My study of the Catholic faith states that the Catholic Church has never taught such a doctrine and, in fact, has constantly condemned the notion that men can earn or merit salvation. Catholic soteriology (salvation theology) is rooted in apostolic Tradition and Scripture and says that it is only by God’s grace—completely unmerited by works—that one is saved.
Read the rest of the article that you got the above quote from, and it’ll clearly describe “the second half of the justification equation” that Catholics claim that “Protestants either miss or ignore” ~ referring to “the necessity of grace and works”. The Council of Trent clearly affirmed that both faith and works were necessary for salvation.
What did James say? Jesus never did nullify or in any way disparage Old Testament Law or the Prophets. In fact he endorsed them and emphasized their continuance. Even added stricter conditions requiring forgiveness by you to receive your own grace, forbidding you to hold on to whatever in your life caused your sin, i.e. I don't believe he advocated the actual amputation of your hand or the plucking out of your eye.
I do believe that Jesus offered salvation through grace and faith but it came through actual works and deeds that prove your faith. I do believe gentiles were offered the covenant but along the lines of Peter, James, Stephen and the Jewish apostles offer to move them into the Hebrew religion of Judaism rather than the government sanctioned church from Council of Nicaea that came in out of the cold and endorsed the Roman Empire. I'm guessing Romans 13:1 - 7 were outright forgeries or either clear evidence that Paul was a Roman agent. During that time all other renditions of Christianity were shoved aside and most likely brutally suppressed. And there was plenty of opposition to Paul in early Christianity.
After that the Roman Emperors using their army spread their version of Pauline Christianity with the threat of convert or get the sword. Charlemagne murdered religiously non compliant Saxons by the 1000s in the name of Jesus. What would Jesus have thought? And this went on for centuries.
Patriotism (and religion) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
