Is the Ante-Nicene Christian Church really Catholic?
It should be made clear that the A.C.C. does not derive its definition or understanding of its catholicity from Rome. We are Catholic in the spirit of catholicity as has been historicaly defined in the Vincentian Canon of 434 A.D. That being; “Now in the Catholic Church itself we take the greatest care to hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all. That is truly and properly Catholic, as is shown by the very force and meaning of the word, which comprehends everything almost universally. We shall hold to this rule if we follow universality [i.e. ecumenicity], antiquity, and consent. We shall follow; • Universality if we acknowledge that One Faith to be true which the whole Church throughout the world confesses; • Antiquity if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which it is clear that our ancestors and fathers proclaimed; • Consent, if in antiquity itself we keep following the definitions and opinions of all, or certainly nearly all, bishops and doctors a
