Heidelminicast: Belgic Confession Art. 25—The Mosaic Ceremonial And Judicial Laws Have Been Fulfilled In Christ

by Heidelcast on September 26, 2022

The Belgic Confession was written by a Reformed pastor, Guy de Bres (1522–1567), who adopted the Reformed faith as a young man and studied with several Reformed luminaries, including John Calvin, before serving as a pastor, church planter, and chaplain in France . . . Continue reading →

Too Late For This (Western) “Holy Week” But There Is Always Next Year: Rome Offers A Full Indulgence

by Heidelblog on April 21, 2022 | 3 Comments

A plenary indulgence can be obtained during Holy Week for oneself or for a deceased person if one of the following works established by the Church is performed. A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits . . . Continue reading →

Trent’s Knowing And Intentional Rejection Of Justification Sola Fide

by Heidelblog on April 20, 2022 | 3 Comments

After the theologians the bishops took the floor, song speaking for two or more hours at a time. Some were well-versed in the subject. Their approach, like that of the theologians, was generally framed by Scholastic categories, and, despite Pole’s words, they . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 201—What Must A Christian Believe? (18): A Holy Catholic Church, The Communion Of The Saints

by Heidelcast on December 6, 2021

In our survey of the rule of faith we have reached the ninth article, “A Holy Catholic Church, the communion of the saints.” Over the years I have received several questions about this phrase, “holy catholic church.” When American Christians, particularly American . . . Continue reading →

The Heart Of The Romanist Appeal To Protestants: Skepticism

by R. Scott Clark on September 19, 2021

Protestants are told that they cannot trust their own interpretations of Scripture, church history, the church fathers, or anything else for that matter. They cannot trust their own evaluations of the evidence. They cannot trust themselves to tell the difference between black and white. Their sensory and rational faculties are attacked at every point. Those who buy into this way of thinking start to doubt everything, and they start to wonder where they can find stable ground. The Roman apologist is waiting to tell them that the only ground of certainty is Rome. Rome will tell you what is black and what is white. Continue reading →

If You Are Unhappy With Francis’ Latest Decision

by R. Scott Clark on July 16, 2021 2 Comments

Traditionalist Romanists are unhappy that Francis, the Bishop of Rome, has reversed yet another of Benedict XVI’s decisions. He has strictly limited the use and spread of the old Latin (Tridentine) Mass. Continue reading →

Tempted To Convert To Rome? Behold Your “Apostolic Succession”

by R. Scott Clark on April 29, 2021 | 1 Comment

when Rodrigo Borgia was 62, after 35 years as Cardinal and Vice Chancellor, his character, habits, principles or lack of them, uses of power, methods of enrichment, mistresses and seven children were well enough known to his colleagues in the College and . . . Continue reading →

Perkins: The Bishop Of Rome Is Peter’s Successor In One Respect Only

by Inwoo Lee on February 14, 2021 | 7 Comments

[T]he bishop of Rome is Peter’s successor, not in teaching but in denying Christ.

Heidelcast 172: With D. G. Hart On American Catholic: The Politics Of Faith During The Cold War (Updated)

by Heidelcast on January 25, 2021 | 11 Comments

What can confessional Presbyterian and Reformed folk learn from the history of Roman Catholicism in America? Quite a lot as it turns out. We are continuing our brief hiatus from the series, As It Was In The Days of Noah to talk with . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 163: Taking Calls On Choosing A College, Warfield’s Eschatology, Jesus’ Return, When the Roman Catholic Church Began, Sacraments, Rubicon Moments, Evening Services, And Church Discipline

by Heidelcast on November 16, 2020 | 6 Comments

It is a little overdue but it is finally here: our latest call-in episode in which we take Heidelcalls from Arizona on choosing a college, on B. B. Warfield’s eschatology (was he really postmillennial?), from Chicago on what must happen before Jesus . . . Continue reading →

