Theses for Discussion with Dispensationalists. 3.

III. Confession of sins.

Since we hold one another to be brothers in christ by profession, we confess before Almighty God that we are all guilty sinners before Him. In this matter especially seeing that...

1. We have called our brothers heretics because they differed from us in minor things.

2. We have used language to describe our brothers that is not appropriate, nor conducive to rational discussion.

3. We have not listened to each other as we ought to have.

4. We have allowed rhetoric to get in the way of reason.

5. We have taken the worst from our brothers' arguments, and we have ignored what is good.

6. We have followed our prejudices more than Christ.

7. We have allowed these issues to define our denominations and ministries, and to divide churches.

Therefore we earnestly repent of these things, and we resolve to discuss this issue without recourse to hostile rhetoric, to name-calling and abuse. We resolve to talk to one another, and not only that, but to listen. To speak more about our own position than about that of those with whom we disagree, and to strive to come to unity in the faith.

Furthermore, we resolve that these issues, as they do not enter into the substance of the Reformed faith as it is found in the Second London Baptist Confession, the Westminster Confession and the Savoy Declaration, will not divide us one from another, but we shall follow the examples of those saints of the past such as C.H. Spurgeon, David Brown and Horatius Bonar who, while they disagreed on these matters, nevertheless were glad to confess themselves brothers in Christ, and to act like it.

We shall NOT follow the example of J.N. Darby, who separated from his brethren over these issues, although he was a good man.