Rule of Faith in Early Christianity

Tertullian, On the Veiling of Virgins Direct teaching

The rule of faith, indeed, is altogether one, alone immoveable and irreformable;

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

Novatian, with the View of Treating of the Trinity, Sets Forth from the Rule of Faith that We Should First of All Believe in God the Father and Lord Omnipotent, the Absolute Founder of All Things.

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

The Rule of truth requires that we should first of all things believe in God the Father and Lord n Omnipotent;

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness

but if we follow the truth, and aim at the exact rule of faith, we shall be well-pleasing to God.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

unless, receiving from the truth itself the rule of the truth, they cleave to the truth.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness

Now, faith has been deposited in the rule;

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

But if there are any heresies bold enough to place themselves in the middle of the apostolic age, so that they may seem to have been handed down by the apostles because they existed in the time of the apostles, we can say this: Let them bring out the original records of their churches. Let them unfold the list of their bishops, coming down in proper succession from the beginning, in such a way that their first bishop can show that his ordainer and predecessor was one of the apostles or one of the apostolic men, and moreover, a man who remained faithful with the apostles. For this is how the apostolic churches pass down their records. The church of Smyrna records that Polycarp was placed there by John. In the same way, the church of Rome says that Clement was ordained by Peter. In exactly the same way, the other churches also present their own notable men. Since these men were appointed to their places as bishops by apostles, the churches regard them as those who pass on the apostolic seed. Let the heretics invent something similar. After their blasphemy, what is unlawful for them to attempt? But even if they manage to invent such a thing, they will gain nothing by it. For when thei

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

...on written in their hearts by the Spirit, without paper or ink. They carefully preserve the ancient tradition, believing in one God, the Creator of heaven, earth, and everything in it, through Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Because of His surpassing love for His creation, He humbled Himself to be born of the virgin, uniting man through Himself to God. After suffering under Pontius Pilate, rising again, and ascending in splendor, He will come in glory as the Savior of the saved and the Judge of the judged, sending those who distort the truth and despise His Father and His coming into eternal fire. Those who have believed this faith without written documents are barbarians regarding our language; however, concerning doctrine, behavior, and way of life, they are very wise due to their faith. They please God by conducting themselves with righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. If anyone were to preach the inventions of the heretics to them in their language, they would immediately stop their ears and flee as far as possible, not even enduring to listen to the blasphemous speech. Therefore, through the ancient tradition of the apostles, they do not allow their minds to accept anything fr

Tertullian, Against Hermogenes Supporting witness

For in as far as by our rule, priority is given to the truth, which also foretold that there would be heresies, in so far must all later opinions be prejudged as heresies, being such as were, by the more ancient rule of truth, predicted as (one day) to happen.

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

... But he has also made certain claims that seem very far from what has been handed down to us by the tradition of our fathers. He has explained some teachings in a strange way, adding ideas of his own to them. These ideas have seemed to me completely foreign to the faith and opposed to it. Because of this, I have been led to write this letter to you. I know how complete and full your understanding is in doctrine, and I am sure that none of these things can escape your notice. So I have confidently hoped that no resentment will keep you from explaining these matters to us. As for me, I cannot be drawn away into any new teaching. Nevertheless, for the sake of those who are less instructed, I have been led to ask for a word from your authority. For truly, the man shows himself to be a person of extraordinary strength of character, both in speech and in action. Even his appearance and clothing support that impression. I will write down here, for your information, a few points that I have been able to keep in my memory from all the subjects he has explained. For I know that even from these few points you will understand the rest. You know well, no doubt, that those who try to set up a

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

... if God the Father could not beget God the Son. But no blindness of the heretics shall lay down the rule for the truth. Nor, because they maintain one thing in Christ and do not maintain another, because they see one side of Christ and do not see another, shall that which they do not see be taken away from us for the sake of that which they do see. For they look at the weaknesses in Him as if they were a man's weaknesses, but they do not count the powers as if they were a God's powers. They keep in mind the infirmities of the flesh. They exclude the powers of the divinity. But if this argument from the infirmities of Christ is strong enough to prove Him to be man from His infirmities, then the argument of divinity in Him, gathered from His powers, is also strong enough to declare Him to be God from His works. For if His sufferings show human frailty in Him, why may not His works declare divine power in Him? For if this should not be enough to declare Him to be God from His powers, then His sufferings cannot be enough to show Him also to be man from them. For whatever principle is adopted on one side or the other will be found to stand. For there will be a danger that He should n

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

..., if God the Father could not beget God the Son. But no blindness of the heretics will lay down the rule for the truth. And because they hold one thing about Christ and do not hold another, because they see one side of Christ and do not see the other, what they do not see must not be taken away from us for the sake of what they do see. For they notice His weaknesses as if they were the weaknesses of a man, but they do not count His powers as the powers of God. They remember the infirmities of the flesh, but they leave out the powers of His divinity. Yet if the argument from Christ's infirmities is enough to prove from them that He is man, then the argument of divinity in Him, gathered from His powers, is also enough to declare from His works that He is God. For if His sufferings show human weakness in Him, why should not His works declare divine power in Him? For if His powers are not enough to show that He is God, then His sufferings cannot be enough to show that He is man either. For whatever principle is accepted on one side must also be accepted on the other. There is a danger that He may not be shown to be man from His sufferings, if He cannot also be shown to be God by His

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

...ll by itself refute error. And although we have very often presented proofs, and have explained the rule of the truth with enough fullness for those willing to learn, yet even now, after discussing all the opinions put forward by the Greeks and heretics, we have decided that it is not unreasonable to present this demonstration throughout the tenth book as a kind of finishing stroke to the nine books before it.

