Quotes to Ponder

[BeckyW]

From Your God is Too Small by J. B. Phillips:

"Now if it is true that God is both Truth and Love it will readily be seen that the greatest sins will be unreality, hypocrisy, deceit, lying, or whatever else we choose to call sins against truth, and self-love, which makes fellowship with other people and their proper treatment impossible.  Forgiveness must then consist in a restoration to Reality, i.e. Truth and Love."

From a book about sayings on church signs:

"Lord, make me the kind of man my dog thinks I am."

[H]

5. The fear of the Lord (true religion and godliness prescribed in the word, reigning in the heart, and practised in the life) is clean, clean itself, and will make us clean (Joh_15:3); it will cleanse our way, Psa_119:9. And it endureth for ever; it is of perpetual obligation and can never be repealed. The ceremonial law is long since done away, but the law concerning the fear of God is ever the same. Time will not alter the nature of moral good and evil.

Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Psalm 19:9)

[H]

6. The judgments of the Lord (all his precepts, which are framed in infinite wisdom) are true; they are grounded upon the most sacred and unquestionable truths; they are righteous, all consonant to natural equity; and they are so altogether: there is no unrighteousness in any of them, but they are all of a piece.

Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Psalm 19:9)

[H]

And now for a quote that is quite different from the ones that I have previously posted:

"If you're following the news, you know that the major religions differ in their interpretation of the holy books. For example, one way to interpret God's will is that you should love your neighbor. An alternate reading of the holy books might lead you to rig a donkey cart with small mortar rockets and aim it at a hotel full of infidels."

                          Scott Adams (in "Dilbert Newsletter 52.0")

[M2]

During the famous Galileo episode with the four cardinals of the Established Roman Catholic Church the following occurred. The cardinals believed in the mistaken world view generally and dogmatically held by the Establishment of those times. Their mistaken view was not based on false facts so much as on false interpretation of the facts. Galileo's instruments showed the facts in such a new light that Galileo invited the cardinals just to take a look at the four moons of Jupiter through his telescope and convince themselves.

If those cardinals had taken that peep at the four moons of Jupiter they would have had to modify all their beliefs about the nature of reality and the universe. So they took the obvious way out of the dilemma. They refused firmly to soil themselves and their eyes by looking through the infernal telescope. They remained blind to the new truth, simply because they refused to see and to recognise new evidence.

    ---- A.E. Wilder Smith - God: To be or not to be? - Epilogue pg 111

[H]

After the reading of Scripture, which I strenuously inculcate, and more than any other ... I recommend that the Commentaries of Calvin be read ...For I affirm that in the interpretation of the Scriptures Calvin is incomparable, and that his Commentaries are more to be valued than anything that is handed down to us in the writings of the Fathers -- so much that I concede to him a certain spirit of prophecy in which he stands distinguished above others, above most, indeed, above all. --

Jacobus Arminius (c.1559-1609)

[Oscar]

After the reading of Scripture, which I strenuously inculcate, and more than any other ... I recommend that the Commentaries of Calvin be read ...For I affirm that in the interpretation of the Scriptures Calvin is incomparable, and that his Commentaries are more to be valued than anything that is handed down to us in the writings of the Fathers -- so much that I concede to him a certain spirit of prophecy in which he stands distinguished above others, above most, indeed, above all. --

Jacobus Arminius (c.1559-1609)

H,

Arminius was trained as a Calvinist under Beza at Geneva.  However, he also was widely read and continued his studies after leaving Geneva. At the time of his death he was a professor of theology at Leiden University, a Calvinist institution.

 Apparently, he read the works of Luis Molina, since his teachings are very similar.  By the time of his death in 1609 he no longer agreed with Calvin on the issue of predestination.

So, Verne and H, there is even hope for you guys!  

God bless,

Thomas Maddux

[H]

Calvin's Institutes, in spite of its imperfections, is, on the whole, one of the noblest edifices ever erected by the mind of man, and one of the mightiest codes of moral law which ever guided him. -- Francois Pierre Guizot

[H]

He that will not honor the memory, and respect the influence of Calvin, knows but little of the origin of American independence. -- George Bancroft

[H]

"Faith, therefore, from its beginning to its perfection is the gift of God. And that this gift is bestowed on some and not on others, who will deny but he who would fight against the most manifest testimonies of the Scripture? But why faith is not given to all ought not to concern the believer, who knows that all men by the sin of one came into most just condemnation. But why God delivers one from condemnation and not another belongs to His inscrutable judgments. And 'His ways are past finding out.' And if it be investigated and inquired how it is that each receiver of faith is deemed of God worthy to receive such a gift, there are not wanting those who will say, 'It is by their human will.' But we say that it is by grace, or Divine predestination."

