Catholic False Reasoning.
In a Catholic book entitled, The Faith of Our Fathers, a chapter on the "Infallibility of the Popes," contains the following:— "Thus, in the third century, Pope St. Stephen reverses the decision of St. Cyprian of Carthage, and of a Council of African Bishops, regarding a question of baptism." The conduct of Stephen, on this occasion affords evidence of the arrogance of the Bishop of Rome; but the fact that Cyprian, sustained by a council of bishops, firmly and persistently denied the authority of Stephen to do as he did, is conclusive evidence that the usurpations of the Romish Bishop were not well established nor generally acknowledged at that time. It is well known that the honor paid to a bishop in that age was not according to his rank and dignity in the church, nor his piety, but according to the importance of the city where he resided. This was the sole reason why Constantine gave the first place to the Bishop of Rome—it was the chief city of the empire. And it was in like manner decided that the Bishop of Constantinople should be second in rank, because it was the second city of the empire, exalted to be a capital by Constantine, and sometimes called "the second Rome." But the churches which were not moved by the same ideas of national pomp and splendor, did not accord to the Roman Bishop the authority which he claimed by virtue of his location, though they were willing to give what they considered to be the honor due to his position. The right to the title of Universal Bishop, Sovereign Pontiff,—in fact, the claim of a popedom, was an afterthought, brought in to sustain arrogant claims which had grown up under the grant of Constantine. Cyprian was recognized as a "saint," and is so denominated to this day by the Catholic church, yet he firmly resisted the encroachments of Stephen upon the liberties of the churches. Why did he retain such honor in the churches if the universal supremacy of the Bishop of Rome was acknowledged at that time, seeing that he opposed the idea of such supremacy? Perhaps we speak amiss in saying "he opposed the idea of such supremacy," for the idea had hardly taken form then; he opposed Stephen's efforts to assume a privilege which might lead to it.