At Home in the House of My Fathers QUOTES

1 " There is always an unthinking group that permits itself to be blown to and fro by all kinds of doctrinal winds, as a feather is blown about by air currents. This group always falls all over itself adopting innovations, as though the most modern were always the best. There are also the ever-changing weather vanes and the limber-necks [Wendehaelse], pedagogues and preachers who with delicate noses smell the direction of the wind, who are adept at twisting and turning with every change, and who, under the pretense of offering newly discovered and original truths, yet preach only that for which the ears of the people itch. There are also the religious politicians, great and small, who never ask, “What is true?” or “What does Scripture say?” but only ask, “What is up to date?” “What will bring results? "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

2 " Only “opinions” are allowed validity regarding Christian doctrine. No Christian fellowship should say that it certainly has the entire, complete truth. The Christian truth should be divided between the various communions. The one may have more, the other less of it. But no one should boast of possessing the entire, complete truth. Indeed, doubt regarding truth, the heathenish seeking after truth, is in vogue and desires to pass itself off as Christian activity. Even in associations that bear the name Lutheran there is mockery of “pure doctrine. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

3 " when in the earliest congregations various views over certain matters were found, we do not hear them say, “That’s no problem. External union is the main thing. We won’t ever all be one.” No. They came together and worked through matters until they were one. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

4 " We are not only citizens of the heavenly kingdom, but we also have a citizenship in the kingdom of this world. It is our privilege to oppose by legal means every law that we consider unconstitutional, unjust, or unnecessary. It is our privilege to oppose such laws either in the courts or in the general election. Our Christianity does not hinder us from this, but rather requires us also in this way to seek the welfare of our people. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

5 " But now, my dear friends, let us not neglect our Christianity because of our citizenship! Let us not forget that our real weapons are of a spiritual nature, also that if we use our rights of citizenship, we dare not use them the way the world generally does; and let us be very careful that our congregations do not degenerate into arenas of worldly politics because of this opportunity! Otherwise, God cannot be with us, and the outward victory that we would perhaps gain would of necessity result in a disgraceful inner condition. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

6 " And do not let yourselves be dazzled by great claims [such as]: what a great body of believers you would form; what powerful influence you would have; what great things you could accomplish, if you were more broad-minded and noble. All external unification without internal unity is an abomination before God because it is a lie and a fraud. All the greatness of such unity is mere appearance in His sight, nothing but mere appearance. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

7 " if a church body wishes to be preserved from party spirit or be cured of this malady when it has broken out, the only remedy is diligent study of God’s Word. The Word of God has the property of unifying and preserving in unity. Those who say that doctrines should not be discussed in order to avoid divisions within the Church do not know what they are talking about. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

8 " Our church is so rich in hymns that you could justifiably state that if one were to introduce Methodist hymns in a Lutheran school, this would be like carrying coals to Newcastle. The singing of such hymns would make the rich Lutheran Church into a beggar that is forced to beg from a miserable sect. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

9 " In summary: Everything depends upon the right use of Law and Gospel. But precisely this—correctly dividing and connecting Law and Gospel, particularly in practice—is as Luther has so often said, “the highest art of the true theologian.” Oh, that we would learn this art! "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

10 " we want real agreement, not mere words that say agreement is present. We are after agreement itself. When we see that you indeed speak about agreement in truth, but you don’t have it, then we cannot merely on the basis of your empty words view you as people who stand in the unity of the faith willed by God, while the matter itself is not present. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

11 " What do we especially need to pay attention to, so that in the external division of our Synod into districts, we still remain united, and this division does not result in separation? The answer: This, that we always speak in the same way; This, that we hold one another fast in one understanding and one single view. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

12 " Today people want to help out the Church with all sorts of other means—societies, entertainment, ostentatious church buildings, and the like. But through such means, the Church cannot be built. In the best case, these may assist a little in bringing the children of men into contact with the Word of God. In many cases, they threaten to cast the proclamation of the Word in the background and do damage to the building of the Church. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

13 " There should be no whoring with the spirit of the times, no ogling at false doctrine, no respecting of persons. Our synod officers, however, our presidents, must continue not so much as protectors of human ordinances, but much more as men who watch over the purity of doctrine and knowledge. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

14 " Finally, in our day, there is a great fatigue for the fight against false doctrine—indeed, a willful rejection of this fight. Men who wield the sword of the Spirit are decried as destroyers of the peace and as people who hinder the building of the Church. Indeed, if we are cognizant of the fact that the Church only and alone is built upon the Word of God, then we will regard it as completely self-evident that we must defend against those who would tear down this foundation. Because the life of the Church is precious to us indeed, there are times when one must do more defending than instructing. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

15 " our congregations and our Missouri Synod have no promise that they shall advance and endure. In many places we unfortunately note already stagnancy, regression, disintegration, and dissolution. But one building on earth cannot fall into decay, disintegrate, or even lie dormant for a minute. It rather advances steadily and more and more presses toward its fulfillment. That is the building that is the holy Christian Church. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

16 " Alas, how many who call themselves Lutherans prove themselves unworthy of the fathers! In large territories of the Lutheran Church, purity of teaching is held in but low regard, and a spirit of indifference can calmly see one scriptural doctrine after the other thrown overboard, while but little effort is put forth to indoctrinate the Church’s youth in church and school. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers

17 " The universal tendency of our times is to “get together.” Isolation in church life is regarded as intolerable. Those who keep themselves separate for the sake of the truth are denounced as bigots. The well-being and prosperity of the Church is sought in the merger of church bodies even at the cost of truth. Sad to say, this destructive virus of unionism has infected also many Lutheran circles. This modern striving after external union despite spiritual disunion brings to one’s mind the words that God spoke to Israel by the prophet Isaiah: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of Hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” [Isaiah 8:12–13]. "

― Matthew C. Harrison , At Home in the House of My Fathers