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Quote by Richard Hooker

“If there be any feeding of Christ, any drop of heavenly dew, or any spark of God's good Spirit within you, stir it up; be careful to build and edify, first yourselves, and then your flocks in this most holy faith. I say, first yourselves; for he who will set the hearts of other men on fire with the love of Christ, must himself burn with love. It is want of faith in ourselves, my brethren, which makes us retchless (careless) in building others. We forsake the Lord's inheritance, and feed it not. What is the reason of this? Our own desires are settled where they should not be. We ourselves are like those women who have a longing to eat coals, and lime, and filth: we are fed, some with honour, some with ease, some with wealth: the gospel waxeth loathsome and unpleasant in our taste: how should we then have a care to feed others with that which we cannot fancy ourselves? If faith wax cold and slender in the heart of the prophet, it will soon perish from the ears of the people. (Sermon on part of St Jude's Epistle, p. 552)”

Author

Richard Hooker

Richard Hooker (c. 1554 – 3 November 1600) was an influential English theologian and a key figure in the development of Anglicanism. He is best known for his work 'Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity,' which provided a systematic defense of the Church of England's polity, liturgy, and doctrine. Hooker's thought integrated medieval scholasticism, Renaissance humanism, and Reformation principles, emphasizing the balance of reason, tradition, and Scripture. His writings shaped the Anglican identity and influenced later political philosophy. Hooker studied at Oxford University and served as a priest and professor. He died in 1600, but his legacy endures in theological and philosophical studies. more