Polycarp, however, was instructed not only by the Apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna…I saw him in my early youth; for he tarried a long time, and when quite old he departed this life in a glorious martyrdom.  He always taught those things which he had learned from the Apostles, and which the Church had handed down, and which are true.  (St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3,3,4, 180 A.D.)

Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say, ] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops.  For it is a matter of necessity that EVERY CHURCH SHOULD AGREE WITH THIS CHURCH, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere.  (St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, (3,3,2), 180 A.D.)

The blessed Peter, the chosen, the pre-eminent, the first among the disciples, for whom alone with himself the Saviour paid the tribute (Matthew 17:27), quickly grasped and understood their meaning.  And what does he say?  "Behold, we have left all and have followed you." [Matt 19:27; Mark 10:28]  (St. Clement of Alexandria,Who is the Rich Man That is Saved?, 21:3-5, 190 A.D.)

I now inquire into your opinion, to see whence you usurp this right for the Church.  Do you presume, because the Lord said to Peter, "On this rock I will build my Church, I have given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 16:18-19a) or 'whatever you shall have bound or loosed on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven."  (Matthew 16:19b) that the power of binding and loosing has thereby been handed onto you, that is to every church akin to Peter?  What kind of man are you, subverting and changing what was the manifest intent of the Lord when he conferred this personally upon Peter?  (Tertullian, On Modesty, 21:9-10, 200 A.D.)

Moreover, if there be any [heresies] bold enough to plant themselves in the midst of the apostolic age, so that they might seem to have been handed down by the Apostles because they were from the time of the Apostles, we can say to them: let them show the origins of their Churches, let them unroll the order of their bishops, running down in succession from the beginning, so that their first bishop shall have for author and predecessor some of one of the Apostles or of the apostolic men who continued steadfast with the Apostles.  For this is the way in which the apostolic Churches transmit their lists: like the Church of the Smyrnaeans, which records that Polycarp was placed there by John; like the Church of the Romans where Clement was ordained by Peter.  In just the same way the other Churches display those whom they have as sprouts from the apostolic seed, having been established in the episcopate by the Apostles.  (Tertullian, The Demurrer Against the Heretics, 32, 1, 200 A.D.)

Peter, the Rock of the faith, whom Christ our Lord called blessed, the teacher of the Church, the first disciple, he who has the keys of the kingdom.  (Hippolytus, Exfabrico. n.9, 225 A.D.)

Peter, likewise, on whom the Church was founded by the good pleasure of the Lord, lays it down in his epistle…  (Origen, De Bono Patient, p.484, 230 A.D.)

The Lord says to Peter: "I say to you," He says, "that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.  And to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever things you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, they shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)  And again He says to him after His resurrection: "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17)  On him He builds the Church, and to him He gives the command to feed the sheep; and although He assigns a like power to all the Apostles, yet He founded a single chair, and He established by His own authority a source and intrinsic reason for that unity.  Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was; but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one Chair.  So too, all are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the Apostles in single-minded accord.  If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith?  If he desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can still be confident that he is in the Church?  (St. Cyprian, On the Unity of the Catholic Church, 4, 246 A.D.)

They alone have remained outside [the Church] who, were they within, would have to be ejected…There [in John 6:68-69] speaks Peter, upon whom the Church would be built, teaching in the name of the Church and showing that even if a stubborn and proud multitude withdraws because it does not wish to obey, yet the Church does not withdraw from Christ.  The people joined to the priest, the flock clinging to their shepherd in the Church.  You ought toknow, then, that the bishop is in the Church and the Church in the bishops, and if someone is not with the bishop, he is not in the Church.  They vainly flatter themselves who creep up, not having peace with the priest of God, believing that they are secretly in communion with certain individuals.  The Church, which is one and Catholic is not split or divided, but is indeed united and joined by the cement of priests who adhere to one another.  (St. Cyprian of Carthage, Letters 66 (67): 8, 254 A.D.)

Peter, set above the Apostles…  (Peter of Alexandria, Canon.ix.Galland, iv.p.98, 306 A.D.)

That powerful and great one of the Apostles, who, on account of his excellence, was the leader of all the rest.  (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. Lib ii. C. 14, 325 A.D.)

