The ECF are of no help to you. If you want to stay Protestant, I suggest that you do not keep reading the very same document that you cited.
CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, III.2 (St. Irenaeus)
The heretics follow neither Scripture nor tradition.
1. When, however, they are confuted from the
Scriptures, they turn round and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not correct, nor of authority, and [assert] that they are ambiguous, and that the
truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are
ignorant of tradition. For [they allege] that the
truth was not delivered by means of written documents, but
vivâ voce: wherefore also
Paul declared, But we speak wisdom among those that are perfect, but not the wisdom of this world.
1 Corinthians 2:6 And this wisdom each one of them alleges to be the fiction of his own inventing, forsooth; so that, according to their idea, the
truth properly resides at one time in
Valentinus, at another in
Marcion, at another in
Cerinthus, then afterwards in
Basilides, or has even been indifferently in any other opponent, who could speak nothing pertaining to
salvation. For every one of these men, being altogether of a perverse disposition, depraving the system of
truth, is not ashamed to preach himself.
2. But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, [and] which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth. For [they maintain] that the
apostles intermingled the things of the law with the words of the Saviour; and that not the
apostles alone, but even the Lord Himself, spoke as at one time from the
Demiurge, at another from the intermediate place, and yet again from the Pleroma, but that they themselves, indubitably, unsulliedly, and purely, have
knowledge of the hidden
mystery: this is, indeed, to
blaspheme their Creator after a most impudent manner!
It comes to this, therefore, that these men do now consent neither to Scripture nor to tradition.
3. Such are the adversaries with whom we have to deal, my very dear friend, endeavouring like slippery serpents to escape at all points. Where-fore they must be opposed at all points, if per-chance, by cutting off their retreat, we may succeed in turning them back to the
truth. For, though it is not an easy thing for a
soul under the influence of
error to repent, yet, on the other hand, it is not altogether impossible to escape from
error when the
truth is brought alongside it.
CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, III.3 (St. Irenaeus)
A refutation of the heretics, from the fact that, in the various Churches, a perpetual succession of bishops was kept up.
1. It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times; those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these [heretics] rave about. For if the
apostles had
known hidden
mysteries, which they were in the
habit of imparting to the perfect apart and privily from the rest, they would have delivered them especially to those to whom they were also committing the Churches themselves. For they were desirous that these men should be very perfect and blameless in all things, whom also they were leaving behind as their successors, delivering up their own place of government to these men; which men, if they discharged their functions honestly, would be a great boon [to the
Church], but if they should fall away, the direst calamity.
2. Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the
Churches,
we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority [potiorem principalitatem].
3.
The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed
apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the
apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the
apostles. In the time of this Clement, no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at
Corinth, the
Church in Rome dispatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace, renewing their
faith, and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the
apostles, proclaiming the one
God,
omnipotent, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of
man, who brought on the deluge, and called
Abraham, who led the people from the land of
Egypt, spoke with
Moses, set forth the law, sent the
prophets, and who has prepared fire for the
devil and his
angels. From this document, whosoever chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the
Churches,
and may also understand the apostolic tradition of the Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating
falsehood, and who conjure into
existence another god beyond the Creator and the Maker of all existing things. To this Clement there succeeded Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the
apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was
gloriously martyred; then
Hyginus; after him,
Pius; then after him,
Anicetus.
Soter having succeeded
Anicetus,
Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the
apostles, hold the inheritance of the
episcopate.
In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.
4. But
Polycarp also was not only instructed by
apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by
apostles in Asia, appointed
bishop of the
Church in
Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man,
gloriously and most nobly suffering
martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the
apostles, and which the
Church has handed down, and which alone are
true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded
Polycarp down to the present time — a man who was of much greater weight, and a more steadfast
witness of
truth, than
Valentinus, and
Marcion, and the rest of the
heretics. He it was who, coming to
Rome in the time of
Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid
heretics to the
Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole
truth from the
apostles — that, namely, which is handed down by the
Church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the
disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at
Ephesus, and perceiving
Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because
Cerinthus, the enemy of the
truth, is within. And
Polycarp himself replied to
Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, Do you
know me? I do
know you, the
first-born of
Satan. Such was the horror which the
apostles and their
disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the
truth; as
Paul also says, A man that is an
heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject;
knowing that he that is such is subverted, and
sins, being condemned of himself.
Titus 3:10 There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so, and are anxious about their
salvation, can learn the character of his
faith, and the preaching of the
truth. Then, again, the
Church in
Ephesus, founded by
Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of
Trajan, is a
true witness of the tradition of the
apostles.
CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, III.4 (St. Irenaeus)
The truth is to be found nowhere else but in the Catholic Church, the sole depository of apostolic doctrine. Heresies are of recent formation, and cannot trace their origin up to the apostles.
1.
Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life. Revelation 22:17 For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid
them, but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the
Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the
truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the
apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question?
For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches?
2. To which course many nations of those barbarians who
believe in Christ do assent, having
salvation written in their hearts by the
Spirit, without paper or ink, and,
carefully preserving the ancient tradition, believing in one
God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, by means of
Christ Jesus, the
Son of God; who, because of His surpassing
love towards His creation, condescended to be born of the virgin, He Himself uniting man through Himself to
God, and having suffered under
Pontius Pilate, and rising again, and having been received up in splendour, shall come in
glory, the Saviour of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged, and sending into
eternal fire those who transform the
truth, and despise His Father and His advent. Those who, in the absence of written documents, have
believed this
faith, are barbarians, so far as regards our language; but as regards doctrine, manner, and tenor of life, they are, because of
faith, very wise indeed; and they do please
God, ordering their conversation in all righteousness,
chastity, and wisdom. If any one were to preach to these men the inventions of the
heretics, speaking to them in their own language, they would at once stop their ears, and flee as far off as possible, not enduring even to listen to the
blasphemous address. Thus, by means of that ancient tradition of the
apostles, they do not suffer their mind to conceive anything of the [doctrines suggested by the] portentous language of these teachers, among whom neither
Church nor doctrine has ever been established.
3. For, prior to
Valentinus, those who follow
Valentinus had no
existence; nor did those from
Marcion exist before
Marcion; nor, in short, had any of those malignant-minded people, whom I have above enumerated, any being previous to the initiators and inventors of their perversity. For
Valentinus came to
Rome in the time of
Hyginus, flourished under
Pius, and remained until
Anicetus. Cerdon, too,
Marcion's predecessor, himself arrived in the time of
Hyginus, who was the ninth
bishop. Coming frequently into the
Church, and making public confession, he thus remained, one time teaching in secret, and then again making public confession; but at last, having been denounced for corrupt teaching, he was
excommunicated from the assembly of the brethren.
Marcion, then, succeeding him, flourished under
Anicetus, who held the tenth place of the
episcopate. But the rest, who are called
Gnostics, take rise from Menander, Simon's
disciple, as I have shown; and each one of them appeared to be both the father and the
high priest of that doctrine into which he has been initiated. But all these (the Marcosians) broke out into their
apostasy much later, even during the intermediate period of the
Church.
CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, IV.26 (St. Irenaeus)
The treasure hid in the Scriptures is Christ; the true exposition of the Scriptures is to be found in the Church alone.
1. If any one, therefore, reads the
Scriptures with attention, he will find in them an account of
Christ, and a foreshadowing of the new calling (
vocationis). For Christ is the treasure which was hid in the field,
Matthew 13:44 that is, in this world (for the field is the world
Matthew 13:38); but the treasure hid in the
Scriptures is Christ, since He was pointed out by means of types and
parables. Hence His
human nature could not be understood, prior to the consummation of those things which had been predicted, that is, the advent of
Christ. And therefore it was said to Daniel the
prophet: Shut up the words, and seal the book even to the time of consummation, until many learn, and
knowledge be completed. For at that time, when the dispersion shall be accomplished, they shall
know all these things.
Daniel 12:4, 7 But Jeremiah also says, In the last days they shall understand these things.
Jeremiah 23:20 For every
prophecy, before its fulfilment, is to men [full of] enigmas and ambiguities. But when the time has arrived, and the prediction has come to pass, then the prophecies have a clear and certain exposition. And for this reason, indeed, when at this present time the law is read to the
Jews, it is like a fable; for they do not possess the explanation of all things pertaining to the advent of the
Son of God, which took place in
human nature; but when it is read by the
Christians, it is a treasure, hid indeed in a field, but brought to light by the cross of
Christ, and explained, both enriching the understanding of
men, and showing forth the wisdom of
God and declaring His dispensations with regard to
man, and forming the kingdom of Christ beforehand, and preaching by anticipation the inheritance of the
holy Jerusalem, and proclaiming beforehand that the man who loves God shall arrive at such excellency as even to see
God, and hear His word, and from the hearing of His discourse be
glorified to such an extent, that others cannot behold the
glory of his countenance, as was said by Daniel: Those who do understand, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and many of the righteous as the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:3 Thus, then, I have shown it to be, if any one read the
Scriptures. For thus it was that the Lord discoursed with the
disciples after His
resurrection from the dead, proving to them from the
Scriptures themselves that
Christ must suffer, and enter into His
glory, and that remission of
sins should be preached in His name throughout all the world.
