fox files

SALVATION 1
SALVATION
Protestants believe that because the Catholic Church is inhuman and takes the joy out of life how can one believe in her?  The true Catholic Church is not inhuman. That true Catholic Church founded by Christ is not to be confused with the man-made Vatican II Novus Ordo Counterfeit-Catholic Contra-Church that emerge in 1962 amongst a once Catholic hierarchy, clergy, and laity. With the exception of a remnant of few souls who remained faithful, they failed a test of faith requiring them to reject the QUO PRIMUM condemned “1962 Latin Tridentine Mass” a/k/a “John XXIII Mass” of April 1962, and the subsequent heresies later that year of the EXECRABILIS-condemned Second Vatican Council that ran from October 13, 1962- December 8, 1965. In so doing, they apostatized from the true Catholic faith, incurring ipso facto excommunication from the Mystical Body of Christ. [Note: This is virtually a vitandus grade excommunication – i. e., forbidden from having contact for high risk of spiritual contamination, – given the unprecedented breadth, depth, scope, and malice of their contradictions and blasphemes to Christ and His true Catholic Church dogmas, doctrines, and Sacraments. The true Catholic Church survives unchanged in eclipsed exile.]  Thus, the arrival of the Great Apostasy of the end-times foretold in Scripture was made manifest. This Talmudic Judaic-founded & controlled, Freemason-infiltrated, pseudo-Catholic sect remains ongoing and in control of the once-Catholic Vatican and all its institutions and assets worldwide. Its goal is establishing a One World Religion to welcome the long-awaited “Political Messiah” the Talmudic Judaics will install as the ultimate Antichrist. The true Catholic Church, founded on Pentecost Sunday nearly two millennia ago, has never pretended that fallen human nature will find the service of God easy. She calls this world a valley of tears, and she has tears for the sufferings of her children. But she has to be true to God, and to tell us the law. What would be the good of the Church if she did not do so? The Church must tell us the right thing. Whether we do it or not is quite another matter which concerns our personal salvation. But to lose faith in the Catholic Church because she tells us the right thing is rather foolish. There would be some sense in rejecting her if we discovered that she was telling us the wrong thing. As for being deprived of joy, remember that there is no state of life which is one of unmitigated pleasure and self-indulgence. Every state in life has its irksome duties. And no earthly pleasure or benefit is sufficient compensation for the loss of God’s grace. Indeed, one who really and sincerely loves in a Christian way would rather endure a personal deprivation of pleasure than inflict the evil of serious sin upon the soul of the one loved.

SALVATION 2
Protestants believe it is impossible to live up to the standard set by the Catholic Church. The standard is not set up by the Catholic Church. She did not make the law and she cannot unmake it. And God does not ask the impossible. If a man takes the means he can live up to it, either practicing self-control, or accepting the children God sends. God offers sufficient help with every difficulty to the man of goodwill who meditates upon Christian truth and is earnest in prayer for the necessary grace.

Protestants believe one cannot keep on praying and denying oneself indefinitely. We must all keep on praying as indefinitely as this life lasts. Always to pray and not to faint is Our Lord’s command in Luke 18:1 “1 And He spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint,” HAYDOCK Commentary Luke 18 “Ver. 1. Always to pray, i.e., to pray daily, and frequently; (Wi.) and also to walk always in the presence of God, by a spirit of prayer, love, and sorrow for sin.” As for denying oneself indefinitely, many people do in this matter, and have to do so, when circumstances forbid anything else. Self-denial is burdensome. The choice allowed by God depends upon our idea as to which is the less burdensome. If self-denial is burdensome. But if done accordingly to God’s Will, God will give the grace to face the temporal trials that will prove a blessing.

Protestants say they have tried prayer and self-denial and have found them wanting.

Protestants are heretics and as such, along with others living outside the Mystical Body of Christ, have no means to obtain sanctifying grace that justifies a soul for entry into heaven. Yet, in God’s mercy, He allows all mankind to receive actual grace for doing good and avoiding evil. Actual grace is a temporal benefit only while living on earth and, if the recipient cooperates with it freely, can be used as the grace necessary to convert to His true Catholic Church – the only means to sanctifying grace necessary for salvation. Prayer may have been tried, but likely not fervently enough; self-denial, but halfheartedly. The goodwill to correspond with God’s actual grace was wanting, and probably, too, ordinary prudence.

Protestants say having to pray and practice acts of self-denial tempts one to give up the Church. That is foolish, and will not better things. Will ya person neglect other obligations because he has failed in this, and give up religion on the principle that he who commits one sin might just as well commit a dozen sins? The only thing to do after failure is to repent as men do of other sins, and try again to be faithful.

