Proofsregardingthoseseperatedfromthechurch

Proofs Regarding Those Separated From the Church

In this section we are to consider what judgment the scriptures pronounce upon all those who are separated
from the Church of Christ by teaching and believing doctrines contrary to hers; and, for the greater
clearness, we shall first consider those who begin such separation, and teach false doctrine, and then those
who follow such leaders. With regard to the former:

(1) Our Blessed Savior, foretelling the coming of false teachers, says, "Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves; by their fruits ye shall know them;"
and then He tells us, going on with the similitude of a tree, what shall be the portion of such false prophets.
"Every tree," says He, "that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire." (Mt.
7:15,19). Such is the fate of false teachers, according to Jesus Christ. St. Paul describes them in the same
light, and exhorts the pastors of the Church to watch against them, that they may prevent the seduction of
the flock. "I know," says he, "that, after my departure, ravening wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing
the flock; and of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them. Therefore watch." (Acts 20:29). Such is the idea the Word of God gives of all those who depart from
the doctrine of the Church of Christ, and teach falsehood, that they are RAVENOUS WOLVES, SEDUCERS
OF THE PEOPLE, WHO SPEAK PERVERSE THINGS, and whose end is HELL FIRE.

(2) St. Paul concluding his epistle to the Romans, cautions them against all such teachers in these words:
"Now, I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who cause dissentions and offenses contrary to the doctrine
which ye have learned, and to avoid them: for they that are such serve not Christ our Lord, but their own
belly, and by pleasing speeches, and good works, seduce the hearts of the innocent," (Rom. 16.17). Can
such as these, who cause dissentions contrary to the old doctrine, and seduce the souls redeemed by the
Blood of Jesus, who are not the servants of Christ, but His enemies, and are slaves to their own belly: can
these, I say, be in the way of salvation? Alas! the same holy Apostle describes their fate in another text,
saying, "That they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly,
and whose glory is in their shame." (Phil. 3:18)

(3) In St. Paul's absence, some false teachers had come in among the Galatians, and persuaded them, that
it was NECESSARY for salvation to join circumcision with the Gospel; on this account, the Apostle writes his
epistle to them to correct them from this error; and though it was but an error in one point, and in
appearance of no great importance, yet, because it was false doctrine, see how the holy Apostle condemns
it: "I wonder how you are so soon removed from him that called you to the grace of Christ, unto another
gospel; which is not another; only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you, besides that which ye have received, let
him be anathema." (Gal. 1:6). This shows with a witness, indeed, the great crime and dismal fate of false
teachers, though but in only one point of false doctrine.

(4) St. Peter describes these unhappy men in the most dreadful colors. "There shall be among you," says
he, "lying teachers, who shall bring sects of perdition, and denying the Lord who brought them, bringing on
themselves swift destruction," (2 Pet. 2:1); And going on to describe them, he says, "Their judgment now of
a long time lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not," (verse 3); "the Lord knoweth how ... to
reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented; and especially them who ... despise
governments, audacious, pleasing themselves, they fear not to bring in sects, blaspheming," (verse 9);
"leaving the right way, they have gone astray," (verse 15); "these are wells without water, and clouds
tossed with whirlwinds, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved," (verse 17). Good God! what a dreadful
state to be in.

(5) St. Paul, speaking of such as are led away by what St. Peter calls DAMNABLE HERESIES, says, "A
man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, avoid; knowing that he is such a one, is
subverteth and sinneth, being condemned by his own judgment," (Titus 3:10). Other offenders are judged,
and cast out of the Church, by the sentence of the pastors of the same Church; but heretics more unhappy
than they, run out of the Church of their own accord, and, by so doing, give judgment and sentence against
their own souls.

