This week, my Christian brother Dr. James White has been under a particular load of persecution from Catholics, who have falsely accused him of various things via a number of Internet outlets such as blogs and chat forums.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why they are attacking Dr. White: he has been a faithful witness to the truth against the Mordorian tower of the Vatican. What more needs to be said? Unable to attack the truth of what he has to say, they have made the issue personal, falsely accusing a Christian many of various character defects.
Take courage, brother White! God has chosen to bless your ministry with resistance by those who oppose the gospel. Call to mind Matthew 5:11-12. This opposition may same hard to bear at this time, but God will reward you in heaven. The brethren know that the accusations of these Catholic persecutors are false, and we recognize the reason why such weaponry is being employed.
Recall how it was employed also against Luther and the other Reformers before us! Has not one of your own Team Apologian recently been documenting various of the false accusations leveled against that prominent preacher?
If they did that then, should you be surprised if the spiritual heirs of the deniers of Sola Fida use similar tactics now? Let us give thanks that God has deprived Rome of the strength to inflict physical persecution on its enemies.
Even more, though, be encouraged to cast off your consideration of the vain babbling of those whose hatred of the truth carries over to hatred of those who preach the truth. If you can, redouble your diligence to shine the light of truth on the accreted darkness of Rome, so that perhaps some may be set free. God knows how many of the elect may be under the oppressive shadow of that regime, and how many true Christians may be deluded by the false claims of that apostate body.
You are part of the light of the world, but men prefer darkness to light. Do not be afraid of their cruelty, but rejoice in the truth, with me
Praising the Creator and Provider of All Things for the Good of the Elect,
-Turretinfan
Friday, August 10, 2007
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4 comments:
Of some interest (I hope). At the time of Edwards, those who held to justification by faith were termed, Solifideans. (This from his sermon, Justification by Faith Alone). Owen also mentions it as a derisive term applied to the (no pun intended) faithful. Had never run into the term before.
--Godith
Interesting! Meanwhile, as Rome prepares to re-absorb the liberal lutherans, watch for comments by ecumenical Romanists about how Rome teaches Justification by Faith Alone. It has not historically taught such a doctrine - but such minor details have not stopped previous generations of Jesuits.
-Turretinfan
Actually, isn't it Solafideans? Anyway, isn't James White like extremely anti-KJV almost to the point of being a blasphemous Bible-basher? He is very arrogant and condescending to those who believe the KJV is based on better manuscripts than the modern translations, to the point nearly of treating them as non-humans. I also watched a debate between him and a Catholic priest in which he tried to use subtlety to catch the priest in asserting a certain passage to support purgatory, and the priest tried hard not to. I came away from the debate fully convinced that I had not seen a man of God on either side there. Although I agreed with White's position in the debate minus some of the overly modern-Calvinistic elements, I think he lost by trying to play the annoying arrogant sophist. They both lost. And I think in both losing, the audience won, because we got to see that both Calvinism and Catholicism share the same arrogance and condescension against the word of God itself.
"...watch for comments by ecumenical Romanists about how Rome teaches Justification by Faith Alone."
Although it may not be the official doctrine of the hierarchy, I think in many ways, non-attending Catholics do hold to a sort of faith-only and once-saved-always-saved sort of mentality. If they truly believed in works salvation, after all, they would attend the mass, wouldn't they?
Josh,
Dr. White is not "extremely anti-KJV" though the KJV-only crowd may have painted him that way.
Dr. White does not think that the KJV is the best translation widely available (a point on which I respectfully but firmly disagree with him), and Dr. White apparently assisted (in his capacity as a Greek scholar) in the review of the NASB translation, which I tend to find to be an inferior product compared with the KJV.
Nevertheless, Dr. White is far from being a "blasphemeous Bible-basher" - he's a passionate Biblical advocate!
I watched the clip you mentioned, but I walked away with a very different impression. Perhaps you should try watching a debate of his from start to finish - there's an entire debate (on the Mass with Robert Sungenis, if I remember correctly) posted on YouTube. Let me know if you have
As to your latter points:
Interesting comparison ... the OSAS crowd and many typical RC's have a similar attitude about their own action being the basis for their salvation.
But RC's would be more prone to relying on their membership or Baptism, than on their trust in Christ, and OSAS's would be more prone to rely on their decision and/or prayer than on their trust in Christ - so there is a difference between them, though neither is Sola Fide.
-Turretinfan
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