The Truth About Catholicism
PREFACE
Since becoming a member of the church of Christ on October 15, 1950, I have been thinking to prepare for the brethren a brief exposition of the most important Catholic doctrines in a way that would help them to understand without misrepresentations the Romanist position and, at the same time, answer properly the main difficulties presented to them by Catholic friends and acquaintances. Such an idea, encouraged by many during my two missionary trips all over the country, is being realized finally with the publication of this book in which I have gathered together old and new material concerning traditional tenets of Roman Catholicism. Of course, a work such as this cannot be exhaustive in all its parts, due to the multiplicity of errors held by the Church of Rome, and therefore I have limited my investigation to some of them, hoping to continue the job in the near future, God willing.
The purpose of this book is two-fold, namely exposition and confutation of errors, and a constructive effort to establish the truth in the place of error. The immediate and practical consequence of this purpose is the spreading of the revealed truths of God among people who have no other knowledge than the church traditions in which they have been raised. But to accomplish such a noble aim it is necessary to do personal work of evangelism among friends and acquaintances, and therefore this book could be used by Christians as a guide and a source of material in affirming the principles of New Testament Christianity. That's the reason for the title.
The main difficulty that Christians will experience in converting Catholics is due to the almost complete ignorance that they have of the Bible. Having been taught mechanically and exclusively by their priests on the doctrines of the Church, they find, especially in the beginning, an insurmountable obstacle to understand biblical teaching and, consequently, they should not be overwhelmed with too many subjects all at once. A slow and progressive discussion on individual problems will be helpful to all. For this reason it is suggestible not to lend this book indiscriminately to every Catholic without a previous preparation. Any work of evangelism can be successful only if it is done gradually or by steps. The brethren will find two types of Roman Catholics, the ones faithfully fanatic for their Church and the others indifferent for any church. With both types it is very difficult to deal; hence the necessity of prayer, prudence, and perseverance.
In the eventuality that some Roman Catholics shall read this book directly without the help of a Christian friend, I want to say to them that, in exposing the tenets of their Church, I have intended to fight against man-made institutions and not at all against them. As a former Roman Catholic priest I love them with the same love I had for them when I was ministering unto them. May the Lord Jesus Christ open their minds to the truth of the gospel and fill their hearts with love toward Him, for whose name and glory this book has been written.
ANICETO M. SPARACNA
West Collingswood, N. J.
September 1, 1955.
INTRODUCTION
NECESSITY OF EVANGELISM
The Great Commission that Jesus Christ left to the disciples just before His ascension to heaven constitutes a tremendous responsibility for all the Christians in the world. Each one of us has received from Christ through the person of the apostles an important duty that cannot be omitted without endangering our own salvation. As the Lord puts it, the evangelization of all peoples is a duty of every Christian according to the knowledge and possibility that he possesses. Jesus commanded categorically: "Go ye, therefore, into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark 16:15. These words are very clear and bind us without any exception. All of us ought to be preachers, evangelists, messengers of Christ among the people with whom we are dealing daily in every way. The Word of God must be spread all over the world in order to bring into the kingdom of Christ as many souls as we can. Christianity must be enlarged everywhere, but especially in our own country, town and family. Unfortunately, there are still very many people who do not know the gospel; we must try to convert them not only through our prayers and good example, which exhibit to them the power of the Word of God, but also by personal evangelism which is one of the most efficacious means of preaching. Because the early Christians insisted tenaciously in this particular field they won the mighty empire of Rome for Christ. A similar task confronts us today; the task of winning the world for Christ. We must fulfill His command to "teach all nations" inflamed with a crusading zeal for souls.
However, in order to be successful in our evangelistic efforts, it is advisable to concentrate our energies to some definite fields, so that we may be very well prepared through a careful study of specialization. That is why the primary purpose of this booklet has been confined to a particular group of people who are following the traditions of men rather than the words of God. It has been prepared in order to help our Christian brethren in their missionary work among Roman Catholics, whose knowledge of the Bible is very lacking and, consequently, makes them one of the most difficult fields of evangelism ever experienced by any personal worker. Wherefore the necessity of presenting some important suggestions which could be very useful in converting those people about whom I can speak with personal experience, having been for twenty years in a Franciscan monastery and for eleven years a priest in good standing in the Church of Rome.
IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
The first thing that every Christian should never omit while engaged in personal evangelism is to pray earnestly unto God for conversions. It would be impossible for us to convert anyone without the active work of the Spirit. We might be able to convince some people intellectually, but never change their minds spiritually, making believers from unbelievers. This is the exclusive job of God, it being a philosophical principle that no one can give to others anything which he does not possess, as, for instance, the divine grace. Nature cannot produce supernature in the same way that the finite is unable to become infinite by its own virtue. Faith is a supernatural act which cannot be elicited independently from God. Rightly it can be defined: An act of the intellect assenting to a divine truth under the influence of the will which is moved by God through grace. In other words, faith comes as a gift from God and, although we receive it by hearing His words of life, nonetheless it is given to us in response to our attitude of prayer. In the Old Testament there are many passages showing the necessity of divine help in order to obtain mercy and salvation. The Psalmist invokes: "O God, convert us; and show thy face, and we shall be saved." Ps. 79:20. In the New Testament Jesus said: "No one can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." John 6:44. And again: "For without me you can do nothing." John 15:5. Furthermore, Paul states that salvation is a gift "For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. And again in 2 Timothy 1:9: "Who (God) hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world."
It is evident, therefore, that if we want to convert others, we must be a people of prayer, asking God with humility and steadfastness to open the door of His spiritual treasury in order to change the minds and move the hearts of the unbelievers. In 1 Cor. 3:6-7 Paul emphasized this thought in a very clear way when he wrote: "I have planted, Apollo watered: but God gave the increase. Therefore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase." Until this important spiritual fact is clearly understood by the brethren as well as by truth-seekers all our personal work of evangelism among Roman Catholics will prove of little, if any, avail. Hence the necessity of acknowledging the power of God in the spiritual task of converting people for Christ. "Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father." John 6:66.
FRIENDSHIP
One of the wisest things to do with any person of different faith or belief is to build a warm friendship with him. It would be very impractical, if not impossible, to talk about religion with some one whom we had not met before. Canvassing from door to door or preaching at the corner of a city street, as many sectarians do, is not only embarrassing for the individuals engaged in such a work, but also troublesome for others. Besides, it would be foolish to expect positive results from that sort of evangelism. Friendship, therefore, is the first step that we have to make when we begin our personal work among Roman Catholics. Thereafter we may introduce occasionally a religious subject without showingto do it purposely, unless we would be invited personally to discuss a religious matter. Catholics are extremely proud and jealous of their religious traditions and tenets and would resist any attempt to contradict them openly. On the other hand, they have an inferiority complex in this particular field due to their acknowledged ignorance of the Bible, and thus are afraid to engage themselves in any religious talk which could endanger their spiritual security. Therefore, we must not rush or challenge them in any way, but be patient and comprehensive of their repulsive attitude, showing a great love and an appreciative interest in their behalf.
Moreover, we must always remember to be kind and sweet as much as we can, trying to avoid any arguing in order to captivate the sympathy and confidence of our hearer. Losing our self-control in such a circumstance would mean a lost battle for our purposes. On the contrary, we ought to use the same charity of our Lord in dealing with people, helping them in every way according to our own possibilities. Jesus Christ took care of the material necessities of the multitudes before starting to convert their souls. The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us to love and help our neighbors regardless of the difference of age, race, language and religion. Only if based on such premises shall our personal evangelism among Roman Catholics be efficacious and successful with satisfaction for us and glory for God.
