In 1868 Pope Pius IX issued a call to those who, in his words, 'glory in the name of Christian, yet do not profess the true faith of Christ, nor hold to and follow the Communion of the Catholic Church.' He wanted them to submit to and join with the Catholic church, and hoped that the forthcoming First Vatican Council would catalyse this.

Grasping the need for a concise and clear response, grounded in the biblical teaching recovered by the Reformers, Princeton theologian Charles Hodge penned a letter on behalf of the two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church in the USA. His explanation of the non-attendance of Protestant clergy at 'Vatican I' is helpful to us as the Pope and the Catholic Church once again loom large in the headlines.

Featured Resources:

– Charles Hodge, 'Letter to Pope Pius IX', as re-published in the Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 415 (April 1998).

– W. Robert Godfrey, 'The Lutheran–Roman Catholic Joint Declaration', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 436 (January 2000).

Materials Referenced:

Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification: The Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in Confessional Lutheran Perspective (The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod)

Banner Resources on Justification:

Buchanan, James, The Doctrine of Justification (Clothbound, 520 pages)

Roberts, Maurice, Finding Peace with God: Justification Explained (Booklet, 40 pages)

Traill, Robert, Justification Vindicated (Puritan Paperback, 96 pages)

Venema, Cornelis P., Getting the Gospel Right: Assessing the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul (Paperback, 112 pages)

Venema, Cornelis P., The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ: An Assessment of the Reformation and the New Perspective on Paul (Clothbound, 352 pages)

Banner Resources on Catholicism and its Claims:

Bennett, Richard, Catholicism: East of Eden (Catholicism for the 21st Century) (Paperback, 336 pages)

Bennett, Richard, Far from Rome Near to God: Testimonies of Fifty Converted Catholic Priests (Paperback, 360)

Pollitt, H. J., The Inter-Faith Movement: The New Age Enters the Church (Paperback, 224 pages)

Webster, William, Salvation, the Bible & Roman Catholicism (Paperback, 184 pages)

Webster, William, The Church of Rome at the Bar of History (Paperback, 256 pages)

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