ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə bˈɜːkɑːt, bᵻfˌoːɹ ðə pˌʌblɪkˈeɪʃən ʌv hɪz wˈɜːk, ðɪ ˈoʊnli pɹˈæktɪkəl wˈeɪ tə dɪtˈɜːmɪn wʌt ðɪ ˈɜːli kɹˈɪstʃənz bᵻlˈiːvd ɐbˌaʊt ˌɛni ɡˈɪvən tˈɑːpɪk wʌz tə ɹˈɛd ðɪ ˈæktʃuːəl ɹˈaɪɾɪŋz ʌvðɪ ˈæntiːnˈaɪsiːn fˈɑːðɚz ðɛmsˈɛlvz.
According to Bercot, before the publication of his work, the only practical way to determine what the early Christians believed about any given topic was to read the actual writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers themselves.