COMMON DOCTRINES
Another important step of which we must be aware while discussing with Catholics is to examine in the beginning all the doctrines that are commonly accepted by both sides. Nothing, in fact, could be more helpful than to show a common ground of agreement from which to start later a discussion about the doubtful points that we intend to clarify in the light of the Bible. Catholics consider themselves to be Christians and are taught they belong to the only true church established by Jesus Christ on earth. Therefore, we must never think of them as if they were unbelievers or pagans, because such an attitude would put between us and them an insurmountable obstacle. Instead, it would be a very good thing if we would be able to read or repeat to them the "Apostles' Creed" in which is contained, as in epitome, the fundamental doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church which are universally recognized as true. This creed, composed in the Eastern Church, was used by the early Christians as a formula of faith before receiving baptism, and still now is repeated by the Catholics almost every day as a prayer. In it we have a summary of doctrines, already contained in the Bible, and disposed in twelve articles in order to be easily memorized. It says: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died and was buried; He descended into hell (hades); the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church...." At this point you may stop, making the natural remark that in this creed there is not mentioned the Roman Catholic Church, but only the holy Catholic Church. It is clear that Romanism is a denominational church and not at all the universal church of Christ claimed by the Catholics. We also believe we belong to this holy Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus Christ and established by the apostles on the day of Pentecost, showing properly that the exclusiveness of Romanism in this point is, therefore, a falsity. It may be emphasized here that the church of Christ can have but one name (Rom. 16:16) for the simple fact that once Christians we shall be always Christians without any other mark, distinction or denomination, as Paul wonderfully wrote to the Galatians 3:27: "For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus." And again in 1 Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free." Upon what basis then can the Roman Catholic Church affirm to be the only true church of Jesus Christ when in its own symbol of faith the appellative of Roman is not there?
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
Generally one of the main difficulties that hinders Catholics from leaving their church is the so-called historical argument based on the claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the continuation of the primitive church of Jerusalem. Through an unbroken line of popes and bishops, validly consecrated from the beginning till now, Catholic apologists strive to show that there has been no interruption in the apostolic succession of the Church of Rome, and consequently the Reformation first and the Restoration later are both considered as heretical movements. To demonstrate the absurdity of such a reasoning it is sufficient to know that since the first century many churches, although founded by the apostles, became notoriously heretical and this simply means that the apostolic succession cannot constitute a mark or test for the true church of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament we are taught that only the adherence to the words of God is a real sign of evidence for such a recognition. In Ephesians 4:4-6 Paul wrote: "For there is one body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all..." These are the true notes that are absolutely necessary in order to belong to the universal church of Christ. The apostolic succession is good to demonstrate the antiquity of some churches, but never the authenticity of a true church. For this reason, Paul, Peter, and John in their letters warned the early Christians to be watchful for many pseudo-prophets and false doctors, who were already at work in spreading heresies and errors among all the congregations of the saints. Besides, Paul writing to the Galatians 1:6-8 said: "I am astonished that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema." It is clear that the great apostasy, which is still working in Christendom, was initiated under the eyes of the apostles, and therefore it is simply childish and foolish to see in the apostolic succession the mark of the true church of Christ, as does the Roman Catholic Church. Moreover, we may add that if this principle would be good, the Greek Church, which by all means could claim the same succession, also should be recognized as the true church of Jesus Christ. Why then does the Church of Rome consider the Greek Church schismatic and heretic? This evident incongruity shows marvelously the fallacious conclusion substained by the Roman Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, we may vindicate historically and morally the veracity and authenticity of New Testament Christianity, following the principle that a true church must always be conformed to the Bible. Any innovation, alteration, or addition made on it is against the will of God and prepares the way to error and heresy. The apostles always commanded the church to be faithful to the words of God, to keep the commandments of the Lord, to avoid false doctrines and false doctors. Now, if there is a church that does not follow these apostolic dispositions, this church cannot be true; and this is precisely the case of the Roman Catholic Church which, following the traditions of men rather than the words of God, went far away from the truth. For this very reason there arose throughout the centuries many religious reformers asking for removal of the abuses and a return to the purity and simplicity of New Testament Christianity, using the Bible as the only mark of discrimination for a true church. The many dogmas and doctrines added by the Catholics to the Bible shows irrefutably that their church cannot be the true church of Jesus Christ as they claim, and therefore they have the moral duty to quit error for the sake of truth.