SALVATION 3 & 4
What precisely do you mean by the saving of one’s soul? The meaning of that requires a brief analysis of man. Man consists of body and soul. The body is material and perishable; the soul is the mind, states St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), consisting of six functions: 1. Reason, 2. Intellect, 3. Understanding, 4.Memory, 5. Free Will, and 6. Conscience. This souls is spiritual and imperishable. But the soul is the real person. It is the soul which knows and loves, is happy or miserable. Now as the soul is immortal, it enters at death into an eternal state, whether it be one of supreme happiness, or of direst misery. By”saving one’s soul” is meant going from this world in the sanctifying grace and friendship of God, so that one avoids eternal misery, and secures eternal happiness. What are the conditions of salvation? That we serve God in this life, doing what He commands, and avoiding what He forbids. That surely is evident. If men have not always done what God commands, or have not always avoided what He forbids, they must be a member of His true Catholic Church and at least be sincerely contrite, repentant of their sins, and be in the state of sanctifying grace before they go from this life to meet their eternal Judge.  Obligation to be a Catholic Is it necessary for salvation to become a member of the Catholic Church? Since God sent His only-begotten Son into this world, and that Son established the Catholic Church, sending it to teach all nations, it is certainly necessary to be taught by that Church if one desires to save his soul. Christ said, “If a man will not hear the Church, let him be as the heathen.” Matt. XVIII.,17. Are All people not members of the Roman Church heathens? The Catholic Church, of course, stands foursquare for the teachings of the Gospel. She accepts absolutely all that Christ says. And consequently, she accepts the words of Christ recorded in Matt.XVIII., 17, “If a man will not hear the Church, let him be as the heathen.” But to whom does the Church apply those words? In that all who die outside the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church have no salvation, even if they shed blood for the name of Christ (see infallible Council of Florence, 1441, Pope Eugenius IV. Denzinger’s The Sources of Catholic Dogma. D #714, ) they all are as damned as any who die as heathens. Christ’s use of “heathen” refers to the outcome of all dying who refuse to hear and obey His Catholic Church. So it makes no difference be they called heathens or Protestants, Non-Denominations, Jews, Hindus, Moslems, Mormons, etc. – they all, dying in that state outside the Mystical Body of Christ, share in a common destiny: the eternal flames of hell.  An invincibly ignorant person is one who through no fault of their own and by no need for extraordinary means, have never heard of the Catholic Church, Christianity or Jesus Christ (extremely rare today,) who have lived their entire life by good conscience, recognizing by right reason the
existence of a Supreme Being (but not participating in false religions) – is so self-disciplined & living righteously that he is considered a member of the Catholic Church via Baptism of Desire/Intent because he would instantly recognize the complete truths of its teachings. However, such a person is so extremely rare as to be almost non-existent.

Protestants – many who have never bothered much about religion – ask: Do you say that I am obliged to become Catholic? God has declared the Catholic religion to be necessary. Jesus commanded in Matt. 18:17 all must hear His Catholic Church. To hear and obey, one must be a member of His Church and living in the state of sanctifying grace when they die, if they are to be saved. There is no other way. But many individuals outside the Catholic Church adopt a peculiar position, saying they have never bothered much or at all about religion. Then it is most necessary that they begin to give their attention to the question. For example, you went to the bother of learning to write. You have bothered to learn the use of various things which are necessary to your earthly welfare. You know what those things are for. But surely it is man’s duty to know what he himself is for! And a man cannot know that unless he knows the fundamental truth concerning his origin, his nature, his destiny, and the moral law. The teachings of the true religion alone can provide the necessary knowledge, and a man is obliged to find that true religion. Individuals rob themselves of excuse by the fact that a vast international Church like the Catholic Church is in this world – the pearl of great worth – claiming to speak with the authority of God. Confronted with such a fact, every reasonable man would say, “Such claims are rather tremendous. At least, I’d better look into them and see whether there is any justification for them.” Those who would note the fact, and simply not bother about it, are sinfully violating reason, and have only themselves to blame for wrecking their eternal destiny. St. Thomas Aquinas stated the sin is irrational, especially any sin that precludes one’s opportunity to salvation, should they die in that state.

Protestants say there is no need to join the Catholic Church in order to be saved because John III., 15, says, “Whosoever believeth in Him will not perish, but will have life everlasting.” That particular text does not say that non-Catholics will be saved. It might avail if Christ had never said anything else. But He said much else. And whosoever really believes in Christ must accept every single thing He taught, and try to fulfill all that He commanded. For example, He said, “Unless your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. V., 20. One could believe in Christ, yet make no effort to acquire the prescribed justice. That is why Christ said, “Not every one who cries: ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. VII., 21. It is evident that an unconditional and universal sense cannot be attached to the text of John 3:16. They will be saved who so believe in Christ that they are prepared to accept and to fulfill all the conditions prescribed by Him.

SALVATION 5 – 8
Protestants say there is nothing in those wonderful words of a privileged Church. The same Christ who uttered those wonderful words also said,”If a man will not hear the Church, let him be as the heathen and the publican.”(Matt. 18:17 It is necessary then that those who believe in Christ should hear and obey His Church. And Protestants must ask themselves whether they hear and obey any Church as your teacher and ruler in religious matters. Also you must ask yourself what Church Christ had in mind when He spoke. If Protestants say that it is not necessary to obey any Church, they do not believe completely in, nor practice fully, Christ’s WORD. And in that case, Protestants cannot be ranked amongst those included in the promise, “Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish.” The Church Christ had in mind was the Catholic Church; and once a man adverts to the fact, he must join her if he wishes to save his soul.