(6) St. John brands all such false teachers who go out from the True Church of Christ with the horrid name
of antichrists; "even so,' says he, "there are become many antichrists ... they went out from us, but they
were not of us; remained with us; but that they may be manifest that they are not of us." (1 John 2:18); and
to show that not only those ho deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, but also those who do not embrace His
doctrine, fall under the same condemnation, he immediately adds, "Whosoever revolteth, and continueth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and
the Son." (verse 9). What stronger terms could be used to show that all such as separate from the Church
of Christ, and receive not His Sacred Doctrine, are out of the way of salvation?

Now, if all those who break off from the Church of Christ, and all those who teach false doctrine, contrary to
the "faith once revealed to her, and which shall never depart out of her mouth," are condemned in such
strong and severe terms by the Holy Ghost in His Holy Scriptures, what condition must those be in who
follow such teachers, and hold such pernicious doctrine? Is there the smallest reason to suppose, that
salvation can possibly be found among "ravenous wolves, seducers of the flock, speakers of perverse
things?" Is it possible to be saved in "pernicious sects, damnable heresies, false doctrines, dissentions and
offenses contrary to the doctrine received from the Apostles?" Can those be sure guides to heaven whom
the word of God declares to be "enemies of the cross of Christ," and "antichrists, whose end is destruction,"
who fall under the anathema of the Apostle "to whom the mist of darkness is reserved?" But let us hear the
scripture itself for the answer to these questions.

(1) St. Paul, in the black catalogue he gives of the works of the flesh reckons SECTS, or as the Protestant
translation has it, HERESIES, and the rest of that hideous crew, he concludes in these words, "of which I
foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God."
(Gal. 5:20)

(2) Our Savior, foretelling the evils of the latter times, says, "and many false prophets shall arise, and shall
seduce many ... but the that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved." (Mt. 24:11,13). Is it not evident
from this, that those who are seduced by these false prophets shall not be saved? And that salvation will be
the happy lot only of those who persevere in the Faith and love of Christ to the end?

(3) St. Peter, foretelling that "there shall be lying teachers who shall bring damnable heresies, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction, " immediately adds, "and many shall follow their riotousness, through
whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Pet. 2:2). Now, to whom are these ways pernicious, but
to those who follow them?

(4) The whole epistle of St. Jude contains a description of all those who follow these pernicious ways, and
of their miserable fate, and says, "that they are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion,
wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved forever." (verse 13)

(5) St. Paul, giving an ample description of heretics, says, among other things, that they have "an
appearance of godliness, but deny the power thereof ... ever learning and never attaining the knowledge of
Truth ... that they are men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the Faith ... and that being evil men and
seducers, they grow worse, erring and driving into error," (2 Tim. 3). What grounds can such as these have
to expect salvation?

(6) But our Blessed Savior, in one short sentence, clearly shows the miserable fate of all those who follow
these blind teachers, when He says, "they are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both
shall fall into the pit," (Mt. 15:14), which evidently shows that the lot of both shall be the same, and that all
the above dreadful condemnations of false teachers equally belong to such as follow them.

(7) We shall add one proof more with regard to Jews, Turks, Heathens, and Idolaters, and all who know not
the True God, nor Jesus Christ His Son, and who do not obey His Gospel; of these the scripture says, "The
Gentiles have stuck fast in the destruction which they prepared ... the wicked be turned into hell, and the
nations that forget God," (Ps. 9:16,18). "The Lord shall reign to eternity, yea, forever and ever. Ye Gentiles
(THE HEATHENS) shall perish from his land," (Ps. 10:16) But particularly what follows: "Jesus Christ shall
be revealed from Heaven with the angels of His Power, in a flame of fire, yielding vengeance to them who
know not God and who obey not the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall suffer eternal punishment
in destruction from the face of Our Lord, and from the glory of His Power," (2 Thess. 1:7). This is no less
clear and precise than it is dreadful and terrible, and cuts off all evasion, as it declares in the most express
terms, that all those who know not God, and who obey not the Gospel of Christ, shall be lost forever; which
evidently shows that the knowledge and belief of God, and of Jesus Christ and obedience to His Gospel,
are absolutely required by Him, as essential conditions for salvation.