Lecture: There is no Salvation Outside the Catholic Church
by Fr. Arnold Damen S.J., 1877
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned."-Mark XVI. chap, and 16 verse.
My dearly beloved Christians, on Thursday evening last, from these words of our Divine Saviour I proved to you that faith is necessary for salvation, and without faith there is no salvation, without faith there is eternal damnation. Read your own Protestant Bible, 16th verse of St. Mark, and you will find it stronger there than in the Catholic Bible. Now, then, what kind of faith must a man have to be saved? Will any faith do? Why, if any faith will do, the devil himself will be saved, for the Bible says the devils believe and tremble. It is, therefore, not a matter of indifference what religion a man professes; he must profess the right and true religion, and without that there is no hope of salvation, for it stands to reason, my dear people, that if God reveals a thing or teaches a thing, He wants to be believed. Not to believe God is to insult God. Doubting His word, or to believe even with doubting and hesitating, is an insult to God, because it is doubting His sacred word. We must, therefore, believe without doubting, without hesitating.
I have said, out of the Catholic Church there is no divine faith-can be no divine faith out of that Church. Some of the Protestant friends will be shocked at this, to hear me say that out of the Catholic Church there is no divine faith, and that without faith there is no salvation, but damnation. I will prove all I have said. I have said that out of the Catholic Church there can be no divine faith. What is divine faith? When we believe a thing upon the authority of God, and believe it without doubting, without hesitating. Now, all our separated brethren outside of the Catholic Church, take the private interpretation of the Bible for their guide; but the private interpretation of the Bible can never give them divine faith.
Full article:
http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Father%20Daman%20Lecture%201.html
#salvation
by Fr. Arnold Damen S.J., 1877
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned."-Mark XVI. chap, and 16 verse.
My dearly beloved Christians, on Thursday evening last, from these words of our Divine Saviour I proved to you that faith is necessary for salvation, and without faith there is no salvation, without faith there is eternal damnation. Read your own Protestant Bible, 16th verse of St. Mark, and you will find it stronger there than in the Catholic Bible. Now, then, what kind of faith must a man have to be saved? Will any faith do? Why, if any faith will do, the devil himself will be saved, for the Bible says the devils believe and tremble. It is, therefore, not a matter of indifference what religion a man professes; he must profess the right and true religion, and without that there is no hope of salvation, for it stands to reason, my dear people, that if God reveals a thing or teaches a thing, He wants to be believed. Not to believe God is to insult God. Doubting His word, or to believe even with doubting and hesitating, is an insult to God, because it is doubting His sacred word. We must, therefore, believe without doubting, without hesitating.
I have said, out of the Catholic Church there is no divine faith-can be no divine faith out of that Church. Some of the Protestant friends will be shocked at this, to hear me say that out of the Catholic Church there is no divine faith, and that without faith there is no salvation, but damnation. I will prove all I have said. I have said that out of the Catholic Church there can be no divine faith. What is divine faith? When we believe a thing upon the authority of God, and believe it without doubting, without hesitating. Now, all our separated brethren outside of the Catholic Church, take the private interpretation of the Bible for their guide; but the private interpretation of the Bible can never give them divine faith.
Full article:
http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Father%20Daman%20Lecture%201.html
#salvation
No Salvation Outside the Catholic Church
by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876
St. Anicetus had the deepest compassion for the heretics on account of their eternal destruction, therefore, he left nothing untried to bring them to the knowledge of their error. St. Justinus did the same by the heathens, and pitying their blindness, he endeavored to win them to the Christian faith. Both believed, what ought to be an article of faith with every true Catholic; namely, that there is no salvation out of the Catholic Church. There are, at the present time many who believe that there are three religions in which a man can be saved: yes even that every man can gain salvation through his own belief. They give the same hope to those who are not Catholics as they do to those who are.
These false doctrines are worked out in hell to the destruction of many thousands of souls. The word of God clearly contradicts them, for it bears emphatic testimony that there is but "one Lord, one faith " (Ephes. iv.). That means, only one true God, only one true faith ; hence only one true soul-saving Church. This only true faith is the Holy Roman Catholic Faith, for it alone was taught by Christ and the Apostles. This is proved not only by the blood of many thousand martyrs, but also by the verbal and written instructions of the holy Fathers and by many miracles of the Almighty. This faith is the first Christian faith and has no one but Christ for its founder. Out of the pale of this faith no Saint has risen during 1800 years. Thus, also, the Catholic is the only true Church, because Christ has built it with the assurance that: "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" (St. Math. xvi.). Had she fallen into errors or superstition, as those pretend who live out of her pale, Christ would not have been true to His promise: He would have erred and would have deceived us. Only to think so would, however, be blasphemy.
Hence the Church founded by Christ, as she had been, as even her enemies say, at the beginning of her existence, the true Church, must still be the same, and so continue until time shall be no more. If, therefore, the Catholic faith is the only true faith, and the Catholic Church the only true Church ; it follows, undeniably, that there is no salvation possible out of the Catholic Church : hence, all those who do not die in the Catholic Church go to eternal perdition. "Without faith it is impossible to please God:"says St. Paul (Heb. ii.). He doubtless speaks of the true faith. Without it we cannot please God, hence we cannot be saved. It may please you or not; you may protest as much as you like; this remains true: Out of the Catholic Church, out of the Catholic faith, there is no salvation. Whoever, by his own free will dies out of the Catholic Church goes to eternal perdition. If you do not believe this infallible truth, you are no true Catholic; for you'have no faith in the teachings which God imparts through His Church. Should you remain in this unbelief until your end, you will go to everlasting punishment with those who are not Catholics, because you also do not die in the faith.
