Martin Luther: German Reformer, 1483-1546
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.”
“Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.”
William Farel: French/Swiss Reformer, 1489-1565
“Is a wise man who doubtless thought he was teaching the truth, but he fell into the hands of the Devil…. Be careful the same thing does not happen to you!”
“I have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I go about preaching Christ why He died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Whoever believes in Him will be saved; unbelievers will be lost. I am bound to preach to all who will hear. I am ready to dispute with you.”
John Calvin: Swiss Reformer, 1509-1564
“For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when he resists and strives against God.”
“However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.”
“Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ.”
“There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence.”
“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.”
John Knox: Scottish Reformer, 1514-1572
“No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved.”
“I will keep the ground that God has given me, and perhaps in his grace, he will ignite me again. But ignite me or not, in his grace, in his power, I will hold the ground.”
“I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.”
Philipp Melanchthon: German Reformer, 1497-1560
“Thou shalt go to the light, see God, look upon His Son, learn those wonderful mysteries which thou hast not been able to understand in this life.”
“We must seek the truth, love it, defend it, and hand it down uncorrupted to our posterity.”
“Trouble and perplexity drive me to prayer and prayer drives away perplexity and trouble.”
“But faith is not belief in the history of Christ, as the godless think, but belief in the purpose of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. For He took on flesh, was crucified, and rose from the dead in order to justify all who would believe in him.”
William Tyndale: English Reformer, 1494-1536
“I perceived how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth except the Scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue.”
“Christ is with us until the world’s end. Let His little flock be bold therefore.”
“There is no work better than to please God; to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a cobbler, or an apostle, all are one; to wash dishes and to preach are all one, as touching the deed, to please God.”
“I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who drives the plough to know more of the scriptures than you do.”
Ulrich Zwingli: Swiss Reformer, 1484-1531
“I beseech Christ for this one thing only, that He will enable me to endure all things courageously, and that He break me as a potter’s vessel or make me strong, as it pleases Him.”
“Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but on the contrary it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this.”
“Even if we were not sinful by nature, the sin of having private property would suffice to condemn us before God; for that which He gives us freely, we appropriate to ourselves.”
Heinrich Bullinger: Swiss Reformer, 1504-1575
“This deprivation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting out of God’s image in us.”
“The ineffable mercy and divine grace of the eternal God are proven, first, in that God offers this covenant not in any way because of the merits of humans but rather out of the sheer goodness which is God’s nature. I do not know whether humans are capable of conceiving this mystery fully or conveying how praiseworthy it is.”
Jan Hus: Czech Reformer, 1369-1415
“He that fears death loses the joys of life.”
“In 100 years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform that cannot be suppressed.” 100 years later – Luther nails his 95 Thesis to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg.
