John Locke Quotes

Those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of God. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist. The taking away of God, though but even in thought, dissolves all.

Where all is but dream, reasoning and arguments are of no use, truth and knowledge nothing.

That any man should think fit to cause another man, whose salvation he heartily desires, to expire in torments, and that even in an unconverted estate, would, I confess, seem very strange to me, and, I think, to any other also. But nobody, surely, will ever believe that such a carriage can proceed from charity, love, or good-will. If any one maintain that men ought to be compelled by fire and sword to profess certain doctrines, and confirm to this or that exterior worship, without any regard had unto their morals; if any one endeavour to convert those that are erroneous unto the faith, by forcing them to profess things that they do not believe, and allowing them to practice things that the Gospel does not permit; it cannot be doubted indeed that such a one is desirous to have a numerous assembly joined in the same profession with himself; but that he principally intends by those means to compose a truly Christian church, is altogether incredible.

If the Gospel and the Apostles may be credited, no man can be a Christian without charity, and without that faith which works, not by force, but by love.

If any man err from the right way, it is his own misfortune, no injury to thee; nor therefore art thou to punish him in the things of this life because thou supposest he will be miserable in that which is to come.

You shall find, that there cannot be a greater spur to the attaining what you would have the eldest learn, and know himself, than to set him upon teaching it his younger brothers and sisters.

We are born to be, if we please, rational creatures, but it is use and exercise only that makes us so.

We are all a sort of chameleons, that still take a tincture from things near us.

Virtue is harder to be got, than knowledge of the world; and, if lost in a young man, is seldom recovered.

There are a thousand ways to Wealth, but only one way to Heaven.

One unerring mark of it, viz., the not entertaining any proposition with greater assurance than the proofs it is built upon will warrant.[about love of truth]

No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.