Protestants posit Gal. III., 28, which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” St. Paul was speaking there of the Catholic Church in which national and earthly differences are no obstacle to membership (i.e., the reason Greeks by the end of the first century referred to the Church as “Katholikos” [Universal] .) Insofar as we are members of the Catholic Church, all other Catholics are our brethren. In our mutual faith there is neither Gentile nor Jew, neither German nor Frenchman, nor Italian, nor Irishman, nor American. We Catholics are all one in Christ Jesus, belonging to His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church. But Protestants belong to man-made “churches” – nearly 40,000 mainline Protestant sects all disagreeing with each other as to the meaning of Scripture, calling each other heretics. Not one Protestant sect was founded by Jesus Christ. The text quoted which says that we should all be one cannot possibly justify our continued separation of sects and differenced in dogma, doctrines and liturgies. In reality, it is Protestantism which says that there are Jews and Gentiles, Englishmen and Germans, Dutch and Norwegians, for it permits religion to differ according to nationality. Where Catholicism has one religion for all nations, Protestantism sanctions as many religions as there are nations, and even variations and divisions within the one nation. The text quoted is really suicidal for Protestantism, and proves the necessity of Catholicism – the one and only Church founded by Christ and defined by Him as being of One Faith, One Fold, and One Shepherd Protestants ask: If the Catholic Church presumes to say that unless a man is a Catholic he is not serving Christ? He is not serving Christ as Christ demands. There is no possibility of a Protestant being invincibly ignorant of the full teaching of Christ through no fault of his own when Protestants espouse the heresy
of Sola Scriptura, use the King James Version (KVJ) “bible” (no such heinously corrupted, and unauthorized book with over 20,000 errors can be called the WORD of God) in which certain truths stolen from the Latin Vugate Bible are printed correctly, such as Matt. 1817 quoted above – yet today the approximately one billion Protestant ministers and their laity collectively of their nearly 40,000 mainline Protestant sects not counting the burgeoning Non-Denominational sects mostly using the KVJ – abide not by that verse nor by several other Catholic truths (“must drink His Blood and eat His Flesh” or no salvation,; “all generations shall call me [HolyVirgin Mary] blessed”; etc.) as are contained in the KJV. Protestant sects neither do these things, nor can validly do transubstantiation of the Bread and Wine, should their particular sect. even offer the laity a “Communion service.” None of these Protestant sects existed 500 years ago, much less two millennia, so that is the first hurdle among many more they can never get over when they attempt to say they have been saved already (misinterpreting John #:16) or are on their way (unfortunately, to hell.) This is why Catholics pray FOR them (never WITH) that God would give them the actual graces to abjure of their errors and return to the true Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ. Surely this is disheartening to many who lead good lives and believe in Christ, yet cannot conscientiously accept the dogmas of Rome. Then it is not true that such persons “lead good lives and believe in Christ.” For when they conscientiously refuse to accept the Roman Catholic Church dogmas instituted by Christ, they are ipso facto conscientiously refusing to do what Christ commands in 1) Luke 10:25-28 as follows: “25 And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting Him, and saying: Master, what must I do to possess eternal life. “26 But He said to him: What is written in the law? How readest thou? “27 He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all my thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbor as thyself. “28 And He said to him : Thou hast answered right : this do, and thou shalt live.” Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible Commentary to Luke 10:25: “Ver. 25. Eternal life? The law of Moses does not expressly promise eternal life to the observers of it, but confines its promises to temporal blessings during this life. Still we always find that the Jews hoped in another life after this. This opinion is clearly observable in the books of Scripture, written both before and after the captivity, and in Josephus (ed., Titus Flavius Josephus, 37 A. D. – c. 100 A. D. Roman-Jewish Historian) and Philo (ed., Philo of Alexandria a/k/a Philo Judaeus, 20 B.C. – 50 A.D., was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher.) Calmet. (ed., Antoine Augustin Calmet, O.S.B [Order of St. Benedict], 1672-1757. A pious French Benedictine monk, Abbot, Exegete, Historian, Scholar, Theologian, Philosopher, Occultist, Translator. Pope Benedict XIII [reigned 1724-1730] wished to confer episcopal dignity upon him, but his humility could not be brought to accept the honor. Calmet was greatly admired by the philosopher Francois-Marie Arouet known by his nom de plume “Voltaire” [1694-1778.] ) 2) Matt. 18:17 “17 And if he will not hear them: tell the Church. And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican.” St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) defined GOOD as that characteristic which perfects the nature of a thing. EVIL is the absence of good. Once-faithful Catholics became influenced by the writings Catholic Augustinian monk-priest, Martin Luther (1483-1546) in Wittenberg (56 miles S. W. of Berlin,) Germany, revolted in 1520 and ran away from the Catholic Church. They created their own man-made Lutheran religion and creed, and per Luther’s urging, began usurping Catholic Church properties. In less than three years they began experiencing the beginning of what has become never-ending fragmentation into new “Christian” sects holding uniquely differing dogmas and doctrines a result of each sect members doing their own private interpretations condemned in 2 Peter 1:20 that contradict the Infallible Authority of the Teaching Catholic Church founded by Christ. All these sects refuse to hear and obey the Catholic Church founded by Christ as he commands in Matt 18:17 stated above. Protestants, therefore, are far from “good,” pridefully disobeying the commands of Jesus Christ, adding-deleting-changing the intent of Scripture, and virtually making their own gods by creating doctrine contradicting those of Christ and His Catholic Church. creating their ” All the heresies Protestants teach, their destruction of the Priesthood, abandonment and mutilation of Sacraments, schism from Christ’s chosen Vicars, ejection of Divine Tradition, abrogating the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, denigrating the Blessed Virgin Mary, promoting Freemasonry with its Luciferian Doctrine, and allowing/encouraging all the divorces, remarriages, and unnatural unions that break up families, impair societies, and overthrow governments. Protestantism has for five centuries contributed to moral, ethical, and political declines, false “science” (evolution, etc.), sophistry (the so-called Enlightenment, Liberalism, etc.,) theosophy (e. g., the heresies of Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, etc.) and public education first introduced by Luciferian Freemasonry after their French Revolution of 1789. Taken collectively, Protestantism impacts and produces emotionally and spiritually deprived children being deceived and placed upon the path to infinite perdition. So it is a lie of exponential degree to ever depict what was instigated by Satan as being good and believing in God. Protestantism’s god is Lucifer, the god of Freemason Lodges in which so many Protestant ministers and laity claim high ranking Brotherhood. The collective result of Protestantism is an ungodly, anti-Christ social order imbued with erroneous doctrines inspired by Lucifer to contradict the salvific efforts of Jesus Christ, and obstruct His true Catholic Church’s function as the sole pathway to salvation. Wherever they reside, whatever governments in which they participate (many as Freemason/Eastern Star Protestants legislating/sponsoring abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicides, fetal stem cell research, same-sex marriage, and LGQBT “rights”) and throughout positions of power and influence within key global institutions and corporations, they elusively, gradually, and steadily implement New World Order agendas. Second only to the Talmud Judaic bankers who aided and abetted them throughout Europe in breaking from all things Catholic, Protestants learned to become purveyors of usury enslavement instruments and contracts through the banks they operate, living lives that grossly thwart the redemption and eternal salvation offering of Jesus Christ and His true Church. For Protestants and other baptized heretics to proclaim their individual, respective sect membership is both good (perfecting the exegesis of Scripture) and Christian (perfecting the nature of the true Catholic Church practices founded by Christ) – while at the same time saying every other Protestant sect is heretical – is a profession of oxymoronic impossibility. Given those Protestant/Non-Denominational evils as stated above – i. e., those characteristics by which these heretics, schismatics and apostates willfully interfere with the perfection of the nature of man whom God created to achieve a heavenly end goal – let the following be known to those approximately one billion souls today comprising nearly 40,000 mainline Protestants and innumerable NonDenominational sects : “It [Catholic Church] firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart ‘into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels’ [Matt. 25:41], unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those remaining in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that NO ONE, WHATEVER ALMSGIVING HE HAS PRACTICED, EVEN IF HE SHED BLOOD FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, CAN BE SAVED, UNLESS HE HAS REMAINED IN THE BOSOM AND UNITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.” (Source: Denzinger’s The Sources of Catholic Dogma. Council of Florence (1438-1445; under Pope Eugenius IV [reigned 1431-1447]). D. #714) Then there are 1.3 billion current affiliates of the Vatican II Novus Ordo Counterfeit-Catholic Contra-Church who refuse to study and obey the infallible, immutable teachings of the pre-1958 true Catholic Church as had been taught prior to the coup d’etat of the papacy that took place on October 26, 1958 in the Papal Conclave. They may all be judged even more severely and sent to even lower depths of that unfathomable pit of eternal hell-fire.

