I would not accept the Gospel, but for the authority of the Catholic Church

Inspired by Arnold Scott’s “12 Early Church Quotes That Will Challenge Protestants”

Category, Authority of the Catholic Church

Which Early Church Father said, “I would not accept the Gospel, but for the authority of the Catholic Church” (Contra the Fundamental Epistle to the Manichaeons)?

The answer is, St. Augustine!

Category, Apostolic Succession!

Which Early Church Father said, “"The Apostles made these appointments and arranged a succession, when they had fallen asleep, and other tried men should carry on the ministry" (chap. 4, Letter to the Corthinians)?

The answer is, St. Clement

Category, Papal Succession and Authority

Which Early Church Father said, “many considerations that detain me in the bosom of the Catholic Church ... is the succession of Bishops from the Chair of Peter himself, to whom our Lord after His resurrection entrusted the feeding of His flock, down to the present Bishop ... " (Contra the Fundamental Epistle to the Manichaeons)?

The answer is, St. Augustine!

Category, Primacy of Rome

Which Early Church Father said, “But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the succession of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles. Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. With that church, because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world, and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition” (Against Heresies 3:3:2)?

The answer is, St. Irenaeus!

Category, Sacred Tradition

Which Early Church Father said, “Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us "in mystery" by the tradition of the Apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force. And these no one will contradict; - no one, at all events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in these matters…” (On the Holy Spirit 27 [A.D. 375])?

The answer is, St. Basil!

Category, the Eucharist

Which Early Church Father said, “Make certain, therefore, that you all observe one common Eucharist; for there is but one body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and but one cup of union with his blood, and one single altar of sacrifice —even as there is also but one bishop, with his clergy and my own fellow servitors, the deacons. This will ensure that all your doings are in full accord with the will of God” (Letter to the Philadelphians 4 [A.D. 110])?

The answer is, St. Ignatius of Antioch!

Category, the Immaculate Conception

Which Early Church Father said, “[Jesus] became man by the Virgin so that the course that was taken by disobedience in the beginning through the agency of the serpent might be also the very course by which it would be put down. Eve, a virgin and undefiled, conceived the word of the serpent and bore disobedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy when the angel Gabriel announced to her the glad tidings that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her, for which reason the Holy One being born of her is the Son of God. And she replied, "Be it done unto me according to your word" (Luke 1:38)” (Dialogue with Trypho 100 [A.D. 155])?

The answer is, St. Justin Martyr!

See more, Early Church Father quotes, here.