Small amounts of philosophy lead to atheism, but larger amounts bring us back to God.
Truth is a good dog but always beware of barking too close to the heels of an error, lest you get your brains kicked out.
A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
Life, an age to the miserable, and a moment to the happy.
The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.
The momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or evil.
Wives are young men's mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men's nurses.
He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.
A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.
God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.
The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses.
Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more a man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.
God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave.
But men must know, that in this theatre of man's life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on.
Age appears to be best in four things old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
If a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics.
Many a man's strength is in opposition, and when he faileth, he grows out of use.
God's first creature, which was light.
Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.
I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.
God hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wires.
Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other.
Studies perfect nature and are perfected still by experience.
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils for time is the greatest innovator.
Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible.
Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished.
By indignities men come to dignities.
Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education in the elder, a part of experience.
Who ever is out of patience is out of possession of their soul.
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.
Acorns were good until bread was found.
Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried, or childless men.
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not a sense of humor to console him for what he is.
Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
The subtlety of nature is greater many times over than the subtlety of the senses and understanding.
Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite.
Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.
Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.
A bachelor's life is a fine breakfast, a flat lunch, and a miserable dinner.
Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes adversity not without many comforts and hopes.
Next to religion, let your care be to promote justice.
Friends are thieves of time.
We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.
Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.
What is truth? said jesting Pilate and would not stay for an answer.
A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.
It is a strange desire, to seek power, and to lose liberty or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man's self.
He that hath knowledge spareth his words.
I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death.
Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.
Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom.
Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
Money is like manure, of very little use except it be spread.
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.