It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist, caused it to crumble. One generation of man at the most was the limit of its endurance. The faith of the first Christian generation is intelligible, but the faith of the second generation is no longer so. After the death of John, or of the last survivor, whoever he might be, of the group which had seen the master, the word of Jesus was convicted of falsehood.

The only way of salvation for the world is by returning to thy allegiance.... Firm in my faith, I shall have force to withstand my evil counsellors, my skepticism, which leads me to doubt of the people, my restless spirit which, after truth has been brought to light, impels to go on searching for it.

To be able to think freely, a man must be certain that no consequence will follow whatever he writes.

A grain of sand leads to the fall of a mountain when the moment has come for the mountain to fall.

All history is incomprehensible without Christ.

The liberty of the individual is a necessary postulate of human progress.

He whom God has touched will always be a being apart: he is, whatever he may do, a stranger among men; he is marked by a sign.