In conclusion, consider well the words of St. Fulgentius: "Be certain beyond all doubt, that not only all heathens, but also all Jews, heretics and schismatics, who end their earthly existence out of the Catholic Church, go into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his legions. Be certain, beyond any doubt that each heretic and schismatic, if he be not incorporated into the Catholic Church, cannot be saved, although he may give great alms, and even shed his blood for Christ's sake."
#salvation
by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876
St. Anicetus had the deepest compassion for the heretics on account of their eternal destruction, therefore, he left nothing untried to bring them to the knowledge of their error. St. Justinus did the same by the heathens, and pitying their blindness, he endeavored to win them to the Christian faith. Both believed, what ought to be an article of faith with every true Catholic; namely, that there is no salvation out of the Catholic Church. There are, at the present time many who believe that there are three religions in which a man can be saved: yes even that every man can gain salvation through his own belief. They give the same hope to those who are not Catholics as they do to those who are.
These false doctrines are worked out in hell to the destruction of many thousands of souls. The word of God clearly contradicts them, for it bears emphatic testimony that there is but "one Lord, one faith " (Ephes. iv.). That means, only one true God, only one true faith ; hence only one true soul-saving Church. This only true faith is the Holy Roman Catholic Faith, for it alone was taught by Christ and the Apostles. This is proved not only by the blood of many thousand martyrs, but also by the verbal and written instructions of the holy Fathers and by many miracles of the Almighty. This faith is the first Christian faith and has no one but Christ for its founder. Out of the pale of this faith no Saint has risen during 1800 years. Thus, also, the Catholic is the only true Church, because Christ has built it with the assurance that: "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" (St. Math. xvi.). Had she fallen into errors or superstition, as those pretend who live out of her pale, Christ would not have been true to His promise: He would have erred and would have deceived us. Only to think so would, however, be blasphemy.
Hence the Church founded by Christ, as she had been, as even her enemies say, at the beginning of her existence, the true Church, must still be the same, and so continue until time shall be no more. If, therefore, the Catholic faith is the only true faith, and the Catholic Church the only true Church ; it follows, undeniably, that there is no salvation possible out of the Catholic Church : hence, all those who do not die in the Catholic Church go to eternal perdition. "Without faith it is impossible to please God:"says St. Paul (Heb. ii.). He doubtless speaks of the true faith. Without it we cannot please God, hence we cannot be saved. It may please you or not; you may protest as much as you like; this remains true: Out of the Catholic Church, out of the Catholic faith, there is no salvation. Whoever, by his own free will dies out of the Catholic Church goes to eternal perdition. If you do not believe this infallible truth, you are no true Catholic; for you'have no faith in the teachings which God imparts through His Church. Should you remain in this unbelief until your end, you will go to everlasting punishment with those who are not Catholics, because you also do not die in the faith.
In conclusion, consider well the words of St. Fulgentius: "Be certain beyond all doubt, that not only all heathens, but also all Jews, heretics and schismatics, who end their earthly existence out of the Catholic Church, go into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his legions. Be certain, beyond any doubt that each heretic and schismatic, if he be not incorporated into the Catholic Church, cannot be saved, although he may give great alms, and even shed his blood for Christ's sake."
#salvation
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Questions And Answers on Salvation
by Rev. Michael Muller, C.SS.R.
(This article was first published in 1875)
1. Do all admit that the Catholic Church is the first and the oldest Church, and, consequently the Church established by Jesus Christ?
That the Catholic Church is the first and oldest and consequently the Church established by Jesus Christ, is and must be admitted by all, because it is a fact clearly proven by Scripture and by history.
2. Who bear witness to this fact?
The Jews and the Gentiles bear witness to it, and even Protestants themselves acknowledge it, because, if asked why they call themselves Protestants, they answer: "Because we protest against the Catholic Church."
3. What follows from this answer?
That the Catholic Church is older than Protestantism; otherwise they could not have protested against her.
4. If we go still farther back and ask the Greeks how they came into existence, what will be their answer?
The Greek Church must answer: "We began by separating from the Catholic Church in the ninth century."
5. What follows from this?
That the Catholic Church existed for eight hundred years before the Greek Church began, and consequently, it is older than the Greek Church.
6. If we thus go back to the very days of the Apostles, what do we find everywhere in regard to the manner in which religious sects arose?
If we go back to the days of the Apostles, we find that every sect separated from the Catholic Church, and therefore we see Calvinists, Kilhamites, Quakers, Shakers, Panters, Seekers, Jumpers, Reformed Methodists, German Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, Particular Baptists, Hardshell Baptists, Softshell Baptists, Forty-Gallon Baptists, Sixty-Gallon Baptists, Mennonites, Millerites, Universalists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Mormons, Christian Perfectionists, etc., etc., etc.
Full text:
http://traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Information/Salvation_Answers.html
#salvation
Questions And Answers on Salvation
by Rev. Michael Muller, C.SS.R.
(This article was first published in 1875)
1. Do all admit that the Catholic Church is the first and the oldest Church, and, consequently the Church established by Jesus Christ?
That the Catholic Church is the first and oldest and consequently the Church established by Jesus Christ, is and must be admitted by all, because it is a fact clearly proven by Scripture and by history.
2. Who bear witness to this fact?
The Jews and the Gentiles bear witness to it, and even Protestants themselves acknowledge it, because, if asked why they call themselves Protestants, they answer: "Because we protest against the Catholic Church."
3. What follows from this answer?
That the Catholic Church is older than Protestantism; otherwise they could not have protested against her.
4. If we go still farther back and ask the Greeks how they came into existence, what will be their answer?
The Greek Church must answer: "We began by separating from the Catholic Church in the ninth century."
