The care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
“A Letter Concerning Toleration” (1689)
Quotations by:
Locke, John
The actions of men [are] the best interpreters of their thoughts.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
“An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” 1.2.3 (1690)
Possibly if a true estimate were made of the morality and religions of the world, we should find that the far greater part of mankind received even those opinions and ceremonies they would die for, rather from the fashions of their countries and the constant practice of those about them than from any conviction of their reasons.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
“On Education”
The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
(1693)
I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690)
The great principle of morality, “To do as one would be done to,” is more commended than practiced.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 2.2.7 (1690) [ed. Fraser (1894)]
See the Bible, Matthew 7:12.
It is not reasonable to deny the power of an infinite being because we cannot comprehend its operations.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 4.10.19 (1660)
All men are liable to error; and most men are in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 4.20.17 (1690)
There is nobody, in the commonwealth of learning, who does not profess himself a lover of truth, — and there is not a rational creature, that would not take it amiss, to be thought otherwise of. And yet, for all this, one may truly say, there are very few lovers of truth, for truth-sake, even amongst those who persuade themselves that they are so. How a man may know, whether he be so, in earnest, is worth inquiry; and I think, there is this one unerring mark of it, viz. the not entertaining any proposition with greater assurance than the proofs it is built on will warrant. Whoever goes beyond this measure of assent, it is plain, receives not truth in the love of it, loves not truth for truth-sake, but for some other by-end.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 4 “Of Knowledge and Opinion,” ch. 19 “Of Enthusiasm,” sec. 1 “Love of truth necessary” (1689)
(Source)
Earthly minds, like mud walls, resist the strongest batteries: and though, perhaps, sometimes the force of a clear argument may make some impression, yet they nevertheless stand firm, and keep out the enemy, truth, that would captivate or disturb them. Tell a man passionately in love that he is jilted; bring a score of witnesses of the falsehood of his mistress, it is ten to one but three kind words of hers shall invalidate all their testimonies.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 4, ch. 20, “Of Wrong Assent, or Error” (1690)
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. Nobody, therefore, in fine, neither single persons nor churches, nay, nor even commonwealths, have any just title to invade the civil rights and worldly goods of each other upon pretence of religion.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
For whatsoever some people boast of the antiquity of places and names, or of the pomp of their outward worship; others, of the reformation of their discipline; all, of the orthodoxy of their faith — for everyone is orthodox to himself — these things, and all others of this nature, are much rather marks of men striving for power and empire over one another than of the Church of Christ. Let anyone have never so true a claim to all these things, yet if he be destitute of charity, meekness, and good-will in general towards all mankind, even to those that are not Christians, he is certainly yet short of being a true Christian himself.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
http://www.constitution.org/jl/tolerati.htm
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short but full description of a happy state in this world.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693)
Fortitude is the Guard and Support of the other Virtues; and without Courage a Man will scarece keep steady to his Duty, and fill up the Character of a truly worthy Man.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Some Thoughts Concerning Education, #115 (1693)
He that knows how to make those he converses with easy, without debasing himself to low and servile Flattery, has found the true Art of living in the World, and being both welcome and valued everywhere.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Some Thoughts Concerning Education, #143 (1693)
Good and Evil, Reward and Punishment, are the only Motives to a rational Creature: These are the Spur and the Reins whereby all Mankind are set on Work and guided.
John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Some Thoughts Concerning Education, 54 (1693)