People who have read a good deal rarely make great discoveries. I do not say this in excuse of laziness, but because invention presupposes an extensive independent contemplation of things.

In every man there is something of all men.

Do not say hypothesis, and even less theory: say way of thinking.

The highest point to which a weak but experienced mind can rise is detecting the weakness of better men.

A good part of the fame of most celebrated men is due to the shortsightedness of their admirers

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.

Even truth needs to be clad in new garments if it is to appeal to a new age.