Saturday, October 21, 2006

More Great Quotes: Why Doctrine Matters!

**UPDATED:

"As a man is known by the company he keeps, so it is with a doctrine." (Correspondence, 1934, Arthur W. Pink)

"If Error be harmless, then Truth must needs be useless." (Baptist pastor, Abraham Booth [1734-1806])

"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent." (John Calvin)

Previously Posted, 8/1/06

"There is nothing which is so wrong, and so utterly false, as to fail to see the primary importance of true doctrine. Looking back over my experience as a pastor for some thirty-four years, I can testify without the slightest hesitation that the people I have found most frequently in trouble in their spiritual experience have been those who have lacked understanding. You cannot divorce these things." (Heresies, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

"When the heart is cast indeed into the mould of the doctrine that the mind embraceth, - when the evidence and necessity of the truth abides in us, - when not the sense of the words only is in our heads, but the sense of the thing abides in our hearts - when we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for - then shall we be garrisoned by the grace of God against all the assaults of men (Preface to The Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated [1655], in The Works of John Owen, ed. William Goold, Vol. 1 [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1965])

"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"
(Abraham Kuyper [1837-1920], inaugural address at the dedication of the Free University)

"How is God's name hallowed among us? When both our doctrine and living are truly Christian." (Martin Luther, Larger Catechism)

Previously Posted, 3/4/06

"A nontheological faith cannot explain itself, but too theological a faith loses contact with the reason for its existence. . . . Too much enthusiastic faith without a corresponding degree of theological understanding is almost certain to lead to error, perhaps to serious heresy. Too much doctrine unaccompanied by a living and growing faith is the recipe for dead orthodoxy." (Harold O.J. Brown, Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church, pg. 154)

"It is of exceedingly great importance that we should have right notions and conceptions of the nature, attributes, and perfections of God. It is the very foundations of all religion, both doctrinal and practical; it is to no purpose to worship God, except we know what we worship. . . . It is impossible we should love, fear, and obey God as we ought, except we know what He is, and have right ideas of His perfections, that render Him lovely and worthy to be feared and obeyed." (Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Sermons and Discourses, 1720-1723 [Vol. 10], pgs. 416-418)

Do you have any you'd suggest be added? Please let me know!

4 Comments:

At 10/22/2006 11:58 PM, Blogger Steve Burlew said...

Oh, Thomas. Do I have any suggestions? Ha! I probably could come up with a few. You see, by day, I oversee the U.S. operations of Banner of Truth in Carlisle, PA. Just behind my office there are about 700+ "suggestions," by guys like Owen and Flavel and Sibbes, plus contemporaries like Iain Murray, Sinclair Ferguson, and more. So if you're looking for a good book, let me know. Otherwise, keep pressing on and reading what you're reading, and sharing what you're sharing. May others catch what you've got when it comes to this.
Grace & peace.
Steve B

 
At 10/23/2006 10:34 AM, Blogger Puritan Lad said...

I came across this one by J.C. Ryle on one of the popular Reformed websites.

"Divisions and separations are most objectionable in religion. They weaken the cause of true Christianity ...But before we blame people for them, we must be careful that we lay the blame where it is deserved. False doctrine and heresy are even worse than schism. If people separate themselves from teaching that is positively false and unscriptural, they ought to be praised rather than reproved. In such cases separation is a virtue and not a sin."

 
At 10/23/2006 11:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great quotes, thanks.

 
At 3/27/2012 9:28 AM, Blogger HI-CALIBER Private Investigations said...

Amen, ill link this as a comment to my latest post.

 

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