Francis Atterbury Quotes

It's attention to detail that makes the difference between average and stunning.

It is the duty of every one to strive to gain and deserve a good reputation.

Should we grieve over a little misplaced charity, when an all knowing, all wise Being showers down every day his benefits on the unthankful and undeserving?

It is impossible to have a lively hope in another life, and yet be deeply immersed in the enjoyments of this.

The greater absurdities are, the more strongly they evince the falsity of that supposition from whence they flow.

They who are not induced to believe and live as they ought by those discoveries which God hath made in Scriptures would stand out against any evidence whatever, even that of a messenger sent express from the other world.

Hospitality sometimes degenerates into profuseness, and ends in madness and folly.

Even the wisdom of God hath not suggested more pressing motives, more powerful incentives to charity, than these, that we shall be judged by it at the last dreadful day.

A good character when established should not be rested in as an end, but only employed as a means of doing still further good.

If God be infinitely holy, just, and good, He must take delight in those creatures that resemble Him most in these perfections.

Modesty teaches us to speak of the ancients with respect, especially when we are not very familiar with their works. Newton, who knew them practically by heart, had the greatest respect for them, and considered them to be men of genius and superior intelligence who had carried their discoveries in every field much further than we today suspect, judging from what remains of their writings. More ancient writings have been lost than have been preserved, and perhaps our new discoveries are of less value than those that we have lost.

The temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a gentle, but very powerful manner; so that we are but little aware of them and less able to withstand them.

Few consider how much we are indebted to government, because few can represent how wretched mankind would be without it.

There is a variety in tempers of good men.

The smallest act of charity shall stand us in great stead.

He who performs his duty in a station of great power must needs incur the utter enmity of many, and the high displeasure of more.

Those good men who take such pleasure in relieving the miserable for Christ's sake, would not have been less forward to minister onto Christ Himself.

A good man not only forbears those gratifications which are forbidden by reason and religion, but even restrains himself in unforbidden instances.

The practice of all ages and all countries (whether Christian or heathen, polite or barbarous) hath been ... to do honour to those who are invested with public authority.

The things of another world being distant, operate but faintly upon us: to remedy this inconvenience, we must frequently revolve their certainty and importance.

Nothing can be reckoned good or bad to us in this life, any further than it indisposes us for the enjoyment of another.

From mere success nothing can be concluded in favor of any nation upon whom it is bestowed.

A sturdy, hardened sinner shall advance to the utmost pitch of impiety, with less reluctance than he took the first step while his conscience was yet vigilant and tender.

Though fanaticism drinks at many founts, its predisposing cause is mostly the subject of an invisible futurity.

What we employ in charitable uses during our lives is given away from ourselves; what we bequeath at our death is given from others only, as our nearest relations.