The Didache is proof of what the early church practiced. It is not proof of any kind of Apostasy.
I want only the Early Church Fathers, not the Bible. Since the King James Bible has been misinterpreted by many today.
The early church Fathers were appointed and taught by the apostles themselves.
The whole great apostasy thing is a myth by those who can not handle the truths of history.
"
Chapter 14. Of Paul's Assertion, that He Had Not Been Sent to Baptize
But they roll back
an objection from
that apostle himself, in that he said, For Christ sent me not to
baptize;
1 Corinthians 1:17 as if by this argument
baptism were done away! For
if so, why did he
baptize Gaius, and Crispus, and the house of Stephanas? However, even if Christ had not sent
him to
baptize, yet He had given
other apostles the precept to
baptize. But these words were written to the Corinthians in regard of the circumstances of that particular time; seeing that schisms and dissensions were agitated among them, while one attributes
everything to
Paul, another to Apollos. For which reason the peace-making apostle, for
fear he should seem to claim all
gifts for himself, says that he had been sent not to
baptize, but to preach. For preaching is the prior thing,
baptizing the posterior. Therefore the preaching came
first: but I think
baptizingwithal was
lawful to him to whom preaching was.
Chapter 15. Unity of Baptism. Remarks on Heretical And Jewish Baptism
I
know not whether any further point is mooted to bring
baptism into controversy. Permit me to call to mind what I have omitted above, lest I seem to break off the train of impending thoughts in the middle. There is to us one, and but one,
baptism; as well according to the Lord's gospel as according to the apostle's letters, inasmuch as
he says, One
God, and one
baptism, and one church in the heavens. But it must be admitted that the question, What rules are to be observed with regard to
heretics? is worthy of being treated. For it is to
us that that assertion refers. Heretics, however, have no fellowship in our discipline, whom the mere fact of their
excommunication testifies to be outsiders. I am not bound to recognize in
them a thing which is enjoined on
me, because they and we have not the same
God, nor one — that is,
the same— Christ. And therefore their
baptism is not one
with ours either, because it is not
the same; a baptism which, since they have it not duly, doubtless they have
not at all; nor is that capable of being
counted which is not
had.
Ecclesiastes 1:15 Thus they cannot
receive it either, because they
have it not. But this point has already received a fuller discussion from us in Greek. We enter, then, the font
once: once are
sins washed away, because they ought never to be repeated. But the Jewish
Israel bathes daily, because he is daily being defiled: and, for
fear that
defilementshould be practised among
us also, therefore was the definition touching the one bathing made. Happy water, which
once washes away; which does not mock sinners (with vain hopes); which does not, by being infected with the repetition of impurities, again defile them whom it has washed!
Chapter 16. Of the Second Baptism — With Blood"
CHURCH FATHERS: On Baptism (Tertullian)
