Robert South (1634–1716) was an English theologian and preacher. He was known for his vigorous preaching and his Latin poetry.
Born in Hackney, London, South was educated at Westminster and Christ Church-Oxford. He accepted Presbyterianism for a time, but he received orders in secret in 1658 and, was appointed public orator of Oxford in 1660. His sermons, which are full of contempt of the Puritans, roused the reinstated royalists.
South became a family chaplain to Edward, 1st Earl Clarendon, prebendary of Westminster (1663,) canon of Christ Church (1670,) and rector at Islip (1678,) but his bluntness limited further preferment. He acquiesced in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 but strongly opposed the Comprehension of dissenters’ scheme in 1689.
South published a large number of sermons, and they appeared in a collected form in 1692 in six volumes, reaching a second edition in his lifetime in 1715. His Sermons on Several Occasions was published in 1878.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Robert South
War, even in the best state of an army, with all the alleviations of courtesy and honor, with all the correctives of morality and religion, is nevertheless so great an evil, that to engage in it without a clear necessity is a crime of the blackest dye. When the necessity is clear, it then becomes a crime to shrink from it.
—Robert South
Topics: War
Nothing is comparable to the pleasure of an active and prevailing thought—a thought prevailing over the difficulty and obscurity of the object, and refreshing the soul with new discoveries and images of things; and thereby extending the bounds of apprehension, and as it were enlarging the territories of reason.
—Robert South
Topics: Thought
Repentance hath a purifying power, and every tear is of a cleansing virtue; but these penitential clouds must be still kept dropping; one shower will not suffice; for repentance is not one single action but a course.
—Robert South
Topics: Tears, Repentance
Wonder is from surprise, and surprise stops with experience.
—Robert South
Topics: Knowledge, Wonder
Seldom shall we see in cities, courts, and rich families, where men live plentifully, and eat and drink freely, that perfect health and athletic soundness and vigor of constitution which are commonly seen in the country, where nature is the cook, and necessity the caterer, and where they have no other doctor but the sun and fresh air.
—Robert South
Topics: Health
He that is a good man is three-quarters of his way toward the being a good Christian, wheresoever he lives, or whatsoever he is called.
—Robert South
Topics: Goodness, Religion
I know no blessing so small as to be reasonably expected without prayer, nor any so great but may be attained by it.
—Robert South
Topics: Prayer
The true one of youth’s love, proving a faithful help-meet in those years when the dream of life is over, and we live in its realities.
—Robert South
Topics: Love
Abstinence is the great strengthener and clearer of reason.
—Robert South
Live as long as you may, the first twenty years are the longest half of your life.
—Robert South
Topics: Age, Birthdays
The covetous person lives as if the world were made altogether for him, and not he for the world; to take in everything and part with nothing.
—Robert South
He that governs well, leads the blind; put he that teaches, gives him eyes; and it is glorious to be a sub-worker to grace, in freeing it from some of the inconveniences of original sin.
—Robert South
Topics: Teaching
Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state.—As the beams to a house, as the bones to the body, so is order to all things.
—Robert South
Topics: Organization, Order
There is no security in a good disposition if the support of good principles, that is to say, of religion—of Christian faith, be wanting.—It may be soured by misfortune, corrupted by wealth, blighted by neediness, and lose all its original brightness, if destitute of that support.
—Robert South
While actions are always to be judged by the immutable standard of right and wrong, the judgments we pass upon men must be qualified by considerations of age, country, station, and other accidental circumstances; and it will then be found that he who is most charitable in his judgment is generally the least unjust.
—Robert South
Topics: Charity, Judgment
He that despairs measures Providence by his own little contracted model and limits infinite power to finite apprehensions.
—Robert South
Topics: Despair
The march of intellect is proceeding at quick time; and if its progress be not accompanied by a corresponding improvement in morals and religion, the faster it proceeds, with the more violence will you be hurried down the road to ruin.
—Robert South
Topics: Intelligence
Truth makes the face of that person shine who speaks and owns it.
—Robert South
Topics: Face
All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.
—Robert South
Topics: Deception/Lying, Deception, Deceit
Jeer not at others upon any occasion. If they be foolish, God hath denied them understanding; if they be vicious, you ought to pity, not revile them; if deformed, God framed their bodies; and will you scorn his workmanship? Are you wiser than your Creator? If poor, poverty was designed for a motive to charity, not to contempt; you cannot see what riches they have within.
—Robert South
Innocence is like polished armor; it adorns and defends.
—Robert South
Topics: Innocence
Speech was given to the ordinary sort of men, whereby to communicate their mind; but to wise men, whereby to conceal it.
—Robert South
Topics: Speech
How black and base a vice ingratitude is, may be seen in those vices with which it is always in combination, pride and hard-heartedness, or want of compassion.
—Robert South
Topics: Ingratitude
No man’s religion ever survives his morals.
—Robert South
Topics: Religion
There are three things that ought to be considered before some things are spoken,—the manner, the place, and the time.
—Robert South
Topics: Speaking, Speech
Prodigality is the devil’s steward and purse-bearer, ministering to all sorts of vice; and it is hard, if not impossible, for a prodigal person to be guilty of no other vice but prodigality. For men generally are prodigal because they are first intemperate, luxurious, or ambitious. And these, we know, are vices too costly to be kept and maintained at an easy rate; they must have large pensions, and be fed with both hands, though the man that feeds them starves for his pains.
—Robert South
Affliction is not sent in vain from the good God who chastens those that he loves.
—Robert South
Topics: Justice, Trials
Contempt naturally implies a man’s esteeming himself greater than the person whom he contemns.—He, therefore, that slights and contemns an affront, is properly superior to it.—Socrates, being kicked by an ass, did not think it a revenge proper for him to kick the ass again.
—Robert South
The mind of a proud man is like a mushroom, which starts up in a night: his business is first to forget himself, and then his friends.
—Robert South
Topics: Pride
The creator made us to be the image of his own eternity, and in the desire for immortality we feel we have sure proof of our capacity for it.
—Robert South
Topics: Immortality
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