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Martyred for the Gospel

Martyred for the Gospel
The burning of Tharchbishop of Cant. D. Tho. Cranmer in the town dich at Oxford, with his hand first thrust into the fyre, wherwith he subscribed before. [Click on the picture to see Cranmer's last words.]

Daily Bible Verse

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Why Evangelicalism Has Lost Touch with Its Roots in the Protestant Reformation

 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 ESV)

 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 ESV)

 


Why Evangelicalism Has Lost Touch with Its Roots in the Protestant Reformation


Recently I was excommunicated at a local Presbyterian church which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, namely Faith Presbyterian Church of Wauchula, Florida. The reason I was excommunicated was that I had dared to question the pastor's openly ecumenical liberalism in the Sunday school class. When he contended that Roman Catholics are “saved” because “they believe in Jesus” I had to wonder what would cause an allegedly “reformed” pastor to say such a stupid thing? As if doctrine does not matter and all that matters is that we all believe in a Jesus who has no firm doctrinal convictions and a Jesus who is defined ambiguously according to the subjective interpretations of each single individual?


I began to think about where this equivocation and lack of theological clarity comes from. There are many sources within Evangelicalism, including the infamous Charles Colson who pretends to be reformed while in fact upholding what can only be called an Arminian theology. Colson apparently has no problem with Roman Catholicism either since his Prison Fellowship ministry is necessarily ecumenical in outlook, although superficially it “claims” to be Evangelical. But such definitions of Evangelicalism are so broad that they include a church that has officially condemned Evangelicalism and the Protestant Reformation since the 16th century. Those anathemas are officially recorded in the canons of the Council of Trent.


The canons of Trent say things that officially condemn the statements of faith of most Evangelical churches as heresy. Yet we see these same Evangelical churches openly embracing Roman Catholicism as just another Christian denomination, something which is obviously is not. What anathemas am I referring to? Take these examples for your consideration:


Canon 14.


If anyone says that man is absolved from his sins and justified because he firmly believes that he is absolved and justified, or that no one is truly justified except him who believes himself justified, and that by this faith alone absolution and justification are effected, let him be anathema.

Canon 15.


If anyone says that a man who is born again and justified is bound ex fide to believe that he is certainly in the number of the predestined, let him be anathema. [From: Trent: Let Me Be Anathema.]



The fact is the majority of the anathemas condemn Protestants as heretics worthy of damnation. How folks like Charles Colson and other mainline “Evangelical” leaders can openly endorse a false church and its members as “Christians” is beyond me.


Reasonable Christian Blog

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end.  Amen.

1662 Book of Common Prayer

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