University Of Cambridge Alumni

"... to live after the law of God, and to lead a virtuous conversation, is the greatest praise that thou canst give unto his doctrine."

"... so to love it [the Bible], so to cleave unto it, and so to follow it in thy daily conversation, that other men seeing thy good works and the fruits of the holy ghost in thee, may praise the father of heaven, ..."

"The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning."

"... God not only punisheth the wicked, but proveth and trieth the just and righteous (howbeit there is no man innocent in his sight) by diverse troubles in this life, declaring thereby, that they are not his bastards, but his dear sons, and that he loveth them."

"Female friendships are built on knowing about the minutiae, and just like news, they require your presence."

"So I didn't say anything, and for years continued to have a perfectly professional and often productive (in story terms) working relationship with Sex Kitten Man. And he rose into cabinet, where eventually his career imploded over an entirely unrelated error of judgment. Well, I say unrelated; a man who once did something slightly stupid went on to do something much more stupid."

"But the reason I'm not naming Sex Kitten Man either is that making this about any one particular idiot risks letting all the other idiots off the hook. For the point is it could have been any idiot."

"I grew up a somewhere. Now I am an anywhere. Sometimes that disconnect gives me a rootless feeling: an odd vertigo I can't quite nail down. There is, of course, another phrase for it: liberal metropolitan elite. Nobody who has heard the vicious punishments an Ivers government would hand out to people who drive motorbikes without silencers would describe me as liberal. And I suspect actual elites have functioning kettles."

"[P]opulists offering easy answers hate nothing more than the long, boring, mercilessly exposing business of trying to put them into practice. If the biggest risk to Reform is being shut out of power, then the second biggest might be winning it."

"It's not that we're necessarily desperate to get into your club. It's more that we learned the hard way to be suspicious of men who want to keep us out."

"It is hard to be a conspiracy theorist as a political journalist. Spend enough time staring into the heart of the institutions that run this country, and talking to the people who run those institutions, and the idea that any of them would be capable of pulling off an elaborate masterplan of the type espoused by the crankier parts of the internet becomes laughable."

"The opening scene of Breathtaking, in which fictional consultant Abbey Henderson discovers that a mask meant to protect her from a deadly virus doesn’t fit because it was shaped for male jaws, meanwhile almost uncannily echoes the evidence given by senior civil servant Helen MacNamara to the Covid inquiry last year about how hard it was to get the problems women were experiencing with PPE taken seriously in Whitehall."

"When men wonder why women won't just let them have their cosy little clubs in peace, one answer is that we fear the mentality those cosy little clubs can sometimes produce."

"[A]ll the wrong people are in the spotlight. We have spent too long demanding that famous faces justify what they earn, rather than asking their anonymous managers to justify what they pay. It's not enough for salaries to be transparent if the assumptions underpinning them are shrouded in mystery. For if nobody will tell you the rules of the game, then it's impossible to know if somebody somewhere is cheating."

"... when thou readest scripture, be wise and circumspect: ..."

"... take these words of Scripture into thy heart, and be not only an outward hearer, but a doer thereafter, and practice thyself therein, that thou mayest feel in thine heart, the sweet promises thereof for thy consolation in all trouble, and for the sure establishing of thy hope in Christ, ..."

"And above all things fashion thy life and conversation according to the doctrine of the holy ghost therein, that thou mayest be partaker of the good promises of God in the Bible, and be heir of his blessing in Christ."

"If thou be a preacher, and hast the oversight of the flock of Christ, awake and feed Christ's sheep with a good heart ..."

"... defend the faith, yea even the true faith of Christ, not dreams, not fables, not heresy, not papistical inventions, but the uncorrupted faith of God’s most holy word, ..."

"For as false doctrine is the original cause of all evil plagues and destruction, so is the true executing of the law of God and the preaching of the same, the mother of all godly prosperity."

"... the scripture of God teacheth us every thing sufficiently, both what we ought to do, and what we ought to leave undone; whom we are bound to obey, and whom we should not obey; therefore (I say) it causeth all prosperity, and setteth every thing in frame; ..."

"Christ was the true prophet, the true Messiah, and the only true Saviour of the world, sent of his heavenly father to suffer the most cruel, most shameful, and most necessary death for our redemption: according to the meaning of the prophesy truly understood."