5. What follows from this?
That the Catholic Church existed for eight hundred years before the Greek Church began, and consequently, it is older than the Greek Church.
6. If we thus go back to the very days of the Apostles, what do we find everywhere in regard to the manner in which religious sects arose?
If we go back to the days of the Apostles, we find that every sect separated from the Catholic Church, and therefore we see Calvinists, Kilhamites, Quakers, Shakers, Panters, Seekers, Jumpers, Reformed Methodists, German Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, Particular Baptists, Hardshell Baptists, Softshell Baptists, Forty-Gallon Baptists, Sixty-Gallon Baptists, Mennonites, Millerites, Universalists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Mormons, Christian Perfectionists, etc., etc., etc.
Full text:
http://traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Information/Salvation_Answers.html
#salvation
Ecce Verbum
Christ Died for All Men God loves all things that He has created: "For Thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things that Thou hast made" - Wisdom 11:25. Now love cannot be idle: "All love has a force of its own, and cannot be idle", says…
God wishes all men to be saved
"So what must we do, we who know that the greater number is going to be damned, and not only out of all Catholics? What must we do? Take the resolution to belong to the little number of those who are saved. You say: If Christ wanted to damn me, then why did He create me? Silence, rash tongue! God did not create anyone to damn him; but whoever is damned, is damned because he wants to be."
First let us take these two undeniable truths as a basis: "God wants all men to be saved," "All are in need of the grace of God." Now, if I show you that God wants to save all men, and that for this purpose He gives all of them His grace and all the other necessary means of obtaining that sublime end, you will be obliged to agree that whoever is damned must impute it to his own malice, and that if the greater number of Christians are damned, it is because they want to be. "Thy damnation comes from thee; thy help is only in Me."
In a hundred places in Holy Scripture, God tells us that it is truly His desire to save all men. "Is it My will that a sinner should die, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?... I live, saith the Lord God. I desire not the death of the sinner. Be converted and live." When someone wants something very much, it is said that he is dying with desire; it is a hyperbole. But God has wanted and still wants our salvation so much that He died of desire, and He suffered death to give us life. This will to save all men is therefore not an affected, superficial and apparent will in God; it is a real, effective, and beneficial will; for He provides us with all the means most proper for us to be saved. He does not give them to us so they will not obtain it; He gives them to us with a sincere will, with the intention that they may obtain their effect.
Far more, because God sees that we could not even make use of His grace without His help, He gives us other aids; and if they sometimes remain ineffective, it is our fault; for with these same aids, one may abuse them and be damned with them, and another may do right and be saved; he might even be saved with less powerful aids. Yes, it can happen that we abuse a greater grace and are damned, whereas another cooperates with a lesser grace and is saved.
Saint Augustine exclaims, "If, therefore, someone turns aside from justice, he is carried by his free will, led by his concupiscence, deceived by his own persuasion." But for those who do not understand theology, here is what I have to say to them: God is so good that when He sees a sinner running to his ruin, He runs after him, calls him, entreats and accompanies him even to the gates of hell; what will He not do to convert him? He sends him good inspirations and holy thoughts, and if he does not profit from them, He becomes angry and indignant, He pursues him. Will He strike him? No. He beats at the air and forgives him. But the sinner is not converted yet. God sends him a mortal illness. It is certainly all over for him. No, brothers, God heals him; the sinner becomes obstinate in evil, and God in His mercy looks for another way; He gives him another year, and when that year is over, He grants him yet another.
Now I ask you, if that man is damned, is it not true that he is damned against the Will of God and because he wants to be damned? Come and ask me now: If God wanted to damn me, then why did He create me?
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation #freewill
"So what must we do, we who know that the greater number is going to be damned, and not only out of all Catholics? What must we do? Take the resolution to belong to the little number of those who are saved. You say: If Christ wanted to damn me, then why did He create me? Silence, rash tongue! God did not create anyone to damn him; but whoever is damned, is damned because he wants to be."
First let us take these two undeniable truths as a basis: "God wants all men to be saved," "All are in need of the grace of God." Now, if I show you that God wants to save all men, and that for this purpose He gives all of them His grace and all the other necessary means of obtaining that sublime end, you will be obliged to agree that whoever is damned must impute it to his own malice, and that if the greater number of Christians are damned, it is because they want to be. "Thy damnation comes from thee; thy help is only in Me."
In a hundred places in Holy Scripture, God tells us that it is truly His desire to save all men. "Is it My will that a sinner should die, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?... I live, saith the Lord God. I desire not the death of the sinner. Be converted and live." When someone wants something very much, it is said that he is dying with desire; it is a hyperbole. But God has wanted and still wants our salvation so much that He died of desire, and He suffered death to give us life. This will to save all men is therefore not an affected, superficial and apparent will in God; it is a real, effective, and beneficial will; for He provides us with all the means most proper for us to be saved. He does not give them to us so they will not obtain it; He gives them to us with a sincere will, with the intention that they may obtain their effect.
Far more, because God sees that we could not even make use of His grace without His help, He gives us other aids; and if they sometimes remain ineffective, it is our fault; for with these same aids, one may abuse them and be damned with them, and another may do right and be saved; he might even be saved with less powerful aids. Yes, it can happen that we abuse a greater grace and are damned, whereas another cooperates with a lesser grace and is saved.
Saint Augustine exclaims, "If, therefore, someone turns aside from justice, he is carried by his free will, led by his concupiscence, deceived by his own persuasion." But for those who do not understand theology, here is what I have to say to them: God is so good that when He sees a sinner running to his ruin, He runs after him, calls him, entreats and accompanies him even to the gates of hell; what will He not do to convert him? He sends him good inspirations and holy thoughts, and if he does not profit from them, He becomes angry and indignant, He pursues him. Will He strike him? No. He beats at the air and forgives him. But the sinner is not converted yet. God sends him a mortal illness. It is certainly all over for him. No, brothers, God heals him; the sinner becomes obstinate in evil, and God in His mercy looks for another way; He gives him another year, and when that year is over, He grants him yet another.
