John Bradford, Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins quotes
"There but for the grace of God go [I]."
There is a time to be timid. There is a time to be conciliatory. There is a time, even, to fly and there is a time to fight. And
My strong point, if I have a strong point, is performance. I always do more than I say. I always produce more than I promise.
"There but for the grace of God go [I]."