Father S. Now, Mr. Jackson, we have seen that Christ was truly God, that “He so loved the world” as to die for it. This is known as the Redemption. Christ offered His sufferings and death to God as a sacrifice in satisfaction for the sins of men and regained for them the right to become children of God and heirs of heaven. But the mere fact of Christ’s death will not save all people.
Mr. J. I should not think so, although some of my friends tell me that they are saved now. It seems to me that if all people should be saved no matter how they live, merely because Christ died for all, the Redemption would give encouragement to sin, which I understand God must hate.
Father S. Exactly, Mr. Jackson. But there are many who believe that by merely recognizing Christ as their Savior they will be saved. This would do away with both the Church and God’s Commandments.
Mr. J. As I understand it, the Redeemer’s death merely gave man a new chance for heaven, made the attainment of eternal happiness with God possible.
Father S. And you understand it rightly.1 If our town were to install a system to furnish electric light or drinking water to the citizens, many people might still have no benefit from it. Even if the town erected a huge reservoir, capable of supplying much more water than every family would need, the individual would still have to go to the trouble and expense of having his home piped and of making connections with the main line which brings the water to consumers. In like manner, Christ’s merits are more than ample to save all mankind, but the individual must still become a member of Christ’s Church, keep God’s Commandments, and receive divine help through the channels of grace Christ provided.
Mr. J. I see the point, Father. Even such people as are good in their own way might not benefit by Christ’s merits, because they have not complied with all the terms which He Himself has laid down.
Father S. Exactly; and doctrine which contradicts this forms one of the greatest errors of our day.
Mr. J. I myself have been like a house wired for electric light, but never connected with the line which brings the current from the power-house. The house might just as well never have been wired as far as benefit goes.
Father S. You grasp the idea well. The world is filled with people who contend that they can work out their own salvation in their own way. They fail to recognize that heaven is a supernatural reward — one which can be attained only by works having supernatural value from grace. The best works of man have only a natural value unless the person performing them is in union with God by grace.
Now Mr. Jackson, I should like to know whether you understand in what manner the Savior provided for the instruction of us who live in America in this twentieth century?
Mr. J. Well, the impression I have received is this: Christ came not only as Redeemer, but also as a Teacher. He had a message which He wanted to teach all people until the end of the world, even though He Himself only taught in the little country of Palestine. And if I understand it rightly, He spent most of His time instructing twelve men, whom He intended to send to other nations with His message. Am I correct, Father?
Father S. As far as you have committed yourself; you have told how the people of the first century might come into possession of the teaching of Christ. But how would it come down through the centuries to our day with the stamp of absolute genuineness on it?
Mr. J. Well, the twelve apostles instructed by Christ wrote down what they were taught and left it for future generations in the Bible, didn’t they, Father?
Father S. No, Mr. Jackson. I feared that you might have a wrong idea here, as most non-Catholics have. Because Protestants constantly appeal to the Bible only in support of their personal beliefs, those who have given no extensive study to religion get the impression that the Founder of Christianity wrote this book Himself, or ordered His apostles to write it for the instruction of all future generations everywhere.
Mr. J. That was my impression, Father.
Father S. It is wrong. Christ did not write a word of the Bible, nor did He order His apostles to write; and as a matter of fact, only six of the twelve did write. Mark and Luke were not apostles. But all these men were inspired by God Himself to write what He wanted written, so that He is, in reality, the author of the Bible. However, it was never intended that the nations should be taught and saved by it alone.2
Mr. J. What do you mean by saying the Scripture writers were “inspired by God?”
Father S. I mean that the Holy Spirit moved and directly assisted them to write what He wanted written.3
I do not want you to get the impression many people have, namely, that the Catholic Church makes little of the Bible. I suppose you have heard this, have you not?
Mr. J. Yes, Father, I have heard that Catholics are not even allowed to read the Bible.
Father S. I have heard worse than that; I have been told that priests burn Bibles. Any student of reliable history should know that the Catholic Church gave the Bible to the world; that only on her authority the world knows that this book contains inspired writing; that her most learned sons for many centuries spent their lives copying by hand the whole Bible and translating it into different languages.4
But we shall come back to the subject of the Bible later. For the present I want you to have the right idea of God’s plan for the salvation of all people. You were right, Mr. Jackson, when you said that for three years Christ trained the apostles whom He chose from the rank and file of His disciples, in order that they might be able to present His true teaching to the people of other lands in their day. But these twelve men were the first teachers for the real and visible organism, society, or kingdom, which was to have continued existence until the end of the world: “Of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Lk 1:33). Christ called this kingdom His Church: “I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18), and promised to be ever with it: “Behold I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world” (Mt 28:20).5 You see, Mr. Jackson, the Church was to represent Christ not only as Teacher; it was to perpetuate all His works — which the Bible would be incapable of doing. The Church produced the Bible, and not the Bible the Church. The New Testament was written only after the Church was fully organized and hard at work.
Christ organized the “body” of the Church during His three years’ ministry, then ten days after His return to heaven, the Holy Spirit in accordance with Christ’s promise was sent to animate it, to be the source of its divine life, to protect it from error, etc.6 Well then is this kingdom of God upon earth spoken of by Saint Paul as: “The Church of the living God” (1 Tm 3:15). How plain that it must be “the pillar and mainstay of the truth” (Ibid)? How plain that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18)? How reasonable: “If he refuses to hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican” (Mt 18:17)? How reasonable too: “He who hears you, hears me” (Lk 10:16)?
How could this “Church of the living God” with Christ’s identical mission, have less authority to teach than Christ Himself? Or less power to remove sin? How could it lack divine helps to sanctify man? “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (Jn 20:21).
Mr. J. You leave no room for argument. Now let’s see if I grasp it all. Christ was to continue His work of teaching, forgiving sins, and sanctifying man through an institution, which would be divine, not only because He started it, but because the Holy Spirit would dwell in it. He Himself would ever abide with His Church as its invisible Head, operating through successors of His original apostles.