SALVATION 9
Since the true Catholic Church is the one Church to which God wills all mankind to belong, it is impossible to hold out hope of salvation to those who reject that Church and deprive themselves of all the helps she can give. And should some of the statements herein dishearten those outside the Church sufficiently to make them take an interest, inquire, and discover the truth, leading eventually to their becoming Catholics, then the intent of this writing to serve that goal will have been achieved. Grace and salvation.

Protestants ask: Am I right or wrong in saying that all men are sure of salvation through the merits of Christ? Wrong. Your mistake arises from your notion that Christ expiated our sins on the Cross without making any conditions for those who desire to benefit by His redeeming work. But redemption is not unconditional. Matt. 19:16-17 states: “16 And behold one came and said to Him: Good Master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?”17 But He said to him z; Why askest thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible Commentary Matt. 19 “Ver. 17. Why askest thou me concerning good? In the ordinary Greek copies, why dost thou call me good? Wi. – One is good, etc. God, alone, by
His own nature, is essentially, absolutely, and unchangeably good ; at the same time He is the source of all created goodness, as mere goodness is an emanation from His. The person here addressing our Saviour, appears not to have believed that Christ was God: wherefore our Saviour, to rectify his misconception, tells him that God alone is good, insinuating thereby, that he should believe Him to be God, or ease to address Him by the title of good. T. – The sense is, that only God is good necessarily, and by His own nature. The Arians bring this place to shew that Christ is not truly and properly God: but by this way of speaking, Christ does not deny that He is good, even by His nature, and consequently God; but seems to speak in this manner, to make the man know who He was. Wi. “

SALVATION 10 & 11
Again, we are told in Acts 2:38 that men must repent and be baptized as follows: “38 But Peter said to them ; Do penance, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins : and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible Commentary Acts Chapter 2 “Ver. 38. Be baptized: believing and making profession to believe, and hope for salvation, by the merits of Jesus Christ. Thus you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the grace of God, and perhaps those other gifts of speaking in tongues, working miracles, etc. Wi. – The gift of the Holy Ghost. That is, justifying (ed., a/k/a sanctifying) grace, which is infused into our hearts by the laver of regeneration. The exterior gifts of the Holy Ghost, the gift of tongues, of miracles, prophecy, etc. were, in the beginning of the Church, more regularly the consequences of confirmation or imposition of hands. Calmet.” or again in Mark 16:16
“16 He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not, shall be condemned.” Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible Commentary Mark Chapter 16 “Ver. 16. Let those weep and lament ho have not seen Him, and in a short time shall receive consolation. Blessed are they that weep, for they shall be comforted, S. Mat. v. S. Jerome. – Perhaps someone will say within himself, I have already believed, I shall be saved: he says true, if his faith be support by good works; for that only is true faith, which does not contradict in works what is believed in words. S. Gregg.” All such conditions suppose that it is possible not to be saved. The Protestant will say, “Then Christ has not redeemed the human race after all!” The proper reply to that is Christ has paid a price sufficient for the redemption of all men who are willing to be saved and who are prepared to comply with the conditions. And henceforth it is each man’s own fault only if he is lost.

