10 Voices from Church History

It is sad to note that while many of the names below are still very familiar to the modern evangelical church, their words have fallen largely on deaf ears. It is time for these men to be heard again.

Undoubtedly there are a few figures below that will provoke hostility. But if the proper measure of a sound Christian leader were absolute purity in teaching and character, there would simply be no one to listen to.

1. AURELIUS AUGUSTINE (354-430) "Give what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt".

2. MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546) "My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."

3. JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564) "Grant, Almighty God, that since under the guidance of Thy Son we have been united together in the body of Thy church, which has been so often scattered and torn asunder, O grant that we may continue in the unity of the faith, and perseveringly fight against all the temptations of this world, and may never deviate from the right course, whatever new troubles may daily arise."

4. JOHN OWEN (1616-1683) ""To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect."

5. JONATHAN EDWARDS (1703-1758) "Let us, therefore, labour to submit to the sovereignty of God. God insists that His sovereignty be acknowledged by us...This is the stumbling block on which thousands fall and perish; and if we go on contending with God about his sovereignty, it will be our eternal ruin."

6. J.C. RYLE (1816-1900) "It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast amount of so-called Christianity nowadays...in which there is undeniably 'something about Christ and something about grace, and something about faith, and something about repentance, and something about holiness'; but it is not the real thing as it is in the Bible. Things are out of place, out of proportion."

7. CHARLES SPURGEON (1834-1892) "Controversy is never a very happy element for the child of God; he would far rather be in communion with his Lord than be engaged in defending the faith, or in attacking error. But the soldier of Christ knows no choice in his Master's commands."

8. J. GRESHAM MACHEN (1881-1937) "Weary with the conflicts of the world, one goes into the Church to seek refreshment for the soul. But what does one find? Alas, too often, one finds the turmoil of the world. The preacher comes forward, not out of a secret place of power, not with the authority of the Word permeating his message, not with human wisdom pushed far into the background by the glory of the cross, but with human opinions about the social problems of the hour or easy solutions about the vast problem of sin. Such is the sermon...and sad indeed is the heart of the man who has come seeking peace."

9. D. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES (1899-1981) "There is a real danger of forgetting the gospel itself because you are so interested in the political and social and cultural implications of the gospel."

10. FRANCIS A. SCHAEFFER (1912-1984) "Evangelicalism has developed the automatic mentality of accomodation at every successive point. Evangelicalism has done many things for which we should be thankful. But the mentality of accomodation is indeed a disaster."

© 2002-07 Sean McCausland