Yup. The Church in Rome was then and still is headed by one bishop.
And it is true that here had been many local councils where local bishops, priests, and deacons gathered to issue canons to the faithful prior to Constantine. Did those local bishops, priests, and deacons that gathered to issue canons issue any canons that were OPPOSITE of Catholic teaching? (the answer is NO) In any of those councils BEFORE Constantine did they ever call The Church "Catholic"? (the answer is yes)
All the Christian Churches throughout the world BEFORE Constantine had the same "Catholic" teaching that The Church has today. That is why Constantine was able to call together all the Bishops from all the churches all over the world because they were UNITED in One faith with One teaching. The reason why Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea was to resolve the controversy over Arius’ teaching that Christ Jesus was not consubstantial with God the Father. Therefore, it then follows that for there to have been a heresy or even an counter belief to create a controversy, there must have been prior to Arianism a well-established belief about the nature Jesus Christ in a Church community that all agreed with this understanding. Otherwise, the teachings of Arius would not have caused such a controversy.
Mary
Well if you can give a brief summation of the one teaching, I can either agree or disagree with you.
Teh church was very divided and different towns held differing beliefs often during teh first three centuries.
Teh first major dividsion was Jew/Gentile
then came gnostics
Then came the greek philosophy invasion.
Then also was the lack of teaching in the second and third centuries due to churches having limited copies of the letters that became the bible.
Now I am grateful for Constantine ending the siege though ultimately it was disastrous for the church. It allowed the church to com e ully out and discuss and finally settle on correct doctrine which became the New Testament. But even many of these first councils were noted for intense arguing and division.
there were many wolves that sprang upon the church. Arianism, had swept much of the church! It even corrupted Origen for a time!
so please do not pretend the church was united in one faith. Even soteriology was divided between teh grace +0 crownd and the grace +works crowd!.
I believe in the catholic church For the church is universal comprised of all saved within all sects of Christendom. I do not accept the Catholic Church (most noted by the RCC), Iti is not the church established.
YOu also must remember that there was a church in rome with a bishop in rome long before Peter went there. He never was the Bishop of Rome. that is unsubstantiated tradition.