Neither human applause nor human censure is to be taken as the best of truth; but either should set us upon testing ourselves.

Unless people can be kept in the dark, it is best for those who love the truth to give them the full light.

As one may bring himself to believe almost anything he is inclined to believe, it makes all the difference whether we begin or end with the inquiry, 'What is truth?'

Some persons resemble certain trees, such as the nut, which flowers in February and ripens its fruit in September; or the juniper and the arbutus; which take a whole year or more to perfect their fruit; and others, the cherry, which takes between two an three months.

Even supposing there were some spiritual advantage in celibacy, it ought to be completely voluntary.

The heathen mythology not only was not true, but was not even supported as true; it not only deserved no faith, but it demanded none. The very pretension to truth, the very demand of faith, were characteristic distinctions of Christianity.

In our judgment of human transactions, the law of optics is reversed, we see most dimly the objects which are close around us.