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Is it honest to minimize the divisions among protestants? i don't means simple differences in doctrine, which are often petty, but the constant quarreling that led to endless division. As Paul complained, the cult of personality has pulled the Church apart since the beginning. Heresies—which are really just the private opinion of certain pastors cause other splits. Catholicism, which is really a kind of centripetal force aiming to counter the flying apart of Christians, mitigates but does not end this tendency, which is best described as the work of the devil. Where so many prophets are at work, the best that can be hoped for is a sustained effort to find who can be trusted and who not. Part of that effort led to the writing and collection of a canon; the other was to find men with a direct link to the earliest followers of Christ.
an effort to find out which are to be trusted and which are not.

Well.., if we know a little of early church history, then we know that there was plenty of division and “heresy” before Rome became the vast autocratic org that it became, and unScripturally using the sword of men to defeat her theological enemies.

But what Rome does is offer a standard by which to judge truth by, yet in so doing it becomes like cults who effectively exalt a man or an office above the assuredly infallible Scriptures, but attributing assured infallibility to men or office. For according to their interpretation only their interpretation is right. And any single denomination could claim as much, and thus also define history accordingly. Consider what i say.

Now God could have always raised up a Moses (most meek man) whose authority was so supernatural attested to that there was little question that what he said as from God was indeed so, and Divine attestation is part of establishing truth, and the apostles had power; But not only did Moses’ words become the authority that was used to judged and establish further revelation, but the Lord commends those who (with right heart) sought to ascertain the veracity of apostolic teaching thereby.

And i would dare say that it is evangelical gospel that historically has overall most evidenced the most degree of the scriptural transformative power of God. But this does not excuse the divisional nature of Protestantism, yet it can be shown that RC’s have a freedom like unto SS type churches, except their religious life is more church based versus a scripture centered relationship with Christ, this being how the spiritual life of most Evangelicals began.

God provides enough grace to know the truth but its qualities and effects, to those who truly want Him, but not in such a way that men cannot rational it away, nor by making men become as God, warranting implicit trust, as Rome’s AIM does.

Sorry if this sound disjointed. Its late.

See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2661829/posts?page=347#347
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2661829/posts?page=314#314
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2657209/posts?page=1670#1670
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2661829/posts?page=217#217