This is the right conclusion that we must reach while discussing with Catholics, whose stubborness can be explained only by the prejudices of their long tradition. They are taught by the priests that outside of the Roman Catholic Church there is no salvation; we must assure them that we may have salvation only if we have adherence to the Bible. That is why it is necessary for them to read this holy book and discover for themselves the many contradictions between their church and the words of God. As we read in the second letter of John 1:9 the mark of true Christianity rests on the doctrine of Christ: "Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son." We do know that Catholics are living in the darkness of error, having the appearance of religion while in their heart they are worshipping creatures; it is our duty therefore to help them in finding the truth. Let us spread among them the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ discussing with them the fundamental doctrines of our faith in the light of the Scriptures. But, in doing so, we must always remember to use the Bible approved by the Roman Catholic authority, because otherwise Catholics would not listen to us, remaining with a strong suspicion that our Bible has been purposely revised. Their ignorance on the Scriptures constitutes generally the biggest handicap in discussion with them, and therefore we ought to use discretion and wisdom in order to avoid being accused of misleading them.
In the following chapters, where we shall expose in detail the main tenets of the Roman Catholic Church which are in contradiction with the Scriptures, we will use for reference the Rheims-Douay Version of the Bible, edited entire in 1610, and which was a direct translation of the Latin Vulgate authorized by the fathers of the Council of Trent. In this way, our Roman Catholic friends can be assured that there will be no misrepresentation of biblical doctrines in confuting the basic errors of their man-made church. What we ask of them is to discuss with us without any religious prejudice, searching the Scriptures with sincerity and broad-mindedness in order to rediscover there that revealed truth which too often men and centuries have concealed or obscured. The brethren of the churches of Christ are eager to help them in any way during their biblical investigations, hoping and praying that the saving power of Jesus Christ may penetrate into every soul for the highest glory of God and the enlargement of His kingdom on earth.
Since becoming a member of the church of Christ on October 15, 1950, I have been thinking to prepare for the brethren a brief exposition of the most important Catholic doctrines in a way that would help them to understand without misrepresentations the Romanist position and, at the same time, answer properly the main difficulties presented to them by Catholic friends and acquaintances. Such an idea, encouraged by many during my two missionary trips all over the country, is being realized finally with the publication of this book in which I have gathered together old and new material concerning traditional tenets of Roman Catholicism. Of course, a work such as this cannot be exhaustive in all its parts, due to the multiplicity of errors held by the Church of Rome, and therefore I have limited my investigation to some of them, hoping to continue the job in the near future, God willing.
The purpose of this book is two-fold, namely exposition and confutation of errors, and a constructive effort to establish the truth in the place of error. The immediate and practical consequence of this purpose is the spreading of the revealed truths of God among people who have no other knowledge than the church traditions in which they have been raised. But to accomplish such a noble aim it is necessary to do personal work of evangelism among friends and acquaintances, and therefore this book could be used by Christians as a guide and a source of material in affirming the principles of New Testament Christianity. That's the reason for the title.
The main difficulty that Christians will experience in converting Catholics is due to the almost complete ignorance that they have of the Bible. Having been taught mechanically and exclusively by their priests on the doctrines of the Church, they find, especially in the beginning, an insurmountable obstacle to understand biblical teaching and, consequently, they should not be overwhelmed with too many subjects all at once. A slow and progressive discussion on individual problems will be helpful to all. For this reason it is suggestible not to lend this book indiscriminately to every Catholic without a previous preparation. Any work of evangelism can be successful only if it is done gradually or by steps. The brethren will find two types of Roman Catholics, the ones faithfully fanatic for their Church and the others indifferent for any church. With both types it is very difficult to deal; hence the necessity of prayer, prudence, and perseverance.
