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.
