Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/170

180 The Pope.—For a Christian! Most certainly, But———

Myself.—And as a member of the church of Christ?

The Pope.—Ye—s, in a certain sense; but—but then people must acknowledge as true every thing which this church says and enjoins. You ought not in the mean time to believe that the Pope sends to Hell all who do not acknowledge the infallibility of the Catholic church. No, I believe that many persons of other creeds may be saved, by living according to the truth which they acknowledge. I believe so, most certainly.

Myself.—It delights me infinitely, to hear this from your Holiness. Because I have cherished the hope of finding in your Holiness, a more righteous judge, as regards these questions, than in many other Catholics, who say, “You are not a Christian; you cannot be saved, if you do not, in all respects believe as we and our church do.”

The Pope.—In this they are wrong. But you see, my daughter, people should be able to give an account of their Christian belief; not believe alone in generals, but believe in the separate parts of a doctrine. It is already something to believe in the second person of the Godhead, and in His incarnation; but it is necessary also to believe in the institution which He founded on earth, otherwise there can be in reality no faith in Him. And people must believe in the Pope. The Pope is Christ's representative on earth. In Sweden, people do not believe on Christ and His church. In Sweden, the extremest intolerance exists towards those who think differently to themselves.