Well, you have to do everything you can to safeguard the special class of "priest" in the Romish church, because without it the Mass and the Eucharist would cease to exist. Isn't it interesting how very much like the OT, the Catholic Church is? Instead of the Priesthood of Believers, they still retain a special class of Priests that must reside over certain things that a normal Christian has no privilege or "authority" to do. (A normal Christian would not want to anyway). Instead of NT grace we find OT system of works.
If Catholicism really IS the one and only Church founded by Jesus Christ, then its organization, its doctrines and its liturgies should dovetail with what is known about the apostolic Church. But, when the written records are consulted - those found in the Bible, the history books and the writings of the early Church saints, many are hard pressed to find how today's Roman Catholic Church is even remotely related to the Church instituted by Christ and propagated by His Disciples. What most find is a religion, not of grace, but of works, governed not by independent bishops, but of a self-styled monarch and "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt 15:9)
The Catholic apologists are a tireless lot for sure as they deliberately engage in the "aging" of doctrines to create for Rome a reputation of great antiquity, stability and holiness combined with absolute, God-given authority. Their tireless efforts have yielded the desired results for almost 1 billion people (the Faithful) presently think it is the SAME EXACT FAITH instituted by Christ and His Apostles.
But all the claims of longevity are just that: CLAIMS. All of Rome's propaganda about Catholicism's antiquity is self-assumed and has no relationship whatever to the truth. The RCC is full of CLAIMS unsubstantiated by history, the Holy Scriptures or the writings of early church saints. It is amazing how undaunted Rome is in the face of reality and truth continuing to insist that Catholicism is the one and only true Church founded by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ presides over an "organic" body of Believers and not over a multi-billion dollar organization.
Of Catholicism's many heresies this must be cited as the first and foremost one - that the RCC is the church founded by Jesus Christ. Then, all the rest of their heresies emanate from this one. And this is why Rome has such antipathy for the Scriptures.
I will continue with another 20 beliefs that are considered Oral Tradition and cannot be found in the Scriptures. We will then have 60 beliefs called Oral Tradition that have no basis in Scripture.
Many forget that the Lord did not just leave 12 Apostles on earth but 120 disciples. They were all indwelt by and filled with the Holy Spirit who empowered them to carry the Gospel to the whole world. Not one of the 120 disciples was a Catholic, nor were Peter, James, John, Thomas, or any of the other Apostles, Catholics. Those that came after them, Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Linus, Cletus, etc., were Christians, not Catholics. When Polycarp was martyred in the middle of the 2nd century a crowd of people called him "father of Christians". However, Polycarp declared, "I am a Christian". In the Bible we read, "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Act 11:26).
In 325AD, 225 years following the Apostolic church, was a synod of Christian, not Catholic bishops. It was convened and supervised by the emperor. Constantine, an alleged convert to Christianity, not Catholicism. At the time there were at least 1800 known Christian, not Catholic, churches, each one independent of the others, each led by its own bishop. The council was attended by 318 of those bishops, but Sylvester, the sitting bishop of Rome, (who is listed by the Vatican as a Catholic Pope) was not among them. Historically, the designation "Catholic" is not found in common usage until the fifth century. Church historian, Eusebius, writing in the 4th century, recorded events of Christendom's early years without once mentioning a Catholic Church. Near the start of the 5th century, Augustine, bishop of Hippo in Africa, was called by his mother a "Catholic Christian."
With these facts in mind, many conclude that what was passed on by Christ's disciples to their successors was not a religious denomination--Catholicism--but the simple grace based Christian faith from the Lord Jesus. History, the Bible, the writings of the early church saints, these offer no support whatever for Rome's claims that Catholicism was the one and only true church founded by Jesus; nor that Christ ordained Peter as bishop of Rome and the first pope. The so-called "holy sacrifice of the Mass," was unknown in the apostolic church; the Lord's Supper was a memorial, not a reenactment, of Calvary and there were no priests allegedly endowed with the power to take the place of Jesus here on earth. Baptism was not mandatory for salvation or receipt of the Holy Spirit. No works were required of the individual who wished to be saved, only faith in Christ Jesus.
I don't dispute that the Romish church emerged from apostolic Christianity. So did the eastern branch of Christendom, known today as the Orthodox Church. So did the Anabaptists, the Arians, the Docetists, the Marcions, the Ebionites, the Gnostics, etc. All emerged from the same Christian roots are are eloquent proof that common beginnings do not guarantee truth will be the end result.
Axehead
Many thanks to my good friend John in Georgia for educating me about these things.
