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Reformation 500: Evangelical Alliance Warns Against Compromise With Catholicism
Christian Today ^ | 1/31/17 | Harry Farley

Posted on 02/01/2017 6:33:59 PM PST by marshmallow

Evangelicals have been urged to celebrate the Reformation as "essential" to Christianity and resist attempts to dilute differences between Protestants and Catholics.

The Evangelical Alliance's statement to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, headlined on the Evangelical Alliance press release as "500 Years of Protest", praised the split as a recovery of Jesus' teaching. It emphasised ongoing "points of divergence" between the two traditions as well as acknowledging efforts at reconciliation and convergence after centuries of mistrust.

"As evangelicals, we owe a great deal of our doctrinal, spiritual and cultural identity to the Reformation," the statement read.

"The Reformation was not so much an innovation as a recovery – a recovery of the essential content of the 'evangel' or 'good news' of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ himself, and by his apostles. That work of recovery is reflected in our own designation as evangelicals."

It insists the "core distinctions" between Luther and the 16th-century Roman Catholic church "remain between modern-day evangelicals and Catholics despite efforts at reconciliation".

The statement marked a notably different tone to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York who called for repentance for the division. They lamented the "lasting damage done five centuries ago to the unity of the Church, in defiance of the clear command of Jesus Christ to unity in love".

(Excerpt) Read more at christiantoday.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian; History
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To: Claud
I am no judge. It is the Church’s authority you are kicking against, not mine. The Church, by the way, that Christ founded. I cannot imagine thinking that Christ would found a Church only to have it *immediately* be corrupted and leave His beloved people deep in error for over a thousand years. Sheer madness.

No church, or flesh body was ever given the power or authority to 'judge'. It is Written 'judge not least ye be judged'... We are given the responsibility to test the fruit... Luther has by a Church been judged and that is exactly what is going to come back upon those in the judging business.

I can read what Christ said, and IF any organization or church subverts or perverts what Christ foretold, I have the freedom to reject flesh organizations. Each individual soul/spirit intellect will be judged, one on one for their own mind.

The unadulterated hate for Luther is beyond the pale. Most especially, given, how some are now pulling the same complaints against the present pope. I have asked Luther haters, what would they do when they return to the Maker and it is Luther opening heaven's gate for them. Oh, I am not a 'Lutheran', I just find the irony in many Catholics who dish hate, but cry like school girls and accuse others who disagree with their man made doctrines, as haters.

Christ repeatedly warned about false doctrine, I will follow His warning. Christ Himself said call no man Father... So who is responsible for changing Christ's command?

21 posted on 02/01/2017 10:09:55 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: af_vet_1981
These reinforce my view, that the Reformation (re-formation of Christianity) was a new religious movement devised without apostolic authority by certain men who did not agree with each other. It is essentially a five century old progressive attempt to reformulate Christianity according to the most recent image of what it should have been but was not, and continues according to that pattern to this day.

That may be your view, but it's a wrong one. EVERY single tenet of the Reformer's can be backed up by Scripture and the teachings of the Apostles and can be shown to have been held all the way back to the early Christians. Roman Catholicism cannot claim the same. In fact, Roman Catholicism split five hundred years BEFORE the Reformation from the Eastern Orthodox because of the exact same reasons. According to them, Catholicism tried to do the reformulating!

22 posted on 02/01/2017 10:21:45 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums

Yep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoU2o1iRN0U

RCC version of ‘unity’ here. Warning: May cause smirks.


23 posted on 02/02/2017 12:37:10 AM PST by Luircin (Dancing in the streets! Time to DRAIN THE SWAMP!)
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To: Just mythoughts

False Christs and false prophets. Like Mohammed, Luther, Calvin, Joseph Smith, etc.


24 posted on 02/02/2017 2:20:25 AM PST by Claud
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To: Just mythoughts
No church, or flesh body was ever given the power or authority to 'judge'.

"I will give YOU the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever YOU bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever YOU loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matt 16:19

25 posted on 02/02/2017 2:26:31 AM PST by Claud
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To: Claud; daniel1212
You guys teach Church history by launching straight from Acts and quickly scurrying to the 16th century. The reason why is because *you can't find a Protestant church* in that 1500 year period. There isn't ONE Church, ONE author, ONE movement you can point to throughout all that time that is fully and completely Protestant.