Now I ask you, if that man is damned, is it not true that he is damned against the Will of God and because he wants to be damned? Come and ask me now: If God wanted to damn me, then why did He create me?
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation #freewill
Ecce Verbum
God wishes all men to be saved "So what must we do, we who know that the greater number is going to be damned, and not only out of all Catholics? What must we do? Take the resolution to belong to the little number of those who are saved. You say: If Christ…
"You will be saved if you want to be"
Brothers, I want to send all of you away comforted today. So if you ask me my sentiment on the number of those who are saved, here it is: Whether there are many or few that are saved, I say that whoever wants to be saved, will be saved; and that no one can be damned if he does not want to be. And if it is true that few are saved, it is because there are few who live well. As for the rest, compare these two opinions: the first one states that the greater number of Catholics are condemned; the second one, on the contrary, pretends that the greater number of Catholics are saved. Imagine an Angel sent by God to confirm the first opinion, coming to tell you that not only are most Catholics damned, but that of all this assembly present here, one alone will be saved. If you obey the Commandments of God, if you detest the corruption of this world, if you embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ in a spirit of penance, you will be that one alone who is saved.
Now imagine the same Angel returning to you and confirming the second opinion. He tells you that not only are the greater portion of Catholics saved, but that out of all this gathering, one alone will be damned and all the others saved. If after that, you continue your usuries, your vengeances, your criminal deeds, your impurities, then you will be that one alone who is damned.
What is the use of knowing whether few or many are saved? Saint Peter says to us, "Strive by good works to make your election sure." When Saint Thomas Aquinas's sister asked him what she must do to go to heaven, he said, "You will be saved if you want to be." I say the same thing to you, and here is proof of my declaration. No one is damned unless he commits mortal sin: that is of faith. And no one commits mortal sin unless he wants to: that is an undeniable theological proposition. Therefore, no one goes to hell unless he wants to; the consequence is obvious. Does that not suffice to comfort you? Weep over past sins, make a good confession, sin no more in the future, and you will all be saved. Why torment yourself so? For it is certain that you have to commit mortal sin to go to hell, and that to commit mortal sin you must want to, and that consequently no one goes to hell unless he wants to. That is not just an opinion, it is an undeniable and very comforting truth; may God give you to understand it, and may He bless you. Amen.
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation
Brothers, I want to send all of you away comforted today. So if you ask me my sentiment on the number of those who are saved, here it is: Whether there are many or few that are saved, I say that whoever wants to be saved, will be saved; and that no one can be damned if he does not want to be. And if it is true that few are saved, it is because there are few who live well. As for the rest, compare these two opinions: the first one states that the greater number of Catholics are condemned; the second one, on the contrary, pretends that the greater number of Catholics are saved. Imagine an Angel sent by God to confirm the first opinion, coming to tell you that not only are most Catholics damned, but that of all this assembly present here, one alone will be saved. If you obey the Commandments of God, if you detest the corruption of this world, if you embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ in a spirit of penance, you will be that one alone who is saved.
Now imagine the same Angel returning to you and confirming the second opinion. He tells you that not only are the greater portion of Catholics saved, but that out of all this gathering, one alone will be damned and all the others saved. If after that, you continue your usuries, your vengeances, your criminal deeds, your impurities, then you will be that one alone who is damned.
What is the use of knowing whether few or many are saved? Saint Peter says to us, "Strive by good works to make your election sure." When Saint Thomas Aquinas's sister asked him what she must do to go to heaven, he said, "You will be saved if you want to be." I say the same thing to you, and here is proof of my declaration. No one is damned unless he commits mortal sin: that is of faith. And no one commits mortal sin unless he wants to: that is an undeniable theological proposition. Therefore, no one goes to hell unless he wants to; the consequence is obvious. Does that not suffice to comfort you? Weep over past sins, make a good confession, sin no more in the future, and you will all be saved. Why torment yourself so? For it is certain that you have to commit mortal sin to go to hell, and that to commit mortal sin you must want to, and that consequently no one goes to hell unless he wants to. That is not just an opinion, it is an undeniable and very comforting truth; may God give you to understand it, and may He bless you. Amen.
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation
Ecce Verbum
Where does our salvation lie? On the royal way of the Cross Thomas á Kempis In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind;…
When you have arrived at that state when trouble seems sweet and acceptable to you for Christ's sake, then all is well with you, for you have hound paradise upon earth. But so long as suffering is grievous to you and you seek to escape it, so long will it go ill with you, for the trouble you try to escape will pursue you everywhere.
Had there been a better way, more profitable to the salvation of mankind than suffering, then Christ would have revealed it in His word and life. But He clearly urges both His own disciples and all who wish to follow Him to carry the cross, saying, `If any will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.'(Mark 8:34) Therefore, when we have read and studied all things, let thus be our final resolve: 'that through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom of God.'(Acts 14:22)
#salvation
Had there been a better way, more profitable to the salvation of mankind than suffering, then Christ would have revealed it in His word and life. But He clearly urges both His own disciples and all who wish to follow Him to carry the cross, saying, `If any will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.'(Mark 8:34) Therefore, when we have read and studied all things, let thus be our final resolve: 'that through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom of God.'(Acts 14:22)
#salvation
faith_and_works_are_necessary_for_salvation.pdf
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A short article
Faith and good works are necessary for salvation
(Not faith only)
James 2:24
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say
to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
[Unless otherwise noted, all Bible citations were from the 1611 King James Version of the Bible,
a famous Protestant translation. This version was chosen to prove the point to Protestants using a Protestant Bible.]
