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To: The Grammarian
Assuming, of course, that the true family of faith only goes back 2000 years. Many covenant theologians (Arminian OR Calvinist) would say that the true family of faith's been around since God gave us the Abrahamic Covenant ("Through thee shall all nations be blessed").

Catholics, being more inclusive, claim our faith began with Adam and Eve in the Garden and include all the just afterwards from Abel on down.

"Saints before the law, saints under the law, saints under grace, all these, making up the Body of the Lord, are constituted among the members of the Church." (Pope St. Gregory the Great, Letter to John, Patriarch of Constantinople, 1 June 595, 5.44)

"And yet, from the beginning of the human race, He never ceased to speak by His prophets, at one time more obscurely, at another time more plainly, as seemed to divine wisdom best adapted to the time nor were there ever wanting men who believed in Him, from Adam to Moses, and among the people of Israel itself, which was by a special mysterious appointment a prophetic nation, and among other nations before He came in the flesh. For seeing that in the sacred Hebrew books some are mentioned, even from Abraham's time, not belonging to his natural posterity nor to the people of Israel, and not proselytes added to that people, who were nevertheless partakers of this holy mystery? why may we not believe that in other nations also, here and there, some more were found, although we do not read their names in these authoritative records? Thus the salvation provided by this religion, by which alone, as alone true, true salvation is truly promised, was never wanting to any one who was worthy of it, and he to whom it was wanting was not worthy of it. And from the beginning of the human family, even to the end of time, it is preached, to some for their advantage, to some for their condemnation." (St. Augustine, Letter to Deogratias, AD 409, 102.15)

289 posted on 09/30/2003 8:14:50 PM PDT by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Hermann the Cherusker
Good for you. Too bad I don't buy that your corrupt church has anything going for it but consistency--which is only official, and doesn't cover up the white-washing your hierarchy does to make sure that no more cracks of different belief show up in your monolith.
310 posted on 09/30/2003 9:01:27 PM PDT by The Grammarian
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