Protestants ask of what avail was the shedding of Christ’s blood if there is still a danger of everlasting damnation in hell? Of great avail. For without the shedding of that blood no human being could possibly have attained eternal salvation and the supernatural destiny originally intended for man by God. But whilst the death of Christ made this salvation possible, it was never intended to save men whether they wished to be saved or not, and whether they continued to do evil or not. Christ did not offer unconditional salvation to mankind.

Protestants teach that when they are converted or changed by accepting Jesus as our Savior, they are then Christians with full assurance of eternal life. If Protestantism teaches that, then Protestants are very much to be pitied. For their Protestantism is simply building up false hopes within them, and offering conditions of salvation radically opposed to the teaching of the New Testament. Nowhere is full assurance of salvation promised to anyone. Our Lord says to us in Matt. 26: 41 “41 Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Haydock Commentary Matt. Chapter 26 “Ver. 41. Watch ye and pray, etc. We watch by being intent on good works, and by being solicitous that no perverse doctrine seize our heart. Thus we must first watch, and then pray. Origen (ed., Origen of Alexandria a/k/a Origen Adamantius (c. 184 – 253 A. D.) – Catholic Church Father, scholar, ascetic, and theologian who wrote over 2,000 treatises on Christian apologetics, hermeneutics, theology, and textual criticism.) Why does the WORD command we watch and pray to avoid temptation, if souls are already – according to Protestantism – fully assured of salvation simply by accepting Jesus as their Savior? Because it is not true, but is just another Protestantism heresy that takes souls to hell. Christ manifestly tells us that there is a danger of forfeiting salvation by falling into temptation after having being baptized. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 10:12, “12 Wherefore let him that thinketh himself to stand, take heed lest he fall.” Haydock Commentary 1 Cor. Chapter 10 “Ver. 12. Take heed lest he fall.

SALVATION 12
This regards the doctors and teachers in the new Church of Corinth; who, relying upon their own learning, did not think themselves weak, and presuming too much upon their own strength, exposed themselves to the danger of falling. See. S. Chrys. And – S. Aug de dono. Persev. – Self-diffidence is the foundation of our strength. We prevent many dangerous falls when we keep close to the earth by humility.” St. Paul wrote in Hebrews 6:4-8 “4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, “5 Have moreover tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, “6 And are fallen away, to be renewed again unto penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making a mockery of him.” “7 For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs useful for them by who it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God. “8 But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is rejected; and very near to a curse, whose end is to be burnt.”  Haydock Commentary Hebrews Chapter 6:4-8 “Ver. 4. etc. For it is impossible, etc. This is an obscure place, differently expounded, which shows how rash it is for the ignorant to pretend to understand the Holy Scriptures. Many understand these words, it is impossible, etc. of the sacrament of penance, or of returning to God by profitable repentance, especially after such heinous sins as an apostasy from the true faith. But then we must take impossible, to imply no more than a thing that is very hard to be done, or that seldom happens, as when it is said, (Matt. Xix. 26.) that it is impossible for a rich man to be saved: and (Luke xvii. 1.) it is impossible that scandals should not come. For it is certain that it is never impossible for the greatest sinners to repent by the assistances which God offers, Who has also left the power to His ministers to forgive in His name the greatest sins. But others (whose interpretation seems preferable) expound this of baptism, which can only be given once. The words in the text very much favor this exposition, when it is said, who were once enlightened. For baptism in the first ages was called the sacrament of illumination. See. S. Denis de caelesti Hierar. c. iv. S. Grg. Naz.