#salvation #justification
Faith and good works are necessary for salvation
(Not faith only)
James 2:24
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say
to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
[Unless otherwise noted, all Bible citations were from the 1611 King James Version of the Bible,
a famous Protestant translation. This version was chosen to prove the point to Protestants using a Protestant Bible.]
#salvation #justification
Ecce Verbum
"You will be saved if you want to be" Brothers, I want to send all of you away comforted today. So if you ask me my sentiment on the number of those who are saved, here it is: Whether there are many or few that are saved, I say that whoever wants to be saved…
God aids us with graces and inspirations to insure our salvation
Brothers, you must know that the most ancient belief is the Law of God, and that we all bear it written in our hearts; that it can be learned without any teacher, and that it suffices to have the light of reason in order to know all the precepts of that Law. That is why even the barbarians hid when they committed sin, because they knew they were doing wrong; and they are damned for not having observed the natural law written in their heart: for had they observed it, God would have made a miracle rather than let them be damned; He would have sent them someone to teach them and would have given them other aids, of which they made themselves unworthy by not living in conformity with the inspirations of their own conscience, which never failed to warn them of the good they should do and the evil they should avoid. So it is their conscience that accused them at the Tribunal of God, and it tells them constantly in hell, "Thy damnation comes from thee." They do not know what to answer and are obliged to confess that they are deserving of their fate. Now if these infidels have no excuse, will there be any for a Catholic who had so many sacraments, so many sermons, so many aids at his disposal? How will he dare to say, "If God was going to damn me, then why did He create me?" How will he dare to speak in this manner, when God gives him so many aids to be saved? So let us finish confounding him.
Stop, and turn around; it is Jesus who calls you and who, with His wounds, as with so many eloquent voices, cries to you, "My son, if you are damned, you have only yourself to blame". Lift up your eyes and see all the graces with which I have enriched you to insure your eternal salvation. I could have had you born in a forest in Barbary; that is what I did to many others, but I had you born in the Catholic Faith; I had you raised by such a good father, such an excellent mother, with the purest instructions and teachings. If you are damned in spite of that, whose fault will it be? Your own, My son.
"I could have cast you into hell after the first mortal sin you committed, without waiting for the second: I did it to so many others, but I was patient with you, I waited for you for many long years. I am still waiting for you today in penance. If you are damned in spite of all that, whose fault is it? Your own, My son, your own. You know how many have died before your very eyes and were damned: that was a warning for you. You know how many others I set back on the right path to give you the good example. Do you remember what that excellent confessor told you? I am the one who had him say it. Did he not enjoin you to change your life, to make a good confession? I am the One who inspired him. Remember that sermon that touched your heart? I am the One who led you there. And what has happened between you and Me in the secret of your heart, ...that you can never forget.
"Those interior inspirations, that clear knowledge, that constant remorse of conscience, would you dare to deny them? All of these were so many aids of My grace, because I wanted to save you. I refused to give them to many others, and I gave them to you because I loved you tenderly. My son, if I spoke to them as tenderly as I am speaking to you today, how many others souls return to the right path! Listen to what I am going to tell you, for these are My last words: You have cost Me My blood; if you want to be damned in spite of the blood I shed for you, you have only yourself to accuse."
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation
Brothers, you must know that the most ancient belief is the Law of God, and that we all bear it written in our hearts; that it can be learned without any teacher, and that it suffices to have the light of reason in order to know all the precepts of that Law. That is why even the barbarians hid when they committed sin, because they knew they were doing wrong; and they are damned for not having observed the natural law written in their heart: for had they observed it, God would have made a miracle rather than let them be damned; He would have sent them someone to teach them and would have given them other aids, of which they made themselves unworthy by not living in conformity with the inspirations of their own conscience, which never failed to warn them of the good they should do and the evil they should avoid. So it is their conscience that accused them at the Tribunal of God, and it tells them constantly in hell, "Thy damnation comes from thee." They do not know what to answer and are obliged to confess that they are deserving of their fate. Now if these infidels have no excuse, will there be any for a Catholic who had so many sacraments, so many sermons, so many aids at his disposal? How will he dare to say, "If God was going to damn me, then why did He create me?" How will he dare to speak in this manner, when God gives him so many aids to be saved? So let us finish confounding him.
Stop, and turn around; it is Jesus who calls you and who, with His wounds, as with so many eloquent voices, cries to you, "My son, if you are damned, you have only yourself to blame". Lift up your eyes and see all the graces with which I have enriched you to insure your eternal salvation. I could have had you born in a forest in Barbary; that is what I did to many others, but I had you born in the Catholic Faith; I had you raised by such a good father, such an excellent mother, with the purest instructions and teachings. If you are damned in spite of that, whose fault will it be? Your own, My son.
"I could have cast you into hell after the first mortal sin you committed, without waiting for the second: I did it to so many others, but I was patient with you, I waited for you for many long years. I am still waiting for you today in penance. If you are damned in spite of all that, whose fault is it? Your own, My son, your own. You know how many have died before your very eyes and were damned: that was a warning for you. You know how many others I set back on the right path to give you the good example. Do you remember what that excellent confessor told you? I am the one who had him say it. Did he not enjoin you to change your life, to make a good confession? I am the One who inspired him. Remember that sermon that touched your heart? I am the One who led you there. And what has happened between you and Me in the secret of your heart, ...that you can never forget.
