The Irish standard., 1917-10-20
LUTHER. DOCTRINE
on Faith REFUTED
NO scRlPTuRAL WARRANT FOR
PRINCIPLE OF JUSTIFICATION
F, BY FAITH ALONE.
St Paul's Text on Justification by
Faith Alone Related to Mosaic Law
MANY Excerpts From New Testa-
ment Cited to Prove Lack Of Foun-
dation for Luther Preachment

Non-Catholics do not hold the doc
trine of Luther that man is justified
by faith alone. They have drifted
around to the opposite extreme, and,
as rule, hold that man is justified by
good works alone. BY this principle
Luther utterly repudiated the moral
law. When st. Paul says: There
fore, we conclude that a man is justi-
fed by faith without the deeds of the
law" he referred to the observing of
the Mosaic law.
"St. Paul here contends" writes
Moehler, against the Jews of his
own time, who obstinately defended
the eternal duration of the Mosaic
law, and asserted that, not needing
Redeemer from sin, they became
righteous and acceptable before God
by the law alone. In opposition to
this opinion, St. Paul lays down the
maxim, that 1t is not by the works
(deeds) of the law, /. e., not by life
regulated by the Mosaic precepts, man
is enabled to obtain the favor of
heaven; but only through faith in
us by God for wisdom, for sanctitica-
tion, for righteousness, and for re-
demption. Unbelief in the Redeemer.
and confidence in the fulfllment of
the law performed through natural
power alone, on the one hand, and
faith in the Redeemer and the JUS
tice to be conferred by God on the
other (Rom. 1, II, X. 3; Phil; iii, o.
these and not faith in the Redeemer,
and the good works emanating from
its power, constitute the two points
of opposition contemplated by the.
Apostle" Symbolism" ch. iii, sec.
xii, p. 1867.
The Scriptures clearly show that
man cannot be saved by faith alone,
but by that living, vital faith that
produces good works.
"lf thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments (Matt. xix, 10.
"Seest thou that faith did cooper
ate with his works, and by works
faith was made perfect? y Dc
you see that by works man is JUST.
fed, and not by faith only? *
For even as the body without the spirit
is dead, SO also faith without works
is dead" Games il, 22-26).
''If l should have all faith, so that
! could remove mountains, and have
not charity. l am nothing" Il. Cor
xiii, ], 2).
mot everyone who saith to me-
Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doth
the will of my Father, who is in
heaven" Matt. vii, 21).
When st. Paul declares: There
fore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ" (Rom. v, u, he plain
ly means. For in Christ Jesus neith-
er circumcision avafleth anything, nor
uncircumcision; but faith that work
eth by charity" (Gal. v, 81.
The old Protestant doctrine which
attributes to faith alone the power OF
saving has not the slightest warrant
in Scripture. Love must already
vivify faith, before the Catholic church
will say that through it man is truly
pleasing to God. Faith in love, and
love in faith, justify; they form here
an inseparable unity. This justifying
is not merely negative, but positive
withal; not merely a confidence that.
for Christ's sake, the forgiveness of
sins will be obtained, but sanctified
feeling, in itself agreeable to God
Charity is undoubtedly, according to
Catholic doctrine a frnif Of faith