2-15-2013- PATRISTIC QUOTATIONS-AD 50-150 PART 9
*************************PREACHING************************
"FOR A TABLE WITH WITH ONLY ONE SORT OF FOOD, PRODUCES A SATIETY, WHILE VARIETY, PROVOKES THE APPETITE."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"FOR TOO GREAT LENGTH IN A SERMON, IS AS MUCH AN ENEMY TO PEOPLES EARS, AS TOO MUCH FOOD, IS TO THEIR BODIES."
*GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS*
"THOSE THAT ARE ORDAINED AT THE PRESENT DAY, FROM AMONG THE LITERATE CLASS, MAKE IT THEIR STUDY NOT HOW TO SEEK OUT THE MARROW OF SCRIPTURE, BUT HOW TO TICKLE THE EARS OF THE PEOPLE, WITH THE FLOWERS OF RHETORIC."
*JEROME*
"FOR JUST AS THE SPEAKER IS PLEASING WHEN HE MAKES CLEAR THINGS WHICH SHOULD BE LEARNED, SO HE IS IRKSOME, WHEN HE KEEPS EMPHASIZING FACTS ALREADY KNOWN."
*AUGUSTINE*
"MY MOTHER WENT TO CHURCH TWICE A DAY; SHE WENT IN THE MORNING AND EVENING, WITHOUT EVER ALLOWING ANYTHING TO KEEP HER AWAY AND SHE WENT NOT TO HEAR IDLE TALES AND THE GOSSIP OF OLD WOMEN, BUT THAT SHE MIGHT HEAR THEE, O LORD, IN THY SERMONS AND THAT THOU MIGHT HEAR HER IN HER PRAYERS."
*AUGUSTINE*
"I KNOW THAT A DIFFERENCE MUST BE MADE BETWEEN THE APOSTLES AND ALL OTHER PREACHERS. THE FORMER, ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH; BUT LATTER, BEING MEN, SOMETIMES GO ASTRAY."
*JEROME*
*************************PRIDE**********************************
"HOW GREAT IS THE EVIL OF PRIDE, THAT IT RIGHTLY HAS NO ANGEL, NOR OTHER VIRTUES OPPOSED TO IT, BUT GOD HIMSELF, AS ITS ADVERSARY."
*JOHN CASSIAN*
"PRIDE IS THE BEGINNING OF SIN, THE FIRST IMPULSE AND MOVEMENT TOWARD EVIL."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"ALL MEN FALL INTO THIS PRIDE, WHO ARE IN A MOMENT MADE MASTERS, ACTUALLY, BEFORE THEY ARE DISCIPLES."
*JEROME*
"YOU CAN TELL A MANS INWARD CONDITION, BY HIS OUTWARD GAIT."
*JOHN CASSIAN*
****************************PROPHECY**********************
"ALL THESE THINGS ARE NOW SEEN TO BE FULFILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PREDICTIONS WHICH WE READ; AND THESE FULFILLMENT'S ARE NOW SO MANY, AND SO GREAT, THAT THEY LEAD US TO WAIT WITH CONFIDENCE, FULFILLMENT OF THE REST."
*AUGUSTINE*
"SINCE ALL THINGS WHICH HAVE HAPPENED WERE PREDICTED BEFORE THEY OCCURRED, WE SHOULD TRUST THAT SIMILAR PROPHECIES, WHICH ARE NOT YET FULFILLED, WILL CERTAINLY HAPPEN. THE PROPHECIES ALREADY FULFILLED CAME TRUE, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT UNDERSTOOD. IN THE SAME WAY, THE OTHER PROPHECIES WILL ALSO QUITE CERTAINLY COME TRUE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD AND NOT BELIEVED."
*JUSTIN*
"THEREFORE, WE OUGHT TO GIVE MOST FERVENT THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR MAKING KNOWN TO US THE PAST, FOR GIVING US LIGHT ABOUT THE PRESENT, AND FOR NOT LEAVING US WITHOUT DISCERNMENT OF THE FUTURE."
