John Selden
John Selden
John Seldenwas an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law. He was known as a polymath showing true intellectual depth and breadth; John Milton hailed Selden in 1644 as "the chief of learned men reputed in this land."...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionStatesman
Date of Birth16 December 1584
jesus pain taken
I have taken much pains to know everything that is esteemed worth knowing amongst men; but with all my reading, nothing now remains to comfort me at the close of this life but this passage of St. Paul: "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." To this I cleave, and herein do I find rest.
leadership world manipulation
The world cannot be governed without juggling.
prayer giving reason-why
Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why he should grant this, or that; he knows best what is good for us.
dance dancing world
There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.
ballads libel wells
More solid things do not show the complexion of the times so well as Ballads and Libels.
kings law people
Every law is a contract between the king and the people and therefore to be kept.
money men laughing
Money makes a man laugh.
firsts preaching written
Preaching, in the first sense of the word, ceased as soon as ever the gospel was written.
husband believe eye
The clergy would have us believe them against our own reason, as the woman would have her husband against his own eyes.
marriage wedding men
Of all the actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all the actions of our lives, 'tis the most meddled with by other people.
drinking pride men
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.
drinking excess
It's not the drinking to be blamed, but the excess.
dog hurt play
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.
friendship kings real
Old friends are best. King James used to call for his old shoes; they were the easiest for his feet.