Quotes About Virtue

I see a word that hates evil more than it loves good.

Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked man, but a wicked man does evil works.

People must have righteous principals in the first, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions.

It is certainly true that reason is the most important and the highest rank among all things and, in comparison with other things of this life, the best and something divine. It is the inventor and mentor of all the arts, medicines, laws, and of whatever wisdom, power, virtue, and glory men possess in this life.

There is no person on earth so bad that he does not have something about him that is praiseworthy. Why is it, then, that we leave the good out of sight and feast our eyes on the unclean things? It is as though we enjoyed only looking at – if you will pardon the expression – a man's behind.

faith alone makes all other works good, acceptable and worthy

If every man had faith, we would need no more laws, but every one would of himself at all times do good works, as his confidence in God teaches him.

He who sleeps does not sin.

In brief, trust not in any who exalt you, but in those who humiliate you. For this is the judgment of God:

To know Christ is to know goodness and discipline.

The gospel also is not a law book that contains many good teachings, as has been thought in the past. It doesn't tell us to do good works to become virtuous but announces God's grace to us, given freely and without our merit. It tells us how Christ stood as our representative. He paid for our sins and wiped them out so that we can become faithful and blessed through his work.

It never does any good when one knave punishes another without first becoming good himself.

Thus a Christian, being consecrated by his faith, does good works; but he is not by these works made a more sacred person, or more a Christian.

True, then, are these two sayings: "Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works";

For as works do not make a believing man, so neither do they make a justified man; but faith, as it makes a man a believer and justified, so also it makes his works good.

benignus is freundlich, gutig, bonus]

Why do we not put aside such curiosity and cling simply to the words of Christ, willing to remain in ignorance of what takes place here and content that the real body of Christ is present by virtue of the words?72 Or is it necessary to comprehend the manner of the divine working in every detail?

Therefore conquering pride, restraining riotous living, crucifying the flesh, these are great beyond all the power of men.

Hence one should follow the advice of the hermit to whom a youth complained that he rather often experienced imaginations concerned with lusts and other sins and to whom the old man replied: "You cannot prevent the birds from flying over your head. But let them only fly and do not let them build nests in the hair of your head. Let them be thoughts and remain such; but do not let them become conclusions."32

and whatever good Germany has is not the result of her own power, virtue, or wisdom, but has been received from those rejected, despised, and accursed people who are called Christians

For whatever is said against a righteous man is said indirectly against God, who is in the righteous.

True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.

I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.

Mutual Forgiveness of each vice, Such are the Gates of Paradise.' William Blake (1757-1827)