Luke 24:26, 47 And the
disciple will be
perfected, and [rendered] like the householder, who brings forth from his treasure things new and old.
Matthew 13:52
2.
Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters who are in the Church — those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father. But [it is also incumbent] to hold in suspicion others who depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together in any place whatsoever, [looking upon them] either as heretics of perverse minds, or as schismatics puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites, acting thus for the sake of lucre and vainglory. For all these have fallen from the truth. And the
heretics, indeed, who bring strange fire to the altar of God — namely,
strange doctrines— shall be burned up by the fire from heaven, as were Nadab and Abiud.
Leviticus 10:1-2 But such as rise up in opposition to the
truth, and exhort others against the
Church of God, [shall] remain among those in
hell (
apud inferos), being swallowed up by an earthquake, even as those who were with Chore, Dathan, and Abiron.
Numbers 16:33 But those who cleave asunder, and separate the unity of the
Church, [shall] receive from God the same punishment as
Jeroboam did.
1 Kings 14:10
3. Those, however, who are
believed to be
presbyters by many, but serve their own
lusts, and, do not place the
fear of God supreme in their hearts, but conduct themselves with contempt towards others, and are puffed up with the
pride of holding the chief seat, and work
evil deeds in secret, saying, No man sees us, shall be convicted by the Word, who does not judge after outward appearance (
secundum gloriam), nor looks upon the countenance, but the heart; and they shall hear those words, to be found in Daniel the
prophet: O you seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and
lust perverted your heart. You that are waxen old in
wicked days, now your
sins which you have committed aforetime have come to light; for you have pronounced false judgments, and have been accustomed to condemn the innocent, and to let the guilty go free, albeit the Lord says, The innocent and the righteous shall you not slay. Of whom also did the Lord say: But if the
evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming, and shall begin to smite the man-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink and be drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
4.
From all such persons, therefore, it behooves us to keep aloof, but to adhere to those who, as I have already observed, do hold the doctrine of the apostles, and who, together with the order of priesthood (presbyterii ordine), display sound speech and blameless conduct for the confirmation and correction of others. In this way,
Moses, to whom such a leadership was entrusted, relying on a good
conscience, cleared himself before
God, saying, I have not in
covetousness taken anything belonging to one of these men, nor have I done
evil to one of them.
Numbers 16:15 In this way, too, Samuel, who judged the people so many years, and bore rule over
Israel without any
pride, in the end cleared himself, saying, I have walked before you from my childhood even unto this day: answer me in the sight of
God, and before His anointed (
Christi ejus); whose ox or whose ass of yours have I taken, or over whom have I tyrannized, or whom have I oppressed? Or if I have received from the hand of any a
bribe or [so much as] a shoe, speak out against me, and I will restore it to you.
1 Samuel 12:3 And when the people had said to him, You have not tyrannized, neither have you oppressed us, neither have you taken ought of any man's hand, he called the Lord to
witness, saying, The Lord is
witness, and His Anointed is
witness this day, that you have not found ought in my hand. And they said to him, He is
witness. In this strain also the
Apostle Paul, inasmuch as he had a good
conscience, said to the Corinthians: For we are not as many, who corrupt the
Word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of
God, in the sight of
God speak we in Christ;
2 Corinthians 2:17 We have injured no man, corrupted no man, circumvented no man.
2 Corinthians 7:2
5. Such
presbyters does the
Church nourish, of whom also the
prophet says: I will give your rulers in peace, and your
bishops in righteousness.
Isaiah 60:17 Of whom also did the Lord declare, Who then shall be a faithful steward (
actor), good and wise, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give them their meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when He comes, shall find so doing.
Matthew 24:45-46 Paul then, teaching us where one may find such, says,
God has placed in the
Church, first,
apostles; secondly,
prophets; thirdly, teachers.
1 Corinthians 12:28 Where, therefore, the gifts of the Lord have been placed, there it behooves us to learn the
truth, [namely,] from those who possess that succession of the
Church which is from the
apostles, and among whom exists that which is sound and blameless in conduct, as well as that which is unadulterated and incorrupt in speech. For these also preserve this
faith of ours in one God who created all things; and they increase that
love [which we have] for the
Son of God, who accomplished such marvellous dispensations for our sake: and they expound the
Scriptures to us without danger, neither
blaspheming God, nor dishonouring the patriarchs, nor despising the
prophets.