is good proof with a certain class of reasoners, that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true—that divine sovereignty is anti-scriptural,—and christianity a cheat.
— from Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs by John Foxe

By which means, in so great diversity of taste, there is nothing generally agreed on; but every one doth (as far as he dares) whatsoever seemeth good in his own eyes, to the subversion of Common-wealth.
— from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

I cried, slapping the magazine down on the table, “I never read such rubbish in my life.”
— from A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

The rabbis consulted on this weighty point in private sessions, which I attended, having been chosen by a majority of votes as one of the referees; and they thereupon declared in the public session briefly that the doctrine of the Trinity is not contained in the Old Testament, on which account also the Jews did not acknowledge this doctrine.
— from Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ by Aaron Bernstein

For insight into the world, for sustained irony, for depth of thought, there is no Dialogue superior, or perhaps equal to it.
— from Phaedrus by Plato

For, supposing the sun, which some have taken to be a fire, had been lighted up at the same distance of time that it now every day comes about to the same meridian, and then gone out again about twelve hours after, and that in the space of an annual revolution it had sensibly increased in brightness and heat, and so decreased again,—would not such regular appearances serve to measure out the distances of duration to all that could observe it, as well without as with motion?
— from An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1 MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2 by John Locke

1750 In many cruel batayle, out of drede, Of Troilus, this ilke noble knight, As men may in these olde bokes rede, Was sene his knighthod and his grete might.
— from Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Danube, which separated the dominions of the two independent nations, was chosen for the scene of the conference.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes) by Edward Gibbon

Although I believe a discussion of this Treaty is not strictly in order, because it does not come before us immediately as a subject of debate and legislation, but as a piece of information from the Executive, yet I have no doubt but that a thorough discussion of its principles may produce a happy effect; for I believe the more it is understood, the less various will be Our sentiments, the greater the degree of unanimity among ourselves, so much the greater will be the unanimity among our constituents.
— from Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 1 (of 16) by United States. Congress

Thou canst not remain in the Nawab's family without scandal to thy fair name and the Church, and dire offence to the Inquisition; nay, wouldst thou be safe, even then, among the Moors, who little respect even their own women?"
— from A Noble Queen: A Romance of Indian History (Volume 1 of 3) by Meadows Taylor

A full development of the truth is necessary for future success.
— from The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Volume 2 by Jefferson Davis

In many cruel batayle, out of drede, Of Troilus, this ilke noble knight, As men may in these olde bokes rede, Was sene his knighthod and his grete might.
— from Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 (of 7) — Boethius and Troilus by Geoffrey Chaucer

The last imp that left turned round to me as he was going out and said, as if to apologize and appease my determined opposition to them, 'I never said anything against you!'
— from President Heber C. Kimball's Journal Seventh Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints by Heber C. (Heber Chase) Kimball

Questions of great moment now confront America and the world, but there is no Demosthenes to arouse men to the necessity of action, no Cicero to drive out the traitor Injustice, no Patrick Henry to consolidate the forces of Liberty.
— from How to Master the Spoken Word Designed as a Self-Instructor for all who would Excel in the Art of Public Speaking by Edwin Gordon Lawrence

The architectural details of these Russian churches must be pronounced to be bad; for, even making every allowance for difference of taste, there is neither beauty of form nor constructive elegance in any part.
— from A History of Architecture in all Countries, Volume 1, 3rd ed. From the Earliest Times to the Present Day by James Fergusson