Post published by One Eyed Owl

catholic in their context doesn’t mean Papist

The delegate of the Bishop of Rome would attend the major councils... The bishop of Rome was acknowledged as the leader of the church.....

This is a quote from a famous church father, Optatus of milevis on the papacy in the 4th century:. "You cannot then deny that you do know that upon Peter first in the City of Rome was bestowed the Episcopal Cathedra, on which sat Peter, the Head of all the Apostles (for which reason he was called Cephas), that, in this one Cathedra, unity should be preserved by all, lest the other Apostles might claim—-each for himself—-separate Cathedras, so that he who should set up a second Cathedra against the unique Cathedra would already be a schismatic and a sinner."

From the council of Ephesus:. "Philip, presbyter and legate of [Pope Celestine I] said: ‘We offer our thanks to the holy and venerable synod, that when the writings of our holy and blessed pope had been read to you . . . you joined yourselves to the holy head also by your holy acclamations. For your blessedness is not ignorant that the head of the whole faith, the head of the apostles, is blessed Peter the apostle’” (Acts of the Council, session 2

The above quote by the papal legate himself shows that the pope was widely acknowledged as the head of the church even in councils....

Cyprian of Carthage
[Matt. 16:18–19]. On him [Peter] the Lord builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], .........yet he founded a single chair.......Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. . . . If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? "

The above quote is from Cyprian, one of the prominent fathers of the church

This letter from St. Jerome to pope Damascus I is extremely explicit on the papacy: "“I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness [Pope Damasus I], that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that this is the rock on which the Church has been built. Whoever eats the Lamb outside this house is profane. Anyone who is not in the ark of Noah will perish when the flood prevails” (Letters 15:2 [A.D. 396]).

St. AUGUSTINE himself acknowledges the leadership role of the papacy over the entire church.. read these his own words:. "Augustine
“If the very order of episcopal succession is to be considered, how much more surely, truly, and safely do we number them [the bishops of Rome] from Peter himself, to whom, as to one representing the whole Church, the Lord said, ‘Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer it.’ Peter was succeeded by Linus, Linus by Clement. … In this order of succession a Donatist bishop is not to be found”

Hear what the council of Chalcedon says:. "Council of Chalcedon
“Wherefore the most holy and blessed Leo, archbishop of the great and elder Rome, through us, and through this present most holy synod, together with the thrice blessed and all-glorious Peter the apostle, who is the rock and foundation of the Catholic Church, and the foundation of the orthodox faith, has stripped him [Dioscorus] of the episcopate” (Acts of the Council, session 3 [A.D. 451]).

The early Church, together with the Church fathers was Catholic in nature, acknowledging the spiritual supremacy of the papacy and catholic doctrines like the Eucharist.... There are too many quotes for me to put.....

I know much more about Luther and protestantism than you my friend.... No context excuses the utterly evil words that Luther uttered...

Luther and the other Protestant founders were nothing else but schismatics, shattering the Church of Christ into a thousand pieces and introducing false doctrines....

@hillmountain I respect your point of view and enjoy your engagement in the debate. The elect of God (saved by grace) is the universal church in my opinion. I'm sure we have them on both sides of the aisle? Do you consider Protestants who follow Luther to be ineligible of Gods grace? Would not all Christians comprise the universal church?

And yes you are truly good with history. I love that

Protestants who follow Luther are definitely Christians, eligible for God's grace and they are my brethren, but I believe they are mistaken to be following a schismatic....

God will save everyone, even non Christians who are mistaken but virtuous, but he has instituted the Catholic Church from which schism is a grave sin.... I'm not blaming innocent Protestants who were born and raised in protestantism at all, but those who fragmented the Church and led so many astray with false doctrines ( Luther, Calvin etc)

Read again this ancient letter from St. Jerome to Pope Innocent I. "I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness [Pope Damasus I], that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that this is the rock on which the Church has been built. Whoever eats the Lamb outside this house is profane. Anyone who is not in the ark of Noah will perish when the flood prevails” (Letters 15:2 [A.D. 396]

Jerome warns that we should not break off communion from the chair of Peter, on whom Christ built the Church.... Exactly what the supposed "reformers" did

you do not know more about history than anyone else in this forum. you are not smarter than us, you are not more theologically adept than us. You are a miserable and disgusting sinner just like I am. if you really think that Luther's words can't be explained with context, than you havent read Luther.