New Era of Spiritual Decline - The "Unprotestantizing of Protestantism"

Christianity Today posted an article yesterday reporting on meeting between Pope Francis and the general secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance, Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe. Dr. Tunnicliffe is quoted in the article as saying, 

"Evangelicals are a very diverse group that includes peoples and churches from Pentecostal traditions, Reformed, Baptist and independents. We share a common faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and a desire to serve God's kingdom, we have a heart to encourage personal spiritual renewal and transformation and a passion to make Jesus known around the world. As we seek to obey Christ, we see this time as a new era in Evangelical-Roman Catholic relations."

The "we" Dr. Tunnicliffe is referring to is listed on his website: Converge Worldwide, Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in America, Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Evangeliska Frikyrkan, Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, Korea Evangelical Fellowship, Presbyterian Church in America, Talitha Koumi Evangelical Churches, The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, The Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel, The Salvation Army, The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC)The Wesleyan Church, and The World Reformed Fellowship. 

There are other affiliations and alliances within this group. The statement of faith these groups have agreed to is as follows:

We believe

...in the Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy; and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct...One God , eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...Our Lord Jesus Christ , God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial work, and His Personal return in power and glory...The Salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit , by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ...The Unity of the Spirit of all true believers, the Church, the Body of Christ...The Resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

The reason for including this statement of faith is to show that sometimes what isn't said is as important is what is said. There are few of us who hold fast to the true faith of the Bible that would deny anything contained in the above statement of faith. It is agreeable to many. But I think this is the purpose of such statements of belief. They are bereft of enough biblical truth as to be agreeable to the orthodox and heterodox alike. Both the heretic and faithful can shout a hearty Amen! But hold up a standard such as the Westminster Confession, The London Baptist Confessions, or the three forms of unity (Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort, Heidelberg Catechism) and you will find much less "unity" among these groups. The main divergence and dissent will be between the Protestant/Reformed Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

But someone may say, 'But look! The Presbyterian Church in America is there! And look, there is the World Reformed Fellowship! How can you say such things?' I can say them because I have read their confessions and catechisms. There are strong statements in them regarding the papacy. One can only conclude that these groups are moving away from their own creeds for those still holding the ancient confessions. Sadly, most have departed from them. 

The Pope's full address to world evangelicals is found online. I am a bit of a "Johnny-come-lately" to this dialogue learning from the Vatican's website that discussions have been going on for the last five years. The Christianity Today article summarizes the gist of the desire, I think, on behalf of the Vatican and WEA as well as other groups that are working toward this ecumenical alliance with the Papacy: 

"The effectiveness of the Christian message would no doubt be greater were Christians to overcome their divisions, and together celebrate the sacraments, spread the word of God, and bear witness to charity."

The appeal to unity has been a desire of many believers throughout the centuries. Divisions in the Christian church have existed from its inception being brought upon it by false teachers and the antichrist spirit. It is expected by Bible-believers that these things will continue until the Lord Jesus returns. The Pope, I think, would like to see all these groups celebrating the sacraments together. I do not think many evangelicals today understand what the papacy means by sacraments. There is a lengthy article on New Advent (Roman Catholic Encyclopedia online) but this statement is helpful in highlighting the difference: 

"Protestants generally hold that the sacraments are signs of something sacred (grace and faith), but deny that they really cause Divine grace. Episcopalians, however, and Anglicans, especially the Ritualists, hold with Catholics that the sacraments are "effectual signs" of grace."

This seems to me to highlight the important distinction between papal and "popish" views on the "sacraments," I have been reading a most wonderful book by the late J.C. Ryle entitled "Light from Old Times." The beginning chapters recount succinctly the Marion Persecutions and highs the martyrdom of nine eminent protestants of that day. This work by Ryle was first published in 1890 and still speaks to us today. I wonder if it were not an act of Providence itself that I should be studying the Papal burning of our Protestant forbears and then happen upon this great call from the Papal throne to join with them in a "common faith" and to celebrate sacraments with them. 

Listen to the goodly Ryle comment from the Church of England some 124 years ago when the Ritualists referred to from New Advent were rising: 

"I simply give it as my opinion that no plain main in his senses can read the writings of extreme Ritualists about the Lord's Supper and see any real distinction between the doctrine they hold and downright Popery. It is a distinction without a difference, and one that any jury of twelve honest men would say at once could not be proved." p.50

It seems that New Advent would heartily agree with the old Dr. Ryle. In Ryles book, "Light from Old Times" he clearly shows that the sacrament that the Papacy in that day burnt our Protestant brothers and sisters over was the Lord's Supper. To my knowledge this Pope nor any other have changed their position on transubstantiation. In the Pope's address he spoke of the sacrament of baptism. It is no wonder that this one might have preeminence by the papacy as they hold it first among the seven sacraments and without which one cannot be saved, is properly administered to infants to remove original sin, and is only recognized if done by the Roman Catholic Church or by her principles. 

The minister of this sacrament is the priest, to whom it belongs to baptize, by reason of his office. In case of necessity, however, not only a priest or deacon, but even a layman or woman, nay, even a pagan orheretic can baptize, provided he observes the form used by the Church, and intends to perform what the Church performs. - The Decree for the Armenians", in the Bull "Exultate Deo" of Pope Eugene IV

Yet, while the recent commentary from the Pope references baptism, it references the sacraments and certainly intends all that the Papacy holds. Brethren, the Papacy does not wish mutual respect with Protestants or Evangelicals. It intends submission to itself. It sees itself as the Universal Bishop still. It sees itself as still Head of the Church. I will close this exhortation to not be deceived by this Papal pageantry with the words of Ryle which though he be dead, still speaks. (but not to in any way diminish the blood of the martyrs which suffered under the Papal teachings still promoted by them to which I think cries out from the ground against he Papacy even to this day): 

"But what are we going to do? The danger is very great, far greater, I fear, than most people suppose. A conspiracy has been long at work for unprotestantizing the Church of England, and all the energies of Rome are concentrated on this little island. A sapping and mining process has been long going on under our feet, of which we are beginning at last to see a little. We shall see a good more by and by. At the rate we are going, it would never surprise me if within fifty years the crown of England were no longer on a Protestant head, and High Mass were once more celebrated in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's. The danger, in plain words, is neither more nor less than that of our Church being unprotestantized and going back to Babylon and Egypt. We are in imminent peril of re-union with Rome." p.52

While Ryle certainly had his nation in mind in these things, he was not too far off. The Papacy was working on "unprotestantizing" Protestants 125 years ago and continue her labor to this day.