“Surely it is more honourable to do great things, than to speak or read great things!…When a Christian has one eye upon his book, the other should be looking up to heaven for a blessing upon what he reads.”
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ
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Thomas Brooks 74
English Puritan 1608–1680Related quotes
Source: My Early Life: A Roving Commission (1930), Chapter 9 (Education At Bangalore).
Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), V. On Conversation
Source: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
Great Books: The Foundation of a Liberal Education (1954)
Part I, Essay 6: Of The Independency of Parliament; first line often paraphrased as "It is a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave."
Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary (1741-2; 1748)
Context: It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave: Though at the same time, it appears somewhat strange, that a maxim should be true in politics, which is false in fact. But to satisfy us on this head, we may consider, that men are generally more honest in their private than in their public capacity, and will go greater lengths to serve a party, than when their own private interest is alone concerned. Honour is a great check upon mankind: But where a considerable body of men act together, this check is, in a great measure, removed; since a man is sure to be approved of by his own party, for what promotes the common interest; and he soon learns to despise the clamours of adversaries.
