The Methodist Understanding of the Priesthood of All Believers Essay

The Methodist Understanding of the Priesthood of All Believers - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that many Protestants deny the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. If Roman Catholics have only one pope, the Protestants have many, but not literally having popes with the same roles and position in a church. For the Catholic Priesthood, ordinary believers in Christ are not worthy to talk directly to God and that they need someone more deserving to mediate for a fee. Traditionally, Catholics and their members follow the custom of confession—the act of using intermediary such as the priest to confess one’s thoughts or feelings in order to be forgiven because they regard the priests as â€Å"holy† and â€Å"authorize† to relay your plea to God. The Methodists believe that the only way to get to heaven is to put faith in Jesus as the Saviour. But plainly believing in Christ is not enough. You have to be baptized and do good works to profess your faith as such when Jesus performe d good works and preaching in his time. Moreover, if they sin, they ask forgiveness in Christ and try not to commit the same sin again. The Protestant reformers emphasized that this salvation is a product of Gods grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version Bible) gives evidence to this doctrine as it says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,† and asserts that "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law". God’s grace through salvation is not just about the forgiveness of sins but also liberation from death and hell. Since God bestows on the people His undeserved kindness, neither good works nor pious religious practices in themselves can earn salvation.

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment Research Paper

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment - Research Paper Example On graduating, he successfully delivered a number of public lectures at Edinburgh. Those lectures led him eventually to cooperation with David Hume during the period of Scottish Enlightenment. Sharing both rationalist and humanist outlook of the European Enlightenment of the same epoch, the key thinkers and doers of Scottish Enlightenment maintained the fundamental importance of the reason combined with a rejection of all the authorities that cannot be vindicated by reason. They clang to an optimistic belief in the ability of a man to make changes for the better in both nature and social life, being guided solely by the reason. It was this very feature that added the Scottish Enlightenment the peculiar flavor that has distinguished it from its counterpart from over the Continent. Furthermore, Scottish Enlightenment was characterized by an extremely thorough empiricism and practically where the main virtues were held to be a practical benefit, improvement, and virtue itself of both societies a whole and an individual. By the middle of the 18th century, Scots had become hardly the most literate nation of Europe. Its level of literacy was estimated as high as 75%. Yet it was not many of them who were making Enlightenment. The whole culture of that time Scotland was oriented to books so spirited discussions were held at such places of intellectual gatherings as The Select Society and The Poker Club. Those places, in fact, were crucibles from which lots of ideas distinguishing Scottish Enlightenment developed. When teaching moral philosophy at Glasgow Smith received a chair, and during within this period of time, he published his work The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Later he received a tutoring position allowing him to travel over Europe where he used to meet other prominent intellectuals of the Enlightenment epoch.