ent in the
concept of the universal Church, in so far as the latter was conceived
to have been spread over the whole earth by the Apostles; an idea which
involved the conviction that only that could be true which was found
_everywhere_ in Christendom. Consequently, "entire or universal
Christendom," "the Church spread over the whole earth," and "the true
Church" were regarded as identical conceptions. In this way the concept
"Catholic" became a pregnant one, and finally received a dogmatic and
political content. As this result actually took place, it is not
inappropriate to speak of pre-Catholic and Catholic Christianity.]

[Footnote 21: _Translator's note._ The following is Tertullian's Latin
as given by Professor Harnack: Cap. 21: "Constat omnem doctrinam quae cum
ecclesiis apostolicis matricibus et originalibus fidei conspiret
veritati deputandam, id sine dubio tenentem quod ecclesiae ab apostolis,
apostoli a Christo, Christus a deo accepit." Cap. 36: "Videamus quid
(ecclesia Romanensis) didicerit, quid docuerit, cum Africanis quoque
ecclesiis contesserarit. Unum deum dominum novit, creatorem
universitatis, et Christum Iesum ex virgine Maria filium dei creatoris,
et carnis resurrectionem; legem et prophetas cum evangelicis et
apostolicis litteris miscet; inde potat fidem, eam aqua signat, sancto
spiritu vestit, eucharistia pascit, martyrium exhortatur, et ita
adversus hanc institutionem neminem recipit." Chap. 32: "Evolvant
ordinem episcoporum suorum, ita per successionem ab initio decurrentem,
ut primus ille episcopus aliquem ex apostolis vel apostolicis viris, qui
tamen cum apostolis perseveravit, habuerit auctorem et antecessorem."]

[Footnote 22: None of the three standards, for instance, were in the
original of the first six books of the Apostolic Constitutions, which
belong to the third century and are of Syrian origin; but instead of
them the Old Testament and Gospel on the one hand, and the bishop, as
the God of the community, on the other, are taken as authorities.]

[Footnote 23: See Zahn, Glaubensregel und Taufbekenntniss in der alten
Kirche in the Zeitschrift f. Kirchl. Wissensch. u. Kirchl. Leben, 1881,
Part 6, p. 302 ff., especially p. 314 ff. In the Epistle of Jude, v. 3,
mention is made of the [Greek: hapax paradotheisa tois hagiois pistis],
and in v. 20 of "building yourselves up in your most holy faith." See
Polycarp, ep. III. 2 (also VII. 2; II. 1). In either case the
expressions [Greek: kanon te