SALVATION 13 – 16
Etc. The following words also agree with baptism, when they are said to have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost; to have tasted the good word of God, and the power of the world to come; all which signify the interior graces, the miraculous gifts, and power of working miracles, which they who were baptized frequently received in those days. “ – They cannot be renewed again unto penance. That is, they cannot be renewed again by baptism, which is also called a renovation. Tit. Iii. 5. Their sins may indeed be forgiven them in the sacrament of penance, but this is not a renovation like that in baptism, in which both the guilt, and all pain due to past sins, is remitted; whereas in the sacrament of penance, though the guilt, and the eternal punishments due to sins is remitted, yet many times, temporal punishments, to be undergone either in this world or the next, still remain due to such as have been great sinners, to them who by relapsing into the same sins, have crucified again to themselves the Son of God, making a mockery of Him; i.e., who, insensitive to the favours received, have ungratefully renewed sin; to take away which Christ suffered, was mocked, crucified, etc. Wi. – Macknight (ed., Rev. Dr. James MacKnight D.D. (1721-1800) – a Scottish minister and theological author of “Harmony of the Gospels” [1756; revised 1763] ; “The Truth of the Gospel History [1763]) observes that Beza (ed., Theodore Beza (1519 in France – 1605 in Geneva, Switzerland) – author, translator, educator, theologian who assisted and later succeeded John Calvin [1509-1564] Calvin was a former Catholic who became a French theologian, pastor, and “reformer” in Geneva during the Protestant Revolt, and established heresies of predestination; full assurance of salvation by simply accepting Jesus as one’s Savior; and heretical Calvinism doctrines.) Beza, (as a leader of the Protestant Revolt from the Catholic Church centered at Geneva,) without any authority from ancient MSS, hath inserted in his version Si, If they shall fall away, that this text might not appear to contradict the Calvinistic doctrine of the assurance of salvation. The English translators have followed Beza. The biblical student will be glad to find Dr. Wells, in his elegant edition of the New testament, frequently restoring and preferring those readings which agree with the Latin Vulgate. The same just tribute is paid to the Vulgate by Walton, Mills, Gerard, Griesbach, Harwood, and others. Indeed the Vulgate has been declared authentic in a general council, and probably expresses more of the true reading of the original or autograph, than the Greek edition that is now to be found (ed., i. e., in late 18th century), and certainly much more than modern versions, which are strained more or less by the preconceived sentiments of the translators.  “- For the earth that drinketh in the rain, etc. He bringeth this comparison, to give them a horror of abusing God’s graces and favours, and making themselves guilty of hell fire.” Hebrews VI., 4, 5. contradicts the Protestant heretics who say people who have been once illuminated, have tasted the heavenly gift, and who were made partakers with the Holy Ghost, should have had full assurance of eternal life with Christ. Yet the event proved such an assurance illusory. St. Paul, too, tells us of those who had made shipwreck of the faith. He is talking of Christians, who had accepted Jesus as their Savior in 1Tim 1:19-20 as follows: “19 Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made shipwreck concerning the faith: “20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander : whom I have delivered to satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” Haydock Commentary 1 Timothy Chapter 1:19-20 “Ver. 19. An evil life is not infrequently the leading principle of defection from the faith. The heart, not the mind, is generally the first corrupted.” “Ver. 20. I have delivered to Satan; whom I have excommunicated, that, they may learn not to blaspheme, or speak against the truth of the faith. Theophylact. – The devil frequently, at the time, took possession of, or afflicted the excommunicated with diseases and other temporal evils. S.Chrysostom.”

Protestants teach Jesus offers salvation as a sheer gift. All we have to do is to accept. Jesus offers Himself and His grace to us as a free gift, beyond all our deserts. But Protestants are wrong when they say we only have to accept. We have to labor and strive to fulfill all the obligations imposed upon us by God. Mere acceptance of Christ without that is of no avail. St. James, the Apostle, writes, “Faith without works is dead. Do you not see that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.” James 2:24 Clear enough. Protestants, leave this in their KJV, yet chose to reject this WORD of God from their belief, as do they many other Scripture verses. Luther wanted to tear out the entire Book of James, but his financial supports threatened to cut him off financially if he did so. He relented, kept it in his Luther “bible,” but taught against it by espousing his heresy of Sola Fide, and added the word “alone” to his “bible” so it reads man is saved by faith alone. Most Protestant sects adopted that Satanic heresy.

Protestants say the gift of God is life eternal through Christ Jesus. That is quite true. But it is not an unconditional gift. After the fall of man, God had no obligation to offer us eternal happiness, and, therefore, His doing so was a sheer gift. But all the same He laid down certain conditions involving good works, and as we are not necessarily compelled to fulfill them, the Protestant doctrinal heresy of full assurance becomes a chimera, as also does another Protestant heresy that for salvation we have only to accept Jesus as our Savior. With the help of His grace, we have to work out our own salvation by good works in fear and trembling lest we ourselves should fail to do our part.

Protestants say that with Roman Catholics, one always has to be doing something to gain grace. Of course, that is so. When we pray we are doing something to gain grace. “Ask, and you shall receive,” is the promise of Christ. Our Lord also showed the necessity of good works when He said, “He that doth evil cometh not to the light.” Scripture tells us, too, to redeem our sins by almsgiving. But that would be impossible unless almsgiving for the love of Christ were a means by which we gain grace. All along the line, in this matter, the Protestant doctrines are at variance with Scripture, and brings out once more that Protestantism is fundamentally un-Scriptural, whilst Catholic ideas are fully in accordance with Holy Scripture.

