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William Ames Quotes

Powerful William Ames for Daily Growth

About William Ames

William Ames (1576-1633), an influential Puritan theologian and ethicist, was born in London, England, in 1576. His family, of French Huguenot descent, fled to Holland in 1580 due to religious persecution, where Ames received his education at the University of Leiden. He was deeply influenced by the teachings of John Calvin and the Reformed tradition. Ames' academic career began when he became a professor of theology at the University of Franeker in 1602. In 1603, he published his first major work, "De Concilio," defending the authority of church councils within the context of the Church of England's debate over the Thirty-Nine Articles. In 1614, Ames moved to Cambridge, England, where he taught at Emmanuel College. It was during this time that he published his most famous work, "Mediastina Locorum Communium Theologiae," a comprehensive systematic theology that significantly contributed to Puritan theology. This work was later translated into English as "The Marrow of Theology" and remains widely read today. Ames' ethical works include "Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof" (1639), which is considered a classic in the field of Christian ethics. His other significant contributions include "Artificial Gloss, or, A Helpe to Understand the Texts of Scripture," a commentary on the Bible that helped shape Puritan hermeneutics. Ames died in 1633, but his influence lived on through his works and the Puritan movement he helped shape. His contributions to theology and ethics continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and theologians alike.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Man is altogether a creature of God and nothing else."

This quote emphasizes that human beings are entirely creations of God, possessing no independent existence or essence apart from their divine origin. It underscores the concept that humanity's very nature and identity stem solely from the creative power of God, highlighting our dependence on and connection to the divine.

"The knowledge of God is the chief and highest end of all human knowledge."

William Ames' quote emphasizes that understanding God is the most significant and loftiest objective in human learning. In other words, all human knowledge should ultimately lead us to a deeper appreciation, comprehension, and relationship with God. This suggests that our intellectual pursuits have spiritual implications and ought to guide us towards spiritual growth and enlightenment.

"To know God aright is everlasting life; to know about him is everlasting death."

This quote by William Ames suggests that a mere intellectual or superficial understanding of God (knowing about Him) does not lead to salvation or spiritual growth, but rather a lack thereof (everlasting death). True knowledge of God, on the other hand, implies a deep, personal, and transformative relationship with Him (knowing God aright), which leads to eternal life. In essence, Ames is emphasizing the importance of experiential knowledge over mere information about God.

"All religion without Christ is no religion."

The quote implies that any belief system, spiritual practice, or moral code that doesn't center around Jesus Christ cannot truly be considered a religion. This statement is based on the Christian perspective where Christ is perceived as the central figure of faith. It suggests that genuine religious expression must be grounded in the teachings and person of Jesus Christ.

"Christ is a Saviour, not for some only, but for all, not for the elect only, but for all the world."

This quote by William Ames signifies that Christ's saving grace is intended for every individual in the world, without exception or distinction. It emphasizes the universality of salvation, suggesting that it is available to everyone, regardless of their status, ethnicity, or any other factor. However, it does not necessarily mean that everyone will be saved; rather, it underscores that Christ's sacrifice was made for all mankind, leaving the decision to accept or reject this offer to each individual.

Hence the end of the world should be awaited with all longing by all believers.

- William Ames

World, Should, Hence, Believers

Sanctification is not to be understood here as a separation from ordinary use or consecration to some special use, although this meaning is often present in Scripture, sometimes referring to outward and sometimes to inward or effectual separation.

- William Ames

Here, Some, Sanctification, Inward

This subsistence, or manner of being of God is his one essence so far as it has personal properties.

- William Ames

Essence, Far, His, Subsistence

Everyone who understands the nature of God rightly necessarily knows that God is to be believed and hoped in, that he is to be loved and called upon, and to be heard in all things.

- William Ames

Nature, Everyone, Hoped, Believed

The goodness of a thing created is the perfection of its fitness for the use which it serves. Now that use is either particular or universal.

- William Ames

Either, Which, Created, Perfection

In contentment and joy are found the height and perfection of all love towards our neighbor.

- William Ames

Love, Joy, Found, Perfection

Therefore, the church is not absolutely necessary as an object of faith, not even for us today, for then Abraham and the other prophets would not have given assent to those things which were revealed to them from God without any intervening help of the church.

- William Ames

Faith, Church, Other, Intervening

The ordinary ministry is that which receives all of its direction from the will of God revealed in the Scriptures and from those means which God has appointed in the church for its continual edification.

- William Ames

Will, Which, Means, Revealed

The efficiency of God may be understood as either creation or providence.

- William Ames

Efficiency, May, Either, Understood

In the exercise of God's efficiency, the decree of God comes first. This manner of working is the most perfect of all and notably agrees with the divine nature.

- William Ames

Nature, Efficiency, Perfect, Decree

The good pleasure of God is an act of the divine will freely and effectively determining all things.

- William Ames

Pleasure, Will, Act, Freely

Although the whole man partakes of this grace, it is first and most appropriately in the soul and later progresses to the body, inasmuch as the body of the man is capable of the same obedience to the will of God as the soul.

- William Ames

Soul, Will, Whole, Inasmuch

An idea in man is first impressed upon him and afterwards expressed in things, but in God it is only expressed, not impressed, because it does not come from anywhere else.

- William Ames

Idea, Afterwards, Impressed, Expressed

The attributes of God tell us what He is and who He is.

- William Ames

God, Tell, He, Attributes

From faith, hope, and love, the virtues of religion referring to God, there arises a double act which bears on the spiritual communion exercised between God and us; the hearing of the word and prayer.

- William Ames

Love, Double, Which, Arises

Hearing the word is the devout receiving of the will of God.

- William Ames

Will, Receiving, Devout, Hearing

Active creation is conceived as a transitive action in which there is always presupposed an object about which the agent is concerned; it is virtually but not formally transitive because it makes, not presupposes, an object.

- William Ames

Always, Which, Agent, Object

For this is our most perfect duty and yet least known to us by nature: Whatever we conceive or will should be joined with the good of our neighbor.

- William Ames

Nature, Perfect, Will, Conceive

The first act of religion, therefore, concerns those things which are communicated to us from God. The other concerns those things which we yield to God.

- William Ames

Religion, Other, Which, Concerns

Nothing exists from eternity but God, and God is not the matter or a part of any creature, but only the maker.

- William Ames

Nothing, Eternity, Part, Creature

The starting point of sanctification is the filthiness, corruption, or stain of sin.

- William Ames

Sin, Sanctification, Corruption

The relative property of the Son is to be begotten, that is, so to proceed from the Father as to be a participant of the same essence and perfectly carry on the Father's nature.

- William Ames

Nature, Proceed, Perfectly, Participant

Sanctification is the real change in man from the sordidness of sin to the purity of God's image.

- William Ames

Change, Purity, Image, Sanctification

Faith is the virtue by which, clinging-to the faithfulness of God, we lean upon him, so that we may obtain what he gives to us.

- William Ames

Faithfulness, Which, Obtain, Gives

Participation in the blessings of the union with Christ comes when the faithful have all the things needed to live well and blessedly to God.

- William Ames

Participation, Christ, Faithful

The world has not been in existence from eternity nor could it have been according to the present dispensation and ordering of things.

- William Ames

Eternity, Been, Nor, Ordering

The will of God is eternal because He does not begin to will what He did not will before, nor cease to will what He willed before.

- William Ames

Will, Cease, Nor, Eternal

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