You may wish to read Irenaeus Against Heresies, especially book 3. Irenaeus states; "When, however, they [sic: heretics} are confuted from the Scriptures, they turn around and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not correct, nor of authority, and [assert] that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition. For [they allege] that the truth was not delievered by means of written documents, but vivd voce:...But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, ...

Irenaeus main point in refuting heresy was the scriptures alone and he defines "tradition" based upon what the apostles taught. If people deviate from these to points by adding or subtracting from what was written and taught, they the have fallen into heresy.

26 posted on 02/02/2017 3:08:41 AM PST by HarleyD
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To: HarleyD
"You may wish to read Irenaeus Against Heresies, especially book 3.....Irenaeus main point in refuting heresy was the scriptures alone and he defines "tradition" based upon what the apostles taught."

Read one paragraph further in that same book and you'll see Irenaeus say about the Roman See that "it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority." Is that a Protestant position?

Then further down, Chapter 4:

"Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches?

You're right that he defines tradition by what the Apostles taught. But he ALSO says that the Apostles passed down that tradition via Apostolic Succession to the bishops, whom he specifically names: Linus, Cletus, Clement, etc.

The Truth is to Be Found Nowhere Else But in the Catholic Church, the Sole Depository of Apostolical Doctrine. Heresies are of Recent Formation, and Cannot Trace Their Origin Up to the Apostles.

"....prior to Valentinus, those who follow Valentinus had no existence; nor did those from Marcion exist before Marcion; nor, in short, had any of those malignant-minded people, whom I have above enumerated, any being previous to the initiators and inventors of their perversity."

Or Luther. Or Calvin. And on, and on, and on. You simply cannot find a Protestant whole and complete in the entire history of the Church before the 1500s.
27 posted on 02/02/2017 3:50:22 AM PST by Claud
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To: Claud

So what you gave me in retort was nothing but the usual complaints that I’ve heard even was I was a RC.

If you can’t quote scripture on your stance - why bother replying?


28 posted on 02/02/2017 4:25:16 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
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To: Claud

And for the real meaning of Matthew 16:19

https://www.gotquestions.org/binding-loosing.html


29 posted on 02/02/2017 4:29:17 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
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To: Mark17

A shame some will have to find out the hard way that their pride & faith in human institutions got in the way of the truth.

We’ve all fought against it at some point in one way or another. It certainly takes a special push from above in the form of the Holy Spirit to make us drink from the water that the Lord provides (you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink).


30 posted on 02/02/2017 4:35:01 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
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To: marshmallow

31 posted on 02/02/2017 4:36:25 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: SkyPilot
Dear friends, let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church..."

HERESY!


Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
--Romans 8:26


For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus
--1 Timothy 2:5

32 posted on 02/02/2017 4:39:23 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: SkyPilot
There are those who believe they can maintain a personal, direct and immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside the communion and the mediation of the Church. These are dangerous and harmful temptations.

 

Nothing new under the sun...

 

"One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved, in which the priest himself is the sacrifice, Jesus Christ, whose body and blood are truly contained in the sacrament of the altar under the species of bread and wine; the bread (changed) into His body by the divine power of transubstantiation, and the wine into the blood, so that to accomplish the mystery of unity we ourselves receive from His (nature) what He Himself received from ours."

--Pope Innocent III and Lateran Council IV (A.D. 1215)

33 posted on 02/02/2017 4:42:03 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
The Reformation is essential to Christianity.

The COUNTER Reformation is essential to CatholicISM.

34 posted on 02/02/2017 4:43:16 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Claud
I’m happy to ally with evangelicals on social issues but the entire body of Protestantism is a tissue of heresy carefully chosen to salve the guilty consciences of a few reprobates like Luther and Henry VIII.
 
 
 
 
I'll see your heresy and raise you one!
 
 
 
 

Ambrose: …constantly pray ‘Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since thou hast its KEYS. Anselm: It suffices, O Lady, that thou willest it, and our SALVATION is certain.

Antoninus: …souls protected by Mary, and on which she casts her eyes, are NECESSARILY JUSTIFIED AND SAVED. 

Athanasius: …And, thou, O Lady, wast filled with grace, that thou mightiest be the way of our SALVATION and the means of ascent to the heavenly Kingdom.

Bernadine: …all gifts, all virtues, and all graces are dispensed by the hands of Mary to whomsoever, when, and as she pleases. O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can ONLY come through thy hands, OUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON THEE.
(Leo XIII: Adiutricem populi, September 5, 1895) — [p. 19, no. 44]

Blosius: To the, O Lady, are committed the KEYS and the treasures of the kingdom of Heaven.