In the eventuality that some Roman Catholics shall read this book directly without the help of a Christian friend, I want to say to them that, in exposing the tenets of their Church, I have intended to fight against man-made institutions and not at all against them. As a former Roman Catholic priest I love them with the same love I had for them when I was ministering unto them. May the Lord Jesus Christ open their minds to the truth of the gospel and fill their hearts with love toward Him, for whose name and glory this book has been written.
ANICETO M. SPARACNA
West Collingswood, N. J.
September 1, 1955.
INTRODUCTION
NECESSITY OF EVANGELISM
The Great Commission that Jesus Christ left to the disciples just before His ascension to heaven constitutes a tremendous responsibility for all the Christians in the world. Each one of us has received from Christ through the person of the apostles an important duty that cannot be omitted without endangering our own salvation. As the Lord puts it, the evangelization of all peoples is a duty of every Christian according to the knowledge and possibility that he possesses. Jesus commanded categorically: "Go ye, therefore, into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark 16:15. These words are very clear and bind us without any exception. All of us ought to be preachers, evangelists, messengers of Christ among the people with whom we are dealing daily in every way. The Word of God must be spread all over the world in order to bring into the kingdom of Christ as many souls as we can. Christianity must be enlarged everywhere, but especially in our own country, town and family. Unfortunately, there are still very many people who do not know the gospel; we must try to convert them not only through our prayers and good example, which exhibit to them the power of the Word of God, but also by personal evangelism which is one of the most efficacious means of preaching. Because the early Christians insisted tenaciously in this particular field they won the mighty empire of Rome for Christ. A similar task confronts us today; the task of winning the world for Christ. We must fulfill His command to "teach all nations" inflamed with a crusading zeal for souls.
However, in order to be successful in our evangelistic efforts, it is advisable to concentrate our energies to some definite fields, so that we may be very well prepared through a careful study of specialization. That is why the primary purpose of this booklet has been confined to a particular group of people who are following the traditions of men rather than the words of God. It has been prepared in order to help our Christian brethren in their missionary work among Roman Catholics, whose knowledge of the Bible is very lacking and, consequently, makes them one of the most difficult fields of evangelism ever experienced by any personal worker. Wherefore the necessity of presenting some important suggestions which could be very useful in converting those people about whom I can speak with personal experience, having been for twenty years in a Franciscan monastery and for eleven years a priest in good standing in the Church of Rome.
IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
The first thing that every Christian should never omit while engaged in personal evangelism is to pray earnestly unto God for conversions. It would be impossible for us to convert anyone without the active work of the Spirit. We might be able to convince some people intellectually, but never change their minds spiritually, making believers from unbelievers. This is the exclusive job of God, it being a philosophical principle that no one can give to others anything which he does not possess, as, for instance, the divine grace. Nature cannot produce supernature in the same way that the finite is unable to become infinite by its own virtue. Faith is a supernatural act which cannot be elicited independently from God. Rightly it can be defined: An act of the intellect assenting to a divine truth under the influence of the will which is moved by God through grace. In other words, faith comes as a gift from God and, although we receive it by hearing His words of life, nonetheless it is given to us in response to our attitude of prayer. In the Old Testament there are many passages showing the necessity of divine help in order to obtain mercy and salvation. The Psalmist invokes: "O God, convert us; and show thy face, and we shall be saved." Ps. 79:20. In the New Testament Jesus said: "No one can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." John 6:44. And again: "For without me you can do nothing." John 15:5. Furthermore, Paul states that salvation is a gift "For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. And again in 2 Timothy 1:9: "Who (God) hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world."
It is evident, therefore, that if we want to convert others, we must be a people of prayer, asking God with humility and steadfastness to open the door of His spiritual treasury in order to change the minds and move the hearts of the unbelievers. In 1 Cor. 3:6-7 Paul emphasized this thought in a very clear way when he wrote: "I have planted, Apollo watered: but God gave the increase. Therefore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase." Until this important spiritual fact is clearly understood by the brethren as well as by truth-seekers all our personal work of evangelism among Roman Catholics will prove of little, if any, avail. Hence the necessity of acknowledging the power of God in the spiritual task of converting people for Christ. "Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father." John 6:66.
