Home / Authors / John Selden

John Selden Quotes

Author

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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“Equity is a roguish thing. For Law we have a measure, know what to trust to; Equity is according to the conscience of him that is Chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is Equity. 'T is all one as if they should make the standard for the measure we call a "foot" a Chancellor's foot; what an uncertain measure would this be! One Chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an indifferent foot. 'T is the same thing in the Chancellor's conscience.”

Ifs Knows Should Long Law Feet Standards Conscience Thirds Indifferent Uncertain Equity One Chance

Author:John Selden

“Preachers say, "Do as I say, not as I do." But if a physician had the same disease upon him that I have, and he should bid me do one thing and he do quite another, could I believe him?”

Ifs Should Believe I Believe One Thing Disease Preacher Preaching Physicians

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

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

“Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reasons why all the world should think as I think.”

Thinking World Giving Should Reason Opinion Reason Why

Book:Table-talk: the discourses of J. Selden [ed. by R. Milward.].

Source: Table-talk: the discourses of J. Selden [ed. by R. Milward.].

“A wise man should never resolve upon anything, at least, never let the world know his resolution, for if he cannot reach that he is ashamed.”

Ifs Knows Men World Should Wise Ashamed Resolve Resolution

Author:John Selden

“Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why He should grant this or that; He knows best wheat is good for us. If your boy should ask you for a suit of clothes and give you reasons, would you endure it? You know his needs better than he; let him ask for a suit of clothes.”

Ifs Knows Needs Giving Should Reason Asks Prayer Boys Clothes Endure Suits Reason Why Grants Almighty Wheat

Author:John Selden

“Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why he should grant this, or that; he knows best what is good for us.”

Knows Giving Should Reason Prayer Praying Reason Why Grants Almighty

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

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

“We pick out a text here and there to make it serve our turn; whereas , if we take it all together, and considered what went before and what followed after, we should find it meant no such thing.”

Ifs Should Together Turns Picks Hypocrisy Here And There

Book:Seldeniana: with a biographical preface

Source: Seldeniana: with a biographical preface

“If the prisoner should ask the judge whether he would be content to be hanged, were he in his case, he would answer no. Then, says the prisoner, do as you would be done to.”

Ifs Should Done Would Be Asks Answers Compassion Cases Judging Prisoner

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