Posted on 11/23/2004 9:07:40 AM PST by Stubborn
Father Michael Muller was one of the most widely read theologians of the 19th Century. He ranks as one of the greatest defenders of the dogma “Outside the Church there is no salvation” in modern times. Father Muller always submitted his works to two Redemptorist theologians and to his religious superiors before publication, thus we are sure of the doctrinal soundness of his teachings. This article, first published in 1875, is one of the finest treatments of the doctrinal truth that Our Lord founded one true Catholic Church, outside of which there is no salvation. Father Muller’s firm writings are desperately needed in our time when this doctrine is denied by those who are the most influential members of our Holy Church. We publish Father Muller’s excellent little Catechism as an antidote to the prevalent religious indifferentism — an indifferentism that is the direct result of what Blessed Pius IX denounced as “Liberal Catholicism”.
I thoroughly deny this.
Pride goeth...
Charitable and loving. Who needs fun when you can be so sure of your own salvation, simply based on membership?
Well, you know, as my yiayia always said "Don't worry about us. We'll be standing on a bishop's shoulders!"
anybody uncomfortable?
If God wanted one savage, in the midst of savages, He would make him Catholic. He would give him the desire and the means. All others would be lost
So, imagine the fate of those in far better circumstances (our friends and neighbors) who know of God and the Church but refuse what it offers. And imagine the sin of those within the Church who now lead us to believe there is salvation in all religions.
St. Pius X, pray for us.
I read that article in CFN two weeks ago, and saved the paper because of that article. I didn't know it was online.
Thanks for posting it.
Same here. I came across it on their website and was happy to post it!
Any Catholic who thinks they are saved because they are Catholic are CINO.
It is comforting to know where to find salvation and it is charitable to tell others, the real tragedy is when everyone believes everybody can attain salvation on their own terms.
Not me.
I'm glad you feel comforted. Perhaps you can explain to me what you meant by the last half of your statement above?
As do I. :-)
Doesn't look like you and your church leadership are in full agreement.
Not good. In fact, most often, downright ugly. I think the words "disobedient schismatics" are rather commonly used.
Welcome to FR.
How sad for you.
Just thought I'd let you know I'm back on FR and have a new pinglist (in addition to the Homosexual Agenda pinglist) called "Moral Absolutes Ping list" - it's admittedly subjective, whatever interests me in the realm of universal moral absolutes, why they're needed, and what happens when they're rejected.
I don't cover homosexuality (my other list) or abortion particularly, since it's covered with other lists.
Maybe I'll check this thread out tomorrow - must get sleep...
With all due respect to your belief, that scripture is self explanatory and needs no interpretation.
Pinging
Welcome back! You're up and running, I take it.
Please add me to your ping list.
Take for example virtually all of Psalm 119 where nearly every other verse in the longest chapter in the Bible talks about the individual studying God's word and seeking guidance directly from God as to its meaning for his/her life (and I am only going to include a handful of the 176 verses here). 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
A very good example, however, your interpretation is not the interpretation of the Church. Heres the other side of the coin from my Bible: 118:2 *Blessed are they who search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart.
*His testimonies The commandments of God are called His testimonies because they testify His Holy will unto us. Note here that in almost every verse of this psalm, (which in number are 176) the word and law of God, and the love and obsevance of it, are perpetually indicated under a variety of denominations, all signifying the same thing.
I would also suggest that the literal rendering of 2 Timothy 3:15 to 17 yields a similar thought - that being that all of scripture is for the common man to take in for all the reasons listed here (and more that are mentioned elsewhere). 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Once again, I will post a portion the other side of the coin as dictated from my Bible:
*3:14 But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
3:15 And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3:16 All scripture, divinely inspired, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work. *
But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned
St. Paul here gives particular advice to his disciple, St. Timothy, who had been long since instructed in all the holy truths and mysteries of the Christian faith, who had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost, of prophesy, of interpreting the Scriptures, who was a priest, a bishop of Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia, whose office it was to instruct, direct and convert others.
(Vs 15) He tells this great bishop that the holy scriptures are able, and may conduce or can instruct him unto salvation, unto his own salvation and that of others. The Apostle here entreats his disciple, and in him all future Christians, that all Scripture is profitable; but not with Protestants, that Scripture alone is necessary and sufficient.
(Vs 16) All scripture, divinely inspired, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, or admonish, to instruct others in justice and in the ways of virtue, that thus he who is a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, may be perfect and instructed unto every good work. But when our adversaries of the pretended reformation, undertake from these four verses to shew, first, that every ignorant man or woman is hereby warranted to read and put what construction his or her private spirit or private judgement, suggests upon all places of the holy Scripture; and secondly, that the Scripture alone contain all truths which a Christian is bound to believe; or at least, that the Scriptures teach him all things necessary to salvation, without regard to the interpretation and authority of the Catholic Church; I may at least say (without examining at present any other pretended grounds of these assertions) that these consequences are very remote from the text and sense of St. Paul in this place.
As to the first, does this follow; the Scriptures must be read by St. Timothy, a priest, a bishop, a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, whose office it is to instruct and convert others, therefore they are proper to be read and expounded by every ignorant man or woman?
Does not St. Paul say elsewhere (2 Cor. 2:17) that many adulterate and corrupt the word of God? Does not St. Peter tell us also, (2 Peter 3:16) that in St. Paul’s epistles are some things.....which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own perdition?
***************
It continues on to exhaustively cover the subject, but I'll stop here as I think, if you've read the whole post, it suffices to show another side of the coin that perhaps you've not considered.
"But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me." - St. Augustine. This quote pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.
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