Saturday, April 21, 2007
Erasmus On Contentions
Friends,
as Erasmus once said "I think one gets further by courtesy and moderation than by clamour. That was how Christ brought the world under His sway.... We must take pains to say nothing out of arrogance or faction, for I think the Spirit of Christ would have it so. We must keep our minds above the corruption of anger or hatred or of ambition; for it is this that lies in wait for us when our religious zeal is in full course. May the Lord Jesus ever more richly endue you with His Spirit every day for His own glory and the good of mankind" To Luther May 30 1519.
Again to Luther he wrote on August 1 1520 "It is a serious matter to challenge men who cannot be overthrown without a major upheaval. And I fear upheavals of that kind all the more, because they so often burst out in a different direction from what was intended. If a man lets in the sea it is not in his power to control where it should go. .. I wish you could write a treatise on some part of Holy Scripture and keep personal feelings out of it. It may be in the meantime that this turmoil will die down."
Proverbs 11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.
To speak with grace you need grace in your heart.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." cf Col. 3:16
Before your speech can be "alway with grace," you need grace in your heart!
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." cf Luke 6:45
as Erasmus once said "I think one gets further by courtesy and moderation than by clamour. That was how Christ brought the world under His sway.... We must take pains to say nothing out of arrogance or faction, for I think the Spirit of Christ would have it so. We must keep our minds above the corruption of anger or hatred or of ambition; for it is this that lies in wait for us when our religious zeal is in full course. May the Lord Jesus ever more richly endue you with His Spirit every day for His own glory and the good of mankind" To Luther May 30 1519.
Again to Luther he wrote on August 1 1520 "It is a serious matter to challenge men who cannot be overthrown without a major upheaval. And I fear upheavals of that kind all the more, because they so often burst out in a different direction from what was intended. If a man lets in the sea it is not in his power to control where it should go. .. I wish you could write a treatise on some part of Holy Scripture and keep personal feelings out of it. It may be in the meantime that this turmoil will die down."
Proverbs 11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.
To speak with grace you need grace in your heart.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." cf Col. 3:16
Before your speech can be "alway with grace," you need grace in your heart!
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." cf Luke 6:45
# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:32 PM 