"Those interior inspirations, that clear knowledge, that constant remorse of conscience, would you dare to deny them? All of these were so many aids of My grace, because I wanted to save you. I refused to give them to many others, and I gave them to you because I loved you tenderly. My son, if I spoke to them as tenderly as I am speaking to you today, how many others souls return to the right path! Listen to what I am going to tell you, for these are My last words: You have cost Me My blood; if you want to be damned in spite of the blood I shed for you, you have only yourself to accuse."
St. Leonard of Port Maurice
#salvation
Ecce Verbum
Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus The Popes through the centuries have defended the doctrine "outside the Church there is no salvation." Pope Pelagius II (A.D. 578 - 590): "Consider the fact that whoever has not been in the peace and unity of the Church cannot…
The Church is the Ark
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned."
Mark XVI. chap, and 16 verse.
"It is certain that all men of Noah's time perished except those who merited to be in the Ark, which was the figure if the Church.
Likewise, they cannot in any way now be saved who are aliens from the Apostolic faith and Catholic Church."
St. Gaudentius Bishop of Brescia, 3rd century
"The Church is the Ark into which Jesus enters with all His faithful followers. The sinner leaves the Church as the raven once left the Ark."
"The Church is the Ship outside if which it is impossible to understand the Divine Word, for Jesus spoke from the boat to the people gathered on the shore."
St. Hillary of Pointiers, 315-368 A.D.
"Like Noah we announce to you the coming of the end of the world, and we warn all men to take refuge in this Ark of the Church."
St. Maximus Bishop of Turin, 380-423 A.D.
"The contemporaries of Noah would not believe in his warnings as he was building the Ark, and thus they became frightful examples for all posterity. Christ our God is now building His Church as the Ark of Salvation, and is calling upon all men to enter it."
St. Augustine, 354 A.D.
"As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the Church is built. This is the Ark of Noah, and he, who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails."
St. Jerome, 420 A.D.
"(Sgs, 6:8) proclaims:"One is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only one, the chosen of her who bore her" and she represents one sole mystical body whose head is Christ and the head of Christ is God. (1Cor, 11:3). In her then is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph, 4:5). There had been at the time of the deluge only one Ark of Noah, prefiguring the one Church, which ark, having been finished to a single cubit, had only one pilot and guide, i.e. Noah, and we read that, outside of this ark, all that subsisted on the earth was destroyed."
Pope Boniface VIII, 'Unam Sanctam', 1302 A.D.
#salvation
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned."
Mark XVI. chap, and 16 verse.
"It is certain that all men of Noah's time perished except those who merited to be in the Ark, which was the figure if the Church.
Likewise, they cannot in any way now be saved who are aliens from the Apostolic faith and Catholic Church."
St. Gaudentius Bishop of Brescia, 3rd century
"The Church is the Ark into which Jesus enters with all His faithful followers. The sinner leaves the Church as the raven once left the Ark."
"The Church is the Ship outside if which it is impossible to understand the Divine Word, for Jesus spoke from the boat to the people gathered on the shore."
St. Hillary of Pointiers, 315-368 A.D.
"Like Noah we announce to you the coming of the end of the world, and we warn all men to take refuge in this Ark of the Church."
St. Maximus Bishop of Turin, 380-423 A.D.
"The contemporaries of Noah would not believe in his warnings as he was building the Ark, and thus they became frightful examples for all posterity. Christ our God is now building His Church as the Ark of Salvation, and is calling upon all men to enter it."
St. Augustine, 354 A.D.
"As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the Church is built. This is the Ark of Noah, and he, who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails."
St. Jerome, 420 A.D.
"(Sgs, 6:8) proclaims:"One is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only one, the chosen of her who bore her" and she represents one sole mystical body whose head is Christ and the head of Christ is God. (1Cor, 11:3). In her then is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph, 4:5). There had been at the time of the deluge only one Ark of Noah, prefiguring the one Church, which ark, having been finished to a single cubit, had only one pilot and guide, i.e. Noah, and we read that, outside of this ark, all that subsisted on the earth was destroyed."
Pope Boniface VIII, 'Unam Sanctam', 1302 A.D.
#salvation
Happiness Doubled by Wonder
G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England, Chapter VI
"In any intellectual corner of modernity can be found such a phrase as I have just read in a newspaper controversy: "Salvation, like other good things, must not come from outside." To call a spiritual thing external and not internal is the chief mode of modernist excommunication. But if our subject of study is mediæval and not modern, we must pit against this apparent platitude the very opposite idea. We must put ourselves in the posture of men who thought that almost every good thing came from outside—like good news. I confess that I am not impartial in my sympathies here; and that the newspaper phrase I quoted strikes me as a blunder about the very nature of life. I do not, in my private capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man gets his best moral food by sucking his soul, and denying its dependence on God or other good things. I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
#salvation
G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England, Chapter VI
"In any intellectual corner of modernity can be found such a phrase as I have just read in a newspaper controversy: "Salvation, like other good things, must not come from outside." To call a spiritual thing external and not internal is the chief mode of modernist excommunication. But if our subject of study is mediæval and not modern, we must pit against this apparent platitude the very opposite idea. We must put ourselves in the posture of men who thought that almost every good thing came from outside—like good news. I confess that I am not impartial in my sympathies here; and that the newspaper phrase I quoted strikes me as a blunder about the very nature of life. I do not, in my private capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man gets his best moral food by sucking his soul, and denying its dependence on God or other good things. I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
#salvation
www.gutenberg.org
A Short History of England
Ecce Verbum
God wishes all men to be saved "So what must we do, we who know that the greater number is going to be damned, and not only out of all Catholics? What must we do? Take the resolution to belong to the little number of those who are saved. You say: If Christ…
Will only a few be saved?
