It is not unusual to see Protesant apologists abuse early Christian works to "support" doctrines such as Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. One on-line examle is this page which wrenches various patristic authors out of their context and ignores the rest of their writings on the topic of justification and salvation (classical quote-mining!). The following examples show how (1) Sola Fide was not a belief of the early Church and (2) how truly deceptive many Evangelical apologists such as Joe Mizzi truly are:
Clement of Rome: "What, then, are we to do, brethren? Shall we rest from doing good, and give up love? May the Master never permit that this should happen, at least not to us; but let us be eager to perform 'every good work' [Titus 3:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8] with assiduity and readiness. . . . Let us realize that everywhere holy men feel honored by their good works, and that the Lord Himself rejoiced at having honored Himself by good works. With this pattern before us, let us unhesitatingly submit to His will: with all our strength let us achieve the work of sanctification."
(Clement of Rome, ca. 96, 'First Clement' 33:1,7-8, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 1:28)
Ignatius: "'The tree is known by its fruit.' [Matthew 12:33] In like manner, those who profess to belong to Christ will be known as such by their conduct. Certainly, what matters now is not mere profession of faith, but whether one is found to be actuated by it to the end."
(Ignatius, ca. 110, 'Ephesians' 14:2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 1:65)
Polycarp: "Now, 'He who has raised Him from the dead will raise us also,' [cf. 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 6:14; Romans 8:11] provided we do His will, make His commandments our rule of life, and love what He loves; if we abstain from every kind of wrongdoing, avarice, love of money, slander, and false testimony"
(Polycarp, ca. 135, 'Philippians' 2:2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 6:76)
Irenaeus: "there is both bodily holiness, the safeguard of abstinence from all shameful things and all wicked deeds, and holiness of soul, the preservation in its integrity of faith in God, adding nothing and subtracting nothing from it. For piety is clouded and loses its luster by contamination, by impurity of body, and is broken and stained and loses its integrity when falsehood enters the soul; but it will be preserved in beauty and measure by the constant abiding of truth in the mind and of holiness in the body. For what is the use of knowing the truth in word, while defiling the body and accomplishing the works of evil? Or what real good at all can bodily holiness do, if truth be not in the soul? For these two rejoice in each other's company, and agree together and fight side by side to set man in the presence of God."
(Irenaeus, ca. 190, 'Proof of the Apostolic Preaching' 2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 16:48)
Origen: "while the salvation of believers depends upon two things, their understanding of the faith and the perfection of their works, it is the element of faith . . . that is taken as the first step in salvation, whereas second place is given to perfection of works"
(Origen, ca. 240, 'Commentary on The Song of Songs' 3:12, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 26:228)
Cyprian: "follow in the steps of Christ to victory, so that we may not carelessly stumble again into the snare of death, but being alive to the danger, hold fast to the immortality given us. And how can we hold fast to immortality unless we observe those commandments of Christ by which death is defeated and conquered? He Himself assures us: 'If thou wilt attain to life, keep the commandments'; [Matthew 19:17] and again: 'If ye do what I command you, I call you no longer servants but friends.' [John 15:14] He says that it is those who so act that are strong and firm; it is they that are founded in massive security upon a rock, they that are established in unshakable solidity, proof against all the storms and hurricanes of the world. 'Him that heareth my words and doeth them,' He says, 'I will liken to the wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain fell, the floods rose, the winds came and they crashed against that house: but it fell not. For it was founded upon the rock' [Matthew 7:24].
"We must therefore carry out His words: whatever He taught and did, that must we learn and do ourselves. Indeed how can a man say he believes in Christ if he does not do what Christ commanded him to do? Or how shall a man who when under command will not keep faith, hope to receive the reward of faith? He who does not keep to the true way of salvation will inevitably falter and stray; caught up by some gust of error, he will be tossed about like windswept dust; walk as he may, he will make no advance towards his salvation."
(Cyprian, ca. 251, 'The Unity of the Catholic Church' 2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 25:44)
(Credit to Errol Amey for producing these quotes)
Clement of Rome: "What, then, are we to do, brethren? Shall we rest from doing good, and give up love? May the Master never permit that this should happen, at least not to us; but let us be eager to perform 'every good work' [Titus 3:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8] with assiduity and readiness. . . . Let us realize that everywhere holy men feel honored by their good works, and that the Lord Himself rejoiced at having honored Himself by good works. With this pattern before us, let us unhesitatingly submit to His will: with all our strength let us achieve the work of sanctification."
(Clement of Rome, ca. 96, 'First Clement' 33:1,7-8, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 1:28)
Ignatius: "'The tree is known by its fruit.' [Matthew 12:33] In like manner, those who profess to belong to Christ will be known as such by their conduct. Certainly, what matters now is not mere profession of faith, but whether one is found to be actuated by it to the end."
(Ignatius, ca. 110, 'Ephesians' 14:2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 1:65)
Polycarp: "Now, 'He who has raised Him from the dead will raise us also,' [cf. 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 6:14; Romans 8:11] provided we do His will, make His commandments our rule of life, and love what He loves; if we abstain from every kind of wrongdoing, avarice, love of money, slander, and false testimony"
(Polycarp, ca. 135, 'Philippians' 2:2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 6:76)
Irenaeus: "there is both bodily holiness, the safeguard of abstinence from all shameful things and all wicked deeds, and holiness of soul, the preservation in its integrity of faith in God, adding nothing and subtracting nothing from it. For piety is clouded and loses its luster by contamination, by impurity of body, and is broken and stained and loses its integrity when falsehood enters the soul; but it will be preserved in beauty and measure by the constant abiding of truth in the mind and of holiness in the body. For what is the use of knowing the truth in word, while defiling the body and accomplishing the works of evil? Or what real good at all can bodily holiness do, if truth be not in the soul? For these two rejoice in each other's company, and agree together and fight side by side to set man in the presence of God."
(Irenaeus, ca. 190, 'Proof of the Apostolic Preaching' 2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 16:48)
Origen: "while the salvation of believers depends upon two things, their understanding of the faith and the perfection of their works, it is the element of faith . . . that is taken as the first step in salvation, whereas second place is given to perfection of works"
(Origen, ca. 240, 'Commentary on The Song of Songs' 3:12, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 26:228)
Cyprian: "follow in the steps of Christ to victory, so that we may not carelessly stumble again into the snare of death, but being alive to the danger, hold fast to the immortality given us. And how can we hold fast to immortality unless we observe those commandments of Christ by which death is defeated and conquered? He Himself assures us: 'If thou wilt attain to life, keep the commandments'; [Matthew 19:17] and again: 'If ye do what I command you, I call you no longer servants but friends.' [John 15:14] He says that it is those who so act that are strong and firm; it is they that are founded in massive security upon a rock, they that are established in unshakable solidity, proof against all the storms and hurricanes of the world. 'Him that heareth my words and doeth them,' He says, 'I will liken to the wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain fell, the floods rose, the winds came and they crashed against that house: but it fell not. For it was founded upon the rock' [Matthew 7:24].
"We must therefore carry out His words: whatever He taught and did, that must we learn and do ourselves. Indeed how can a man say he believes in Christ if he does not do what Christ commanded him to do? Or how shall a man who when under command will not keep faith, hope to receive the reward of faith? He who does not keep to the true way of salvation will inevitably falter and stray; caught up by some gust of error, he will be tossed about like windswept dust; walk as he may, he will make no advance towards his salvation."
(Cyprian, ca. 251, 'The Unity of the Catholic Church' 2, in 'Ancient Christian Writers' 25:44)
(Credit to Errol Amey for producing these quotes)