Bonaventure: …the gates of heaven will open to all who confide in the protection of Mary. Blessed are they who know thee, O Mother of God, for the knowledge of THEE is the high road to everlasting life, and the publication of thy virtues is the way of ETERNAL SALVATION . Give ear, O ye nations; and all you who desire heaven , serve, honor Mary, and certainly you will find ETERNAL LIFE.

She says, "He that shall find Me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.   "Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino."

Listen," exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, "listen, all you who desire the kingdom of God: honor the most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation."  "Audite qui ingredi cupitis regnum Dei: Virginem Mariam honorate, et invenietis vitam et salutem perpetuam."-psalt. B.V.ps.48.

 

Ephem: …devotion to the divine Mother…is the unlocking of the heavenly Jerusalem.

Fulgetius: …by Mary God descended from Heaven into the world, that by HER man might ascend from earth to Heaven. Guerric: …he who serves Mary and for whom she intercedes, is as CERTAIN of heaven as if he were already there…and those who DO NOT serve Mary will NOT BE SAVED.

Richard of Laurence: Mary, in fine, is the mistress of heaven; for there she commands as she wills, and ADMITS whom she wills.

 

“The Catholic Church has always and with justice put all her hope and trust in the Mother of God.”

(Leo XIII: Encyclical, Supreme Apostolatus, September 1, 1883.) — [p. 32, no. 104]



“... Yet our manner of praying to the Blessed Virgin has something in common with our worship of God so that the Church even addressed to her the words with which we pray to God: ‘Have mercy on sinners.’”

(Leo XIII: Encyclical, Augustissimae, September 12, 1897.) [p. 68; no. 302]

"Only She Can Help You"
by Father Nicholas Gruner, S.T.L., S.T.D. (Cand.)
In this letter introducing The Fatima Crusader Issue 38, Father Gruner discusses the growing lies and deception about Russia's errors and the consecration of that nation. He also reminds us that, while it is urgent that we be informed about and fight for Our Lady's cause, we must ask for Her help and intercession.

In the Fatima sanctuary, at the exact spot where Our Lady appeared, Father Gruner pays homage to Her while touching the original statue of Fatima. Father Gruner was recently graced with this rare opportunity since normally this sacred image is always protected by a glass covering which completely surrounds it all day long.

Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
In this article taken from The Glories of Mary, Saint Alphonsus explains that there are countless souls in Heaven who are there now only because Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them there. If a soul persists in true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, She will certainly lead that soul to Heaven.

 



The Rosary
by Father Stefano Manelli, S.T.D.
It is greatly important that Our Lady insisted on the Rosary. When at Fatima She spoke of the salvation of sinners, of the ruin of souls in hell, of wars and peace, and of the future of our age. Our Lady indicated and recommended the Rosary as the prayer that saves, that brings peace, that preserves the faith.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace
by Father Stefano Manelli, S.T.D.
It is truly a treasure to have a strong devotion to Our Lady, for it is She who unites us to Jesus and brings us to Heaven, as this article explains.

Mary, Our Life, Our Sweetness, Our Hope
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
St. Alphonsus de Liguori explains how Mary is our life, how She is our sweetness, and how She is our hope.

The historical record of the worship of Mary accumulated by St. Alphonsus de Liguori who wrote “The Glories of Mary” in the year 1745, which has been since translated into English and printed again and again and again with the full affirmation and imprimatur of the official Roman Catholic Church.  In this book there is the sum of all the glories of Mary which has been vouchsafe to the Roman Catholic Church and the Church itself calls upon all its constituents to give Mary that honor she is due.  She is identified as Mary, our Queen; Mary, our mother; Mary, our life; Mary, our sweetness; Mary, our hope; Mary, our help; Mary, our Mediatress; Mary, our advocate; Mary, our guardian; and Mary, our salvation.  It is said that Mary delivers us from hell, Mary delivers us from purgatory, and Mary leads us to heaven.  And it should be said that de Liguori, who collected all the Marion dogma and devotion, was himself one of the most celebrated and revered authorities in the Roman Catholic Church.  De Liguori was himself a cardinal in life, and a saint in death.

 

Jesus said "Without Me you can do nothing". In this crisis which looms ahead of us, Our Lady has told us that we need Her help, Her intercession. We must ask for Her help with the Rosary and the Scapular.

