

Clement, Letter to Corinthians 42:1. J20
*Hermas, The Shepherd Vis 2:4:1-3:5:1. J82-84 140AD
Anonymous, Letter of Clement 14:2. J105
Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3:16:6. J217a
Tertullian, Demurrer Against Heretics 9:3. J289
*Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 7:17:107:3. J435 202AD
Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556
*Cyprian, Letter to the Lapsed 33:27:1. J571
*Hilary of Poitiers, The Trinity 7:4. J865
*Augustine, Homilies on John 9:10. J1814

The Catholic Church In Rome Founded...

*Clement, Letter to the Corinthians, Address. J10a 80AD
Ignatius, Letter to the Romans, J52
*Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3:3:3. J210-211
Cyprian, Letter to Cornelius 59:55:14. J580
*Council of Constantinople, Canon3. J910d
*Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u
*Optatus of Melvis, Schism of Donatists 2:2. J1242

Catholic Church Unity...

Didache 4:3. J1b
Ignatius, Letter to the Philadelphians 3:2. J56
Tertullian, Demurrer Against Heretics 20:4. J292
*Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556

Catholic Church Universal...

Didache, 9:1,10:1. J6,7
Clement, Letter to Corinthians 5:1. J11
Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians 3:2. J38
Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, Address. J77,79,81a
Hermas, The Shepherd Par 9:17:4. J93
Anonymous, Letter to Diogenetus 6:1. J97a
Aristides of Athens, Apology 15. J112
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 110. J144
*Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1:10:1. J191,192,215,257
*The Muratorian Fragment. J268
*Tertullian, Against the Jews 7:4. J320a
Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation Greeks 10:110:1. J405
*Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 18:23. J838
*Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u

One Church Only...

Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556,573


Compiled by Bob Stanley, December 20, 1998

Back to Home Page...