St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-27

and surest ethical perceptions. The
Catholic church, following the tradl'
ton of all Christian ages, opens to us
this abode OF purgatory, where mercy at
the very doors of hell, yet battles TIL
umphantly over justice, and retains
in its hands the souls whom grieVous
and most reasonable rebelliOnS nave
not absolutely blackened and defaced
of Gods image. There shall mercy de-
tain them. until the last farthing snail
have been paid, the drOss OF earth
washed off, and they shall have been
made worthy to take part in the nup-
tials of the lamb immaculate. IF any
mans work burn, he shall suffer loss;
but he himself shall be saved, yet so as
by fire"
This much said as to the ordeal which
awaits mems souls at the close OIL TINS
life, Gods judgments are indicated,
and the truth is made manifest tnat
they who enter hell 90 thither despite
the counsels of eternal love. and be-
" cause they have deliberately and perse-
vermgly chosen their lot.
The Justice and mercy offGod snail
forever remain. 1t may not be always
an easy task for us in our present nm
tied knowledge of the workings or GOu's
grace, and of the conditions OF lnd =
vidual conscienceS to show in all par
tlcular cases the methods or pracllcal
appliances through which this truth IS
realized. But this we must attribute 10
the shortcomings of our own minds.
Several false conceptions, however, OF
Gods providence over souls are removed
by word of explanation.
PredestIned, Because FOreknOwn.
The dogma of predestnatiOn lncor-
rectly stated leads 10 fatal errors. Cal
win, in his Institutes, teaches that Inc
elect are saved, and the reprobates are
damned by Gods irreyocable and eter-
nal DEGREES, utterly irrespective OF
divine foreknoWledge OF their deeds.
Indeed, this foreknOwledge of reproha-
ton and damnatiOn would be the result
of Gods predeStlnatiOn, and not predeS-
tinatiOn the result of foreknOwledge.
Doctrine of this kind precludes divine
Justice and mercy. Men would DE
damned, because God willed them to be
damned; he'll would be the kingdom of
sovereign injustice and cruelty. The
truth is, that men are saved or lost be-
cause of their works. The Judge VIII on
the last day admit the elect unto heaven,
''for | was hungry, and you gave me 10
eat etc., etc. The reprobate He will
cast away, ''for | was hungry, ana you
gave me not to eat, etc. etc" ST. Paul
writes: Nv HON He fOreknew lie also
predestined, and whom He predeStlned
He also called, and whom lie called
them also lie justified, and whom lie
justified them also lie glorlhed." HIS
fureknowing is the Ist cause of Gods
favorable action toward men. Salvation
is the Joint work of God and man, OF
grace and human will. Scripture,
speaking of one or the other, may seem
| to eXtol the one to the exclusion or he
! other, and at times grace alone seems 10
be the saving force, at times free VIII
! alone. The grace of God with me" as
| St. Paul wTiteS-God aud I-Such the
actual cause of ones salTation-I with
| out the grace of God, which | resisted
| such the cause of ones reprobation.
Unbaptized Children.
! Salvation, the Christian church
| teaches, comes through the grace of
| Christ. What. then. of the hundreds
| of millions of children dying without
| baptism, deprived. apart from all per-
! SOnal fadlt. of ChriSt;S grace? Infants
! dying without baptism never attain the
supernatural reward of the beatlfic
vision, which is reserved to them who
/ are partakerS of ChriSt;S merits, and
! thereby partakers OF Christ's inheri-
! lance. But being without personal sin,
| they are not condemned to the tor
mentS OF hell. God is just. They have
| their own abode, away from the heaven
| of God's elect. and away from the he'll
of the reprobate, where degree OF
| natural beatitude, >prOportioned to their
unregenerate state, may be allotted to
them. TheOIOgianS speak of it as the
limbuS of the unbaptized.
What of the immense multitude OF
adults who, through dark and savage
continents, have never heard of Christ,
could never have heard of Him, and
could never. consequently, have re-
celYed the gift of faith, which is the
root and font of salvation? l am not
able to tell you IN precise terms what
does become of them. But l ever hold
that God is Just, and that no soul shall
be lost without its own fault. Of such
as they st. Paul writes to the Romans:
"For whosOever have sinned without
the law shall perish without the law;
these having not the law are law to
themselves, who show the work of the
law written in their hearts, their con-
science bearing witness 10 them. If
pagans obey the moral law, so far as
their lights make it known to them, or,
having sinned, repent, they shall not be
| damned. How may they be saved IN
acts of obedience to their conscience?
| In mysterious ways, unknown 10 US,
God will bring them to supernatural
graces, to the baptism of desire, or,
| dying in natural rectltude, they shall in
eternity be aSSimIlated to children dying
without baptism. God has not revealed
| all His methods of dealing with souls;
1 but His own justice and mercy lie has
revealed.
Pagans in Christian Lands.
go further. What of those who in
| Christian lands know not, and obey not
| Christ, and seek not His graces and sac
raments? proclaim the law; l do not
read each conscience. The law is that
Christ must be sought after. and heard,
under penalty of ones damnation.
Preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved. He that belleveth not shall
be condemned" If there is voluntary
closing the ear against the voice of
faith. voluntary spurning Of grace, then
damnation is deserved, and damnatiOn
comes. If there is invincible ignorance
the possibility of invincible Ignorance OF
Christ Observation-Disclosures are III the
same condition as paganS in pagan
lands of whom l have previously
spoken. 1t is my duty for truths sake
to lay down this principle of invincible
ignorance. But let us know well what
it meaGs. 1t means that men earnestly
and honestly desire the truth, and FOL
low all the lights offered them. Ii, this
done, they have not found Christian
truth, they shall not be damned because
of their lack of it.
What of the millions in Christian sects
outside the Catholic church? The Cath
Ollie church is the one church established
by Christ, destined by Him to endure
all ages, and possessed always of His
own presence and guidance. OF her
the Master said: HE that heareth not
the church, let him be to thee as a hea-
then and a publican" In accordance
with Chrlst's words, the Catholic church
has for principle: 'Outside the church,
10 salvation" Yes, this is the law,
sacred and inflexible. Ali those outside
of Christ, through their own fault, are
the enemies of Christ; so are they His
, enemies who through their own fault
! are outside His church. But in both
cases invncible ignorance saves from
sin, and God knows where ignorance Of
| His church is, or is not, invincible. A
| i,,f or rxrft INot