St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-03
Things Catholics Do Not Believe.

Things Catholics Do Not Believe.
In view of the fact that there has been
so much discussion locally OF late about
doctrnal differences between Catholics
and ProteStantS. we ask the privilege of
enumerating some things that Catholics
do not believe.
1. They do not believe that there is
any other mediator of redemption than
Jesus Christ. "For there is no other
name given to men whereby we can be
saved" When they call the mother of
God, or any saint, a mediator, it is not
in the sense of mediator of redemp-
ton attributed to our Savior, but in the
sense of intercessOr or pleader between
God and his fellow man, as Abraham,
Moses and st. Paul prayed to God for
the people.
2. Catholics do not believe that the
Virgin Mary is in any way equal. or
even comparable, to God; for, being
only creature, although the most high
ly favored, she is infinitely less than
God. who created her. Nor do they
claim for her any power beyond that
she derives from God; for she is en-
tireIy dependent on God for her priv
ileges, her grace and her glory.
3. Catholics do not believe that there
is any power on this earth or in heaven
that can give permission to commit the
least sin; or that sin can be forgiven
for money; or in indulgence granted for
the commission OF sin, either past, pres
ent or future; or that priest, bishop,
cardinal or pope can give abSolution to
sinner who does not truly repent by
sincere sorrow and truly resolve to
abandon sin for all time to come, to
amend his life and make reparation to
God and his neighbor for the offenSe
committed.
q. Catholics do not believe that any
man can obtain salvation by his own
good aeeds, independent of the merits
and passion of Jesus Christ and His
grace, or that he can make any satisfac-
ton for the guilt of his sins, or acquire
any merit except through the Savior.
5. Catholics do not believe that it is
allowable to break laWfal oath or tell
lie, even for the conversion of king
dom, or do anything whatever of sim
full nature to promote the supposed in
terests of their church. The false and
fies the MEANS" or that they may do
evil that good may come, is utterly con-
demned by the Catholic church.
6. Catholics do not believe that Pro-
teStants who are baptized who lead
good life, love God and their neighbor,
who avoid evil and do good, who are
blamelesSly ignorant of Catholic truth,
and of the just claims of the Catholic
church to be the only true religion, are
excluded from heaven, provided they
believe there is one God in three divine
persons (or unity in trinity and trinity
in unity; that God will reward the
good and punish the bad hereafter;
that Jesus is the son of God, made man,
who redeemed us, and in whom we
must trust fer our salvation; and pro-
vided they thoroughly repent of having
ever by their sins offended God.
7. Catholics hold that Professionals who
have these dispositions, and who have
no suspicion of their religion being
false, and no means to discover. or fail
in their honest endeayors to discover
the true religion, and who are so dis
posep in their hearts that they would, at
any cost, embrace the Roman Catholic
religion if they knew it to be the true
one, are Catholics in spirit, and in some
sense within the Catholic church, with
ont themselves knowing it. These
Christians belong and are united to the
'.soul." as it is called, of the Catholic
church, although they are not united to
the visible body of the church by exter-
nal communion with her; and by the
ProteStants from early education and
false teaching about Catholics were
righteously indignant at Catholic be-
lief, but on ascertaining the truth from
Catholic sources became members of
the much maligned church. Among
such men may be reckoned Cardinal
Newman, who believed, and to the age
of thirty-seven preached, that the pope
is anti Christ, and Earl Spencer (after-
wards Father Ignatins), who attacked
the Catholic church so vigorously when
hewaS clergyman of the English church
that his own father implored him to
speak less violently of Catholics and ex-
ercise religious liberation.
8. Even ST. Paul, before his CONVEX
sion, prosecuted the early Christians.
Catholics do not believe that it is in the
power of their church to add to the
truths contained in the deposit of
faith;" that is, to frame or enforce any
doctrine which has not for its source
the written or unwritten word of God,
or authority from the same. Nor do
they believe, when the church makes a
definition in matters Of faith, as for in
stance the immaculate conception of
Mary, or the infallibility Of the pope in
matters of faith aud morals, it is new
doctrine; it being only solemn declar-
alton and clearer statement of what
was believed, at least implicitly Chat is,
in an implied way, or Theoretically in
the time of the apostles, though some
private persons might have doubted it.
Catholics do not believe many other
things not here enumerated, and on ex-
animation of the Catholic doctrine as
taught and promulgated by the church.
many things which appear strange to
non-Catholics can be readily ascertained
to be founded on revealed religion, hui
man reason and common sense.