[Dr. Eckleburg]

Hi, the_conscience. Always happy to read your posts.

Ask MarkBsnr -- "(I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)"

Mark, did you really say that? The authority of the church gives one a belief in the Gospel?

You could not and would not believe in the Gospel by your own Spirit-led reading comprehension? By your own quickened mind and reborn heart? With your own two eyes and ears given by God alone?

We can conclude from this logic that if the church moved you away from the Gospel you would follow happily since the church has all authority.

[Quix]

Hmmmm

So, IF Mary has taken the place of Holy Spirit

and the magicsterical has taken the place of Holy Spirit . . .

Sounds like a lot of competition for Holy Spirit’s job, to me!

[MarkBsnr]

***Mark, did you really say that? The authority of the church gives one a belief in the Gospel?***

The quote is from St. Augustine, one of the heroes of the Reformers, if I understand correctly.

***You could not and would not believe in the Gospel by your own Spirit-led reading comprehension? By your own quickened mind and reborn heart? With your own two eyes and ears given by God alone? ***

Ah, but isn’t the Reformed view of the essence that only the saved can believe?

***We can conclude from this logic that if the church moved you away from the Gospel you would follow happily since the church has all authority.***

The Church has the authority and it also has the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit (psst, it’s Scriptural, doncha know). I don’t believe that the Holy Spirit would lead His Church away from Himself. That contradicts everything that we know and believe about Him.

[fortheDeclaration]

We can conclude from this logic that if the church moved you away from the Gospel you would follow happily since the church has all authority.

What do you mean if?