The Catholic Church is the Road to Hell

Catholicism Teaches Works Salvation!

In the first part of the 5th Century, John Cassianus, Abbot of the Monastery of St. Victor, introduced the false doctrine known as semi-Pelagianism. A few of the errors of semi-Pelagianism are that initial faith is dependent on man's free-will, though God is solely responsible for faith itself and its increase and final perseverance depends on man's own strength, not being a gift of grace.

What is interesting, and still another indication that the Roman Magisterium is inconsistent and surely fallible, is that, while condemning the teachings of John Cassianus as heretical, the RCC refers to him as a good and godly man and holds him in high esteem.

SEMI-PELAGIANISM. The view stressing both the grace of God and the free will of man. Man is seen as contributing with God in salvation. This view is embodied in Roman Catholicism.--Paul Enns, Ed., The Moody Handbook of Theology, (c) 1989 Moody Press, p.647

The early Catholic church struggled against semi-Pelagianism. Semi-Pelagian heresies were condemned by Pope Celestine I in 432. Pope Felix IV, In the year 529, in the Synods of Orange and Valence, both of which were confirmed by Boniface II, also condemned semi-Pelagianism.

I reckon those condemnations never took root, for to this date, the Roman church continues to hold to a form of semi-Pelagianism, or works-based salvation. Just one example of how man is required, in Catholic doctrine, to cooperate with God for his salvation may be seen in the RCC doctrine of baptism as taught in the Catechism:

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.--Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Ed., (c) 1994/1997 United States Catholic Conference, Inc. (Emphasis not in original)

The Roman church teaches that man is, in large measure, responsible for his salvation and eternal state. By contrast, the Holy Bible teaches that:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.--Ephesians 2:8-10

Noted Catholic educator and theologian, Dr. Ludwig Ott disagrees and clarifies the Roman Catholic position in a textbook used in Roman Catholic seminaries:

According to the teaching of the Reformers, faith, in the sense of fiducial faith, is the sole cause of justification (_sola fide_ doctrine). In opposition to this teaching, the Council of Trent declares that, side by side with faith, other acts of disposition are demanded (Denzinger 819). As such are named: fear of Divine justice; hope in the mercy of God for the sake of the merits of Christ; the beginning of the love of God; hate and detestation of sin; and the purpose of receiving Baptism and of beginning a new life. The Council describes the ordinary psychological course of the process of justification, without thereby defining that all individual acts must be present in the given sequence, and that only these can be present. Just as faith, as the beginning of salvation, must never be absent, so also sorrow for sins committed must never be lacking, as forgiveness is not possible without an inner aversion from sin. Denz 793, cf. Denz 897.--Dr. Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, (c) 1962 B. Herder, 1962 pp. 253-4 (Emphasis not in original)

For those who don't get Rome's heretical message, the Council of Trent provided several "incentives," among them:

Canon 9. If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone,[114] meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.--Council of Trent, 6th Session, Canons On Justification (Denzinger 819)

And there you have it; another example of that peculiar Romish idea that the work of Christ on the cross was insufficient to obtain and secure salvation for those called by God to eternal life. Nope, Bubba has gotta to put his back into it and lend that weak Roman Jesus a helping hand if the salvation Rome offers is gonna "take." Reckon I'll put my trust in the Lord God Almighty and His Son, Jesus the Messiah -- and not in the shaky promises of the man-powered Roman church.

Read your Bible. Seek God's truth. You'll see that what Rome says and offers doesn't match up with the Word of God.


Ye Must Be Born Again