Incredulity is not wisdom, but the worst kind of folly. It is folly, because it causes ignorance and mistake, with all the consequents of these; and it is very bad, as being accompanied with disingenuity, obstinacy, rudeness, uncharitableness, and the like bad dispositions; from which credulity itself, the other extreme sort of folly, is exempt.

Isaac Barrow

More Quotes by Isaac Barrow
Categorized in : Mistake Ignorance Causes
More Quotes From Isaac Barrow

Nothing of worth or weight can be achieved with half a mind, with a faint heart, and with a lame endeavor.

Isaac Barrow
lame mind heart
The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the wisest m... by Isaac Barrow

The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the wisest men of all ages and all countries.

Isaac Barrow
reading country book

Mathematics - the unshaken Foundation of Sciences, and the plentiful Fountain of Advantage to human affairs.

Isaac Barrow
affair foundation math

It is a fair adornment of a man and a great convenience both to himself and to all those with whom he converses and deals, to act uprightly, uniformly, and consistently. The practice of piety frees a man from interior distraction and from irresolution in his mind, from duplicity or inconstancy in his character, and from confusion in his proceedings, and consequently securing for others freedom from deception and disappointment in their transactions with him.

Isaac Barrow
duplicity disappointment character

He who loveth a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, or an effectual comforter.

Isaac Barrow
faith friendship book

Virtue is not a mushroom, that springeth up of itself in one night when we are asleep, or regard it not; but a delicate plant, that groweth slowly and tenderly, needing much pains to cultivate it, much care to guard it, much time to mature it, in our untoward soil, in this world's unkindly weather.

Isaac Barrow
mushrooms pain night

The fruits of the earth do not more obviously require labor and cultivation to prepare them for our use and subsistence, than our faculties demand instruction and regulation in order to qualify us to become upright and valuable members of society, useful to others, or happy ourselves.

Isaac Barrow
preparation happiness order
Smiling always with a never fading serenity of countenance, and f... by Isaac Barrow

Smiling always with a never fading serenity of countenance, and flourishing in an immortal youth.

Isaac Barrow
fading serenity smile
Upright simplicity is the deepest wisdom, and perverse craft the... by Isaac Barrow

Upright simplicity is the deepest wisdom, and perverse craft the merest shallowness.

Isaac Barrow
shallowness simplicity crafts

Even private persons in due season, with discretion and temper, may reprove others, whom they observe to commit sin, or follow bad courses, out of charitable design, and with hope to reclaim them.

Isaac Barrow
design sin may

It consisteth in one knows not what, and springeth up one can hardly tell how. Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable, being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language.

Isaac Barrow
roving fancy way
Every ear is tickled with the sweet music of applause. by Isaac Barrow

Every ear is tickled with the sweet music of applause.

Isaac Barrow
praise ears sweet

There do remain dispersed in the soil of human nature divers seeds of goodness, of benignity, of ingenuity, which, being cherished, excited, and quickened by good culture, do, by common experience, thrust out flowers very lovely, and yield fruits very pleasant of virtue and goodness.

Isaac Barrow
lovely yield flower

That men should live honestly, quietly, and comfortably together, it is needful that they should live under a sense of God's will, and in awe of the divine power, hoping to please God, and fearing to offend Him, by their behaviour respectively.

Isaac Barrow
fear together men

Shall we keep our hands in our bosom, or stretch ourselves on our beds of laziness, while all the world about us is hard at work, in pursuing the designs of its creation?

Isaac Barrow
design bed hands

Nothing hath wrought more prejudice to religion, or brought more disparagement upon truth, than boisterous and unseasonable zeal.

Isaac Barrow
boisterous zeal prejudice

Chance never writ a legible book; chance never built a fair house; chance never drew a neat picture; it never did any of these things, nor ever will; nor can it be without absurdity supposed able to do them; which yet are works very gross and rude, very easy and feasible, as it were, in comparison to the production of a flower or a tree.

Isaac Barrow
flower house book
Industry has annexed thereto the fairest fruits and the richest r... by Isaac Barrow

Industry has annexed thereto the fairest fruits and the richest rewards.

Isaac Barrow
rewards fruit industry

Mr Newton, a fellow of our College, and very young, being but the second year master of arts; but of an extraordinary genius and proficiency.

Isaac Barrow
college years art

Nature has concatenated our fortunes and affections together with indissoluble bands of mutual sympathy.

Isaac Barrow
band together sympathy