To tell the truth is useful to those to whom it is spoken, but disadvantageous to those who tell it, because it makes them disliked. - Blaise Pascal

They prefer death to peace, others prefer death to war.
Any opinion can be preferred to life, which it seems so natural to love dearly.

There are two ways of persuading men of the truths of our religion; one by the power of reason, the other by the authority of the speaker.
We do not use the latter but the former. We do not say: 'You must believe that because Scripture, which says it, is divine,' but we say that it must be believed for such and such a reason. But these are feeble arguments, because reason can be bent in any direction.

People often mistake their imagination for their heart, & so often are convinced they are converted as soon as they start thinking of becoming converted.