I am convinced we do not only love ourselves in others but hate ourselves in others too.

The ordinary man is ruined by the flesh lusting against the spirit; the scholar by the spirit lusting too much against the flesh.

The construction of the universe is certainly very much easier to explain than is that of the plant.

If it were true what in the end would be gained? Nothing but another truth. Is this such a mighty advantage? We have enough old truths still to digest, and even these we would be quite unable to endure if we did not sometimes flavor them with lies.

Much reading has brought upon us a learned barbarism.

In the world we live in, one fool makes many fools, but one sage only a few sages.

There were honest people long before there were Christians and there are, God be praised, still honest people where there are no Christians. It could therefore easily be possible that people are Christians because true Christianity corresponds to what they would have been even if Christianity did not exist.