together. This teaching is an epitome of the Greek theology developed
later by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Athanasius. But in Papias,
who attaches much importance to oral traditions that "came from the
living and abiding voice"; in Ignatius, who exalts the bishop
above other presbyters; and in Clement, who, writing as a Roman,
is concerned with matters of administration and subordination to
authority--in these we discern the beginnings of the Latin theology
developed later by Tertullian, Irenaeus, Cyprian, and Augustine,
which produced the papacy, and which, as we shall show, has in a great
measure dominated the ecclesiastical thought of the world until the
present day.

[Sidenote: The Ante-Nicene age]

After emerging into the clear field of historic Christianity in the
time of Justin Martyr, we find everywhere evidences of a rapidly
developing apostasy. In one respect we approach an examination of the
Ante-Nicene church with feelings of admiration. This was a heroic age,
an age of Christian martyrs. The struggles of Christianity against the
powers of heathenism enthroned in the Roman Empire and throughout
the world form a bright chapter in the annals of historic deeds and
supreme loyalty to lofty ideals. When we view the subject from
this angle, it would almost seem to be an act of irreverence or of
sacrilege to call in question the doctrines and practises of that
period when the church was baptized by fire and waded through rivers
of blood. Reverence for the martyrs and for their noble efforts to
extend the cause of Christ is praiseworthy, but in justice to truth,
we must remember that even the martyrs were not inspired teachers
commissioned to build a model for all succeeding ages. That they
were heroic does not prove them infallible. We should never hesitate,