REFUTING LUTHER'S HERESY ON JUSTIFICATION [PART THREE]]

 

This is the third entry in this series in response to the question  "I would like to ask,  Father. How do we Catholics refute Luther’s heresy on justification?" Addressing a second argument Luther and his cohorts put forth to justify their heresy, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote thus:

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"They say, in the second place, that in the justification of a sinner intrinsic justice is not infused into him, but the justice of Christ alone is imputed to him, so that the wicked man does not become just, but remains wicked still, and is reputed just alone by the extrinsic justice of Christ which is imputed to him. 

This is, however, an evident error, for the sinner cannot become a friend of God if he does not receive justice of his own, which will renovate him internally, and change him from being a sinner to become one of the just, and as he was previously hateful in the eyes of God, now having acquired this justice, he is agreeable to him. Hence St. Paul exhorts the Ephesians to become renewed in spirit, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. iv, 23). 

And hence the Council of Trent says that by the merits of Christ internal justice is communicated to us: " that by which He makes us just, that, namely, with which we being endowed by Him, are renewed in the spirit of our mind, and not only are we reputed but we are truly called and are just..." (Session vi, cap. 7). 

The Apostle says in another place, that the sinner, by justification, “is renewed unto knowledge according to the image of him who created him” (Col. iii, 10); so that the sinner, by the merits of Christ, returns back to that state from which he fell by sin, and becomes sanctified as a temple in which God dwells, and hence the Apostle, admonishing his disciples, says: “Fly fornication know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost” (I. Cor. vi, 18, 19). 

What is more surprising than all is, that Calvin himself knew that man never can be reconciled with God unless internal and inherent justice is given to him… how can he afterwards say that through Faith alone we are justified with the imputative justice of Christ, which is not ours, nor is in us, neither does it belong to us, and is totally extern to us, and is merely extrinsically imputed to us, so that it does not make us just, only to be reputed just? This has been justly condemned by the Council of Trent (Sess. vi, can. 10:

"If anyone says that men are justified without the justice of Christ, whereby Her merited for us, or by that justice are formally just, let him be anathema."

And 

Canon 11.

"If anyone says 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,[116] and remains in them, or also that the grace by which we are justified is only the good will of God, let him be anathema."

They object, first, the text (Rom. iv, 5): “But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice.” 

We answer, briefly, that here the Apostle says that faith should be imputed to justice, to teach us that the sinner is justified, not by his own works, but by his faith in the merits of Christ; but he does not say, that in virtue of this faith the justice of Christ is extrinsically imputed to the sinner who, without being just, is reputed so.

 They object, secondly, that St. Paul says to Titus: “Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the labour of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Tit. iii, 5, 6). Therefore, they say, God justifies us by his mercy, and not by the works, which we allege are necessary for justification. 

We reply, that our works, as hope, charity, and repentance, with a purpose of amendment, are necessary to render us disposed to receive grace from God; but when the Almighty gives it to us, he does so not for our works, but through his mercy alone, and the merits of Jesus Christ. Let them particularly remark the words “renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth abundantly upon us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour ;” so that when God justifies us, he infuses upon us, not away from us, the Holy Ghost, who renews us, changing us from sinners unto Saints.

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