Early ChurchWritings and the Papacy

The intent of this page is to include, in the links above, every passage from the 38-volume Edinburgh series (the writings of the early Church) that sheds light on the historical position of the Church regarding Who or what is the 'Rock' upon which the Church is being built. Also included are passages that relate to the bishop of Rome and his interaction with the rest of the Church.

Because the effort is being made to include every relevant passage, there will be redundancy. And not every passage will speak directly to Matthew 16.13-20. I have tried to include every passage that speaks to these verses; but also included are passages that deal with the interaction of the Roman church with the other churches, and some regarding the early hierarchical structure and government of the Church. Many passages are included which show the early Church's understanding that the 'Rock' is Christ.

Because just to read all of the excerpts is still a time-consuming venture, I have gone over the excerpts once again and chosen some of the best of them, which are included in the links labeled 'Best Excerpts' at the top of each series.

I have tried to include all passages which speak to every side of the various positions in the dispute. This will enable the reader to see the foundations of the variant viewpoints. My own position before engaging in this study was that Christ, and not Peter, is the 'Rock' on which the Church is being built, and that the papacy is thus a fraud. While this study has deepened my understanding of the historical realities underlying the growth and development of the papacy, it has also strengthened my understanding that the papacy is indeed a fraud, built upon pretended claims that did not have their origin either in the mind of Christ or of the apostles. Its roots rather are pride, arrogance, self-exaltation, and cunning deceit, satanic in their origin. In it is seen the truth of Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians wherein he said that Satan's ministers are false apostles and deceitful workers, transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness in the same way that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (II Corinthians 11.13-15). Or, in the words of Gregory the Great, bishop of Rome, "... whosoever calls himself ... Universal Priest, is ... the precursor of Antichrist, because he proudly puts himself above all others...." (Epistle XXXIII, To Mauricius Augustus).

For the most part, the passages will speak for themselves. The more well-versed in the Scriptures the reader is, the easier it will be to relate to the thoughts being expressed by the historical writers, as they themselves are well-versed in the Scriptures and make constant reference to them. Each passage quoted is accompanied by the reference, as well as by a link to the chapter or subsection from which the quote is taken, in order that the reader may view the passage in context, or pursue further study or research.

Any editorial comments offered will follow the passage commented on, and will be set off in braces {___}.

Volume 9 in the Ante-Nicene series is an index, and contains no text. Thus there was no utility to include it here.

All quotes are taken from The Early Church Fathers.

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