 the Biblical practice of having bishops) and liturgical practices have their essential roots in the teachings and practices of the Apostles and early Christian community, and are not the result of radical changes introduced by either the imperial government or wave of pagan converts in the 4th century.They hold that elements of modern orthodox teachings can be traced back to the tradition of those known as the Ante-Nicene Fathers whose writings have some information about the sacraments, organizational structure, and general Christian lifestyle.Catholics may see the "great apostasy" as referring to a future "falling away," using the quote from 2 Thess.