My Prayer Book_LASANCE - the Catholic Kingdom!

56 Tke Saved and Lost
are they few that are saved?" Jesus simply replied:
"Strive to enter by the narrow gate."
"It is a question," says Father Walsh, S. J., in his
admirable and consoling study, "The Comparative
Number of the Saved and Lost," "about which there is
no authoritative decision of the Church, nor unanimous
opinion of her Fathers or theologians.
"hlany, notably Suarez, hold - as Father Faber
does - that the great majority of adult Catholics will
be saved. Some, amongst whom we are glad to count
the illustrious Dominican, Father Lacordaire, hold or
incline to the opinion that the majority of mankind, including
heathens and heretics, will be saved.
"Pere Alonsab&, O.P., Father Castelein, S.J., and
Rev. Joseph Rickaby, S. J., advocate this mildest
opinion. Father Rickaby says in his Conference,
'The Extension of Salvation': 'As to what proportion
of men die in sanctifying grace, and what proportion
in mortal sin, nothing is revealed, nothing is of
faith, and nothing is really known to theologians. If
rver you find a theologian confidently consigning the
mass of human souls to eternal flames, be sure he is
venturing Ixyond the bounds of Christian faith and of
theological science. You are quite free to disbelieve
his word. I do not lxlieve it myself.
'"The rigor of the older theologians culminated in
Jansenism. To the Jansenist the elect were tlze jew
grapes kjt upon the vine ajh a careficl vintage (Is.
xxiv. 13). Since the extirpation of Jansenisrn, the
pendulum of theological speculation has swung the other
way, ant1 theologians generally hope more of the mercy
of God, or, at least, slxak with less assurance of the
range of His rigorous justice.'
"The reasons," continues Father Walsh, "which
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