Of course, one could simply argue that Jerome is wrong (though one would then have to posit where he would get such a theory, particularly since Jerome is one of the most erudite historians and scholars in the early church). But it is significant that Jerome’s proposal accords with the unanimous testimony of the evidence from the time in question. This makes it extremely difficult to avoid the conclusion that apostolic succession, as Jerome teaches, is “custom” rather than jure divino.
