Howard,<br><br>Packer and others share your concern about not denying or compromising the Faith but they also share concern about mutually participating in addressing agreed upon objectives. Do I understand your position to deny any participation with anyone other than your own Faith even though you are addressing the same objectives?<br><br>Have you seen this statement by some Protestant signers to the ECT?<br><br><font class="big">Statement By Protestant Signers To ECT</font mu=big><br> <br>January 19, 1995 <br><br>We Protestants who signed ECT, took this action to advance Christian fellowship, cooperation, and mutual trust among true Christians in the North American cultural crisis and in the worldwide task of evangelism. The same concern leads us now to elucidate our ECT commitment by stating: <br><br>1. Our para-church cooperation with evangelically committed Roman Catholics for the pursuit of agreed objectives does not imply acceptance of Roman Catholic doctrinal distinctive or endorsement of the Roman Catholic church system. <br><br>2. We understand the statement that we are justified by grace through faith because of Christ, in terms of the substitutionary atonement and imputed righteousness of Christ, leading to full assurance of eternal salvation; we seek to testify in all circumstances and contexts to this, the historic Protestant understanding of salvation by faith alone (sola fide). <br><br>3. While we view all who profess to be Christian—Protestant and Catholic and Orthodox—with charity and hope, our confidence that anyone is truly a brother or sister in Christ depends not only on the content of his or her confession but on our perceiving signs of regeneration in his or her life. <br><br>4. Though we reject proselytizing as ECT defines it (that is sheep stealing for denominational aggrandizement), we hold that evangelism and church planting are always legitimate, whatever forms of church life are present already. <br><br>5. We think that the further theological discussions that ECT promised should begin as soon as possible. <br><br>We make these applicatory clarifications of our commitment as supporters of ECT in order to prevent divisive misunderstandings of our beliefs and purposes. <br><br>Signed by: <br><br>William R. Bright <br><br>Charles W. Colson <br><br>Kent R. Hill <br><br>James I. Packer<blockquote>Michael Horton writes, "For those who care about truth, Christian unity must be a marriage made in heaven, not a merger made on earth." <br><br>The greatest hope is that both evangelicals and Catholics will enter a new period of reformation and come out of that with genuine agreement in--and understanding of--the Gospel. For this is the heart of the matter, as well as the heart of Christian faith. Until the official ban - not on individuals, but on the Gospel itself - is lifted by Rome, evangelicals must continue to witness faithfully to the exclusive claims of the church's only King by regarding these departures as fatal to any agreements that may be reached on important points. As we pray for unity and work for greater understanding, let us also not fail to "contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." </blockquote>Wes<br><br><br><br>

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts