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To: narses
I'm sorry but I have to admit I giggled my way through most of this article. Dr. Horvat, for all of her education seems to grasp little more than a cliche'd view of Protestant theology generally; and her understanding of such concepts as sola Scriptura and sola Fides in particular are insufficient for her to pass even a 10th grade Religion exam in a conservative Protestant Lutheran or Anglican parochial school.

Please tell me this isn't an honest representation of how little Roman Catholic scholars understand of Protestant theology...please?
12 posted on 04/13/2004 7:44:42 PM PDT by ahadams2 (Anglican Freeper Resource Page: http://eala.freeservers.com/anglican/)
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To: ahadams2; metmom; boatbums; caww; presently no screen name; redleghunter; Springfield Reformer; ...
I'm sorry but I have to admit I giggled my way through most of this article. Dr. Horvat, for all of her education seems to grasp little more than a cliche'd view of Protestant theology generally; and her understanding of such concepts as sola Scriptura and sola Fides in particular are insufficient for her to pass even a 10th grade Religion exam in a conservative Protestant Lutheran or Anglican parochial school. Please tell me this isn't an honest representation of how little Roman Catholic scholars understand of Protestant theology...please?

No, that is the level of RC polemics with its straw men that we see most often parroted here

1. The famous sola Scripturae - the source of revelation would be to be found in Scripture alone, and not in tradition.

Wrong, as not only does SS allow for natural revelation, but that not all that can be known is in Scripture, nor deny the role of Tradition, but that Scripture alone is the supreme and sufficient standard for faith, containing the knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness in its formal (limited) and material aspects, , as the wholly inspired and assured word of God

2. Free interpretation - each man could interpret Scripture the way he wants, and work out his religious truth. Therefore, ultimately, there would be no one fixed rule. Protestantism at base is a religion without a fixed dogma.

Wrong. How then could Reformers judge others as heretics? Westminster for instance, affirms the need of magisterial. The fact is that those who most strongly hold to the Reformed view of Scripture is where you see the strongest commitment to core Truths, while declension from those is what characterizes those who are more like RCs overall.

3. Sola Fides. Justification by faith alone. Works can be useful, but they would not be necessary.

Wrong. While man is justified by faith which is counted for righteousness, yet as Reformers taught , the only faith that is salvific is the kind that will effect the obedience of faith.

4. The absence of any intermediary between God and the believer, hence, the rejection of the principle of authority in religious matters.

Wrong: Westminster: "It belongs to synods and councils, ministerially to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience; to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of his Church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same..." (http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/wcf.htm)

What is utterly absent is a perpetually infallible magisterial office.

The believer, as his own interpreter of the Bible, thinks he would have 'direct line to heaven.'

Where would they ever get that idea?

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19-20)

Being in direct contact with God, he could do without the various mediators to whom the Catholic has recourse - the Blessed Virgin, the Saints, and the Church.

And just where do we see any heavenly intercessors btwn God and man by the Lord Jesus? Out of over 150 prayers in Heaven, there is not one single prayer addressed to anyone in Heaven but the Lord. Except by pagans.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

78 posted on 12/14/2014 1:05:37 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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