Parents fear the destruction of natural affection in their children. What is this natural principle so liable to decay? Habit is a second nature, which destroys the first. Why is not custom nature? I suspect that this nature itself is but a first custom, as custom is a second nature.

The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost thinking about it.

Habit is a second nature, which destroys the first.

There is a God-shaped vacuum in every heart.

One must have deeper motives and judge everything accordingly, but go on talking like an ordinary person.

We like security: we like the pope to be infallible in matters of faith, and grave doctors to be so in moral questions so that we can feel reassured.

Evil is easily discovered; there is an infinite variety; good is almost unique. But some kinds of evil are almost as difficult to discover as that which we call good; and often particular evil of this class passes for good. It needs even a certain greatness of soul to attain to this, as to that which is good.