*IGNATIUS*
"NOT EVERY MAN WHO SPEAKS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS A PROPHET BUT ONLY IF HE HAS THE MANNER OF THE LORD. THUS THE FALSE AND THE TRUE PROPHET, SHALL BE KNOWN BY THEIR MANNER OF LIFE........FURTHER, EVERY PROPHET WHO TEACHES THE TRUTH IS A FALSE PROPHET, IF HE DOES NOT DO, WHAT HE TEACHES."
*DIDACHE*
*************************PUNISHMENT*********************
"PUNISHMENT, THAT IS THE JUSTICE OF THE UNJUST."
*AUGUSTINE*
"AFTER THE RESURRECTION, BOTH THE JOY OF THE GOOD, WILL BE GREATER, AND THE TORMENTS OF THE WICKED MORE SEVERE, WHEN THEY WILL BE TORTURED, ALONG WITH THEIR BODY."
*AUGUSTINE*
"HE MUST BE RECKONED THE MOST UNFORTUNATE OF MEN, WHO, WHILE LIVING UN-RIGHTEOUSLY, REMAINS FOR A LONG TIME UNPUNISHED."
*JUSTIN MARTYR*
"SOULS IN PUNISHMENT WILL SEEK DEATH. THEY PREFER NOT TO BE, RATHER THAN TO BE PUNISHED. IT IS FOR THIS THEY SHALL SEEK DEATH AND NOT FIND IT."
*ORIGEN*
"IF A MAN IS SINFUL, HE SHALL RECEIVE AN ETERNAL BODY FITTED TO ENDURE THE PENALTIES OF SIN, SO THAT , HE MAY BURN IN THE ETERNAL FIRE, WITHOUT EVER BEING CONSUMED."
*CYRIL OF JERUSALEM*
******************************PURITY***************************
"WHAT IS PURE, IS CORRUPTED MUCH MORE QUICKLY, THAN WHAT IS CORRUPT, IS PURIFIED."
*JOHN CASSIAN*
*****************************REASON*************************
"FAR BE IT FROM GOD, TO HATE IN US, THAT FACULTY BY WHICH HE MADE US SO MUCH MORE EXCELLENT, THAN THE OTHER LIVING CREATURES."
*AUGUSTINE*
"REASON, IN FACT, IS A THING OF GOD, INASMUCH AS THERE IS NOTHING WHICH GOD THE MAKER OF ALL HAS NOT PROVIDED, DISPOSED, ORDAINED BY REASON---NOTHING WHICH HE HAS NOT WILLED, SHOULD BE HANDLED AND UNDERSTOOD BY REASON."
*TERTULLIAN*
"IN SOME POINTS, THEN, THAT PERTAIN TO SALVIFIC DOCTRINE, WHICH WE CANNOT YET GRASP BY REASON, ---THOUGH SOMEDAY WE SHALL----LET REASON BE PRECEDED BY FAITH, WHICH CLEANSES THE HEART, SO THAT THE HEART MAY RECEIVE AND RETAIN, THE LIGHT OF GREAT REASON; AND THIS TOO IS REASONABLE."
*AUGUSTINE*
**************************REPENTANCE*******************
"FOR THERE IS NOTHING MORE DESTRUCTIVE OF SIN, THAN SELF ACCUSATION AND SELF CONDEMNATION, JOINED TO REPENTANCE AND TEARS."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"EVEN IF YOU ARE IN EXTREME OLD AGE AND HAVE SINNED, GO IN, REPENT! FOR HERE THERE IS A PHYSICIANS OFFICE, NOT A COURTROOM; NOT A PLACE WHERE PUNISHMENT OF SIN IS EXACTED, BUT WHERE THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN IS GRANTED."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"TAKE HEED THAT WITHOUT REASON, YOU MISTRUST THE POWER OF REPENTANCE. WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT POWER REPENTANCE HAS? ...HEZEKIAH BY MEANS OF CONFESSION, ROUTED 185,00 OF HIS ENEMIES. A GREAT THING SURELY WAS THIS, BUT STILL SMALL IN COMPARISON WITH WHAT REMAINS TO BE TOLD: THE SAME KING BY REPENTANCE, OBTAINED THE RECALL OF A DIVINE SENTENCE, WHICH HAD ALREADY GONE FORTH."
