The Five Solae of the Reformation II. The Roman Catholic View of Justification Date: June 9, 2013 Sola: Sola Fide Aim: To understand the historical Roman Catholic view of justification by faith. A. Introduction The Five Solas were the rallying points of the Protestant Reformation. • Sola Fide = Faith Alone • Sola Gratia = Faith Alone • Solus Christus = Christ Alone • Sola Scriptura = Scripture Alone • Soli Deo Gloria = Glory to God Alone The Protestant Reformation was in large part a controversy over how a man or woman is justified by God. The Roman Catholic Church argued that man is not justified by faith alone and apart from other works. The Protestant Reformers argued that man is justified by faith alone and apart from any other works or merit by man. The Protestant assertion that salvation is sola fide or through faith alone was a central issue in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation. The debate over man’s justification before God was a significant issue in the 16th century. The question of man’s justification receives less attention today because of the dominance of relativism. The biblical truth of man’s condemnation outside of God’s justification needs to be preached and taught in the modern church. Many in the church do not truly believe in the doctrine of justification by faith alone and therefore do not emphasize it. The Gospel’s emphasis on the deliverance of man from God’s wrath has been forgotten in many Christian circles. The Gospel does not simply deliver us from bad habits, addictions, social failure, psychological deficiency, and broken relationships. The central focus of the Gospel is delivering sinners from the judgment of God. B. RC Sproul on the Roman Catholic View of Justification The Roman Catholic Church historically has argued that justification is through faith, grace, and Christ, but not through these avenues alone. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that faith is the initiation, foundation, and root of justification. The Church teaches that grace is necessary for justification. The Church also affirms the atonement of Christ as necessary for man’s justification. The Roman Catholic Church does not believe that justification is by faith alone, grace alone, or Christ alone. The Roman Church teaches that justification is through faith plus our works, grace plus our merit, and Christ plus ourselves that brings us justification. The Reformers rejected the idea that man can perform good works, produce merit, or exhibit the personal righteousness necessary for salvation. DSB p. 8 09-Jun-13 The Five Solae of the Reformation The Roman Catholic Church views baptism as the “instrumental cause” or method of justification. The Church believes that upon baptism people receive an infusion of grace. A baptized member of the church is justified if he assents to the infusion of grace and does not commit a mortal sin. The sacrament of penance brings forgiveness in the event of a mortal sin. Justification is acquired in the Roman Catholic Church through the instruments of the sacraments. The Reformers argued that the instrumental cause of justification is not through any sacrament or work, but rather through faith in Christ alone. The Pope argued that he had the authority to free people from purgatory through the sale of indulgences. The Church called the sacrament of penance the second plank of justification for those who lost their justification by committing a mortal sin. The sacrament of penance required the confession of sin, a prayer of contrition, and priestly absolution. Works of satisfaction were the final component of the sacrament of penance which were to satisfy the demands of God’s Law. Works of satisfaction earned the penitent merit with God. “Condign” merit reflects the worthiness of the penitent and “congruous” merit reflects the works of the penitent. The giving of alms was one work of satisfaction defined by the Roman Catholic Church. Giving to the poor could earn the penitent his works of satisfaction. The Papacy emphasized the importance of a repentant heart, but indulgence hawkers such as Johan Tetzel seemed to send the message that one could buy his salvation. Martin Luther attacked to abuses of the Church’s sacrament of penance and then eventually attacked the doctrine itself. The Church held the power of the keys to transfer a portion of the treasury of merit to those in purgatory who lacked sufficient merit. The treasury of merit included the merit of Christ, the holy family, and all the saints. A penitent individual is justified if they share in the treasury of merit. A person is justified unless they commit a mortal sin in which case if they die they descend directly to hell. The sacrament of extreme unction is a safeguard against the individual dying with mortal sin. According to the Church, most people do not die with mortal sin, but venial sin in which case they go to purgatory in order to be purged of any impurities. Very few people go directly to heaven and most go to purgatory. Saints with plenty of righteous merit go directly to heaven and their remaining