The Catholic Church _alone_ teaches doctrines which are _in all respects_ identical with those of the first teachers of the Gospel. The following parallel lines exhibit some examples of the departure of the Protestant bodies from the primitive teachings of Christianity, and the faithful adhesion of the Catholic Church to them.
Apostolic Church. Catholic Church. Protestant Churches.
1. Our Savior gives The Catholic Church All other Christian pre-eminence to Peter gives the primacy of communions practically over the other honor and jurisdiction deny Peter's supremacy Apostles: "I will give to Peter and to his over the other to thee the keys of the successors. Apostles. kingdom of heaven."(78) "Confirm thy brethren."(79) "Feed My lambs; feed My sheep."(80)
2. The Apostolic Church The Catholic Church All the Protestant claimed to be alone, of all the churches repudiate the infallible in her Christian communions, claim of infallibility. teachings. Hence the claims to exercise the They deny that such a Apostles spoke with prerogative of gift is possessed by unerring authority, and infallibility in her any teachers of their words were teaching. Her ministers religion. The ministers received not as human always speak from the pronounce no opinions, but as Divine pulpit as having authoritative truths. "When you have authority, and the doctrines, but advance received from us the faithful receive with opinions as embodying word of God, you implicit confidence their private received it not as the what the Church interpretation of the word of men, but (as it teaches, without once Scripture. And their is indeed) the word of questioning her hearers are never God."(81) "It hath veracity. required to believe seemed good to the Holy them, but are expected Ghost and to us," say to draw their own the assembled Apostles, conclusions from the "to lay no further Bible. burden upon you than these necessary things."(82) "Though an angel from heaven preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema."(83)
3. Our Savior enjoins The Church prescribes Protestants have no law and prescribes rules fasting to the faithful prescribing fasts, for fasting: "When thou at stated seasons, though some may fast fastest, anoint thy particularly during from private devotion. head and wash thy face, Lent. A Catholic priest They even try to cast that thou appear not to is always fasting when ridicule on fasting as men to fast ... and thy he officiates at the a work of Father, who seeth in altar. He breaks his supererogation, secret, will repay fast only after he says detracting from the thee."(84) The Apostles Mass. When Bishops merits of Christ. fasted before engaging ordain Priests they are Neither candidates for in sacred functions: always fasting, as well ordination, nor the "They ministered to the as the candidates for ministers who ordain Lord, and fasted."(85) ordination. them, ever fast on such "And when they ordained occasions. Priests in every city, they prayed with fasting."(86)
