“The feelings of our heart, the agitation of our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher to a mere plebeian.”

A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.

If subjects must never resist, it follows that every prince, without any effort, policy, or violence, is at once rendered absolute and uncontrollable.

All knowledge degenerates into probability.

no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavors to establish.

The Crusades – the most signal and most durable monument of human folly that has yet appeared in any age or nation.

Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.

Men’s views of things are the result of their understanding alone. Their conduct is regulated by their understanding, their temper, and their passions.

There is nothing to be learnt from a Professor, which is not to be met with in Books.

It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.

It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.

Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.

But the life of a man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.

To be a philosophical Sceptic is the first and most essential step towards being a sound, believing Christian.

The truth springs from arguments amongst friends.

When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.

Any pride or haughtiness, is displeasing to us, merely because it shocks our own pride, and leads us by sympathy into comparison, which causes the disagreeable passion of humility.

Four sweet lips, two pure souls, and one undying affection, – these are love’s pretty ingredients for a kiss.

It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.

We give our best affections to the beautiful, only our second best to the useful.

We need truth to grow in the same way that we need vitamins, affection and love.

A woman gets angry when a man denies his faults, because she knew them all along. His lying mocks her affection; it is the deceit that angers her more than the faults.

Look to the cross, think of the cross, meditate on the cross, and then go and set your affections on the world if you can.

The three things you can offer your children to change them: attention, appreciation and affection.

I can honestly say that I was never affected by the question of the success of an undertaking. If I felt it was the right thing to do, I was for it regardless of the possible outcome.