merit is deposited in the treasury of merit. The Pope had the power to transfer the surplus merit of the saints to those in need of merit in purgatory. Martin Luther said that if the Pope was good he would empty the treasury of merit and free many souls from purgatory. Luther saw this Catholic doctrine as a radical distortion of the merits of Christ and the biblical doctrine of justification. The Roman Catholic Church argued that justification is analytical and based on inherent righteousness. The Catholic Church argued for infused righteousness which is the merits of Christ plus human cooperation. DSB p. 9 09-Jun-13 The Five Solae of the Reformation C. Summary of the Roman Catholic View of Justification • Justification based on “inherent” righteousness or “infused” righteousness; it includes both the merits of Christ plus human cooperation o A person can be made “just” through application of the sacraments; one is actually made internally holy and not just legally righteous before God • The instrument of justification is the sacraments o Baptism is the first plank of justification; it imparts an “infusion of grace;” the Catholic is made righteous or just upon baptism; without baptism a person will go to hell o Penance is the second plank of justification; it is external acts done by the penitent sinner to pay for the penalty of sins committed; a priest can forgive the guilt of mortal sins, but he cannot remit the penalty due for those sins, therefore penance is required; it restores a sinner to a just or righteous state; it is not true repentance – there is no true sorrow for sin or turning away from wrongdoing • Two classes of sin: mortal and venial o Mortal sins are “any great offense against the law of God”; must be forgiven by a priest or person will go to hell; even with forgiveness and penance, will require time in purgatory; mortal sins include violations of the Ten Commandments, the so-called “seven deadly sins” (pride, covetousness, lechery, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth), sexual offenses, attending a Protestant church, reading a Protestant Bible, eating meat on Friday, or missing Mass on Sunday morning without a good excuse o Venial sins are “small and pardonable offenses against God or our neighbor”; are not necessarily confessed to a priest, since they are comparatively light and can be expiated by good works, prayers, extreme unction, purgatory, etc.; the distinction between which are mortal sins and which are venial sins is not universally agreed upon • The holiness of “infused” righteousness can be partially or totally destroyed by sin o One must be re-justified by sacramental grace in a constant cycle o Sin nullifies sacramental grace, and sacramental grace nullifies sin • This view offers “salvation by works on the installment plan” o The poor sinner is always behind on his payments o When he dies, there is a large balance unpaid o The sinner continues to pay by suffering in purgatory; purgatory is a place of temporary suffering by fire; it is the same suffering as in hell, only it is of limited (but unknown) duration DSB p. 10 09-Jun-13 The Five Solae of the Reformation o The whole system calls for merit and money from cradle to grave and beyond • Consequences of the Roman Catholic view on justification o No assurance of salvation o Denies the sufficiency of Christ o Doctrine of purgatory introduces fear and suffering; denies a peaceful death and comfort for the family o Salvation can be bought and sold o God is a “respecter of persons;” the wealthy can purchase entrance into heaven more readily than the poor D. Council of Trent on Justification – Sixth Session, 1547 • Chapter 4 (baptism is necessary for salvation) o By which words, a description of the Justification of the impious is indicated,-as being a translation, from that state wherein man is born a child of the first Adam, to the state of grace, and of the adoption of the sons of God, through the second Adam, Jesus Christ our Saviour. And this translation, since the promulgation of the gospel, cannot be effected, without the laver of regeneration, or the desire thereof, as it is written; unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. • Chapter 5 (we participate in our justification by receiving it or rejecting it) o The Synod furthermore declares, that in adults, the beginning of the said Justification is to be derived from the prevenient grace of God, through Jesus Christ, that is to say, from His vocation, whereby, without any merits existing on their parts, they are called; that so they, who by sins were alienated from God, may be disposed through His quickening and assisting grace, to convert themselves to their own justification, by freely assenting to and co- operating with that said grace: in such sort that, while God touches the heart of man by the illumination of the Holy Ghost, neither is man himself utterly without doing anything while he receives that inspiration, forasmuch as he is also able to reject it; yet is he not able, by his own free will, without the grace of God, to move himself unto justice in His sight.