All Articles For Contending for the Faith

Introductory remarks (continued). 

We concluded our preceding article with the observation that the four different views concerning the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper had not been distinctly and fully developed in the earliest period of the Church of God. This, of course, need not surprise us. It lies in the nature of the case that the Church, in the days of its New Testament infancy, could not have a clear and concise conception and understanding of the truth of God as revealed in Christ Jesus. 

In our preceding article we noted that the early Church Fathers attached a profound significance to the Lord’s Supper. In that article we quoted at length from the renowned Church Father, Cyprian. 

Fourthly, and finally, what does all this mean? We had concluded our preceding article with the observation that, according to our Confessions, the true church is gathered by the Son of God, and that He does this by His Spirit and Word. So, how does this affect our conception of the distinction between the true and the false church? This simply means that the true church must be wherever the people of God are. And this means that wherever the people of God are, the Word of God is preached and the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ is heard....

The Westminster Confession of the Church in England has an article on the Church, Chapter 25, of this confession, which we quote: “I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation as before under’ the law) consists. of all those, throughout the world, that...

The Apostle Paul reprehended (continuing with chapter 17 of the Second Helvetic Confession—H.V.) Peter, an apostle (Gal. 2:11), and Barnabas fell at variance with Paul (Acts 15:39). Great contention arose in the Church at Antioch between those who preached one and the same Christ, as Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 15:2. And here have at all times been great contentions in the Church, and the most excellent doctors of the Church have, about no small matters, differed in opinion; yet so as, in the mean time, the Church ceased not to be the Church for all these...

We concluded our preceding article with a few quotations from the Canons and Dogmatic Decrees of the Council of Trent, even as these articles set forth the Roman Catholic position on the nature and significance of the sacraments. In these canons which we quoted it is evident that the Roman Catholic conception of the sacraments is that the sacraments contain the grace which they signify, that the grace of God is inseparably connected with the outward sign of the sacrament, and that such grace is conveyed through the external operation of the sacrament. Rome denies that the sacraments are merely...

In our preceding article we quoted at length from The History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff, setting forth the dreadful decree of the Romish Church, with all its accompanying horrors, which not only forbade the clergy, etc., to be married but also annulled the marriages in existence.

We will now continue with our quotation of Chapter VII of the Sixth Session of the Roman Catholic Council of Trent, devoted to the subject of Justification: “Of this Justification the causes are these: the final cause indeed is the glory of God and of Jesus Christ, and life everlasting; while the efficient cause is a merciful God who washes and sanctifies gratuitously, signing, and anointing with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance; but the meritorious cause is his most beloved only-begotten, otir Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were

As one might expect, the Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647, also has something to say in connection with the sacraments in general. The sacraments are treated in Chapter XXVII of this confession. Paragraph I reads: “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and his benefits, and to confirm our interest in him: as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word.” In...