                  Augustine (354-420)

[Oscar]

"Faith, therefore, from its beginning to its perfection is the gift of God. And that this gift is bestowed on some and not on others, who will deny but he who would fight against the most manifest testimonies of the Scripture? But why faith is not given to all ought not to concern the believer, who knows that all men by the sin of one came into most just condemnation. But why God delivers one from condemnation and not another belongs to His inscrutable judgments. And 'His ways are past finding out.' And if it be investigated and inquired how it is that each receiver of faith is deemed of God worthy to receive such a gift, there are not wanting those who will say, 'It is by their human will.' But we say that it is by grace, or Divine predestination."

                  Augustine (354-420)

H,

Since you don't give the source of this quote, I would guess that this is an example of the type of statements that Augustine made later in life when he was disputing with the Pelagians.

The problem with it is that he doesn't give any reason why he believes that faith is a gift of God.

Reformed theologians frequently quote Augustine as if that is the final word on the subject.  However, one must keep in mind that Augustine's logic led him to Romanism.  He believed it was ok to use force to compel religious faith!

The quote you have given merely states Augustine's opinion.  If  "Augustine said so" is enough to establish an ideas correctness, we'll see you at Mass this Sunday.

Thomas Maddux

[H]

"All the streams of mercy that flow down to us must be traced up to the fountain of God’s lovingkindness. It is not owing to any merit of ours, but purely to his mercy, and the peculiar favour he bears to his people. This therefore we must think of with delight, think of frequently and fixedly. What subject can we dwell upon more noble, more pleasant, more profitable?"

Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Psalm 48)

[Oscar]

"All the streams of mercy that flow down to us must be traced up to the fountain of God’s lovingkindness. It is not owing to any merit of ours, but purely to his mercy, and the peculiar favour he bears to his people. This therefore we must think of with delight, think of frequently and fixedly. What subject can we dwell upon more noble, more pleasant, more profitable?"

Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Psalm 48)

H,

Oh, yes...a lovely thought.  However notice that it contains the phrase, "and the peculiar favour he bears to his people."


There's the rub.  His lovingkindness is only for "his people".   Apparently, according to Johnny C. and his cohorts, God could care less about all the infants that he fries eternally for his "good pleasure".  

If my comment seems a little extreme, H, remember that I am only commenting on the teachings of Calvin!!!   And...a lot of Calvininsts.

When your premises lead you to absurd conclusions, it is time to take a look at your premeses.  Not time to hunker down and start mumbling "soveriegn majesty", "majestic sovereignty" ect.

BTW, Matthew Henry was the first commentary I ever owned...back in 1962.

God bless,

Thomas Maddux

[H]

"Throughout, Scripture teaches that election is not conditioned upon any work or act of man. Acts 13:48 states, "For as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." Now, which is first: belief or ordination? Plainly the latter. Or we read in John 15:16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go forth and bring forth fruit...." And in I John 4:10: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Election is surely unconditional according to all the teachings of Scripture."

Gise J. Van Baren (http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_43.html)

[H]

"Clinical studies show that, if you take these products as recommended, your cold will be gone in two to three weeks; whereas if you don't take these products, your cold could linger for as long as two, or even three, weeks. In other words, these products have no effect whatsoever, but you should buy them anyway, because otherwise the multi-billion-dollar cold-and-flu-remedy industry will collapse, and there will be nothing propping up the economy except telemarketers.

But your best plan is to not get a cold or flu in the first place. According to the American Society of Medical Doctors Who Cannot See You Now, you should take these basic precautions during cold and flu season:

1. Drink plenty of fluids (''fluids'' is the medical term for ''beer'').

2. Remove all doorknobs from your home and office.

3. If you have children -- especially small children who attend preschool with other small children -- ship them to New Zealand."

Dave Barry (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/7268536.htm)