** The proof lies in the fact that the Catholic church alone corresponds exactly to the exact religion established by Christ. Now, the Christian religion is that religion which–**
a.) Was founded by Christ personally
b.) Has existed continuously since the time of Christ;
c.) Is Catholic or Universal, in accordance with Christ’s command to go to all the the world and teach all nations;
d.) Demands that all her members admit the same doctrine;
e.) Exercises Divine authority over her subjects, since Christ said that if a man would not hear the Church he would be as the heathen.
**## That also fits Orthodoxy. At least, so an Orthodox Christian could say. ****It’s valid as a proof of Catholicism’s validity only on Rome’s presuppositions. **
**Claims are no proof of anything, if nothing supports them - you could claim to be Karl Rove: I hope that’s not proof you are.
I can’t think off-hand of a Christian body that would not claim to hold, in some way if not in the RC way, all five points listed. **
**“Hear[ing] the C/church”,
in its context, may mean the local church - & Catholics are not alone in having them. And others than Rome claim to exercise Divine authority. **
Now the Catholic church alone can claim–
a.) To have been founded by Christ personally. All other churches disappear as you go back through history. Christ said “Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my church.” Matt 16:18
Not so fast - your position takes for granted that the this particular RC understanding of the text is the only possible right one. There is more than one way to be a Church - as is clear enough from the history of RCism.
It’s also possible that what we call Protestantism is a visible social form of tendencies latent in the Apostolic Church that became wrong only when they took a visible social form as a protest against the Catholic Church. So on this theory the Apostles were pre-Catholic, pre-Orthodox, pre-Protestant; & Catholicism included a lot of what after the big Reformation split would be called Protestant. Put another way, Protestantism contains a great deal that is in direct genetic continuity with what, some time after the Apostles, was to become known as Catholicism; & therefore is in DGC with the teaching of the Apostles too.
Whether any Church’s teaching is also
genuinely Christian in character, is another matter: DGC can’t ensure this.
There are many claimants to the honor of being Christ’s Church. But among all non-Catholic Churches, we find one built by John Wesley, another on a Martin Luther, another on a Mrs. Eddy, etc…
But the Catholic church alone can possibly claim to have been built on Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and one-time Bishop of Rome.
b.) To have existed in all the centuries since Christ
c.) That every one of her members admits exactly the same essential doctrines
d.) To be Catholic or Universal
e.) To speak with a voice of true authority in the name of God.
**
**
I think I’ve dealt with these points, by implication if not explicitly.
There’s a deeper question - would a positive proof be a good thing ?