Simon, my follower, I have you the foundation of the holy Church…You are the inspector of those who will build on Earth a Church for me.  If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them.  You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows; you are the chief of my disciples.  Through you I will give drink to all peoples…I have given you the keys of the kingdom.  Behold, I have given you authority over all my treasures.  (St. Ephraim, Homilies 4:1, 338 A.D.)

The Lord is loving toward men, swift to pardon but slow to punish.  Let no man despair of his own salvation.  Peter, the first and foremost of the Apostles, denied the Lord three times before a little servant girl, but he repented and wept bitterly.  Weeping is demonstrative of repentance from the depth of the heart, which is why he not only received the forgiveness of his denial, but also kept his apostolic dignity without forfeit.  (Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 2:19, 350 A.D.)

O Peter, Prince of Apostles, it is just that you should teach us, since you were yourself taught by the Lord; and also that you should open to us the gate of which you have received the Key (singular).  Keep out all those who are undermining the heavenly House; turn away those who are trying to enter through false caverns and unlawful gates since it is certain that no one can enter in at the gate of the Kingdom except the one unto whom the Key (singular), placed by you in the churches, shall open it.  (St. John Cassian, Book III, Chap 12, Against the Nestorians on the Incarnation, 362 A.D.)

In the city of Rome the Episcopal chair was given first to Peter, the chair in which Peter sat, the same who was head – that is why he is also called Cephas [Rock] – of all the Apostles, the one chair is which unity is maintained by all.  Neither do the Apostles proceed individually on their own, and anyone who would presume to set up another chair in opposition to that single chair would, by that very fact, be a schismatic and a sinner…Recall then the origins of your chair, those of you who wish to claim for yourselves the title of holy Church.  (Opatatus, The Schism of the Donatists, 2:2, 367 A.D.)

[As if spoken by Jesus:] Simon my follower, I have made you the foundation of My holy Church.  I betimes called you Peter, because you will support all its buildings.  You are the inspector of all who will build on earth a Church for Me.  If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them.  You are the head of the fountain from which My teaching flows, you are the chief of My disciples.  Through you I will give drink to all peoples.  Yours is the life-giving sweetness which I dispense.  I have chosen you to be, as it were, the first-born in My institution, and so that, as the heir, you may be the executor of all My treasures.  I have given you the keys of My Kingdom.  Behold, I have given you authority over all My treasures!  To whom, O Lord, didst Thou entrust that most precious pledge of the heavenly keys?  To Bar Jonas, the Prince of the Apostles, with whom, I implore Thee, may I share Thy bridal chamber…Our Lord chose Simon Peter and appointed him chief of the Apostles, foundation of the holy Church and guardian of His establishment.  He appointed him head of the Apostles and commanded him to feed His flock and teach it laws for preserving the purity of its beliefs.  (Ephraem, Homilies, 4:1, 350 A.D.)

Seest thou that of the disciples of Christ, all of whom were great and deserving of the choice, one is called a Rock and is entrusted with the Foundations of the Church…  (T.i. or. xxii. n.18, 370 A.D.)

The memory of Peter, the Head of the Apostles, is celebrated; and magnified indeed with him are the other members of the Church; but [upon him] is the Church of God firmly established.  For he is, agreeably to the gift conferred upon him by the Lord, that unbroken and most firm Rock upon which the Lord built His Church.  (alt. Or. De S. Steph. Galland. t. vi., 371 A.D.)

And when he, the instrument of such and so great a judgment; he the minister of the so great wrath of God upon a sinner; that blessed Peter, who was preferred before all the other disciples; who alone received a greater testimony and blessing than the rest; he to whom were entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.  (T. ii. p.1. Procem. de Judic. Dei, n. 7, p.221, 371 A.D.)