Perkins: Rome Confuses Law And Gospel

by Inwoo Lee on September 16, 2020

The Church of Rome in a manner confounds the law and the gospel, saying that the gospel, which is the new law, reveals Christ more clearly than Moses’ law did, which they call the old law. But this is a wicked opinion, . . . Continue reading →

Pourquoi Je ne Traverserai Pas le Tibre Avec Mark Galli

by R. Scott Clark on September 14, 2020 | 8 Comments

L’expression «traverser le Tibre» [swimming the Tiber] est une métaphore pour désigner la conversion du Protestantisme au Catholicisme Romain. Je n’ai pas été en mesure de déterminer ses origines, mais le Dictionary of Christianese online fait remonter l’expression à 1963, ce qui, . . . Continue reading →

Why I Will Not Follow Mark Galli Across The Tiber

by R. Scott Clark on September 10, 2020 | 12 Comments

The phrase “swimming the Tiber” is a metaphor for converting from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. I have not been able to determine its origins but the online Dictionary of Christianese traces the expression to 1963, which, if true, would mean that it . . . Continue reading →

New Resource Page: On Roman Catholicism

by R. Scott Clark on July 8, 2020 | 4 Comments

From time to time, evangelicals and a few from the confessional Presbyterian and Reformed churches to convert to Romanism. They do so for a variety of reasons but one commonality among them is ignorance of the history of the Western church, the . . . Continue reading →

ICYMI: Indulgences Are Still A Thing In Rome (And The Reformation Still Matters)

by R. Scott Clark on April 13, 2020 | 1 Comment

The Reformation was a complex event, which happened for many reasons but the triggering event on which many have focused over the centuries was Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses (1517). Though provocative, the theses were not themselves all that radical. Luther’s discovery of the . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 138: With Darryl Hart On Why You Should Not Convert To Rome

by Heidelcast on January 25, 2020 | 5 Comments

Darryl Hart is Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College. He holds degrees from Temple, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins and has taught in numerous schools, including Westminster Seminary California where we will colleagues for a few years. He is one of . . . Continue reading →

Turretin: The Romanists Admit A Forensic Sense To “Justify” But They Also Have A Two-Stage Justification

by R. Scott Clark on January 9, 2020 | 1 Comment

V. Hence arises the question with the Romanists concerning the acceptation of this word—whether it is to be taken precisely in a forensic sense in this affair; or whether it ought also to be taken in a physical and moral sense for . . . Continue reading →

Sometimes The QIRC Leads To Rome

by R. Scott Clark on April 22, 2019 | 9 Comments

As I was running errands this past Saturday I listened to a podcast in the Ricochet network hosted by Mark Bauerlein, himself a convert to Rome from atheism, in which he interviewed a convert to Rome (from evangelicalism) about the impending canonization . . . Continue reading →

Review: D. G. Hart, Still Protesting

by R. Scott Clark on July 11, 2018 | 2 Comments

After all, the lure of Romanism seems stronger than ever. For those concerned about the late-modern cultural crisis Rome seems to offer not only a stability in the midst of chaos but Romanists are now the leading edge of cultural resistance to the sexual revolution represented by Roe v Wade (and Doe v Bolton; 1973), which has resulted so far in 50–60 million abortions and counting and by Obergefell v Hodges (2015), which revolutionized the definition of marriage in the US. Romanists now dominate the U.S. Supreme Court. It seems that trend will continue. The intellectual leadership of the conservative counter culture is dominated by Romanists. The mainline Protestant institutions long ago gave up their confessional theological heritage and with it, ironically, their influence in the culture. Continue reading →

Where Is The Church Heading?

by R. Scott Clark on May 7, 2018 | 6 Comments

Introduction None of us knows the specifics of the future. There are a few things that every Christian knows from Scripture about the future. We know that Christ shall return (Acts 1:11), that there shall be a bodily resurrection (1 Thess 4:16), . . . Continue reading →