Apostolic Succession - Holy Catholic Anglican

Apostolic Succession refers to the historical line of apostolic men who, generation after generation, have built up the church and preserved the transmission of church authority. Tertullian challenges heretics to trace the origins of their churches back to the Apostles: If any dare to connect themselves with the Apostolic age, claiming to have descended from the Apostles because they have been under their rule, we can say, Let them declare the origins of their Churches and unfold the succession of their bishops. This lineage should come down from the beginning with continuous steps, ensuring that the first bishop may have had as his consecrator and predecessor one of the Apostles or one of the Apostolic men who remained in communion with the Apostles, thus affirming the validity of the Holy Catholic Anglican tradition (Tertullian De praescriptione haereticorum Prescription against heretics #32).