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James Wood, comp.  Dictionary of Quotations.  1899.
 
Paley
 
  General infidelity is the hardest soil which the propagators of a new religion can have to work upon.  1
  God has been pleased to prescribe limits to His own power, and to work out His ends within these limits.  2
  I have seldom known any one who deserted truth in trifles that could be trusted in matters of importance.  3
  It is absurd to contend for any sense of words in opposition to usage; for all senses are founded upon usage, and upon nothing else.  4
  It is allowed by the laws of war to deceive an enemy by feints, false colours, spies, false intelligence, or the like; but by no means in treaties, truces, signals of capitulation or surrender.  5
  Lying is a breach of promise; for whoever seriously addresses his discourse to another tacitly promises to speak the truth, because he knows the truth is expected.  6
  Lying may be pernicious in its general tendency, and therefore criminal, though it produce no particular or visible mischief to any one.  7
  Much of the pleasure, and all the benefit of conversation, depends upon our own opinion of the speaker’s veracity.  8
  Nice distinctions are out of the question upon occasions like those of speech, which return every hour.    Upon lying.  9
  The faith of a hearer must be extremely perplexed who considers the speaker, or believes that the speaker considers himself, as under no obligation to adhere to truth, but according to the particular importance of what he relates.  10
  The habit of lying, when once formed, is easily extended to serve the designs of malice or interest; like all habits, it spreads indeed of itself.  11
  The obligation of veracity may be made out from the direct ill consequences of lying to social happiness.  12
  There are falsehoods which are not lies … which is the case in parables, fables, &c…. In such instances no confidence is destroyed, because none was reposed; no promise to speak the truth is violated, because none was given.  13
  White lies always introduce others of a darker complexion.  14
 
 
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