Protestants say God has called us out of dead works to worship Him through Jesus, the true and living way. That is true, provided “dead works”are correctly interpreted. But it is quite wrong when Protestants then teach that all good works are dead and useless. Protestant sects disagree and struggle trying to understand the doctrine of Predestination of souls. Pre-destination of soul is simply a special Providence of God in regard to a particular individual for whom God has foreordained special graces with which He knows that the individual will certainly correspond. There is no such thing as predestination to hell. To every man in this world God gives sufficient grace for salvation and every man can be saved by corresponding with it. Therefore, if any man is lost, it is his own fault. But there is a re-destination for a specially chosen few to very special graces over and above the ordinary distribution, as in the case of St. Paul, who though a Pharisee, was predestined to his glorious Apostolate. Now, with these principles in mind, we can go on to other issues. Has everyone an equal chance of getting to heaven? Not necessarily. The attaining of heaven depends upon the reception of actual Baptism in the case of infants, and upon Baptism at least implicitly by desire on the part of adults. But those who have come to the age of reason and responsibility even then, may not all have necessarily an equal chance of salvation, although all, without exception, have a true chance. For example, Mary, the Mother of Christ, certainly received very special graces and helps which are not given to ordinary souls. But God gives to every adult sufficient grace for salvation. He has no obligation to give to every soul those extraordinary graces which, in His sheer generosity, He bestows upon some. The question of justice does not enter into the distribution of gratuitous gifts, although God is bound in justice to Himself to give sufficient grace that men may observe the commandments He imposes. And He does so. Protestants say, after all, it is the kind of body that we have that governs our actions during our lives, and the kind of life we lead determines our reward in the next world. It is true to a certain extent only that the kind of life one leads determines his reward in the next world. The use of “to a certain extent” distinguishes that because after an evil life a man could die repentant and be saved almost solely through the merits of Christ, his only personal good being practically the one act of good-will by which he corresponds with the final grace God’s mercy offers him. But it would be a sin of presumption to lead an evil life in the expectation of such a final grace. Faithful, obedient Catholics wisely try to live according to the graces God gives them day by day, so as to be ready whenever God should decide to take us from this world. In this sense, the kind of life we live normally determines our future lot. But an analysis of the Protestant first statement: It is the kind of body we have that governs our actions during life will conclude this not to be true. For man’s higher faculties of the soul (i. e., the mind), reason and will, govern his actions. If he has the use of these faculties, and they do not govern his actions, but are subservient to the blind impulses of bodily inclinations, he sins. But men do not necessarily give in to those blind impulses. The Protestant general statement that the kind of body a man possesses governs his actions during life implies he would have no choice in certain circumstance because of his kind of body to avoid committing willful actions constituting sin. And that is why this Protestant general statement is absolutely denied.  Catholic martyrs chose death rather than allow their body or circumstances to cause them to commit sin. A true Catholic must be willing to give his life to remain faithful.

SALVATION 17
Some Protestants believe the course our life is going to take is affected to a great degree by the type of make-up we are given, a factor over which we have no control. We have control over our make-up. Thousands of people have successfully resisted inherited tendencies. The standard of virtue attained by different people often varies according to their natural characteristics. Even a person identified as “naturally irritable’ because raised by nervous and highly strung parents may find it harder to practice patience and good temper than other persons of a naturally sanguine and happy demeanor. It’s a matter of mind conditioning. And just as it was conditioned to exhibit unrestrained behavioral responses by manifesting knee-jerk irritability, such a mind (the soul) needs to pray for God’s graces to learn how to achieve civil restraint. One’s way is to stop sinning and frequently pray such as, “Lord God, I pray that not my will, but Thy Will be done. I beseech Thee in Thy Mercy and Goodness to give me the graces and virtues to restrain my impulses of irritability, and to become pleasing to You and those with whom I come in contact throughout life, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Teach me how to love Thee more and more. Amen.”

Protestants ask if each soul gets enough grace for salvation if it will but correspond. The response is: YES!

Some Protestants doubt enough grace is given people to overcome evil tendencies. Enough grace is given them to enable them to save their souls. The salvation of a soul depends not only upon the use of grace, but upon the relative standards expected of the soul by God. Our Lord tells us clearly that God will adjust His demands according to the actual responsibility of each individual. That variance in standards He shows in His parable of the talents, five being given to one man, two to another, and but one to a third. Not so much will be required of the man with but one talent as from him with five talents. Again, in Luke XI, 48, Christ says, “Unto whom much is given, of him much shall be required.” But that God gives sufficient grace to each according to the standard required of him for salvation is not in the least a doubtful proposition. God has revealed that He sincerely wills the salvation of all men and also that grace is necessary for salvation. Therefore to all men He offers sufficient grace for their salvation according to their relative needs and the relative standards allotted to them.

SALVATION 18 – 19
Some Protestants teach that there are some souls too brutal and hardened to be sensitive to grace, and question if grace creates a new moral nature within them. Sufficient grace is offered to any man properly importuning God to resist an evil influence. If they refuse to listen to the promptings of grace and of conscience, they may become more and more brutal and hardened, and less sensitive to grace. They become habitual sinners. Christ died for sinners. He came to save that which was lost, and He wills not the death of a sinner but that he be converted and live. Even after a lifetime of sin. He will still offer sufficient grace for salvation, and special graces towards the end of life when sinful attractions have lost much of their fascination. Protestants who believe God does not give every man sufficient grace for salvation, doubt man could easily turn to God if he will. Man receives sufficient grace if he can save his soul. Whether he can do so easily or with difficulty is beside the point. As long as he can do so, the grace is not insufficient for salvation. He is saved if he actually dies in a state of grace, whatever his previous life may have been. The Emperor Napoleon Bonapart, who had imprisoned two popes (Pope Pius VI died in a French prison), yet had a Catholic priest take his confession when he was dying in exile. So to say the least, He will give them grace sufficient for their radical conversion and salvation, a grace adjusted to their particular needs. If they need a greater grace than a less hardened person, they will get that greater grace. That grace will not force them. They will have to accept it voluntarily with whatever will-power they actually have. But it will be truly sufficient for their salvation according to their actual capacity and the relative standard God expects of them. A man can be lost only for what is his own fault, not for what is not his own fault. God knows all the grades of personal responsibility and guilt, and will duly allow for them.

