Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Saint Augustine, aka Augustine of Hippo, St. Austin, Bishop of Hippo NULL

If all could be perceived in one act of perception, it would obviously give more delight than any of the individual parts.

Authority | Church |

Saint Augustine, aka Augustine of Hippo, St. Austin, Bishop of Hippo NULL

Someone who knows enough to become the owner of a tree, and gives thanks to you for the benefits it brings him, is in a better state, even if ignorant of its height in feet and the extent of its spread, than another who measures and counts all its branches but neither owns it nor knows its creator nor loves him.

Church | God | Nothing | People | Presumption | Spirit | Will | God |

Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone NULL

If we endure things patiently and with gladness thinking on the sufferings of our blessed Lord, and bearing all for the love of Him: herein is perfect joy.

Church | Day | God | God |

Saint Jerome, aka Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymous, Hierom or Jerom NULL

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'til your good is better and your better is best.

Church | Deeds | Practice | Deeds |

Saint Maximus the Confessor NULL

The Lord gave clear evidence of His supreme power in what He endured from hostile forces when He endowed human nature with an incorruptible form of generation. For through His passion He conferred dispassion, through suffering repose, and through death eternal life. By His privations in the flesh He re-established and renewed the human state, and by His own incarnation He bestowed on human nature the supra-natural grace of deification.

Church | Faith | Hell | Injustice | Injustice | Lord | Promise | Religion | Right | Sacred | World |

Saint Maximus the Confessor NULL

It is said that God allows the demons to attack us for five reasons. The first is that, through being attacked and fighting back, we should learn to distinguish virtue from sin. The second is that having acquired virtue by struggle and labor we should keep it firm and unalterable. The third, that progressing in virtue we should not think highly of ourselves but learn humility. The fourth, that having experienced in practice the wickedness of sin we should hate it with perfect hatred. Finally, the fifth and most important is that having been freed from the passions we should not forget our weakness and the strength of Him that helped us.

Church | Defense | Faith | God | Land | Nothing | God |

Saint Ambrose, born Aurelius Ambrosius NULL

He is justified from sin to whom all sins are remitted through Baptism.

Church | Judgment | Man | People |

Saint Ambrose, born Aurelius Ambrosius NULL

The conflict between the flesh and the Spirit, because of the sinfulness of man, revolves around his [man’s] nature.

Church | Giving | Heart | Joy | Lord | Peace | Salvation | World |

John Chrysostom, fully Saint John Chrysostom

Even if others make war against us, it is right for us to remain in peace.

Church |

Saint John of Kronstadt, fully John Il’ich Serguiev, aka Holy Father John of the Kronstadt NULL

When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun; also all the angels, your own Guardian Angel, and all the Saints of God. Truly they do; for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. Where the sun is, thither also are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means.

Church | Consciousness | Heart | Lord | Mother |

Saint Thomas Aquinas, aka Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis or Doctor Universalis

The Philosopher [Aristotle] says in Metaphysics VI that good and evil, which are objects of the will, are in things, but truth and error, which are objects of the intellect, are in the mind.

Church | Will |

Saint Vincent de Paul

Things arrange themselves with time. Only God can have everything to His liking; His servants should act as Our Lord did.

Church | Fear | Misfortune | Past | Present | Reason | Misfortune | Blessed |

Sam Ervin, fully Samuel James "Sam" Ervin, Jr.

When I win, I crow softly, if at all; and when I lose, I weep gently, if at all. I do not consider President Nixon's change of mind a surrender to me. I consider it a victory for the constitutional government in America.

Character | Church | Government | Men | Mind | Relationship | Government |

Sam Ervin, fully Samuel James "Sam" Ervin, Jr.

I don't think either one of them would have recognized the Bill of Rights if they met it on the street in broad daylight under a cloudless sky.

Church |

Sam Ervin, fully Samuel James "Sam" Ervin, Jr.

Divine right went out with the American Revolution and doesn't belong to the White House aides. What meat do they eat that makes them grow so great?

Church | Friends |

Sam Ervin, fully Samuel James "Sam" Ervin, Jr.

Government is contemptuous of true religion when it confiscates the taxes of Caesar to finance the things of God.

Aid | Church | Force | Government | Society | Society | Government |