The Roman Church claims that the Orthodox Fathers of the Church were unanimous in supporting Tradition. Were they? At the Council of Trent they attempted to destroy and prohibit any writings or teachings that would conflict with the “truth” propounded and taught by the church. They established the Index Expurgatorius. This was a list of books and passages that the Roman Church faithful were prohibited from reading. The Index was established in 1562 at the Council of Trent and retired in 1966.

Well, just what did the “orthodox Fathers” have to say about Scripture verses Tradition? Were they, in fact, unanimously agreed that the validity of Tradition equaled that of Scripture? Again I turn to the chapter on Tradition in Dr. Elliott’s book (previously cited). This material starts on page 113 of that book. Dr. Elliot introduces this material this way:

The writers of the first six centuries are commonly embraced in the list of the fathers.Those who were contemporary with the apostles are called apostolical fathers. These are Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Hermas, Ignatius, and Polycarp. They were all natives of the East, except Clement, and wrote in Greek.

The principal Greek writers who succeeded the apostolical fathers were Justin Martyr and Irenaeus.

Here are some quotes from some of these men:

1. Ignatius some say that he was about seven years old when Christ preached. He was called Theosophorus and was made Bishop of Antioch in 70 AD. He was martyred in 107 AD. He exhorted his followers to “Hold firmly to the tradition delivered by the Apostles, which had already been committed to writing, which was necessary for their preservation.” In other words, the “paradosis” tradition, was now set down on paper and was now Scripture.

2. Irenaeus, a Greek born about the year 140 AD,was a disciple of Polycarp and Papias, went to Gaul (modern France),was ordained priest, and afterward Bishop of Lyons in the year 178. He suffered martyrdom in the year 202 or 203. He said “If it had so happened that the apostles had left us no Scriptures, must we not then have followed the order of Tradition, which they committed to the church? (This quote is frequently used by the Roman Church to buoy up their claim to the legitimacy of Tradition and church pre-eminence.)

• But notice that Irenaeus states that “had they left us no Scriptures, then we would have had to revert to Tradition.
• But we were left with the Scriptures and therefore are not compelled or allowed to revert to unwritten Tradition.
In another place Irenaeus declares,“We have known the method of our salvation by no others than those by whom the gospel came to us: which gospel they then truly preached; but afterward, by the will of God, they delivered to us in the Scriptures, to be for the future the foundation and pillar of our faith.’”
• More from Irenaeus:“Knowing very well that the Scriptures are perfect, for they are spoken by the word of God and His Spirit” and “Read more diligently that gospel which is given to us by the apostles; and read more diligently the prophets, and you will find every section and the whole doctrine of our Lord preached in them.”

Remember, the Roman Church has declared the orthodox Fathers to be united on the issue of Tradition equaling that of Scripture. Further, they like to quote Irenaeus in support of that doctrine.We see here that they have lied. But what is new and different about this?

3. Tertullian, originally of Africa,was a Carthaginian, prebyter of Carthage, and a Latin writer.He flourished under the emperors Severus and Caracalla, from the year 194 until toward the year 216. He died about AD 220.

In a disputation with Gnostic heretics, he made the following statement:“ Whether all things were made of any subject matter, I have as yet to read nowhere. Let the scroll of Hermogenes show that it is written; if it is not written, let them fear the curse allotted to such as add or diminish.” He is, of course, referring to the curse of God for adding or subtracting from His word (see Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18).

4. Clemens of Alexandria flourished from 196 to 220 AD and died in 220. He defined ecclesiastical Tradition as “he . . . obeys the Scriptures, and has entrusted his life to Truth.” He further stated how the Scriptures are a perfect demonstration of faith:“Perfectly demonstrating out of the Scriptures themselves,we speak or persuade demonstratively of the faith.”

5. Origen was Alexandrian and born about the year 185. He flourished until the year 252, at which time he died. In his fifth sermon on Leviticus, Origen spoke these words regarding the two Testaments:“In which every word that pertains to God may be required and discussed; and all knowledge of things be understood out of them.” He stated elsewhere: “We know Jesus Christ is God, and we seek to expound the words which are spoken according to the dignity of the Person.Wherefore it is necessary for us to call the Scriptures into testimony, for our meanings and narrations without these witnesses, have no belief.”

To these words Cardinal Bellarmine, writing at the end of the 16th Century stated: ‘Origen speaks of the hardest questions, on which, for the most part Traditions do not treat.” Bellarmine was a Roman Church apologist writing just a few years after the Council of Trent where the teaching of the church was given superiority and Tradition was given equality to the Scriptures.As we see, the Church Fathers’ statements do not agree with Trent’s lies.

We could continue with Cyprian, Hippolatus, Eusebius Pamphilus, Athanasias, St. Ambrose, Hilary, Gregory Nyassen, Chrysostrum, and others. All embraced the authority, supremacy and inerrancy of Scripture. It is the only path to the truth of Jesus Christ and therefore the only path to saving faith.Are you not curious as to why the Roman Church through false teaching and black magic sacraments prevents you from coming to your own interpretation of Scripture? Why do you suppose that they demand you believe only what they teach and not what you read? Just who is their master? It is not Christ, it is not God, who is left? Remember the demon-possessed serpent in the garden with Adam and Eve? He turned them away from the Word of God, and thereby brought the whole human race into sin and death when Adam rebelled against that Word.

Think about it. What you have read in this book and what you will read, is incontrovertible proof that the Roman Church is built and sustained by lies. Who is the father of lies?

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do.He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:for he is a liar, and the father thereof (John 8:44 ASV).