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from: http://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/romanprimate.htmPresbyterian Moderator-Elect Invites Roman Primate of Ireland to the General Assembly
The Westminster Confession (WC), the official creed of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), states that "such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters" (WC 24:3). Yet the PCI Moderator-elect, Rev. Ken Newell, has invited the primate of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland to be his honoured guest at the opening night of the Presbyterian General Assembly (7 June, 2004).
A church is Presbyterian to the degree in which she is faithful to Presbyterian doctrine, sacraments, worship, discipline and church government as set forth in the Westminster Confession as a summary of the Bibles teaching.
Presbyterianism confesses the sufficiency of the self-interpreting canonical Scriptures (WC 1). God is absolutely sovereign over all things (WC 3), including the fall of Adam and all other sins (WC 4:4). Man "hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good" (WC 9:3), and even his possession of a corrupted nature is itself "properly sin" (WC 6:5). "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death" (WC 3:3). Christ died for "the elect only" (WC 3:6) whom in due time He irresistibly calls (WC 10) and justifies by imputing to them the righteousness of Christ alone received by faith alone (WC 11). All elect saints certainly persevere by grace to the end (WC 17) and even in this life receive assurance of their salvation (WC 18). All these doctrines are denied by Rome.
Contrary to Romanism, Presbyterianism acknowledges "only two sacraments ordained by Christ" and not seven (WC 27:4). Water baptism does not regenerate (WC 28:5). The mass is "most abominably injurious to Christs one only sacrifice" (WC 29:2). Transubstantiation "hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries" (WC 29:6).
Presbyterianism avows that "the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture" (WC 21:1). Only the Triune God is to be worshipped and that only through the mediation of Christ alone (WC 21:2). The "whole time" of the Lords Day is to be "kept holy" (WC 21:8); prayer "for the dead" is forbidden (WC 21:4).
Presbyterian discipline (WC 30) and church government (WC 31) are likewise opposed to the hierarchical Roman system that finds its apex in the Pope who claims to be the vicar of Christ on earth.
The Westminster Confession states, "Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth" (WC 22:3). "An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation" (WC 22:4).
Clearly the PCI Moderator-elect has broken his oath of faithfulness to the Westminster Confession (opposed as it is to the doctrine, sacraments, worship, discipline and church government of Roman Catholicism) by inviting the Roman Primate of Ireland to be his honoured guest at the opening night of Irish Presbyterianisms highest assembly. And only three of the twenty-one presbyteries protested!
from: http://www.opc.org/documents/WCF_orig.htmloriginal---
Chapter XXV
Of the Church
VI. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof: but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.
as modified---
Chapter XXV
Of the Church
VI. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.
M. Wayne Bradley said:What's wrong with rabid anti-Catholicism? No, seriously....
Knight said:Personal reconciliation or docturnal reconciliation?
There can be personal reconciliation in that people can forgive personal offenses on both sides of the issue.
I do not see docturnal reconciliation as a possibility.
kimber1 said:what would be so wrong if some kind of respect and attempt at reconciliation was made?
BJBarnett said:your joking right?
kimber1 said:huh? i'm a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism and i had no trouble.
M. Wayne Bradley said:
\
, I could have been more diplomatic, and I assume that's the part you're asking about, right?[/color]
So I'll tell you why I said it. The late John Gerstner pointed out that Catholicism doesn't exist, because in order to be a true Catholic, consistent with their theology, one must be born one. They can't 'become' one, because in order to do that they have to examine the truth claims of Rome vs. Everything else, exercising their own private judgement; which is a distinctly Protestant way of going about things. So if one starts out in this manner, as a Protestant, they can never arrive at a legitimate embracing of the Roman church, because they have denied Catholicism in the very process --which always begins with the authority of the Church.
In other words, it's impossible to become a Catholic via Protestantism. Therefore, it's impossible period, and Catholicism really doesn't exist, though it's a fact that many people mistakenly believe it does.
The first part of the post was edited by this mod as it repeated a phrase that was edited .
It also violated rule 7
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M. Wayne Bradley said:In other words, it's impossible to become a Catholic via Protestantism. Therefore, it's impossible period, and Catholicism really doesn't exist, though it's a fact that many people mistakenly believe it does.
KennySe said:Has anyone informed the Pope, the Cardinals, the Bishops, the Priests, the monks, the nuns, the brothers, the deacons, and all the Catholic Laity that Catholicism doesn't really exist?
Has anyone informed those Catholics who have converted from Protestantism that they have entered an illusionary church?
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