Baruch Spinoza

“Blessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself; neither do we rejoice therein, because we control our lusts, but, contrariwise, because we rejoice therein, we are able to control our lusts.”

“The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things.”

“Besides God no substance can be granted or conceived.”

“We have shown that Scripture does not teach philosophy, but merely obedience, and that all it contains has been adapted to the understanding and established opinions of the multitude.”