The Catholic Religion: A Manual of Instruction for Members of the Anglican Communion

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. A LMIGHTY God in His love created all /- things. At the head of this lower world He placed man, giving him the power to choose, to love and serve Him freely. That this choice might be a reality, it was needful that man should have the power to reject God, and to withhold his love and service. In no other way could his will be really free. Man, thus gifted, was put on his trial. He failed, and so fell away from God. But God's love was so great that, even though rejected by man, He would not leave him to his ruin. God pursued fallen man with a love which is as astonishing as it is touching. The history of the human race is the history of God's patient love following man, in order to bring him back to Himself. By man's evil choice his mind became darkened, his heart polluted, and his will weakened. All along the ages we find God striving to remedy these defects, enlightening man's mind by His truth, cleansing his heart by holy inspirations, and aiding man's will by His power. Whilst God was thus dealing with the human race in general, He willed, in His wisdom, towork in a more special way within a narrower circle. At first, history tells of God's particular dealings with individuals and families, as with the patriarchs; then with one nation, that of the Jews; and lastly, when Christ came, with all nations without distinction. Taking the Old Testament as our guide, we find in early times Noah thus singled out for God's special favour. The human race had become so utterly wicked, that it was necessary to destroy it by a mighty flood. Noah and his family remained faithful; and, as a reward, God saved them in the Ark from the punishment which fell upon the godless. With Noah and his family, God made a covenant or agreement, revealing Himself...