Luther (1518), Trent (1545-63), & Elliot (1949)
Today (October 12) in 1518 German priest Martin Luther, was summoned before Roman Catholic Cardinal Cajetan. He was asked to recant the 95 theses he posted the previous October on the door of Wittenberg Castle. He refused.
The Roman Catholic church responded to the Reformation with the Council of Trent. Here is part of what they concluded.
Canon 9: If any one saith that by faith alone the impious is justified, in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will: let him be anathema.
Canon 10: If any one saith that men are just without the justice of Christ, whereby he merited for us to be justified; or that it is by that justice itself that they are formally just: let him be anathema.
Canon 11: If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favor of God: let him be anathema. (‘On Justification,’ Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, Schaff, pp. 112-13)
Yes the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) was long ago, but is the Roman Catholic church still in agreement with it’s decisions today? Yes.
The following is taken from: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (who now goes by the name POPE BENEDICT XVI), ed., Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994)
A. On the efficacy of penance – “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the church present this sacrament as ‘the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace’” (§ 1446, p. 363).
B. Definition of Justification – “The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. ‘Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man’” (§ 1989, p. 482). “Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification, and the renewal of the inner man” (§ 2019, p. 489).
C. How Justification is received – “Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the
righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy” (§1992, p. 482).D. The ability to merit grace – “Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life” (§ 2010, p. 487).
Why did Luther refuse to recant his theses? He saw the same thing Jim Elliot saw 431 years later. On this day (October 12) in 1949 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: “For my generation I must have the oracles of God in fresh terms.”
Interesting how God raises people up in different times who are burdened with the same desires? I wonder who God will raise up to stand for His Word in our time? I wonder who will desire that their people hear God’s Word in a fresh way today, in 2009? Will you?
