Ambrose Quotes

modesty, for that is the friend and ally of calmness of mind.

And what else did John have in mind but what is virtuous, so that he could not endure a wicked union even in the king's case, saying: "It is not lawful for thee to have her to wife." He could have been silent, had he not thought it unseemly for himself not to speak the truth for fear of death, or to make the prophetic office yield to the king, or to indulge in flattery. He knew well that he would die as he was against the king, but he preferred virtue to safety. Yet what is more expedient than the suffering which brought glory to the saint.

"When we find ourselves in some grave danger, we must not lose courage but firmly trust in God, for where there is the greatest danger, there is also the greatest help from Him Who wants to be called our "Help" in times of peace and in times of tribulation."

Joshua the son of Nun, who could stay the sun from setting, could not stay the love of money in man from creeping on.

when friendship springs from the fount of good-will it does not hesitate to endure the great dangers of life for a friend.

It is preferable to have a virgin mind than a virgin body. Each is good if each be possible; if it be not possible, let me be chaste, not to man but to God.

If, then, a good marriage is servitude, what is a bad one, when they cannot sanctify, but destroy one another? 70.

since complete piety is to believe rightly, so complete impiety is to believe wrongly.

When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ.

The practice of perfect virtue does not require teaching, but instructs others.

after that those sheep, I say, [ Jeremiah 2: 13 ] had refused the fountain of living water, the dew of moistening faith dried up in the breasts of the Jews, and that divine Fountain turned away its course to the hearts of the Gentiles. Whence it has come to pass that now the whole world is moistened with the dew of faith,

No one heals himself by wounding another.

Sed non solum locum Ecclesiae zelare debemus, sed hanc quoque interiorem in nobis domum Dei; ne sit domus negotiationis, aut spelunca latronum.

Let God alone be sought as the judge of loveliness, Who loves even in less beautiful bodies the more beautiful souls.

there is no loss in the division of spiritual grace; for He Who breathes where He wills [ John 3: 8 ] is everywhere free from loss.