British Non-Catholic Historian on Historical Longevity of the Roman Catholic Church.
July 12, 2023 at 6:53 am
(This post was last modified: July 12, 2023 at 7:02 am by Nishant Xavier.
Edit Reason: removed duplicate sentence and added some detail
)
British Non-Catholic Historian Thomas Macaulay wrote about the Catholic Church: "There is not, and there never was on this earth, a work of human policy so well deserving of examination as the Roman Catholic Church. The history of that Church joins together the two great ages of human civilisation. No other institution is left standing which carries the mind back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs. That line we trace back in an unbroken series, from the Pope who crowned Napoleon in the nineteenth century to the Pope who crowned Pepin in the eighth; and far beyond the time of Pepin the august dynasty extends, till it is lost in the twilight of fable. The republic of Venice came next in antiquity. But the republic of Venice was modern when compared with the Papacy; and the republic of Venice is gone, and the Papacy remains.
The Papacy remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of life and youthful vigour. The Catholic Church is still sending forth to the farthest ends of the world missionaries as zealous as those who landed in Kent with Augustin, and still confronting hostile kings with the same spirit with which she confronted Attila. The number of her children is greater than in any former age. Her acquisitions in the New World have more than compensated for what she has lost in the Old. Her spiritual ascendency extends over the vast countries which lie between the plains of the Missouri and Cape Horn, countries which a century hence, may not improbably contain a population as large as that which now inhabits Europe. The members of her communion are certainly not fewer than a hundred and fifty millions; and it will be difficult to show that all other Christian sects united amount to a hundred and twenty millions.
Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her long dominion is approaching. She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca. And she may still exist in undiminished vigour when some traveller from New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude, take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's."
If the Catholic Church was allegedly not of divine origin and just, as this same historian, says, "a work of human policy (albeit, one well deserving of examination", isn't it rather surprising it even got off the ground to begin with, beginning with 1 Carpenter, and 12 Poor Disciples, and has endured 2000 years? This cannot be compared to other religions, for e.g. Hinduism, which was traditionally the religion of an entire nation; nor of Islam, since Mohammed had armed warriors following him right from the time of his own life. Meanwhile - and I heard recently on this forum that Christianity was allegedly started by "goat herders", presumably Shepherds; actually, it was started by 1 Carpenter, Jesus Christ, who would have worked at His earthly father's business, to provide for His Mother and Family, before starting His Ministry; as well as 12 poor disciples, most of whom were fisherman. So, what gives? How did Christianity endure? It would have been like 0.000001% of the population at that time. The Sanhedrin was much more powerful. And yet it was opposed to Christianity. And Pagan Rome was even more powerful. And yet it was even more opposed to Christianity, in the beginning, before Christianity triumphed there as well, then later in the rest of Europe, through St. Patrick, St. Augustine of Canterbury Macaualay mentions etc. So, again, what gives? How did Christianity even survive?
Thoughts?
Let's Debate.
Regards,
Xavier.
The Papacy remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of life and youthful vigour. The Catholic Church is still sending forth to the farthest ends of the world missionaries as zealous as those who landed in Kent with Augustin, and still confronting hostile kings with the same spirit with which she confronted Attila. The number of her children is greater than in any former age. Her acquisitions in the New World have more than compensated for what she has lost in the Old. Her spiritual ascendency extends over the vast countries which lie between the plains of the Missouri and Cape Horn, countries which a century hence, may not improbably contain a population as large as that which now inhabits Europe. The members of her communion are certainly not fewer than a hundred and fifty millions; and it will be difficult to show that all other Christian sects united amount to a hundred and twenty millions.
Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her long dominion is approaching. She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca. And she may still exist in undiminished vigour when some traveller from New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude, take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's."
If the Catholic Church was allegedly not of divine origin and just, as this same historian, says, "a work of human policy (albeit, one well deserving of examination", isn't it rather surprising it even got off the ground to begin with, beginning with 1 Carpenter, and 12 Poor Disciples, and has endured 2000 years? This cannot be compared to other religions, for e.g. Hinduism, which was traditionally the religion of an entire nation; nor of Islam, since Mohammed had armed warriors following him right from the time of his own life. Meanwhile - and I heard recently on this forum that Christianity was allegedly started by "goat herders", presumably Shepherds; actually, it was started by 1 Carpenter, Jesus Christ, who would have worked at His earthly father's business, to provide for His Mother and Family, before starting His Ministry; as well as 12 poor disciples, most of whom were fisherman. So, what gives? How did Christianity endure? It would have been like 0.000001% of the population at that time. The Sanhedrin was much more powerful. And yet it was opposed to Christianity. And Pagan Rome was even more powerful. And yet it was even more opposed to Christianity, in the beginning, before Christianity triumphed there as well, then later in the rest of Europe, through St. Patrick, St. Augustine of Canterbury Macaualay mentions etc. So, again, what gives? How did Christianity even survive?
Thoughts?
Let's Debate.
Regards,
Xavier.
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