The perspective of Catholic theologians- a summary
The Church has not defined any truth of faith by declaring the number of people saved or condemned. It is therefore not surprising that it is the subject of investigation and dispute.
Christ himself says: Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. [Luke 13:23-24]
More than once, the Lord Jesus warns the faithful: "For many are called, but few are chosen" [Mt 22:14], and: "Enter through the narrow gate! For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” [Mt 7:13-14]
Saint Augustine, in his sermon on the Gospel quoted earlier ,concluded: "There is no doubt, however, that few are saved" [Sermon 61]. This view was very popular among the Fathers of the Church (John Chrysostom, Jerome, Gregory the Great, Ambrose).
This opinion was also shared by St. Thomas Aquinas: "because eternal happiness, consisting in the vision of God, transcends the common state of nature, even a nature deprived of grace due to original sin, therefore the saved are in the minority" [I, q.23 a.7 ad.3]
So it may seem that the answer to the question is clear. And yet, in its doctrine, the Church does not provide information about a smaller number of saved people as the truth of faith. There has even been a difference of opinion in theology that has not been resolved by the Magisterium.
Although most Catholic theologians (St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Bellarmin, Suarez, Cajetan, Billuart) agree that this is the universal opinion of the Fathers, it is also recognised that it is not a truth of the faith, but only a theological opinion, which is not the only acceptable one.
In the course of time, theologians began to temper their opinions by remaining consistent with doctrine, also recalling the Bible's optimistic predictions of a multitude of the saved: "Behold, I saw a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and from all generations" [Rev 7:9].
Rev. Sieniatycki points out in his Dogmatics textbook the following words of Christ : "many are chosen, few are called", do not necessarily refer to the whole human race, but to the Jews, who then rejected Christ's instructions in greater numbers.
The eminent theologian Suarez, discussing the common opinion of the Fathers, also considered that when it comes to Christians themselves, it is more likely that the number of the saved will be greater than the condemned because of the means of grace (sacraments) present in the Church and working through the Church for others.
Eminent Thomist Fr Garrigou-Lagrange OP points out that, since Suarez, most theologians have considered it more likely that, of all the baptised (Catholics, schismatics and heretics), the saved are in the majority.
This was concurred by St. Bishop J. Pelczar, who stresses that: "there are more who, before death, repent of their sins and receive the Sacraments " [Catholic Religion]. However, it is evident that this applies to those who repent and partake in the Sacraments.
Although most theologians adopt the opinion that out of the whole human race the number of the damned may exceed the saved, many stress that when it comes to the religious and even non-Christians, the saved are very numerous (Garrigou-Lagrange, Faber, Pelczar, Pius IX).
It is also worth adding that all theologians agree that if the number of the reprobate is great, it is only because people neglect repentance and persist in their sins, and thus condemn themselves through their own fault and not because of extraordinary difficulties.
"The Church strongly recommends to all that they put their trust in the mercy of God and do not doubt that they can be saved even if they have committed the gravest sins, if only they resolve to sin no more, sincerely repent, and go receive the sacraments "[Tylka, Catholic Dogmatics].
🔗p.2 and sources
#salvation
The perspective of Catholic theologians- a summary
The Church has not defined any truth of faith by declaring the number of people saved or condemned. It is therefore not surprising that it is the subject of investigation and dispute.
Christ himself says: Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. [Luke 13:23-24]
More than once, the Lord Jesus warns the faithful: "For many are called, but few are chosen" [Mt 22:14], and: "Enter through the narrow gate! For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” [Mt 7:13-14]
Saint Augustine, in his sermon on the Gospel quoted earlier ,concluded: "There is no doubt, however, that few are saved" [Sermon 61]. This view was very popular among the Fathers of the Church (John Chrysostom, Jerome, Gregory the Great, Ambrose).
This opinion was also shared by St. Thomas Aquinas: "because eternal happiness, consisting in the vision of God, transcends the common state of nature, even a nature deprived of grace due to original sin, therefore the saved are in the minority" [I, q.23 a.7 ad.3]
So it may seem that the answer to the question is clear. And yet, in its doctrine, the Church does not provide information about a smaller number of saved people as the truth of faith. There has even been a difference of opinion in theology that has not been resolved by the Magisterium.
Although most Catholic theologians (St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Bellarmin, Suarez, Cajetan, Billuart) agree that this is the universal opinion of the Fathers, it is also recognised that it is not a truth of the faith, but only a theological opinion, which is not the only acceptable one.
In the course of time, theologians began to temper their opinions by remaining consistent with doctrine, also recalling the Bible's optimistic predictions of a multitude of the saved: "Behold, I saw a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and from all generations" [Rev 7:9].
Rev. Sieniatycki points out in his Dogmatics textbook the following words of Christ : "many are chosen, few are called", do not necessarily refer to the whole human race, but to the Jews, who then rejected Christ's instructions in greater numbers.
The eminent theologian Suarez, discussing the common opinion of the Fathers, also considered that when it comes to Christians themselves, it is more likely that the number of the saved will be greater than the condemned because of the means of grace (sacraments) present in the Church and working through the Church for others.
Eminent Thomist Fr Garrigou-Lagrange OP points out that, since Suarez, most theologians have considered it more likely that, of all the baptised (Catholics, schismatics and heretics), the saved are in the majority.
This was concurred by St. Bishop J. Pelczar, who stresses that: "there are more who, before death, repent of their sins and receive the Sacraments " [Catholic Religion]. However, it is evident that this applies to those who repent and partake in the Sacraments.
Although most theologians adopt the opinion that out of the whole human race the number of the damned may exceed the saved, many stress that when it comes to the religious and even non-Christians, the saved are very numerous (Garrigou-Lagrange, Faber, Pelczar, Pius IX).
