Well, to answer a thing or two,
“Yeah, actually it is. Check the Oxford English Dictionary “
The Roman Catholic Church uses the name in its own publications. It lists itself in the Yellow Pages under Churches, Roman Catholic. Etc. It is the church that continued in Rome when there was a dispute as to the authority in the organized church. There was a split: Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
Protestants not even being around at that point, in any organized sense, you can hardly blame us for the Roman Catholic name. And since the Roman Catholics embrace and use the name, there is no reason to pretend otherwise.
” If you are implying that I believe the Catholic Church is the only Church sent by God, that is most certainly true. “
I don’t think the church was “sent.” I think it was set up, by God.
The Protestant Church in general; all those denominations which remain faithful to the word of God therein, to be more specific; I view these as the continuing, apostolic church.
As the Church split, first into Easter Orthodox and Roman Catholic; and then degenerated as it embraced increasingly unorthodox beliefs and practices; those within it who resisted the unbiblical and pushed for reforms and worshiped God alone were the ones who were the real church. As the reforms became more vigorous, in the face of continuing decline, I see the reformers as being the continuing church. Not the apostates that were left behind.
So you see, it is a matter of perspective. You see the Roman Catholics of today as being the continuing faithful. I see the Bible believing Protestants of today as being the continuing faithful.
But I do believe that all within the RC church who trust in Christ for salvation, not their own works or the works of the saints or so forth, are saved. As well as all those in the Protestant churches who believe the same.
As for presumption, well, I guess you could call it that. I call it trust. I trust Jesus. I believe what He says. He says that those who trust in Him are His. I presume He is telling the truth.
You wrote:
“The Roman Catholic Church uses the name in its own publications.”
In some - by convention. In England - and we all speak English here - it was against the law for it to call itself anything else but the name Protestants had given it. But that isn’t what the Catholic Church called itself before that time or in countries other than England.
“It lists itself in the Yellow Pages under Churches, Roman Catholic. Etc.”
In some places maybe, but not others. It depends on the bishop and the phone company. In my diocese, they are all listed under “Catholic”.
“It is the church that continued in Rome when there was a dispute as to the authority in the organized church. There was a split: Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.”
No. There was a dispute between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Notice how you don’t call the EO Churches “Constantinoplian Orthodox”? That would be a silly made up name. Just like “Roman Catholic Church” is largely a made up name in English - made up by Protestants just as the Oxford English Dictionary proves.
“Protestants not even being around at that point, in any organized sense, you can hardly blame us for the Roman Catholic name.”
Oh, my gosh. Let me explain a few things to you since your public school education seems so lacking. The Catholic Church did not call itself “The Roman Catholic Church” suddenly after 1054. PROTESTANTS called it that after their 16th century break with the Church. They used the phrase in English because they were English Protestants and they advanced a theory that would later be called the Three Branches theory (i.e. that the “Roman Catholic”, Orthodox and Anglican churches were three equal branches of Christianity).
“And since the Roman Catholics embrace and use the name, there is no reason to pretend otherwise.”
Except that Catholic do not universally embrace the name. Don’t be dishonest. I’m Catholic and I don’t embrace it. It isn’t the name of the Catechism of the Catholic Church either. Notice that?
“I don’t think the church was “sent.” I think it was set up, by God.”
No, it was sent. Christ sent the Church into the world to convert it. It is not of this earth in itself. That’s why people refer to it as the pilgrim church on earth.
“The Protestant Church in general; all those denominations which remain faithful to the word of God therein, to be more specific; I view these as the continuing, apostolic church.”
And your view is ahistorical and illogical.
“As the Church split, first into Easter Orthodox and Roman Catholic;”
Nope. The Eastern Orthodox split from the Catholic. They, of course, have a different view but even they admit that they can’t have an ecumenical council without US. We don’t need them to do that, however. They left us. There was no split between two churches. There was a split by one group of churches from the Catholic Church.
“and then degenerated as it embraced increasingly unorthodox beliefs and practices;”
Nope. There was no “degeneration”. This is just a Protestant myth - much like the origins of the name “Roman Catholic” and is bolstered by the fact that most Protestants in America are public school products who read little and know even less.
“those within it who resisted the unbiblical and pushed for reforms and worshiped God alone were the ones who were the real church.”
False. All Catholics worshiped God alone and still do. By definition that is the only way it can be.
“As the reforms became more vigorous, in the face of continuing decline, I see the reformers as being the continuing church. Not the apostates that were left behind.”
And yet they were the apostates and there is no other way to logically look at them.
“So you see, it is a matter of perspective.”
Nope. It is a matter of history - irrefutable.
“You see the Roman Catholics of today as being the continuing faithful. I see the Bible believing Protestants of today as being the continuing faithful.”
Protestants do not believe in the Bible. They believe in their interpretation and distortions of it.
“But I do believe that all within the RC church who trust in Christ for salvation, not their own works or the works of the saints or so forth, are saved. As well as all those in the Protestant churches who believe the same.”
Your seem to have no understanding of reality whatsoever.
“As for presumption, well, I guess you could call it that. I call it trust. I trust Jesus. I believe what He says.”
I don’t see any evidence you do. After all Jesus founded one Church and it isn’t your sect.
“He says that those who trust in Him are His. I presume He is telling the truth.”
He is. And He wasn’t talking about your sect. Someone who entrusts himself to a sect over Christ’s Church is not trusting Christ but an apostate.