*CYRIL OF JERUSALEM*
"AS OFTEN AS YOU FALL DOWN IN THE MARKET PLACE, YOU PICK YOURSELF UP AGAIN. SO TOO, AS OFTEN AS YOU SIN, REPENT YOUR SIN. DO NOT DESPAIR. EVEN IF YOU SIN A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TIME REPENT."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"TO HIM WHO STILL REMAINS IN THIS WORLD, THERE IS NO REPENTANCE THAT IS TOO LATE."
*CYPRIAN*
"LET US .....IMITATE THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AND IN THE FACE OF OUR OWN SINS, NOT BE ASHAMED BECAUSE OF MEN. RATHER, AS IS PROPER, LET US FEAR GOD, WHO NOW SEES NOW WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND WHO PUNISHES LATER, WHAT WE DO NOT REPENT OF NOW. AT PRESENT WE DO THE OPPOSITE OF THIS. INSTEAD OF FEARING THE LORD, WHO IS TO JUDGE US, WE SHUDDER AT THOSE WHO IN NO WAY HURT US, AND WE TREMBLE AT THE SHAME, WHICH COMES FROM THEM."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
"THE HUMAN RACE IS CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES LIVES, BUT LAZY IN CORRECTING ITS OWN."
*AUGUSTINE*
"IF HE DOES NOT WANT HIS SINS TO BE PARADED ON THAT FEARFUL DAY, LET HIM APPLY NOW, THE MEDICINES OF REPENTANCE AND LET HIM HEAL NOW HIS WOUNDS."
*JOHN CHRYSOSTOM*
********************REPROVING****************************
"REPROOF AND REBUKE..........ARE THE STRIPES OF THE SOUL, CHASTISING SINS, PREVENTING DEATH, AND LEADING TO SELF CONTROL, THOSE CARRIED AWAY TO LICENTIOUSNESS."
*CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA*
"FOR HE WHO WANTS TO HEAL ANOTHER'S WOUND, OUGHT TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH AND FREE FROM EVERY AFFECTION OF WEAKNESS HIMSELF."
*JOHN CASSIAN*
"HE, THEN, WHO PERCEIVES ANY EVIL IN HIS NEIGHBOR AND KEEPS SILENT ABOUT IT, ACTS LIKE A SURGEON WHO LOOKS AT HIS FRIENDS WOUND AND WILL NOT CURE IT."
*GREGORY THE GREAT*
"HE WHO SOOTHES THE SINNER WITH FLATTERING BLANDISHMENTS, FURNISHES THE STIMULUS TO SIN; NOR DOES HE REPRESS; BUT NOURISHES WRONG DOING."
*CYPRIAN*
***********************************REST*************************
"THOU LORD HAS FORMED US FOR YOURSELF AND OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS TILL THEY FIND THEIR REST IN THEE."
*AUGUSTINE*
"ETERNAL REST AWAITS THOSE WHO HAVE STRUGGLED THROUGH THE PRESENT LIFE, OBSERVANT OF THE LAWS, NOT AS PAYMENT OWED FOR THEIR WORKS, BUT BESTOWED AS A GIFT OF THE MUNIFICENT GOD, ON THOSE WHO HAVE HOPED IN HIM."
*BASIL THE GREAT*
"I HAVE LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT THE ASS TOILING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, MAKES FOR AN INN, WHEN IT IS WEARY."
*JEROME*