Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 1.10
The Church has been spread throughout the whole world to the ends of the earth, and she received this faith from the Apostles and their disciples. It is faith in one God, the Father Almighty, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who through the prophets proclaimed the dispositions of God, the advent, the virgin birth, the passion, the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Jesus Christ our Lord. The Spirit also proclaimed His coming from heaven in the glory of the Father to recapitulate all things and to raise every flesh of the human race, so that every knee of heavenly, earthly, and infernal beings may bow to Christ Jesus our Lord and God and Savior and King, according to the will of the invisible Father (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11), and that He may execute just judgment upon all: He will send spiritual wickedness, the angels who transgressed and became apostates, and impious, unjust, iniquitous, and blasphemous men into eternal fire; but to the just, to those who keep His commandments and persevere in His love — whether from the beginning or through repentance — He will give incorruptible life as a reward and surround them with eternal glory.
Having received this preaching and this faith, as we said before, the Church, though scattered throughout the whole world, guards it carefully, as if dwelling in one house. She believes these things with one soul and one heart, and she preaches, teaches, and hands them down in perfect harmony, as if she had but one mouth. Although the languages of the world differ, the power of the tradition is one and the same. The churches in Germany, Spain, Gaul, the East, Libya, and the center of the world — none of them believe or hand down anything different. Just as the sun, God's creature, is one and the same across the whole world, so the preaching of the truth shines everywhere and enlightens all who desire to come to the knowledge of the truth.
No one who is powerful in speech among those who preside over the churches will say anything other than these things, for no one is above the Master. Nor will the one who is weak in speaking diminish the tradition. Since the faith is one and the same, neither does the one who can say much increase it, nor does the one who can say less diminish it.
Latin
EccLestA enim [et quidem] per universum orbem usque ad fines terre [dis|seminata, et ab Apostolis, et discipulis eorum accepit eam fidem, que est in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, qui fecit colum et terram, δὲ mare, et omnia quo $n eis sunt: et in unum Christum Jesum filium Dei, incarnatum pro nostra salute: et in Spiritum Sanctum, qui per Prophetas predicavit de ex dispositiones Dei, et adventum, et eam, qus est ex Virgine generationem, et passionem, et resurrectionem a mortuis, et in carne in ccelos ascensionem dilecti Jesu Christi Domini nostri, et de colis in gloria Patris adventum ejus, ad recapitulanda universa, et resuscitandam omnem earnem humani generis, ut Christo Jesu Domino nostro, et Deo, et Salvatori et Regi, secundum placitum Patris invisibilis omne genu curvet colestium, et terrestrium, et. infernorum, et omnis lingua confiteatur ei, et judicium justum in omnibus faciat: spiritalia quidem nequitia», et angelos transgressos, atque apostatas factos, et impios, et injustos, et iniquos, et blasphemos homines in sternum ignem mittat: justis autem et quis, et prsecepta ejus servantibus, et in dilectione ejus perseverantibus, quibusdam quidem ab initio, quibusdam autem ex poenitentia, vitam donans incorruptelam loco muneris conferat, et claritatem seternam circumdet. . Hance preedicationem cum acceperit, et hanc fidem, quemadmodum przediximus, Ecclesia, et quidem in universum mundum disseminata, diligenter custodit, quasi unam domum inhabitans: et similiter credit iis, videlicet. quasi unam animam habens et unum cor, et consonanter hsc prsdieat, et docet, et tradit, quasi unum possidens os. Nam etsi in mundo loquele dissimiles sunt, sed tamen virtus traditionis una et eadem est. Et neque he que in Germania sunt fundats ecclesise, aliter credunt, aut ahter tradunt: neque hz que in Hiberis sunt, neque he que in Celtis, neque hx quse in Oriente, neque hx que in neque he que in Libya, neque he qus in medio mundi sunt constituts: sed sicut sol creatura Dei in universo mundo unus et idem est; sic et 5(lumen,) preedicatio veritatis, ubique lucet, et illuminat omnes homines, qui volunt ad cognitionem veritatis venire. Et neque is qui valde prevalet in sermone, ex iis qui preesunt ecclesiis, alia quam hsec sunt dicet: nemo enim super magistrum est: neque infirmus in dicendo deminorabit traditionem, Cum enim una et eadem fides sit, neque is qui multum de ea potest dicere ampliat, neque is qui minus deminorat. Pius autem aut minus secundum prudentiam nosse quosnon in eo quod argumentum immutetur, efficitur, et alius Deus excogitetur preter fabricatorem, et factorem, et nutritorem hujus universitatis, quasi non ipse sufficiat nobis, aut alius Christus, aut alius Monogenes: sed in eo, quod omnia quz in parabolis dicta sunt exquirere, et adjungere veritatis argumento, et in eo, ut instrumentum et dispositionem Dei in genere humano factam enarrat: et quoniam magnanimus extitit Deus, et in transgressorum angelorum apostasia, et in inobedientia hominum, edisserere; et quare alia quidem temporalia, alia vero sterna, et quedam coelestia, qusedam terrena unus et idem [Deus] fecit, annunciare: et quare cum invisibilis sit, apparuit Prophetis Dei [Deus] non in una forma, sed aliis aliter, adesse: et quare testamenta multa tradita humano generi, annunciare, et quis sit uniuscujusque testamentorum character, docere: et quare conclusi omnia in incredulitatem Deus, ut universis misereatur, exquirere: et quare Verbum Dei caro factum est, et passus est, gratias agere: et quare in novissimis temporibus adventus Fili Dei, hoc est in fine apparuerit. et non in initio, annunciare : et de fine et de futuris, qu&ecunque posita sunt in Scripturis, revolvere: et quare desperatas Gentes cohzredes et concorporatas et participes Sanctorum fecit; Deus, non tacere: et quemadmodum mortalis cc caro eis ravra et corruptibile incorruptelam. annunciare et quemadmodum factus [/. fatus] est Qui non erat populus, populus : et dilecta, dilecta; et quemadmodum Plures filii ejus deserta est, magis quam ejus que habet virum, preconare. talibus enim et in similibus eis exclamavit, Apostolus: O a/titudo dieitiarum et sapientie οἱ agnitionis Dei! quam inscrutabilia Judicia ejus, et investigabiles eia gus. Sed non in eo, ut supra Creatorem et Fabricatorem, matrem ejus et illorum, Enthyerrantis adinvenires, et ad tantam pervenires blasphemiam: neque in eo quod est super hanc rursus Pleroma, aliquando quidem xxx. aliquando vero innumerabiles dines ZEonum mentiri: quemadmodum dicunt hi. qui vere sunt deserti a divina sententia magistri; cum ea, qus est Ecclesia universa, unam et eandem fidem habeat in universo mundo, quemadmodum prediximus’.