Greg_McPherran:
How early in time were these other bishops that recognized the papacy?
Greg
In 80 A.D, Clement, former companion of the Apostle Paul and then Bishop of Rome, used said authority to settle matters of dissent in the Corinthian Church. " Accept our counsel and you will have nothing to regret. . . . If anyone disobey the things which have been said by him [God] through us *, let them know that they will involve themselves in transgression and in no small danger."
Also in the Apostolic Period the author of “The Shepherd” makes referance to the duties of the Bishop of Rome as involving the whole Church, not just local matters. “Therefore shall you [Hermas] write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty”
Ignatius of Antioch, disciple of John and ordained Bishop by Peter himself said the Church of Rome has “The Presidency” over the other Churches. “to the church also which holds the presidency, in the location of the country of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and, because you hold the presidency in love, named after Christ and named after the Father”
In the late second century the letters of Pope Clement and Pope Soter were read as Scripture in some Churches (not a direct referance but showing the level of authority attributed to them.) “Today we have observed the Lord’s holy day, in which we have read your letter [Pope Soter]. Whenever we do read it [in church], we shall be able to profit thereby, as also we do when we read the earlier letter written to us by Clement”
Also in the immediate post-Apostolic period, when dissensions arose in Gaul, letters were sent to Pope Eleutherius asking him to settle the matter. The messenger…Irenaeus. Converted in his youth by Polycarp, disciple of John. Irenaeus said that the all the churches must agree with the Church of Rome. " With that church, because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world, and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition"
So the first three generations of Christians held the belief that the Church of Rome “because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree”, that its duties extended to the whole Church and that it held the presidency and place of highest honor.
Into the thrid century we have Cyprian of Carthage who says…
“On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair
cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were also what 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 [the apostles] 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 [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?”
“With a false bishop appointed for themselves by heretics, they dare even to set sail and carry letters from schismatics and blasphemers to the chair of Peter and to the principal church [at Rome], in which sacerdotal unity has its source”
I can go on and on. Quoting Jerome and Augustine and many others. But I think this will do.**
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