> no, the empire wasn't called a country. sure it was. > it always had primacy because of its foundation. wrong. this is just papist doctrine. anyway irenaeus was speaking at a time before constantine merged the roman pagan cultus with the roman bishopric. did you know constantine also held the title of pontiff maximus of the pagan cultus too? syncretism was his trick to unify the romans under one state religion because the christians had become too powerful just to kill 'em off. and they remained underground. > the holy roman church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our lord and savior in those days the roman bishop was the most aggressive at evangelism. but it was not held in an elevated state above the churches, as he says in your quote. also he wasn't around for just war doctrine and the slaughter of creed-believing christians that followed. i wonder what he would have thought about that. i think i know.
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