The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-21

Catnonc Church, alter staClng as we have
seen in the tract that no one who dies
out of the pale of the Church can be
saved, asksrp SO.
Question. "Who are out of the pale of
the Roman Catholic church, Il. "All
unbaptized persons, unbelievers, apos-
tates, communicated persons, and
all heretics'' The author then devotes
one question and answer to each of the
four classes first mentioned but when he
comes to the last class" Protestants or
heretics s"-as he calls them, he occupies
sixteen pages in an elaborate effort to
prove that they must inevitably be lost
unless they renounce Professionalism and
become Romanists.
But you may ask does not the author
draw a distinction between "those who
know the Catholic Church to be the only
true Church and those who do not" /
answer that he does but not so as to ex-
cuse the latter, but only to make the
former "more guilty and damnable" AS
to the latter class we have the following
question and answer:
O. What are we to think of the salvation
of those who are out of the pale of the
Church without any fault of theirs, and
who "never had any opportunity of know
ing better?" Il. "Their inculpable igno-
rance will not save them; but if they fear
God, and live up to their conscience, God
in His infinite mercy will furnish them
with. the necessary means of salvation,
even so as to send, if needed, an angel to
instruct them in the Catholic faith rather
than let them perish through inculpable
ignorance.
This question plainly refers to the
heather who "never had any opportunity
of knowing better" and implies that they
are saved only by adoption of the Cath
olic faith-and therefore union in heart to
the Catholic Church. It does not bear
on the question of the final state of those
who die out of the Catholic Church. But
the five questions which Immediately fol-
low do bear on that point and are as fol-
lows: eirr so ea
O.. Is it then right for us to say that
one who was not received into the Church
before his death is damned?" A. No.
| @. Why not? Il. Because we cannot
know for. certain what takes place be-
tween God and the soul at the awful mo-
ment of death.
This looks as if the author would leave
hope yet for man who lived and died
Protestant, but the next answer sweeps
1t all away again. ~" -
Q. what do you mean by this? A.
&c mean that God in His infinite mercy
may enlighten at the hour of death, one
who is not yet Catholic, so that he may
see the truth of the Catholic faith be
truly sorry for his sins, and sincerely de-
sire to die good Catholic"
@. What do we say of those who re-
ceive such an extraordinary grace, and
die in this manner? H. We say of them
that they die united at least to the soul
of the Catholic Church and are saved"
In each of the above cases, either by
the ministry of an angel in life, or an ex-
traordinary grace in death, the person
becomes Roman Catholic in BELIEF and
in spirits united at least to the soul
of the Catholic Church and therefore is
no longer without it's pale Then follows
this question:
@. What then awaits all those who are
out of the Catholic Church, and die with
out having received such an extraordi-
nary grace at the hour of death p 4.
Eternal damnation, as sure as there is a
God"
lhls is the real teaching OF the Roman
Catholic Church, not drawn from cards
intended for Protestant eyes, but from a
Catechism expressly prepared for doc
trinal instruction in Catholic schools and
endorsed by highest Catholic authorities,
as "a clear sound, orthodox exposition
of Catholic doctrine" According to this
teaching for the Protestant, however hon
est, humble, pious he may have been,
however sanity his life, however trium-
phant his death, unless at the last mo-
ment he renounces Professionalism and
becomes Romanist, there remains moth
ing but eternal damnation as sure as
there is God" Whether Protestants
think it right to encourage such teach
inngs by contributing to support Catholic
churches, / submit as one Of the impor-
tant questions of the hour.
And now as / wish in my next letter
to refer to some matters in the sermon of
Bishop Keane, will, before letting the
tract, go by, refer to the subject Of the
ten commandments. The tract states
that the Roman Catholics strike out one
of the commandments from the Decaloeue.
Rufus" denies this and says that the
Protestants have divided the first com
mo ont into fvyo ~ i ,,u;to1 A. -. Al