You can and you can't,--You shall and you shan't--You will and
you won't--And you will be damned if you read more

You can and you can't,--You shall and you shan't--You will and
you won't--And you will be damned if you do--And you will be
damned if you don't.

Live to explain thy doctrine by thy life.
- Matthew Prior,

Live to explain thy doctrine by thy life.
- Matthew Prior,

Christianity, with its doctrine of humility, of forgiveness, of love, is incompatible with the state, with its haughtiness, its violence, read more

Christianity, with its doctrine of humility, of forgiveness, of love, is incompatible with the state, with its haughtiness, its violence, its punishment, its wars

For his religion, it was fit
To match his learning and his wit;
'Twas Presbyterian true blue;
read more

For his religion, it was fit
To match his learning and his wit;
'Twas Presbyterian true blue;
For he was of that stubborn crew
Of errant saints, whom all men grant
To be the true Church Militant;
Such as do build their faith upon
The holy text of pike and gun;
Decide all controversies by
Infallible artillery;
And prove their doctrine orthodox,
By Apostolic blows and knocks.

The (Christian) "doctrines" are translations into our concepts and ideas of that which God has already expressed in language more read more

The (Christian) "doctrines" are translations into our concepts and ideas of that which God has already expressed in language more adequate, namely the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection

I think a man's duty is to find out where the truth is, or if he cannot, at least to read more

I think a man's duty is to find out where the truth is, or if he cannot, at least to take the best possible human doctrine and the hardest to disprove, and to ride on this like a raft over the waters of life

There are few minds to which tyranny is not delightful

There are few minds to which tyranny is not delightful

Shall I ask the brave soldier, who fights by my side
In the cause of mankind, if our creeds read more

Shall I ask the brave soldier, who fights by my side
In the cause of mankind, if our creeds agree?
Shall I give up the friend I have valued and tried,
If he kneel not before the same altar with me?
From the heretic girl of my soul should I fly,
To seek somewhere else a more orthodox kiss?
No! perish the hearts, and the laws that try
Truth, valour, or love, by a standard like this!

A doctrine capable of being stated only in obscure and involved terms is open to reasonable suspicion of being either read more

A doctrine capable of being stated only in obscure and involved terms is open to reasonable suspicion of being either crude or erroneous