Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

French Divine, Bishop of Condom, Orator, Philosopher, Historian and Supporter of Absolutist Government

"If justice prevails, good faith is found in treaties, truth in transaction, order in government, the earth is at peace, and heaven itself sheds overus its beneficent light and radiates down to us its blessed influence."

"He produces not only our choice, but also the very freedom that is in our chance... In order to understand that God creates our free will in us, we must understand only that He wills us to be free. But He will not only that we should be free in power, but that we should be free in its exercise."

"To know one's self, one must go all the way to horror."

"The worst derangement of the spirit is to believe things because we want them to be so, not because we have seen them for what they are."

"Without this absolute authority the king could neither do good nor repress evil. It is necessary that his power be such that no one can hope to escape him."

"Every error is truth abused. "

"Honor is like the eye, which cannot suffer the least impurity without damage. It is a precious stone, the price of which is lessened by a single flaw."

"Readiness for death is that of character, rather than occupation. It is right living which prepares for safe or even joyous dying. O death! We thank thee for the light thou wilt shed upon our ignorance. "

"To guard the mind against the temptation of thinking that there are no good people, say to them: “Be such as you would like to see others, and you will find those who resemble you.”"

"The heart has reasons that reason does not understand. "

"The spirit of the world has four kinds of spirits diametrically opposed to charity - resentment, aversion, jealousy, and indifference. "