Calvinism and Christianity - incompatible?

I'm not aware of any rubric or directive which indicates that pulpits have to be centrally placed. Indeed, the ornaments rubric in the Prayer Book indicates that 'the Chancels shalt remain as they have done in times past'. My own Parish Church is Norman with Medieval enlargement and looks very different to St James at Goose Creek. The interior of St James' looks like many of the larger Methodist Chapels in my area. In itself, the interior design of St James' wouldn't prevent me from worshipping there.

You seem to imply that because a pulpit is placed off-centre it means that focus on Word of God is somehow diminished. I disagree. In the Liturgy of the Word in HC we focus on the Word of God with readings from the OT, Psalms, NT and the sermon. The Liturgy of the Word takes up greater time than the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Offices of Mattins and Evensong are of course 'Services of the Word'. ++Cranmer made a masterful conflation of the old Monastic Hours, the focus is totally scriptural with (almost) the entire Bible being read through during the course of a year. (The OT once, the NT twice).

 

I will definitely keep that in mind in the future. Thanks!

 

"Pelagian" is the label many Calvinists hang on all non-Calvinists to try and disparage them.

 

Well why not Simonian or Arian or Gnostic...why stop there? If you're going to make baseless accusations and use libelous, charged titles, at least mix it up a bit.

 

Whatever the Anglican ,'Communion,' is in theological terms, I can't say, but the Church in England and its world wide Body of Believers are nowhere near protestant. Even the Anglican 'Communion' doesn't refer to itself as protestant and historically has refused to use the word in its publications. Whatever the wild men may say!
Traditional, or historical Anglicanism is indeed Western orthodoxy and we do not need to cross the Bosphorous, we are Orthodox in our belief.

 

Hmmmm.... really? The Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA might not agree with that. Your position is the opposite extreme of Charlie's.

 

+Colleague, Do you ever get anything right? You should stop studying Ladybird Theology! Protestant classically originates with Luther, his supporters! In Britain, Protestantism, originated in the 16/17th, Century attempts by the Papacy to interfere within English politics,i.e. the attempt to unseat Eliza I, from the throne. Today, Protestant is a coverall for those who are not
Catholic and I assumed that the Episcopal Church used the term in the traditional way! Certainly many of the bishops did.

 

You beat me to it; I was about to ask you the same thing. BTW, I'll let you know if I ever get anything wrong. LOL

 

Deleted per request

 

Trolls do that...

 

Who is gone, and how do you know?

 

yikes he is back









Only joking

 

One can only hope

 

Consider this, friends:

"For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:47-48)

...and as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed; faith is not the cause, or condition of the decree of eternal life, but a means fixed in it, and is a fruit and effect of it, and what certainly follows upon it, as in these persons: some would have the words rendered, "as many as were disposed unto eternal life believed"; which is not countenanced by the ancient versions. The Arabic renders it as we do, and the Syriac thus, "as many as were put, or appointed unto eternal life"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "as many as were pre-ordained". Moreover, the phrase of being "disposed unto", or "for eternal life", is a very unusual, if not a very improper, and an inaccurate one; men are said to be disposed to an habit, or to an act, as to vice or virtue, but not to reward or punishment, as to heaven or hell; nor does it appear that these Gentiles had any good dispositions to eternal life, antecedent to their believing.

For though they are said to entreat the apostles to preach the same things to them the next sabbath (Acts 13:42), yet the words as there observed, according to their natural order, may be rendered "they", i.e. the apostles, "besought the Gentiles"; and in some copies and versions, the "Gentiles" are not mentioned at all: and as for their being "glad", and "glorifying the word of the Lord", it is not evident that this was before their believing; and if it was, such things have been found in persons, who have had no true, real, and inward dispositions to spiritual things, as in many of our Lord's hearers; besides, admitting that there are, in some, good dispositions to eternal life, previous to faith, and that desiring eternal life, and seeking after it, be accounted such, yet these may be where faith does not follow; as in the young rich ruler, that came to Christ with such an inquiry, and went away sorrowful: as many therefore as are so disposed, do not always believe, faith does not always follow such dispositions; and after all, one would have thought that the Jews themselves, who were externally religious, and were looking for the Messiah, and especially the devout and able women, were more disposed unto eternal life, than the ignorant and idolatrous Gentiles; and yet the latter believed, and the former did not: it follows then, that their faith did not arise from previous dispositions to eternal life, but was the fruit and effect of divine ordination unto it; and the word here used, in various places in this book, signifies determination and appointment, and not disposition of mind; (see Acts 15:2)

The phrase is the same with that used by the Jews, , "who are ordained to eternal life" (y); and , "everyone that is written to eternal life"; (z) i.e. in the book of life; and designs no other than predestination or election, which is God's act, and is an eternal one; is sovereign, irrespective, and unconditional; relates to particular persons, and is sure and certain in its effect: it is an ordination, not to an office, nor to the means of grace, but to grace and glory itself; to a life of grace which is eternal, and to a life of glory which is for ever; and which is a pure gift of God, is in the hands of Christ, and to which his righteousness gives a title: and ordination to it shows it to be a blessing of an early date; and the great love of God to the persons ordained to it; and the certainty of enjoying it.

(y) Zohar in Exod. fol. 43. 4. (z) Targum in Isa. iv. 3. Vid Abkath Rocel, p. 5.

 

Determinism is atheism. Calvinism is determinism. Therefore Calvinism is atheism.

 

There is a myth that semi pelagianism exists and that what Pelagius actually believed us clearly known by Augustine. Augustine was wrong on Filioque he could be wrong on Pelagius. The Council of Orange was not a Universal Ecumenical Councilm of the Whole Church.

 

Saving grace is not denied to anyone 2 Peter 3:9 1 Tm 2:4 John 3:16 Proverbs 30:5-6 Isaiah 8:16,20 KJV.

 

God does not reject any one unelect any one unsave anyone harden any one reprobate any one unchoose anyone hate any one many choose to unelecthemselves by hating and rejecting God unloving God resisting God God resists the proud who boast they are GOD'S elect but God grace to the humble who know they have hardly even begun to repent the way that they should God does not predestined anyone to be damned

 

All men are drawn by the Father in Christ Christ draws all therefore the Father draws all by the cross and the resurrection of Christ