1. Term
In church history the idea of the early church has theological as well as historical significance. A theological evaluation sees in it the true church, whose teaching and forms have an authoritative ¶ character. Agreement with it guaranteed not only one’s own orthodoxy but also the catholicity of one’s church. Since the church did not remain unchanged through the centuries, the question of the limits of the early church as the true church unavoidably arises. The Roman Catholic Church is least disturbed by such questions, since …