The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-04-30

AZ. Catholic ana PfOlestaht Vel
tainty of Salvation.
objection: The Catholic Church
can, give. no personal and uncondi-
tional certainty of salvation, but the
Evanqelieal gives absolute certainty
by faith and thereby the true peace OF
heart. The confiding surrender OF
man to God in Christ, the personal
union of the Soul with Him in an
unlimited confidence-not by doing
GOOD works--produces that victorious
certainty of salvation which every
EvanqeIican Christian can and should
experience. Thus we EvangeIicaIs are
infinitely better off than all pious
Catholics. according to Tschackert,
Potemic, 34). .f &
Answer. How does that agree with
the admonition OF st. Paul: with
fear and trembling work out your sal
vation." phil. Ply? And with the
admonition of St Peter: ''Brethren,
labor the more, that by good works
We may make sure your calling ana
election" g Peter 1:10)? ST. Paul
saws. Il am not conscious to myself
of ANYTHING. yet am not hereby Justl-
fed but he that iudgeth me. is the
Lord Il Cor. 4:4. He that think
eth himself to stand, let him take
heed lest lie fall" q Cor. 10:l2).
Infinitely better than this presnmp-
tnous confidence is the humble trust,
which is founded in Holy Scripture.
This humble trust does not exclude
the fear of ones Gown weakness ana
the carefulness in ones conduct, lest
one fall, lint rests the more ON GOO s
mercy. mower, and faithiulnesS.
If is unjust to accuse us Catholics
of want of confidence in Christ be-
cause we do not have this excess OF
trust. 1.-THE whole superiority of the
Protestant certainty of salvation ais
appears on closer examination, and is
no more than the confidence included
in our hope" (Mausbach, Die kath-
olische Moral, p. 49,.
>. What must be the feeling of an
earnest thinking Protestant, who on
Sunday in his church has experienced
that certainty of salvation and on
Monday commits a grievous sin!
That sin is still possible with such
persons, is proven by experience
Will he say, perhaps: The certainty
of salvation and sin remain together?
Perhaps he acts on the advice of
Luther: "Pecca fortiter, sed fortlus
crede-Sin bravely, but believe the
more bravely." Does that give GER.
1aintv of salvation and true peace of
heart? According to Holy Scripture
nothing defiled shall enter heaven,
nor adulterer, 4nore thief etc. Suppose
that sin is a criminal relation of long
standing. Will that certainty also
last during that time? 50
The Catholic Church can not tOler-
ate such contradiction, much less
can she hull her children to sleep with
a false certainty of salvation and q
false peace of heart. She demands
that the sinner be truly converted
that he give up the occasion OF sin
confess the sin sincerely and bt
heartily sorry for it. Then she prom
Uses peace, but a true peace accord
ing to the example of Christ, Who
says only to the contrite sinner: CT
i'm peace, thy sins are forgiven, 'ant
Who Instituted Confession as the Sac
rament of interior peace. If the con
version is not honest, it helps nothing
II the sinner falls back after a tru'
conversion, which is possible, thel
also his hope of heaven is lost as Ion;
as he remains in the state of sin.
Now is the Protestant "infinitel
better off than all pious Catholics,
who lives in the certainty of saliva
ton once experienced, but is sinner
or, like the Catholic. loses that Gel
fainty during the time of a sinfu
life, and has only perfect contritio
for his conversion and not the const
lation and strength of the Sacramen
of Penanee9a
s.. Moeh!er (f183S), the great thee
lNgian, says: According to the Pro
est.lnt way we need but ask ever
one. what he thinks of himse
whether he belongs to the elect is
saint. and he would have to be col
sidered already in this life as a sain
ANY doubt on the part of others {
to his claim would refute the symbC
ical doctrine (of Protestants).,
irony of this they acknowledge I
saints. think l. would feel rath'
uneasy in the presence of man WI
would declare that he is sure OF
salvation without any condition, and
would hardly be able to shake off Il
thought that there is something di
boIical at the bottom" (Symbol
s 20).