FRIENDSHIP
One of the wisest things to do with any person of different faith or belief is to build a warm friendship with him. It would be very impractical, if not impossible, to talk about religion with some one whom we had not met before. Canvassing from door to door or preaching at the corner of a city street, as many sectarians do, is not only embarrassing for the individuals engaged in such a work, but also troublesome for others. Besides, it would be foolish to expect positive results from that sort of evangelism. Friendship, therefore, is the first step that we have to make when we begin our personal work among Roman Catholics. Thereafter we may introduce occasionally a religious subject without showingto do it purposely, unless we would be invited personally to discuss a religious matter. Catholics are extremely proud and jealous of their religious traditions and tenets and would resist any attempt to contradict them openly. On the other hand, they have an inferiority complex in this particular field due to their acknowledged ignorance of the Bible, and thus are afraid to engage themselves in any religious talk which could endanger their spiritual security. Therefore, we must not rush or challenge them in any way, but be patient and comprehensive of their repulsive attitude, showing a great love and an appreciative interest in their behalf.
Moreover, we must always remember to be kind and sweet as much as we can, trying to avoid any arguing in order to captivate the sympathy and confidence of our hearer. Losing our self-control in such a circumstance would mean a lost battle for our purposes. On the contrary, we ought to use the same charity of our Lord in dealing with people, helping them in every way according to our own possibilities. Jesus Christ took care of the material necessities of the multitudes before starting to convert their souls. The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us to love and help our neighbors regardless of the difference of age, race, language and religion. Only if based on such premises shall our personal evangelism among Roman Catholics be efficacious and successful with satisfaction for us and glory for God.
COMMON DOCTRINES
Another important step of which we must be aware while discussing with Catholics is to examine in the beginning all the doctrines that are commonly accepted by both sides. Nothing, in fact, could be more helpful than to show a common ground of agreement from which to start later a discussion about the doubtful points that we intend to clarify in the light of the Bible. Catholics consider themselves to be Christians and are taught they belong to the only true church established by Jesus Christ on earth. Therefore, we must never think of them as if they were unbelievers or pagans, because such an attitude would put between us and them an insurmountable obstacle. Instead, it would be a very good thing if we would be able to read or repeat to them the "Apostles' Creed" in which is contained, as in epitome, the fundamental doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church which are universally recognized as true. This creed, composed in the Eastern Church, was used by the early Christians as a formula of faith before receiving baptism, and still now is repeated by the Catholics almost every day as a prayer. In it we have a summary of doctrines, already contained in the Bible, and disposed in twelve articles in order to be easily memorized. It says: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died and was buried; He descended into hell (hades); the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church...." At this point you may stop, making the natural remark that in this creed there is not mentioned the Roman Catholic Church, but only the holy Catholic Church. It is clear that Romanism is a denominational church and not at all the universal church of Christ claimed by the Catholics. We also believe we belong to this holy Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus Christ and established by the apostles on the day of Pentecost, showing properly that the exclusiveness of Romanism in this point is, therefore, a falsity. It may be emphasized here that the church of Christ can have but one name (Rom. 16:16) for the simple fact that once Christians we shall be always Christians without any other mark, distinction or denomination, as Paul wonderfully wrote to the Galatians 3:27: "For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus." And again in 1 Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free." Upon what basis then can the Roman Catholic Church affirm to be the only true church of Jesus Christ when in its own symbol of faith the appellative of Roman is not there?
