Crossed The Tiber

An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism

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Location: Pennsylvania, United States

I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Salvation by Grace Alone Before the Era of Luther

Renee has done a yeoman's job of highlighting the writings of pre-reformation Catholic saints to dispel the oft-repeated myth that Luther was the first to discover justification by faith. As Renee asks on her blog post: "Did Catholics know anything about salvation by grace through faith before the time of Luther?" I would say read the following writings and answer for yourself!


St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090- 1153) What I need to enter Heaven, I appropriate from the merits of Jesus Christ who suffered and died in order to procure for me that glory of which I was unworthy.

St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey.

St. Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444) The Church is indeed built on the Name of Jesus which is its very foundation, and hence it is the greatest honor to cleave through faith to the Name of Jesus and to become a son of God.

So much for the theory that before Luther, Catholics believed that only works will get them to heaven.




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