At Fatima, Our Lady told us very plainly that "Only I can help you". Today more than ever is this so true.

Pray the Rosary and sacrifice yourself for Our Lady.

I urge you to also make some sacrifices as Our Lady of Fatima asked us. For those who are able, do some fasting. If you can, abstain from meat by eating meat only during one meal a day. Try to do this for two days, even ten days or 30 days. Of course we should abstain totally from meat every Friday.

 

 Jesus and Mary — Our Hope

It is so urgent that we reach as many souls as possible before it is too late. Let us be of good cheer and remember the words of Jesus to each of us, "It's never too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary." That is why it is so important to reach the many millions of souls who do not know this, and who do not know the grave dangers lying in wait for their souls.

No, we must never lose hope. Mary is our hope. She can obtain for us what we cannot by ourselves. Read what St. Alphonsus has to say regarding confidence in Our Lady's intercession in "Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven". Father Manelli also reminds us of the importance of devotion to Our Lady. (See "Hail Mary, Full of Grace"). Our Blessed Mother tells us to turn to Her in confidence. She tells us repeatedly to ask Her intercession through the frequent fervent praying of the Rosary. (See "The Rosary"). She tells us we must pray the Rosary every day. She wants us to pray it many times a day.

 

http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg2.asp



"Blessed is he whose interior offers the Blessed Virgin Mary a place of repose." Devotion towards the Blessed Virgin remains in all who are the inheritance of Our Lord; that is to say, in all who will praise Him eternally in Heaven.

O, how many blessed souls are now in Heaven who would never have been there had not Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them thither. I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth. Cardinal Hugo, in his commentary on the above text of Ecclesiasticus, says in the name of Mary, "I have caused as many saints in Heaven through Her intercession, who would never have been there but through Her ."

...in the words of St. Ambrose, "Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since Thou hast its keys." "Aperi nobis, O Virgo coelum, cujus claves habes." Nay more, the Church says, that "Thou art its gate." 

St. Antoninus tells us "that this divine Mother has already, by Her assistance and prayers, obtained Heaven for us, provided we put no obstacle in the way."23 Hence, says Abbot Guerric, "he who serves Mary, and for whom She intercedes, is as certain of Heaven as if he was already there."24 St. John Damascene also says, "that to serve Mary and be Her courtier is the greatest honor we can possibly possess; for to serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and live under Her commands is more than to govern."25 On the other hand, he adds, "that those who do not serve Mary will not be saved; for those who are deprived of the help of this great Mother are also deprived of that of Her Son and of the whole court of heaven."26

 23.  "Coeleste nobis regnum, suo interventu auxiliis, et precibus, impetravit."—Paciucch. Sup. Salve Reg. exc. I.
 24. "Qui Virgini famulatur, ita securus est de paradiso, ac si esset in paradiso."
 25. "Summus honor, servire Mariæ, et de ejus esse familia; etenim ei servire, regnare est; et ejus agi frænis, summa libertas."
 26. "Gens quæ non servierit illi, peribit; gentes destitutæ tantæ Matris auxilio, destituuntur auxilio Filii et totius curi’‘ coelestis."— De Laud. B. M. I. 4.

Cardinal Hugo http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg3.asp 

 
 
 

35 posted on 02/02/2017 4:50:28 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Claud
You guys teach Church history by launching straight from Acts and quickly scurrying to the 16th century.

Oh?

You guys TOTALLY ignore the 15th chapter of ACTS and are REALLY silent on the CORRUPT Catholic churches found in Revelation chapters 1-3.

Get off your high horse and clean your OWN stable!

36 posted on 02/02/2017 4:52:44 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Claud
It is the Church’s authority you are kicking against, not mine.

A self claimed 'authority'.

37 posted on 02/02/2017 4:53:44 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
In fact, Roman Catholicism split five hundred years BEFORE the Reformation from the Eastern Orthodox because of the exact same reasons.

Details!

Duh debble is inum!

38 posted on 02/02/2017 4:54:48 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Claud
Go ahead and jump thru Rome's hoops...


 

John 6:28-29

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”


1 John 3:21-24

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 


39 posted on 02/02/2017 4:58:17 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: HarleyD
If people deviate from these to points by adding or subtracting from what was written and taught, they the have fallen into heresy.

Where'd you get a CRAZY idea like THIS???


1 Corinthians 4:6
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit,
so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written."
Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.
 
 
Oh; never mind...

40 posted on 02/02/2017 5:00:49 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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