Prufrock
Arbitrary Moderation
Lynnie,
You are absolutely right that, in order to establish or convince someone of our doctrines, we can in no way go to the confessions, but to scripture alone. However, with the FV topic, context is everything. When we're in the setting of ecclesiastic courts, etc., and the opponents are claiming that what they are teaching is what our confessions allow, or that it is the Reformed teaching, scripture is (in such a case) irrelevant. Scripture can't demonstrate what is Reformed, only what is true. Thus, first we must correct the historical/ecclesiastical misunderstanding (i.e., that they are teaching what we [the Reformed] have been teaching all along), and then we correct the Biblical understanding. So in the form of the present FV disputes, appealing to the confession is not only proper, but it is also most necessary.
You are absolutely right that, in order to establish or convince someone of our doctrines, we can in no way go to the confessions, but to scripture alone. However, with the FV topic, context is everything. When we're in the setting of ecclesiastic courts, etc., and the opponents are claiming that what they are teaching is what our confessions allow, or that it is the Reformed teaching, scripture is (in such a case) irrelevant. Scripture can't demonstrate what is Reformed, only what is true. Thus, first we must correct the historical/ecclesiastical misunderstanding (i.e., that they are teaching what we [the Reformed] have been teaching all along), and then we correct the Biblical understanding. So in the form of the present FV disputes, appealing to the confession is not only proper, but it is also most necessary.
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