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Supporting witness

and it is right that our conceptions should follow the inspired and apostolic doctrines, and not that our impotent fancies should coerce the articles of our divine faith.

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Supporting witness

for this reason we present our confession on the subject of the aforementioned matters of faith, and reject the faithless dogmas opposed thereto.

Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy Supporting witness

To these Arius and Achilles opposing themselves, and those who with them are the enemies of the truth, have been expelled from the Church, as being aliens from our holy doctrine, according to the blessed Paul, who says, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed;

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

For wherever it shall be manifest that the true Christian rule and faith shall be, there will likewise be the true Scriptures and expositions thereof, and all the Christian traditions.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

2. But, again, when we refer them to the tradition that originates from the apostles and is preserved through the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, claiming they are wiser not only than the presbyters but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth. They argue that the apostles mixed the law with the words of the Saviour, and that not only the apostles but even the Lord Himself spoke at times from the Demiurge, at other times from the intermediate place, and yet again from the Pleroma. However, they claim to have knowledge of the hidden mystery, clearly, purely, and without error: this is, indeed, to blaspheme their Creator in a most impudent manner! It comes to this, therefore, that these people now agree with neither Scripture nor tradition.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

so, seeing there are many who think they hold the opinions of Christ, and yet some of these think differently from their predecessors, yet as the teaching of the Church, transmitted in orderly succession from the apostles, and remaining in the Churches to the present day, is still preserved, that alone is to be accepted as truth which differs in no respect from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

8. True knowledge is [that which consists in] the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient constitution of the Church throughout all the world, and the distinctive manifestation of the body of Christ according to the successions of the bishops, by which they have handed down that Church which exists in every place, and has come even unto us, being guarded and preserved without any forging of Scriptures, by a very complete system of doctrine, and neither receiving addition nor [suffering] curtailment [in the truths which she believes];

Jude 1:3 Background

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Titus 1:9 Background

holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

2 Timothy 1:13 Background

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:23 Background

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

1 Timothy 6:3 Background

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,

1 Corinthians 11:2 Background

Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

Ignatius of Antioch, Connection to Ephesians 4:5 Direct teaching

and one Comforter, the Spirit of truth; and also one preaching, and one faith, and one baptism; and one Church which the holy apostles established from one end of the earth to the other by the blood of Christ, and by their own sweat and toil;

Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness

and also one elect Church; there ought likewise to be but one faith in respect to Christ.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

Well, they preserving the tradition of the blessed doctrine derived directly from the holy apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul, the sons receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), came by God's will to us also to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

...t He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches and may also understand the apostolic tradition of the Church. This Epistle predates those who now spread falsehoods and invent another god beyond the Creator and Maker of all things. Clement was succeeded by Evaristus, followed by Alexander; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesphorus, who was gloriously martyred; followed by Hyginus, then Pius, and then Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, Eleutherius holds the office of the episcopate. Through this order and succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles and the preaching of the truth have come down to us. This is ample proof that there is one and the same life-giving faith, preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

... the patriarchs, then the God of both covenants is shown to be one. Accordingly, it is added more clearly, "You have inherited the covenant of Israel," speaking to those called from among the nations, who were once barren, being formerly without this husband, who is the Word, formerly desolate of the bridegroom. Now "the just shall live by faith," which is according to the covenant and the commandments, since these, which are two in name and time, given according to the divine arrangement, being one in power, the old and the new, are given through the Son by one God. As the apostle also says in the Epistle to the Romans, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith," teaching the one salvation which from prophecy to the Gospel is perfected by one and the same Lord. "This charge," he says, "I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on you, that by them you may war the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience; which some, having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck," 1 Timothy 1:18-19, because by unbelief they defiled the conscience that comes from God. Accordingly, faith may no longer, with reason, be dis

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...anged," he says, "let nothing be maintained except what has been handed down." From where does that tradition come? Does it come down from the authority of the Lord and of the Gospel, or does it come from the commands and letters of the apostles? For God bears witness and warns that the things written must be done, saying to Joshua the son of Nun, "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" Joshua 1:8. Also, when the Lord sent His apostles, He commanded that the nations should be baptized and taught to observe all things that He commanded. If, therefore, it is either ordered in the Gospel, or contained in the letters or Acts of the Apostles, that those who come from any heresy should not be baptized, but should only have hands laid on them for repentance, then let this divine and holy tradition be observed. But if heretics everywhere are called nothing other than adversaries and antichrists, if they are declared to be people who must be avoided, and to be perverted and self-condemned, why then should they not be considered worthy to be condemned by u

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...d or faltered in any respect, we should return to our original and Lord, and to the evangelical and apostolic tradition. From there the basis of our action may arise, from where both our order and our origin have arisen.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

5. For which reason you must diligently observe and keep the practice delivered from divine tradition and apostolic observance, which is also maintained among us, and almost throughout all the provinces;

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Nor do we remember that this at any time began among us, since it has always been observed here, that we knew none but one Church of God, and accounted no baptism holy except that of the holy Church.

Ephesians 4:5 Background

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Background

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.