Protestants would ask why a man becomes a priest, and dedicate his life to the work of God, while some other unfortunate became a heathen, concluding there are two different sets of circumstances over which neither party had any control. This question sums up the mistake which characterizes your whole letter. Protestantism, in dealing with man’s relation to a supernatural destiny, yet are trying to explain it by natural elements only. Protestantism is leaving out God and the influence of grace, and all notions of supernatural agency. It’s rather like complaining that you can’t dig up cube roots with a spade. Why did I become a priest, and why has some other unfortunate become a heathen? A man would become a priest because God inspired him with the thought to do so, and because the man chose to correspond with that good inspiration. He could have refused and become a heathen. Some other unfortunate became a heathen, if he ever possessed the Christian faith, because he chose not to correspond with the grace God gave him. If you examine the two lives, there will not be found different sets of circumstances over which either man had no control, in the sense Protestantism intends. Some circumstances may have happened which we could not control, but we did not lose the power to control ourselves in those circumstances. That is the point Protestantism overlooks. Sometimes people cannot control being brought into contact with the claims of the Catholic Church. But acceptance or rejection of those claims certainly was within their control. What did Christ mean by the parable in which the late arrivals received the same pay as those who had worked all day, and who justly protested? The parable is not to be interpreted literally and merely from this world’s point of view, but as exhibiting the conditions of the kingdom of heaven to which Christ applied His illustration. Eternal salvation depends upon the gift of divine grace, and God will grant that salvation by justice to those who have served Him from their youth, by mercy and goodness to those who turn to Him in repentance or later stages of life, or even at the last moment. And no one will ever have the right to complain against God whether He manifests His justice or His mercy in granting salvation to any given soul. Equity will be secured, of course, by the greater glory and merit of those who have served God longer and more faithfully on earth. But our Lord is not here concerned with that. He is concerned with the general fact of eternal salvation given equally to souls of various qualifications. The parable was directed against the Pharisees who thought themselves the elite, and condemned our Lord’s goodness to the publicans and sinners, as if these poor people should not be given any hope of eternal salvation. They thought that was theirs by right, and that God was not free to grant it to others even in sheer
mercy. Where the dispensation of grace is concerned God is above all human criticism.

Protestants question that Catholic people believe that they can be saved if forgiven by a priest up to the last moment of life. That is so. Catholics dare not put limits to God’s mercy; God has Himself declared that His mercy outnumbers all reckoning on the part of men. But don’t conclude that Catholics believe that they are justified in continuing in sin merely because if a man repents at the last he can be saved. They know quite well that they are never justified in continuing in a state of sin. God has promised forgiveness when a man does repent, but He has never promised time to repent. If a man mocks God’s mercy by making it the excuse for further sin, and for further delay in his conversion, such a man forfeits any right to mercy at the last. If he repents he will save his soul, but how does he know that he will not meet with a sudden and unforeseen death? If he receives the Sacraments from a priest, and is in proper dispositions, he will save his soul, but what guarantee has he that a priest will be available just where and when he is needed? Remember, too, that according to Catholic doctrine, sins, even though forgiven, have to be expiated in purgatory; and the man who barely saves his soul after a lifetime of sin, will expiate his sins in a purgatory that will scarcely bear description. God is not mocked. Sins cannot be multiplied with impunity, even though God is merciful.

SALVATION 20
If two Catholics die, one after a good life, and another after an evil life, but getting forgiven before he dies, does the evil one get the same reward as the good one? No. The evil one will have far more to expiate in purgatory, and when he does enter heaven, will attain a far lower degree of happiness and glory than the one who has consistently served God.

Protestants ask if it would be very hard on one who lived a very good life, but was unfortunate enough to die at the last with a mortal sin on his soul? That is hardly a likely contingency. But if it did happen, it would be hard for such a person, but not unjust. Firstly, he has no need and no right to be in a state of mortal sin when death comes. Secondly, his previous good life does not affect the matter. The observance of all God’s commandments for sixty years gives no right whatever to violate one of them then. It’s like arguing that a man is justified in stealing on Tuesday because he did not commit adultery on the preceding Monday. On the other hand, a person who had led a bad life could repent at the last and save his soul. That’s not hard on anybody. The grace of repentance is always at the disposal of men of good will, offered through the sheer mercy of Christ. Protestants posit that the man good all his life but who sins near death would go to hell, and the bad man to purgatory., believing that’s hardly fair. Fairness is not involved in this question. First, these two cases have no relation to each other. The fact that the wicked man accepted God’s mercy has no relation whatever to the fact that the previously good man would not have it. Remember that God offered sufficient grace equally to both according to the necessities of each. Suppose two beggars were offered each half-a-dollar by a Catholic; if one notices that the benefactor is a Catholic, and through bigoted enmity towards Catholics, spits on the ground and refuses to take the offering, whilst the other gratefully accepts it, who is going to blame the Catholic for injustice because one man goes without his dinner, whilst the other has it?

Being in a state of mortal sin, an erstwhile pious man is no longer a “good man”, and no one has a right to assume that he is still good. Nor is he condemned to hell for any of his previous goodness. He is condemned for being an evil man in a state of enmity with God, a state which no previous goodness could justify. And the bad man is not saved because he was bad. He is saved because he had ceased to be bad, repenting of his crimes, and becoming good in God’s sight by his willing correspondence with the grace offered him. We cannot exclude goodness by supposing that a man falls into mortal sin and dies in that state, and yet still regard that man as possessing goodness. Nor can we suppose a bad man converted to goodness, and then argue as if he were saved because of his
badness.

TO BE CONTINUED