The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-29

+ s ) I'd = : y.
ties and their successors; and eternal
damnatinns is for those who, wilfullyI
reject 1t. No one who Is wilfully sep
arated from the Church of Christ cam
be saved.
A merely moral and edifying life will
not save men unless they accomplish
the holy will OF God, manifested
through His spotless and ever-glorions
Spouse, the Church. The performance
of good works and charitable deeds
pleases not God, should there exist
neglect and refusal of obedience to the
authority of the Church, the great
work for which Christ died. To satisfy
God, mortals must not only avoid evil,
but do the positive will of God ac-
cording to the teaching of His Beloved
Church. An honest life demands per-
feet fulfilment of the Divine will, made
known through the Church. God must
be served in the manner He requires,
and in no other. Persons, of course,
who remain outside the Catholic
Church involuntarily through invine-
ible ignorance, or without any fault or
will of their own, can obtain life ever
lasting under the influence of Divine
grace by following the dictates of their
conscience, by the observance of the
natural law and by disposition to
obey God. Their salvation will, there
fore, be effected in the Church, to the
soul of which they really thus belong,
though they do not belong to the out
ward organization. No person can
come to Christ except through His
Church. Persons become culpable,
therefore, by neglecting to seek and
enter the Church when God grants
them light to suspect or know that
they are outside the Church. Persons,
doubling seriously whether they be-
long to the true religion or not, are
bound to strive to find a solution OF
their doubt.
Light of Faith Necessary.
Learning does not furnish sufficient
ground for belief, but the light of faith
is imperative. Though intellectually
convinced of the truth of the Church
man needs, nevertheless, faith to place
| credence in revealed truths. Untold
numbers of educated people, there
fore, though fully convinced that God
gave revelation to mankind and con
stituted His Church as the custodian
protector and interpreter of the de
post of faith, remain, nevertheless
| unbelievers, because they never re
| ceive or they lost the gift of faith by
their own fault. Intellectual convic
ton can be obtained by the natural
| faculties of the mind, while belief
| springs from a supernatural assistance
coming directly from God. On account
| of Intellectual pride, stubbornness in
their own opinions, or immoral lives
| God withdraws from human beings the
precious gift of faith. God resistetf
the proud and giveth grace to the
humble" Games 4:6.) Incredulity il
the natural consequence of pride, pas
sion, religious Ignorance or self-suf
ficiency. unless you become as little
children, you shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven" Matt. 1879
Sensuality, though certainly not com
mendable, is preferable, however, tt
the intellectual pride of persons whit
refuse submission to the legitimate
authority of the Church, which Chris
founded to guide men in the way o.
salvation. Far greater sinners are the
individuals who rebel against the voice
of the Church than those who willing
ly obey the dictates of the Church
though not free from the contamina
ton of evil.
/ Nothing, indeed, is more just, neces
sary and consoling, amid the error!
Astounding in the sects, the false max
inns in the industrial and politica
spheres, and in the present apostasy
from God, followed by moral and in
tellectual rottenness, than subsection
to the voice of the Church of God il
the exercise of her infallible ant
ordinary authority. Human systems
disappear, but the Faith of the Catho
lie Church alone continues to shin,
forth in its undiminished splendor, be
cause the Church is infallible. B,
obedience to her commands in spiritua
matters, men possess the glad AM
peaceful assurance of running no risl
OF going astray in the prime affair o
life, the salvation of their immorta
soul. The grand thought of having tn
complete truth brings peace and tran
quillity, the truth that gives liberty
1.-THE truth shall make you free.
John 1922 Experience teaches tina
nothing is more liable to error thai
the human mind, but the Church @
God depends not on fallible men, Blu
certainly on her Divine Head. Behol
the absurd alterations, destructiv
schisms and fatal heresies, into whic
even the learned, down the centurie.
have fallen in failing to heed the dec
sions of the One, True, Holy, Catholic
Apostolic and Infallible Church {
Christ.
TIMOTHY CORBETT,
, Bishop of Crookstol
Given at Crookston on the Feast {
the Epiphany Of Our Lord, January