tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808697756426649418.post773762350696359754..comments2023-12-25T09:58:54.563-06:00Comments on The Christian Freethinker: Who Would You Invite to an Ecumenical Council?Mark Hausamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371790103414979060noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808697756426649418.post-37343585780865752702012-09-19T12:43:55.282-05:002012-09-19T12:43:55.282-05:00Hi Riley. Actually the Westminster Assembly was n...Hi Riley. Actually the Westminster Assembly was not an ecumenical council, because its decisions were not binding on all churches (or on any churches for that matter). It was an advisory council.<br /><br />Thanks for the article. I am glad that people are thinking about this very important subject. The problem I have with Robert Godfrey's proposal is that it does not take seriously enough the strong concern for biblical purity that ought to animate us in these discussions. Exclusive psalmody, for example, is no light matter. Either it is right or it is wrong. If it is wrong, then what is right instead? Are hymns a commanded element of worship? If so, how can a church agree not to discipline member congregations (exclusive psalmodist congregations) that systematically refuse to practice a commanded element of worship? If hymns are merely allowed and not commanded (which is odd for a regulative principle position), then how can the church tolerate those who forbid what God has allowed? Or if exclusive psalmody is true, how can the church tolerate those who add to God's worship in violation of the regulative principle? If the church is doing her duty, she should not tolerate aberrations on these kinds of things under her discipline.<br /><br />I fear that Godfrey's proposal carries in it a degree of inappropriate indifference to biblical truth and biblical worship. The only biblical way to unify churches divided over exclusive psalmody, and many other things, is by helping them come to agreement in the truth.<br /><br />Obviously, much more could be said here.Mark Hausamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07371790103414979060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808697756426649418.post-3244450667637108502012-09-17T19:58:57.617-05:002012-09-17T19:58:57.617-05:00You might be interested in this article: http://th...You might be interested in this article: http://theaquilareport.com/robert-godfreys-proposal-for-reformed-unity-does-anyone-care/Rileyhttp://highplainsparson.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808697756426649418.post-34690133191765542362012-09-17T19:04:16.096-05:002012-09-17T19:04:16.096-05:00Don't forget that just because you are Presbyt...Don't forget that just because you are Presbyterian doesn't mean you can't invite some Congregationalists to the worldwide ecumenical council as the Westminster Assembly did. ;)Rileyhttp://highplainsparson.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com