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John Selden Quotes

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John Selden (December 16, 1584 - November 30, 1654) was an English lawyer, historian, and philosopher. Limited information is available, but he is known for his contributions to the fields of law, history, and philosophy.

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All Men May Ifs Knows Should World Giving Reason Kings Law Religion Wit Firsts Made Pain People Preaching Thinking Wells Book

Famous John Selden Quotes

“You will want a book which contains not man's thoughts, but God's - not a book that may amuse you, but a book that can save you - not even a book that can instruct you, but a book on which you can venture an eternity - not only a book which can give relief to your spirit, but redemption to your soul - a book which contains salvation, and conveys it to you, one which shall at once be the Saviour's book and the sinner's.”

Men Want Giving May Book Soul Spirit Bible Eternity Salvation Redemption Your Soul Relief Sinner Venture Saviour

Author:John Selden

“Take a straw and throw it up into the air, you may see by that which way the wind is.”

Way May Air Wind Straws

Book:Seldeniana: with a biographical preface

Source: Seldeniana: with a biographical preface

“In a troubled state we must do as in foul weather upon a river, not think to cut directly through, for the boat may be filled with water; but rise and fall as the waves do, and give way as much as we conveniently can.”

Thinking Way Giving May States Fall Water Cutting Policy Rivers Filled Wave Weather Boat Foul Rise And Fall

Author:John Selden

“Nothing is text but what is spoken of in the Bible and meant there for person and place; the rest is application; which a discreet man may do well; but it is his scripture, not the Holy Ghost's. First, in your sermons use your logic, and then your rhetoric; rhetoric without logic is like a tree with leaves and blossoms, but no root.”

Men Firsts Wells May Persons Use Tree Holy Roots Logic Scripture Ghost Application Preaching Rhetoric Sermons Holy Ghost Discreet

Author:John Selden

“He that has not religion to govern his morality, is not a dram better than my mastiff-dog; so long as you stroke him, and please him, and do not pinch him, he will play with you as finely as may be, he is a very good moral mastiff; but if you hurt him, he will fly in your face, and tear out your throat.”

Ifs May Long Play Faces Hurt Moral Dog Tears Morality Please Very Good Your Face Throat Strokes Good Moral Mastiffs

Book:The Table-talk: Of John Selden, Esq. Being His Sense of Various Matters of Weight and High Consequence; Relating Especially to Religion and State

Source: The Table-talk: Of John Selden, Esq. Being His Sense of Various Matters of Weight and High Consequence; Relating Especially to Religion and State

“A glorious Church is like a magnificent feast; there is all the variety that may be, but every one chooses out a dish or two that he likes, and lets the rest alone: how glorious soever the Church is, every one chooses out of it his own religion, by which he governs himself, and lets the rest alone.”

May Two Religion Church Likes Variety Glorious Dishes Magnificent

Book:Selden's table talk

Source: Selden's table talk

“Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up his dignity.”

Men May Pride Degrees Dignity

Book:Table-Talk: being the Discourses of John Selden, Esq.; or his sence of various matters of weight and high consequence relating especially to Religion and State. Edited by R. Milward

Source: Table-Talk: being the Discourses of John Selden, Esq.; or his sence of various matters of weight and high consequence relating especially to Religion and State. Edited by R. Milward

“Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up dignity. In gluttony there must be eating, in drunkenness there must be drinking; 'tis not the eating, and 'tis not the drinking that must be blamed, but the excess. So in pride.”

Men May Pride Degrees Eating Dignity Drinking Excess Drunkenness Gluttony

Book:Table talk: being the discourses of John Selden, esq

Source: Table talk: being the discourses of John Selden, esq

“No man is the wiser for his learning; it may administer matter to work in, or objects to work upon; but wit and wisdom are born with a man.”

Men May Matter Wisdom Born Objects Wit Wiser Wit And Wisdom

Book:Table-Talk: being the Discourses of John Selden, Esq.; or his sence of various matters of weight and high consequence relating especially to Religion and State. Edited by R. Milward

Source: Table-Talk: being the Discourses of John Selden, Esq.; or his sence of various matters of weight and high consequence relating especially to Religion and State. Edited by R. Milward

“Twas an unhappy Division that has been made between Faith and Works; though in my Intellect I may divide them, just as in the Candle I know there is both Light and Heat. But yet, put out the Candle, and they are both gone.”

Knows May Has Beens Made Light Christian Religion Prayer Gone Intellect Unhappy Heat Division Divides Candle

Book:Table talk: being the discourses of John Selden, esq

Source: Table talk: being the discourses of John Selden, esq

“In quoting of books, quote such authors as are usually read; others you may read for your own satisfaction, but not name them.”

May Book Names Satisfaction Quoting

Book:The table-talk of John Selden, with a biogr. preface and notes by S.W. Singer

Source: The table-talk of John Selden, with a biogr. preface and notes by S.W. Singer