That a religion may be true, it must have knowledge of our nature.

An advocate who has been well paid in advance will find the cause he is pleading all the more just.

That queen, of error, whom we call fancy and opinion, is the more deceitful because she does not always deceive. She would be the infallible rule of truth if she were the infallible rule of falsehood; but being only most frequently in error, she gives no evidence of her real quality, for she marks with the same character both that which is true and that which is false.

It is dangerous to explain too clearly to man how like he is to the animals without pointing out his greatness. It is also dangerous to make too much of his greatness without his vileness. It is still more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both, but it is most valuable to represent both to him. Man must not be allowed to believe that he is equal either to animals or to angels, nor to be unaware of either, but he must know both.

If men knew themselves, God would heal and pardon them.

If man made himself the first object of study, he would see how incapable he is of going further. How can a part know the whole?

Few friendships would survive if each one knew what his friend says of him behind his back.