"For the ungodly talie and ymagin thus amonge themselves (but not right:) The tyme of oure life is but short and tedious, and when a man is once gone, he hath nomore joye ner pleasure, nether knowe we eny man that turneth agayne from death: for we are borne of naught, and we shal be herafter as though we had never bene. For oure breth is as a smoke in oure nostrels, and the wordes as a sparck to move oure herte. As for oure body, it shalbe very asshes that are quenched, and oure soule shal vanish as the soft ayre. Oure life shall passe awaye as the trace of a cloude, and come to naught as the myst that is dryven awaye with the beames of the Sonne, and put downe with the heate therof. Oure name also shalbe forgotten by litle and litle, and no man shal have oure workes in remembraunce.For oure tyme is a very shadow that passeth awaye, and after oure ende there is no returnynge, for it is fast sealed, so that no man commeth agayne. Come on therfore, let us enjoye the pleasures that there are, and let us soone use the creature like as in youth. We wil fyll oure selves with good wyne and oyntment, there shal no floure of the tyme go by us. We wil crowne oure selves with roses afore they be wythered. There shal be no fayre medowe, but oure lust shal go thorow it. Let every one of you be partaker of oure volupteousnes. Let us leave some token of oure pleasure in every place, for that is oure porcion, els gett we nothinge. ...Soch thinges do the ungodly ymagin, and go astraye, for their owne wickednes hath blynded them. As for the misteries of God, they understonde them not : they nether hope for the rewarde of righteousnesse, ner regarde the worshipe that holy soules shall have. For God created man to be undestroied, yee after the ymage of his awne licknesse made he him. Neverthelesse thorow envye of the devell came death in to the worlde, and they that holde of his syde, do as he doth.But the soules of the righteous are in the hande of God, and the payne of death shal not touch them. In the sight of the unwyse they appeare to dye, and their ende is taken for very destruccion. The waye of the righteous is judged to be utter destruccion, but they are in rest. And though they suffre payne before men, yet is their hope full of immortalite."

"... seeing that light is come into the world, love no more the works of darkness, receive not the grace of God in vain."

"... the word of God is the only truth that driveth awaye all lies, and discloseth all Juggling and deceit, ..."

"A serpent threaded through the shell of a turtle."

"What you write of Archbishop Grindall's Life was very agreeable. I shall heartily subscribe to it: for it often grieved me that the memory of so venerable and pious a Reformer should be so unworthily reflected upon. The hastening the publication is the best effect that Dr. Sacheverell's heat has produced."

"He was of a mild and moderate Temper, easy of Access, and affable even in his highest Exaltation. He is blamed by some for his gentle Usage of the Puritans, though he used them worse than he would have done if he had been left to himself. About a Year or two after his Exaltation to the See of Canterbury he lost the Queen's Favour on the Account of the Prophesyings, and was suspended for some Years, during which Time many Puritan Ministers took shelter in the Counties of Kent and Surrey."

"And surely they were moderate Divines indeed, neither hot nor cold; and Grindall the best of them, afterwards Arch-Bishop of Canterbury lost favour in the Court, and I think was discharg'd the goverment of his See for favouring the Ministers."

"Camden calls him a religious and grave Divine. Hollingshead says he was so studious, that his Book was his Bride, and his Study his Bride-Chamber, in which he spent his Eye-sight, his Strength and his Health. He was certainly a learned and venerable Prelate, and had a high Esteem for the Name and Doctrines of Calvin, with whom, and with the German Divines, he held a constant Correspondence. His high Stations did not make him proud; but if we may believe his Successor in the See of York, Archbishop Sandys, he must be tainted with Avarice (as most of the Queen's Bishops were) because within 2 Months after he was translated to Canterbury, he gave to his Kinsmen and Servants, and sold for round Sums of Money to himself, fix score Leases and Patents, even then when they were thought not to be good in Law. But upon the whole, he was one of the best of Queen Elizabeths Bishops."

"Edmund Grindall next enjoying this See, a grave and pious man, and a fugitive in Queene Maries raigne, stood highly in Queene Elizabeths favour for a long time: till by the cunning devises of some, who accused him as a favourer of the Puritans, Conventicles, and prophecying (which he justified in a particular treatise which I have seene, dedicated to the Queene, and subscribed by all his suffragans) hee utterly lost the same; being thereupon suspended from his Bishopricke and so dyed suspended."

"Have They not ever since their [the Dissenters] first Unhappy Plantation in this Kingdom, by the Intercession of That False Son of the Church, Bishop Grindhall, always Improv'd, and Rise upon their Demands in the Permission of the Government? Insomuch that Queen Elizabeth was Deluded by that Perfidious Prelate to the Toleration of the Genevian Discipline, found it such an Headstrong, and Encroaching Monster, that in Eight Years, She foresaw it would Endanger the Monarchy, as well as the Hierarchy."

"If her Majesty will be safe, she must comfort the hearts of those that be her most faithful subjects even for conscience sake. But if the Archbishop of Canterbury [Grindal] shall he deprived, then up starts the pride and practice of the Papists, and down declines the comfort and strength of her Majesty's safety. And then King Richard the Second's men will flock in Court apace, and will shew themselves in their colours. From the which company the Lord bless her Majesty."

"I cannot as yet write of the state of this country [the Province of York], as of mine own knowledge; but I am informed that the greatest part of our gentlemen are not well affected to godly religion, and that among the people there are many remanents of the old. They keep holy days and fasts abrogated: they offer money, eggs, &c. at the burial of their dead: they pray on beads, &c.: so as this seemeth to be, as it were, another church, rather than a member of the rest. And for the little experience I have of this people, methinketh I see in them three evil qualities; which are, great ignorance, much dulness to conceive better instructions, and great stiffness to retain their wonted errors. I will labour, as much as I can, to cure every of these, committing the success to God."

