Council of Trent.

[sweetpea316]

Someone told me today when arguing faith alone vs. faith and works that in the Council of Trent, it specifically states that the Catholic Church believes that one is saved by faith and works.

I was just wondering about it and if perhaps someone could post where exactly it says that. I don't know if this person has a clear meaning of what is meant by faith and works, as compared to sola fide, (they put it in the context that we earn our salvation by our own doings, rather than having a formed faith that is not dead, but acts in love and charity) but I wanted to see what it said exactly before I continued debating.

Thanks! God bless+

[phatcatholic]

he's probably referring to the canons on Justification. they are in the 6th session of the Council. the pertinent canons are the following:

[b]CANON I.-[/b]If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON VII.-[/b]If any one saith, that all works done before Justification, in whatsoever way they be done, are truly sins, or merit the hatred of God; or that the more earnestly one strives to dispose himself for grace, the more grievously he sins: let him be anathema.

[b]CANON IX.-[/b]If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XII.-[/b]If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XV.-[/b]If any one saith, that a man, who is born again and justified, is bound of faith to believe that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XVI.-[/b]If any one saith, that he will for certain, of an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance unto the end,-unless he have learned this by special revelation; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XIX.-[/b]If any one saith, that nothing besides faith is commanded in the Gospel; that other things are indifferent, neither commanded nor prohibited, but free; or, that the ten commandments nowise appertain to Christians; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XX.-[/b]If any one saith, that the man who is justified and how perfect soever, is not bound to observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe; as if indeed the Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life, without the condition of observing the commandments ; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXIV.-[/b]If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXV.-[/b]If any one saith, that, in every good work, the just sins venially at least, or-which is more intolerable still-mortally, and consequently deserves eternal punishments; and that for this cause only he is not damned, that God does not impute those works unto damnation; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXVI.-[/b]If any one saith, that the just ought not, for their good works done in God, to expect and hope for an eternal recompense from God, through His mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ, if so be that they persevere to the end in well [Page 48] doing and in keeping the divine commandments; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXIX.-[/b]If any one saith, that he, who has fallen after baptism, is not able by the grace of God to rise again; or, that he is able indeed to recover the justice which he has lost, but by faith alone without the sacrament of Penance, contrary to what the holy Roman and universal Church-instructed by Christ and his Apostles-has hitherto professed, observed, and taugh; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXXI.-[/b]If any one saith, that the justified sins when he performs good works with a view to an eternal recompense; let him be anathema.

[b]CANON XXXII.-[/b]If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema.


you can read the rest of the canons here:
[url="http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct06.html"]http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct06.html[/url]

pax christi,
phatcatholic