The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

SALVATION OF MAN. 289proceed to state the way in which this justification is received.The Roman Catholic Church teaches that thereis a preparation of the mind for its reception, and in thatpreparation the man who is to be justified has an activeshare. " Justification springs," the Romish Church holds," from the preventing grace of God.'"* That grace excitesand helps the man, who, by the power of his free will,agrees and co-operates therewith. Excited and aided bydivine grace, men are disposed for this righteousness ; theyare drawn to God, and encouraged to hope inhim, by theconsideration of his mercy ; they begin to love him as thefountain of all righteousness, and consequently to hate sin,that is," with that penitence which must necessarily existbefore baptism ; and, finally, they resolve to receive baptism,to begin a new life, and to keep the divine commandments."-!-This constitutes the disposition or preparationof the mind for the reception of justification. Similar isthe account which Dens has given of the matter. He statesthat the Council of Trent requires seven acts of mind inorderto the justification of the adult through baptism. Thefirst is divine grace, by which the sinner is excited andaided ; the second is faith ; the third is fear ; then hope,then love, then contrition, and lastly, a desire for the sacrament.:|:Perrone mentions much the same graces, thoughin a slightly different order. " Besides faith," says he," which all agree is required in order to justification, theremust be fear, hope, love, at least begun, penitence, and apurpose of keeping the divine commandments."§ The faiththat precedes justification, according to the Church ofRome, is not of a fiducial character, or a trust in thedivine mercy exhibited in the promise, but a belief of allthings taught in the Scriptures, that is, by the Church; andapproaches very closely to what Protestants term a histori-* Concil. Trid. sess. vi. cap, v. + Ibid, sess. vi. cap, vi.t Theol. Mor. et Dog, Petri Dens, torn ii. p. 450,§ Perrone's Praelectiones Tlieologicse, torn i, p, 1407.U