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However, this assertion of total silence is debatable from the standpoint of those who have been [[excommunication|excommunicated]]. Those who put forth theological or religious opinions or doctrines maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the 'catholic' or 'orthodox' doctrine of the Christian Church, were themselves not silent about what they regarded as a massive defection from the truth by the leading authorities and heads of the Christian Church. History knows them officially as those who were formally condemned by the Church and labelled as "heretics" for their teachings.<ref>[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Heresy OrthodoxWiki: "Heresy" (orthodoxwiki.org)] ''This site gives a list by name of the early individuals and movements condemned as heretical by the orthodox catholic Church''.</ref> Each of them was excommunicated for teaching a "different gospel" ([http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/galatians/1-6.htm Galatians 1:6]). Some of these claimed to be authentically proven prophets of God by signs and wonders and multitudes of followers. From their [[Specious reasoning|point of view]], history is not silent about what they regarded as a great apostasy of the orthodox catholic Christian Church from the truth, and they were vocal about it in their public preaching and their writings. Likewise, orthodox catholic theologians were not silent about condemning them as heretical teachers of doctrines of devils. But without exception, all of those movements condemned as heretical by catholic orthodoxy within the first four centuries of Christian history have either withered or died out and become extinct.<ref>See Jesus' warning in John 15:4-6. Compare the "stone" of Daniel 2:34, 44-45 and the "stone" of Matthew 16:18-19. <br>A partial list of early heretical movements which have become extinct or remain "withered" and insignificant today includes the following:

However, this assertion of total silence is debatable from the standpoint of those who have been [[excommunication|excommunicated]]. Those who put forth theological or religious opinions or doctrines maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the 'catholic' or 'orthodox' doctrine of the Christian Church, were themselves not silent about what they regarded as a massive defection from the truth by the leading authorities and heads of the Christian Church. History knows them officially as those who were formally condemned by the Church and labelled as "heretics" for their teachings.<ref>[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Heresy OrthodoxWiki: "Heresy" (orthodoxwiki.org)] ''This site gives a list by name of the early individuals and movements condemned as heretical by the orthodox catholic Church''.</ref> Each of them was excommunicated for teaching a "different gospel" ([http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/galatians/1-6.htm Galatians 1:6]). Some of these claimed to be authentically proven prophets of God by signs and wonders and multitudes of followers. From their [[Specious reasoning|point of view]], history is not silent about what they regarded as a great apostasy of the orthodox catholic Christian Church from the truth, and they were vocal about it in their public preaching and their writings. Likewise, orthodox catholic theologians were not silent about condemning them as heretical teachers of doctrines of devils. But without exception, all of those movements condemned as heretical by catholic orthodoxy within the first four centuries of Christian history have either withered or died out and become extinct.<ref>See Jesus' warning in John 15:4-6. Compare the "stone" of Daniel 2:34, 44-45 and the "stone" of Matthew 16:18-19. <br>A partial list of early heretical movements which have become extinct or remain "withered" and insignificant today includes the following:

::Circumcisers, <br> Judaizers, <br>Ebionites, <br>Docetism, <br>Simonianism, <br>Gnosticism, <br>Nicolaitanism, <br>Marcionism, <br>Messalianism, <br>Sethians, <br>Valentinianism, <br>Basilideanism, <br>Barchaisanitism, <br>Montanism, <br>Sabellianism, <br>Arianism,<br>Pelagianism, <br>Semi-Pelagianism, <br>Manicheanism, <br>Paulicianism.</ref> They each strongly contradicted one or more New Testament teachings, even rejecting some of the [[protocanonicals|protocanonical books of the Bible]] accepted by all Christians from the beginning of the church. Taken together they do not even represent a coherently unified theology of Christianity that could be called the one original apostolic Christian Gospel that the catholic orthodox Christian Church had apostatized from. The various doctrines and groups rejected by catholic orthodoxy even disagree with each other. Their own writings which survive to this day and can easily be obtained also demonstrate that not one of them represents or even resembles Mormon or Fundamentalist teachings. Conversely, Mormon and Fundamentalist Christian doctrines are not represented by any extant writings dated to the first four centuries of Christianity. This historical silence is taken by them as [[proof]] that the Great Apostasy from the truth of Evangelical Reformation Christianity ''must'' have occurred. See [[Circular reasoning]] and [[Proof by assertion]].

::Circumcisers, <br> Judaizers, <br>Ebionites, <br>Docetism, <br>Simonianism, <br>Gnosticism, <br>Nicolaitanism, <br>Marcionism, <br>Messalianism, <br>Sethians, <br>Valentinianism, <br>Basilideanism, <br>Barchaisanitism, <br>Montanism, <br>Sabellianism, <br>Arianism,<br>Pelagianism, <br>Semi-Pelagianism, <br>Manicheanism, <br>Paulicianism.</ref> They each strongly contradicted one or more New Testament teachings, even rejecting some of the [[protocanonicals|protocanonical books of the Bible]] accepted by all Christians from the beginning of the church. Taken together they do not even represent a coherently unified theology of Christianity that could be called the one original apostolic Christian Gospel that the catholic orthodox Christian Church had apostatized from. The various doctrines and groups rejected by catholic orthodoxy even disagree with each other. Their own writings which survive to this day and can easily be obtained also demonstrate that not one of them represents or even resembles Mormon or Fundamentalist teachings. Conversely, Mormon and Fundamentalist Christian doctrines are not represented by any extant writings dated to the first four centuries of Christianity. This historical silence is taken by them as [[proof]] that the Great Apostasy from the truth of Evangelical Reformation Christianity ''must'' have occurred. See [[Circular reasoning]] and [[Logical fallacy#Proof by assertion|Proof by assertion]].

====="''The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints''"=====

====="''The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints''"=====