Letter to Catholics 2 OF 5

The Roman Catholic Church in the Council of Trent states, "The mass is, as the Council of Trent assures us, a true and proper sacrifice. In the first mass, celebrated at the Last Supper, Christ pronounced the words of consecration over the bread and wine and made His body and blood present, but sacramentally separated from each other. The mystical separation of Christ's body and blood points clearly to the sacrificial character of the mass. The Council of Trent teaches us that the Mass of Christ left to His Church is a visible sacrifice, 'In which that bloody sacrifice which was once offered on the cross should be made present, its memory preserved until the end of the world, and its salvation-bringing power applied to the forgiveness of sins which are daily committed by us."

In Catholic literature under the title of "Renewal of Calvary," they declare the mass to be a visible sacrifice. This is the Catholic Church's title not mine, which they give to the explanation of the mass. The question is, should Christ's sacrifice, which He offered at Calvary, be repeated, and is there any need for the repetition of it? The writer of Hebrews declares over and over that the offering of Jesus Christ was a one time sacrifice, not to be repeated, and why should it be, for it was efficacious for the salvation of his people. He uses the word "once" or "one," seven times, in referring to the offering and sacrifice of Christ, while suggesting it in other places. These are some of the scriptures which teach beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ's sacrifice was a one time occurrence and that it was most efficacious for the salvation of His elect.

Hebrews 7:27, "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did ONCE, when He offered up Himself." Hebrews 9:12, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 9:24-28, "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 10:10-14, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:18, "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."

The Apostle Peter agrees with the writer of Hebrews, for he states in 1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit."

Now the epistle to the Hebrews declares that anyone who crucifies to themselves the Son of God afresh, puts Him to open shame. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6).

To participate in the mass is to put Christ to open shame and deny His effectual work on Calvary; it is to crucify to yourself the Son of God afresh. "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."

CONCERNING THE CORONATION: The Catholic Church states, concerning the Coronation, "Crowned Queen of Heaven by her Son, our Blessed Lady will reign there eternally. By her motherly intercession with Christ the King, she will plead for us always that we may gain eternal life, purchased for us by the Fruit of her womb." Pleading and intercession suggest her to be a mediatrix. The American Heritage dictionary says to "plead" in the legal sense means "to address a court as a lawyer or advocate." An advocate is an intercessor and mediator. Can Mary be an advocate for us when 1 John 2:1 declares that we have an advocate with the Father, and Him to be the Lord Jesus Christ. First Timothy 2:5 states, "For there is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Mary is not a mediator. The saints in heaven are not mediators. And no man on this earth is a mediator between us and God. Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven;" and yet Catholics are taught to call their priests "Father."

How can the Catholic Church instruct you to worship Mary as the Queen of Heaven in the light of Jeremiah 7:18, "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger."

CONCERNING THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: The Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception teaches that Mary was conceived immaculate and was kept from every sin during her entire life and then was taken body and soul into heaven (Issued by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8th, 1854). But the Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And why would Mary have called Jesus her Savior in Luke 1:47, if she was sinless.

CONCERNING THE WORSHIP OF MARY: A Christian brother of mine recently purchased a book from the Catholic book store called "The Glories of Mary," (Tan Books,1982) written by the Roman Catholic scholar Alphonsus de Liguori. He studied the book to search out some of the teachings that the Catholic Church endorsed, concerning the worship of Mary, and put together a list of some of the more profound excerpts from the book. It should be pointed out that the author of this book was elevated to the position of "doctor of the church" by Pope Pius IX, a rare honor given only to the greatest of ecclesiastical writers of the Roman Church, and has been canonized as a saint. We shall mention a few of the excerpts that brother Brian compiled from the book and compare them to the scriptures.

The Glories of Mary: "Mary, then, in obtaining this grace for sinners by her intercession, thus restores them to life" (p.54)

"And she is truly made a mediatress of peace between sinners and God." (p.56)

"... that sinners receive pardon by the intercession of Mary alone." (p.57)

The Scriptures: 1TI 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (The he and the him in this verse is the Lord Jesus Christ.)

The Glories of Mary: "To Mary alone is it granted to save them by her powerful intercession." (p.101)

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