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Contending for the Faith in Moscow, Idaho

Doug Wilson Federal Vision Quotes

12 documented quotes on this topic

Federal Vision is the theological system Doug Wilson helped formalize in 2007 — one ruled heretical by six Reformed denominations. This page collects documented quotes showing what he taught then, what he still affirms today, and how his views compare to confessional Reformed teaching.

“I want to live in a baptized civilization. That is what I mean by mere Christendom” — Doug Wilson “...an infant....participated in the sacrament in utero for nine months, and continues to participate at that same level until he is weaned. So in our congregation, the time between such organic participation and individual participation is very short, and corresponds to a similar transition on the physical level between milk and solids. So I don’t see such a child being excluded from anything.” — Doug Wilson “...in our churches, the Lord’s Table is not protected with a profession of faith; the Lord’s Table is regarded as a profession of faith.” — Doug Wilson “The topic of debate before us—resolved: that paedocommunion consistently expresses Christ’s purposes in giving us the sacraments...” — Doug Wilson Now many children of believing parents do not become believers themselves. At the same time, children of obedient believers will become believers. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it’ (Prov. 22:6). The sovereign God uses means to accomplish His purposes in election, and His appointed and revealed means for the conversion of covenant children is obedient parents–not elect parents who are disobedient in how they bring up children. — Doug Wilson “Raise your hand if you knew that the Westminster Confession taught baptismal regeneration...Baptism means that the one baptized has a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, has been grafted into Christ, has the sign and seal of regeneration and forgiveness of sins, and has the obligation to walk in newness of life...baptism is efficacious. But the efficacy of the sacrament is not tied to the moment when it is administered. By means of baptism, this efficacious grace is conferred on the elect at the appropriate time, the time of conversion, and it is the applied grace of their baptism.” — Doug Wilson In this Calvinistic sense, baptism offers a twofold grace: forgiveness of sins and regeneration. In this limited sense, we can say that Calvin held to baptismal regeneration. But he also believed in the effectual call, and he knew (being a good Calvinist, perhaps even the best) that this effectual call could precede or follow the moment of baptism. — Doug Wilson “I have decided, after mulling over it for some years now, to discontinue identifying myself with what has come to be called the federal vision....This statement represents a change in what I will call what I believe. It does not represent any substantial shift or sea change in the content of what I believe....I would still want [sic] affirm everything I signed off on in the Federal Vision statement.” — Doug Wilson “...I consider the understanding of the objectivity of the covenant [Federal Vision] to be a theological breakthrough.” – Doug Wilson “On June 22, 2002...the four of us were declared to be heretics.” – Doug Wilson “...men fall away because their salvation was contingent upon continued faithfulness in the gospel...” – Doug Wilson “I have argued that promises are apprehended by faith, not faithfulness or fidelity, but, of course, faith in the biblical sense is inseparable from faithfulness. Faith is invisible to the human eye, but faith’s constant companion—faithfulness—is not invisible. Nevertheless, it is faith that receives the promises, overthrows kingdoms, and stops the mouths of lions. If we adopt the shorthand of James, we could say that faithfulness (works) does these things also, but we would be using his shorthand.” — Doug Wilson

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Each quote links to a deeper post with full context, sources, and biblical reply. For broader coverage of this topic — including analytical posts — see the tag page.

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