Although all the Catholic churches spread abroad throughout the world comprise but one bridal chamber of Christ, nevertheless, the holy Roman church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of the churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, Who says: "You are Peter…" (Matthew 16:18-19).  In addition to this, there is also the companionship of the vessel of election, the most blessed Apostle Paul who, along with Peter in the city of Rome in the time of Caesar Nero, equally consecrated the above-mentioned holy Roman church to Christ the Lord; and by their own presence and by their venerable triumph, they set it at the forefront over the others of all the cities of the world.  The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the Apostle, that of the Roman church, which has neither stain nor blemish, nor anything like that.  The second see is that of Alexandria, consecrated on behalf of the blessed Peter by Mark, his disciple and an Evangelist, who was sent to Egypt by the Apostle Peter, where he preached the word of truth and finished his glorious martyrdom.  The third see is that of Antioch, which belonged to the most blessed Peter, where first he dwelled before he came to Rome, and where the name "Christians" was first applied, as to a new people.  (Decree of Damasus, #3, 382 A.D.)

Holy men are therefore called the temple of God, because the Holy Spirit dwells in them; as that Chief of the Apostles testifies, he that was found to be blessed by the Lord, because the Father had revealed unto him.  To him then did the Father reveal His true Son; and the same (Peter) furthermore reveals the Holy Spirit.  This was befitting in the First of the Apostles, that firm Rock upon which the Church of God is built, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  The gates of hell are heretics and heresiarchs.  For in every way was the faith confirmed in him who received the keys of heaven; who looses on earth and binds in heaven.  For in him are found all subtle questions of faith.  He was aided by the Father so as to be (or lay) the Foundation of the security (firmness) of the faith.  He (Peter) heard from the same God, "feed my lambs"; to him He entrusted the flock; he leads the way admirably in the power of his own Master.  (Epiphanius, T. ii. in Anchor, 385 A.D.)

And why, then, passing by the others, does He converse with Peter on these things? (John 21:15).  He was the chosen one of the Apostles, and the mouth of the disciples, and the leader of the choir.  On this account, Paul also went up on a time to see him rather than the others (Galatians 1:18).  And withal, to show him that he must thence forward have confidence, as the denial was done away with, He puts into his hands the presidency over the brethren…And if one should say, "How then did James receive the throne of Jerusalem?", this I would answer: that He appointed this man (Peter) teacher, not of that throne, but of the whole world.  (St. Chrysostom,,In Joan. Hom. lxxxviii. n. 1, tom. viii, 387 A.D.)

It is to Peter that he says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" [Matthew 16:18].  Where Peter is, there is the Church.  And where the Church, no death is there, but life eternal.  (St. Ambrose, On Twelve Psalms, 40:30, 394 A.D.)

I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness [Pope Damasus I], that is, with the chair of Peter.  I know of that this is the rock on which Christ has been built.  Whosover eats the Lamb outside this house is profane.  Anyone who is not in the ark on Noah will perish when the flood prevails.  (St. Jerome, Letters, 15:2, 396 A.D.)

There are many other things which rightly keep me in the bosom of the Catholic Church.  The consent of the people and nations keeps me, her authority keeps me, inaugurated by miracles, nourished in hope, enlarged by love, and established by age.  The succession of priests keeps me, from the very seat of the apostle Peter (to whom the Lord after his Resurrection gave charge to feed his sheep) down to the present Episcopate [of Pope Siricius].  (St. Augustine, Against the Letter of Mani Called "The Foundation", 5, 397 A.D.)

We exhort you in every respect, honorable brother, to heed obediently what has been written by the most blessed pope in the city of Rome, for blessed Peter, who lives and presides in his own see, provides the truth faith to those who seek it.  For we, by reason of our pursuit of peace and faith, cannot try cases on the faith without the consent of the bishop of Rome.  (St. Peter Chrysologus, Letters 25:2, 449 A.D.)

I therefore beseech your holiness to persuade the most holy and blessed bishop (Pope Leo) to use his Apostolic power, and to order me to hasten to your Council.  For that most holy throne (Rome) has the sovereignty over the churches throughout the universe on many grounds.  (Theodoret, Tom. iv. Epist. cxvi. Renato, p. 1197, 450 A.D.)

If Paul, the herald of the truth, the trumpet of the Holy Spirit, hastened to the great Peter, to convey from him the solution to those in Antioch, who were at issue about living under the law, how much more do we, poor and humble, run to the Apostolic Throne (Rome) to receive from you (Pope Leo) healing for wounds of the the Churches.  For it pertains to you to have primacy in all things; for your throne is adorned with many prerogatives.  (Theodoret, ibid, Epistle Leoni, 450 A.D.)