Brief Exposition (Stanley) n. 107

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107. Nevertheless, this faith has been so obliterated among Roman Catholics at this day that they know scarcely a syllable about it. Not that it has been repudiated by any Papal decree, but because it has been concealed by externals of worship, which are, in general, the adoration of Christ's vicar, the invocation of saints, the veneration of images; and also by such things as, from being accounted holy, affect the senses, such as, masses in an unknown tongue, vestments, lights, incense, and solemn processions; also by mysteries respecting the eucharist. By these and many similar things, faith justifying through the imputation of Christ's merit, although this is an original dogma of the Roman Church, has been so removed out of sight and withdrawn from the memory, that it is like something buried in the earth and covered with a stone, over which the monks have set a watch to prevent its being dug up and revived; for, were it revived, belief in their supernatural power of forgiving sins, and thus of justifying, sanctifying and saving, would cease, and therewith all their sanctity, preeminence and opulent gains.


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