By Michael Kruger
“The difference between a thermometer and a thermostat. The difference between those two things really captures the difference between the Protestant view of the Church and the Roman Catholic view of the Church. The Roman Catholic view of the Church is that it creates the Canon it makes the Canon what it is. The Protestant view of the Church is that it simply responds to the Canon it responds to what is already there. It reliably responds because of the Spirit’s help so we can look to the Church as a guide but it doesn’t create the Canon. A thermometer tells you what the temperature actually is. A thermostat tells you what you want the temperature to be. A thermometer simply responds or reacts to the temperature in the room. A thermostat in contrast tries to control and create and cause the temperature in the room. One responds to temperature the other causes temperature that is the differences between our view of the Canon and the Roman Catholic view of the Canon. Our view of the Canon is that the Church merely reacts to what is already objectively there. Just like a thermometer responds to temperature. It’s reliable. We can look at a thermometer and it can tell us what the temperature is in the room. Why? Because the thermometer created the temperature? No, it just reacts to it. It’s exactly what we are arguing here. Why is it that the consensus of the Church is a reliable guide? Because God is at work in her.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMoZmthSsoY
Riggs Poland 