"The prophet Ezechiel termeth us, ministers of the church, speculatores [watchmen], and not adulatores [flatterers]. If we see the sword coming by reason of any offence towards God, we must of necessity give warning, or else the blood of those that perish will be required at our hands."

"Public and continual preaching of God's word is the ordinary mean and instrument of the salvation of mankind. St Paul calleth it the ministry of reconciliation of man unto God. By preaching of God's word the glory of God is enlarged, faith is nourished, and charity increased. By it the ignorant is instructed, the negligent exhorted and incited, the stubborn rebuked, the weak conscience comforted, and to all those that sin of malicious wickedness the wrath of God is threatened. By preaching also due obedience to Christian princes and magistrates is planted in the hearts of subjects: for obedience proceedeth of conscience; conscience is grounded upon the word of God; the word of God worketh his effect by preaching. So as generally, where preaching wanteth, obedience faileth."

"We know who you are: you are a lawyer, not a lance corporal. Stop trying to pretend you know one end of a bazooka from another. By the way, there is no point in wearing camouflage indoors, either. It is there to help make you blend into the grass and bushes, not concrete."

"You have to believe so strongly in what you are doing, to be so dedicated to it that you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices."

"Draw inspiration and courage from you own dreams and passions and never slack on them."

"There were so many friends who laughed when they heard about the bamboo bike idea. Some people will definitely discourage you, but one thing I've realised in life is that you have to be focused. People never understand your journey because it is not theirs to understand."

"I am very well assured, both by reasons and arguments taken out of the holy scriptures, and by experience, (the most certain seal of sure knowledge,) that the said exercises, for the interpretation and exposition of the scriptures, and for exhortation and comfort drawn out of the same, are both profitable to increase knowledge among the ministers, and tendeth to the edifying of the hearers,—I am forced, with all humility, and yet plainly, to profess, that I cannot with safe conscience, and without the offence of the majesty of God, give my assent to the suppressing of the said exercises... Bear with me, I beseech you, Madam, if I choose rather to offend your earthly majesty, than to offend the heavenly majesty of God."

"In God's matters all princes ought to bow their sceptres to the Son of God, and to ask counsel at his mouth, what they ought to do. David exhorteth all kings and rulers to serve God with fear and trembling. Remember, Madam, that you are a mortal creature... And although ye are a mighty prince, yet remember that He which dwelleth in heaven is mightier."

"Read that excellent Letter of Edmond Grindal Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to Q. Elizabeth, for Ministerial meetings and exercises (such Bishops would have prevented our contentions and wars)."

"[[w:Alexander Lebedev|[Alexander] Lebedev]] may not require profits. He may be willing to subsidise quality newspapers in return for the voice in national affairs they offer. If that is his ambition, he will be embracing a tradition that has endured throughout the democratic era. 19th- and early 20th-century examples of subsidy by political parties and departments of state suggest that subsidy by wealthy individuals may harm democracy less than subsidy by the state. A durable alternative to market distortion by oligarchs could only be achieved through restrictive laws on media ownership. Such laws rarely protect freedom and, even at this time of unprecedented chaos and despondency in the news industry, such legislation should not be conceived in haste."

"Rod Liddle will not be editor of The Independent. The screechingly intolerant campaign of hostility directed against him by metropolitan critics has done its job. They call themselves liberals. If they are right then the word has come to have as little meaning as its common counterpart "progressive"."

"Now a newspaper innovation has been launched that can help the free world's news industry to recover the prosperity it first achieved under Queen Victoria. Johnston Press, Britain's most prolific newspaper publisher with 286 titles, will place the online content of six of its local titles behind paywalls."

"It [Johnston Press] is leading a change that must happen. People who care about democracy must hope it happens fast. We have not attempted political freedom without well-funded, intelligent journalism, but we can assume that it would not be pretty. When accurate reporting dies it is usually replaced by gossip, prejudice and bigotry."

"[On the future of The Independent] With care, investment and innovation it might just thrive in the new media economy, particularly if a free distribution model covering all of Britain's major cities can be achieved."

"A healthy democracy needs professional journalists to report accurately on public affairs, to find out things the powerful want to hide and to expose wrongdoing. These duties have been performed by journalists throughout the era of universal suffrage and in every country in which liberty flourishes. People who deride this claim as idealistic naïvety are enemies of parliamentary democracy. Its supporters must learn to appreciate that good journalism is worth paying for."

"Victorian liberals who campaigned for a free press and educated people to read it believed that newspapers should prepare Britons to participate in democracy. The new voters repudiated this patronising view. They were not content to read accounts of parliamentary debates and analyses of British diplomatic endeavour. They wanted fun too. Crime and scandal provided it."