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
Generally one of the main difficulties that hinders Catholics from leaving their church is the so-called historical argument based on the claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the continuation of the primitive church of Jerusalem. Through an unbroken line of popes and bishops, validly consecrated from the beginning till now, Catholic apologists strive to show that there has been no interruption in the apostolic succession of the Church of Rome, and consequently the Reformation first and the Restoration later are both considered as heretical movements. To demonstrate the absurdity of such a reasoning it is sufficient to know that since the first century many churches, although founded by the apostles, became notoriously heretical and this simply means that the apostolic succession cannot constitute a mark or test for the true church of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament we are taught that only the adherence to the words of God is a real sign of evidence for such a recognition. In Ephesians 4:4-6 Paul wrote: "For there is one body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all..." These are the true notes that are absolutely necessary in order to belong to the universal church of Christ. The apostolic succession is good to demonstrate the antiquity of some churches, but never the authenticity of a true church. For this reason, Paul, Peter, and John in their letters warned the early Christians to be watchful for many pseudo-prophets and false doctors, who were already at work in spreading heresies and errors among all the congregations of the saints. Besides, Paul writing to the Galatians 1:6-8 said: "I am astonished that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema." It is clear that the great apostasy, which is still working in Christendom, was initiated under the eyes of the apostles, and therefore it is simply childish and foolish to see in the apostolic succession the mark of the true church of Christ, as does the Roman Catholic Church. Moreover, we may add that if this principle would be good, the Greek Church, which by all means could claim the same succession, also should be recognized as the true church of Jesus Christ. Why then does the Church of Rome consider the Greek Church schismatic and heretic? This evident incongruity shows marvelously the fallacious conclusion substained by the Roman Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, we may vindicate historically and morally the veracity and authenticity of New Testament Christianity, following the principle that a true church must always be conformed to the Bible. Any innovation, alteration, or addition made on it is against the will of God and prepares the way to error and heresy. The apostles always commanded the church to be faithful to the words of God, to keep the commandments of the Lord, to avoid false doctrines and false doctors. Now, if there is a church that does not follow these apostolic dispositions, this church cannot be true; and this is precisely the case of the Roman Catholic Church which, following the traditions of men rather than the words of God, went far away from the truth. For this very reason there arose throughout the centuries many religious reformers asking for removal of the abuses and a return to the purity and simplicity of New Testament Christianity, using the Bible as the only mark of discrimination for a true church. The many dogmas and doctrines added by the Catholics to the Bible shows irrefutably that their church cannot be the true church of Jesus Christ as they claim, and therefore they have the moral duty to quit error for the sake of truth.
This is the right conclusion that we must reach while discussing with Catholics, whose stubborness can be explained only by the prejudices of their long tradition. They are taught by the priests that outside of the Roman Catholic Church there is no salvation; we must assure them that we may have salvation only if we have adherence to the Bible. That is why it is necessary for them to read this holy book and discover for themselves the many contradictions between their church and the words of God. As we read in the second letter of John 1:9 the mark of true Christianity rests on the doctrine of Christ: "Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son." We do know that Catholics are living in the darkness of error, having the appearance of religion while in their heart they are worshipping creatures; it is our duty therefore to help them in finding the truth. Let us spread among them the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ discussing with them the fundamental doctrines of our faith in the light of the Scriptures. But, in doing so, we must always remember to use the Bible approved by the Roman Catholic authority, because otherwise Catholics would not listen to us, remaining with a strong suspicion that our Bible has been purposely revised. Their ignorance on the Scriptures constitutes generally the biggest handicap in discussion with them, and therefore we ought to use discretion and wisdom in order to avoid being accused of misleading them.
In the following chapters, where we shall expose in detail the main tenets of the Roman Catholic Church which are in contradiction with the Scriptures, we will use for reference the Rheims-Douay Version of the Bible, edited entire in 1610, and which was a direct translation of the Latin Vulgate authorized by the fathers of the Council of Trent. In this way, our Roman Catholic friends can be assured that there will be no misrepresentation of biblical doctrines in confuting the basic errors of their man-made church. What we ask of them is to discuss with us without any religious prejudice, searching the Scriptures with sincerity and broad-mindedness in order to rediscover there that revealed truth which too often men and centuries have concealed or obscured. The brethren of the churches of Christ are eager to help them in any way during their biblical investigations, hoping and praying that the saving power of Jesus Christ may penetrate into every soul for the highest glory of God and the enlargement of His kingdom on earth.