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 Christ and the  true  Church,  that  whosoever  lives  outside the  Catholic  Church,  denies  the  true  Church,  denies Christ,  denies  the  Father;  whosoever  is  an enemy  to  the  Catholic  Church,  is  an  enemy  to  his  Redeemer and  Creator,  and  will  receive  the  reward  of God's  enemies— eternal  damnation. That is  why  the Catholic Church  is  so  essentially  intolerant,  that  her very intolerance  is  the  strongest  proof  of  her  divinity. That is  why,  too,  no  sect  claiming  to  be  the  true church ever  admitted  salvation  for  its  separated brethren; or  if  perchance  it  did,  its  indifferentism soon proved  its  own  refutation  and  its  ruin. But the Catholic Church  has  ever  held  that  outside  of  her pale there  is  no  salvation;  that  she  is  the  house  of Rahab,  wherein  alone  the  inhabitants  of  the  tottering universe may  find  shelter;  that  she  is  the  ark  of  the New Covenant  wherein  alone  men  may  ride  safely over the  deluge  of  sin  and  error,  on  through  life  to eternity.

Outside the  Catholic  Church  there  is  no  salvation. That is  true,  but  I  pray,  understand  it  well. What does it  mean? Does it  mean  that  every  Catholic, howsoever bad,  will  be  saved? No. That  the  great and good  men  who  mistook  error  for  truth  and  were willing, or  actually  did,  lay  down  their  lives  for  their error, that  they  are  all  lost? No. That  the  negro  in darkest  Africa,  the  simple  celestial  of  China,  or  the poor Indian  here  before  Columbus,  who  never  heard of God  or  Christ  or  Christ's  Church,  that  they  are  all lost? No. But, you  say,  they  were  not  Catholics. Still, I  say,  they  may  have  been. Let me  explain.