Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Nationalism, capitalism, and hoarding. The idea of every nation
should be forgot, price should be struck from the commons, and
princes should be seen for the devils they are. The sins include
our church, secret societies, and other religions which make of
the spirit of God a divide."
Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
--
didst set them in
slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they
brought into desolation as in a moment!"
Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves,
without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or
walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him
down.
That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is
only that God's appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when
that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then
they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight.
God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will
let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into
destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the
edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately
falls and is lost. The observation from the words that I would now
insist upon is this. -- "There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any
one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God." -- By the mere
pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will,
restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any
more than if nothing else but God's mere will had in the least degree,
or in any respect whatsoever, any hand in the preservation of wicked men
one moment. -- The truth of this observation may appear by the following
considerations. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into
hell at any moment. Men's hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The
strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his
hands. -- He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can
most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal
of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself,
and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is
not so wi