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Mr. Webb, thanks for the quote. I have long thought that at least in Calvin's polemics along with the excellent instruction there is also a high amount of entertainment value.
If I may say this without being misunderstood, I am not really concerned about discourtesies or even lapses of temper (while recognizing that a person who does not control their anger is certainly in sin). But I think there are two principal kinds of dangers from the FV. One is what you could call the direct danger of people being deceived: and that danger, must be opposed with all the wisdom and intelligence and pastoral sensitivity and discernment that can be brought to bear upon it. We don't need less criticism of the FV: we need more, and higher octane. But there is also a reflex danger from the FV.
1. Even in opposing them we run the risk of collapsing into heterodoxy ourselves.
2. And we also run the risk of malice, where any stick is good enough to beat them with.
3. And in addition, we run the risk of falling into hypocrisy: where people who ought to be opposed or rebuked or whatever get a free pass simply because they oppose the FV. Thus we can squeal if the FV tries something, and remain silent if the TRs try the same thing: that is not justice, and that is not Christian.
While I think the FV is a serious deviation from Scripture and the Standards which needs to be roundly refuted and silenced, I fail to see how we have gained much if we drive out that error and yet learn to turn a blind eye to hypocrisy or other forms of heterodoxy. We can agree that opposing the FV is the work of the Lord; but we need to remember that there is a curse pronounced on those who do the work of the Lord deceitfully.
And, the seemingly inevitable disclaimers in online conversations: I am not saying that anyone has done this. This is a warning sign, not a ticket, so to speak. And the other disclaimer is that it's fine with me if parties all around would like to call one another "nincompoops". And a subsidiary disclaimer, that I didn't personally just call anyone a nincompoop.
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