Dr. Oakley: The early church fathers supported Sola Scriptura. They were clearly in the Reformed camp.
Remus: Thats a ridiculous statement, which ECF's supported Sola Scriptura?
Dr. Oakley: All of them they all have writings supporting Sola Scriptura
Remus: Can you give me one example with a specific quote?
Dr. Oakley: Well Basil of Caesarea said:
"If custom is to be taken in proof of what is right, then it is certainly competent for me to put forward on my side the custom which obtains here. If they reject this we are clearly not bound to follow them. Therefore, let God-inspired Scripture decide between us, and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the Word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth."
Ergo; Sola Scriptura
Remus: How does that support Sola Scriptura? The quote is somewhat out of context. The preceding sentence says:
"Their complaint is that their custom does not accept this, and that Scripture does not agree. What is my reply? I do not consider it fair that the custom which obtains among them should be regarded as a law and rule of orthodoxy. "
Because they claimed that scripture does not agree, thats is why he pointed to scripture in this instance. It certainly is disingenous for you to claim that he was making a case for Sola Scriptura.
Dr. Oakley: Well you certain never see Basil of Caesarea putting Tradition on such a high pedestal, so i don't know what else you want from me.
Remus: Actually you are wrong. In chapter 10 of his De Spiritu Sancto, He says:
"But the object of attack is faith. The one aim of the whole band of opponents and enemies of sound doctrine is to shake down the foundation of the faith of Christ by levelling apostolic tradition with the ground, and utterly destroying it. So like the debtors,—of course bona fide debtors—they clamour for written proof, and reject as worthless the unwritten tradition of the Fathers."
So you will be in the same boat as the heretics he talked about, because when Catholics refer you to tradition, you claim its not in the bible.
Dr. Oakley: Look, Basil was obviously leading a double life. All he did was give lip service to scriptures when it mattered. He was initially in the reformed camp before apostasizing, and becoming unregenerate, this conversation is over.
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Now i didn't really want to hang up on Remus. But he just had a thick skull, and hasn't done his homework. Unfortunately for Basil he did not have Williams Websters book at his disposal in the 4th century, so he is fresh out of luck.
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