It is also worth adding that all theologians agree that if the number of the reprobate is great, it is only because people neglect repentance and persist in their sins, and thus condemn themselves through their own fault and not because of extraordinary difficulties.
"The Church strongly recommends to all that they put their trust in the mercy of God and do not doubt that they can be saved even if they have committed the gravest sins, if only they resolve to sin no more, sincerely repent, and go receive the sacraments "[Tylka, Catholic Dogmatics].
🔗p.2 and sources
#salvation
Ecce Verbum
God wishes all men to be saved "So what must we do, we who know that the greater number is going to be damned, and not only out of all Catholics? What must we do? Take the resolution to belong to the little number of those who are saved. You say: If Christ…
Christ redeemed all people through his suffering - an explanation of the application of the fruits of redemption
Part I - Effects of redemption regarding punishment for sins
“The passion of Christ frees us from punishment in two ways. Firstly, directly, because it is a sufficient and abundant compensation for the sins of all humanity. Sufficient compensation eliminates the penalty. Secondly, it contributes indirectly to the removal of punishment, because it is the cause of the forgiveness of sins, which constitute the basis for the assessment of punishment.
However, even though Christ died for all people, not all people will be saved. Why? “The Passion of Christ has an effect on those who have participated in it through faith, love, and the sacraments of faith. Therefore, those damned in hell who do not experience torment in the above way are deprived of its effects.
However, even though Christ's atonement was sufficient, in the sacrament of Penance we are not forgiven the entire punishment due for sins committed. Why? “In baptism, no expiatory penance is imposed, for through the atonement of Christ, we are completely released from punishment.
However, since a person cannot become like the dying Christ a second time through the sacrament of baptism, those who sin after baptism must take upon themselves some suffering or punishment in order to become like the martyred Christ. But by sharing in Christ's atonement, the penalty may be much less than that which would be required to atone for one's sin."
(Quotations: Summa Theologica, III, q. 49 a. 3)
Part II - Effects of redemption regarding guilt for sins
“The Passion of Christ is the proper cause of the forgiveness of sins in three ways: Firstly, it awakens love. And through love, we achieve forgiveness of sins. We read in the Gospel: "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, because she loved much."
Secondly, Christ's passion causes the forgiveness of sins because it is redemption. Since Christ is our Head, then, through his passion undertaken out of love and obedience, he freed us from sins as his members, paying with his passion, which was a kind of ransom.
Thirdly, the passion of Christ is the efficient cause because the object of the passion, the body of Christ, is an "instrument of God." Thanks to this, the sufferings and deeds of Christ achieve, by the power of God, the annulment of sins.
However, someone may rightly point out that Christ was martyred as a man, not as God, and freedom from guilt is an exclusively divine act: "Even though Christ was not martyred, as God, His body is an instrument of the Godhead and has, as we know, the power needed to put away sin."
However, someone may rightly point out that it is impossible to free someone from a sin that they have not yet committed, and the effects of redemption are applied to sins committed before and after the passion of Christ: "Christ with his passion takes away sins by creating a cause, that is, a source from which the forgiveness of all sins can flow at any time: past, present, or future, just as a doctor prepares medicine that can heal every sick person, also in the future."
(Quotations: Summa Theologica, III, q. 49 a. 1)
#salvation
Part I - Effects of redemption regarding punishment for sins
“The passion of Christ frees us from punishment in two ways. Firstly, directly, because it is a sufficient and abundant compensation for the sins of all humanity. Sufficient compensation eliminates the penalty. Secondly, it contributes indirectly to the removal of punishment, because it is the cause of the forgiveness of sins, which constitute the basis for the assessment of punishment.
However, even though Christ died for all people, not all people will be saved. Why? “The Passion of Christ has an effect on those who have participated in it through faith, love, and the sacraments of faith. Therefore, those damned in hell who do not experience torment in the above way are deprived of its effects.
However, even though Christ's atonement was sufficient, in the sacrament of Penance we are not forgiven the entire punishment due for sins committed. Why? “In baptism, no expiatory penance is imposed, for through the atonement of Christ, we are completely released from punishment.
However, since a person cannot become like the dying Christ a second time through the sacrament of baptism, those who sin after baptism must take upon themselves some suffering or punishment in order to become like the martyred Christ. But by sharing in Christ's atonement, the penalty may be much less than that which would be required to atone for one's sin."
(Quotations: Summa Theologica, III, q. 49 a. 3)
Part II - Effects of redemption regarding guilt for sins
“The Passion of Christ is the proper cause of the forgiveness of sins in three ways: Firstly, it awakens love. And through love, we achieve forgiveness of sins. We read in the Gospel: "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, because she loved much."
Secondly, Christ's passion causes the forgiveness of sins because it is redemption. Since Christ is our Head, then, through his passion undertaken out of love and obedience, he freed us from sins as his members, paying with his passion, which was a kind of ransom.
Thirdly, the passion of Christ is the efficient cause because the object of the passion, the body of Christ, is an "instrument of God." Thanks to this, the sufferings and deeds of Christ achieve, by the power of God, the annulment of sins.
However, someone may rightly point out that Christ was martyred as a man, not as God, and freedom from guilt is an exclusively divine act: "Even though Christ was not martyred, as God, His body is an instrument of the Godhead and has, as we know, the power needed to put away sin."
However, someone may rightly point out that it is impossible to free someone from a sin that they have not yet committed, and the effects of redemption are applied to sins committed before and after the passion of Christ: "Christ with his passion takes away sins by creating a cause, that is, a source from which the forgiveness of all sins can flow at any time: past, present, or future, just as a doctor prepares medicine that can heal every sick person, also in the future."
(Quotations: Summa Theologica, III, q. 49 a. 1)
#salvation