William Ellery Channing Quotes

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Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.

William Ellery Channing

Inspirational, God, Stay Strong

William Ellery Channing (1839). “Self-culture: An address introductory to the Franklin lectures, delivered at Boston, September, 1838”, p.42

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To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common - this is my symphony.

William Ellery Channing

Inspirational, Life, Happiness

William Ellery Channing, “My Symphony”

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May your life preach more loudly than your lips.

William Ellery Channing

I Hate You, May, Lips

William Ellery Channing, George Channing (1849). “(398 p.)”, p.101

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Every human being is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do.

William Ellery Channing

Inspiring, Character, Breathtaking

William Ellery Channing (1835). “The works of Wm. Ellery Channing ...”, p.285

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The spirit of liberty is not merely, as multitudes imagine, a jealousy of our own particular rights, but a respect for the rights of others, and an unwillingness that any man, whether high or low, should be wronged and trampled under foot.

William Ellery Channing

Men, Rights, Feet

William Ellery Channing (1852). “The Works of William Ellery Channing”, p.283

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Be true to your own highest convictions.

William Ellery Channing

Conviction, Being True, Highest

William Ellery CHANNING (1839). “Self-Culture. An address introductory to the Franklin lectures, delivered at Boston. 1838”, p.18

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One of the tremendous evils of the world, is the monstrous accumulation of power in a few hands.

William Ellery Channing

Hands, Evil, World

William Ellery Channing, George Channing (1849). “(XXX, 387 p.)”, p.22

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It is not the quantity but the quality of knowledge which determines the mind's dignity.

William Ellery Channing

Inspirational, Learning, Knowledge

William Ellery Channing (1840). “Lectures on the elevation of the labouring portion of the community”, p.25

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Whatever you may suffer, speak the truth. Be worthy of the entire confidence of your associates. Consider what is right as to what must be done. It is not necessary that you should keep your property, or even your life, but it is necessary that you should hold fast your integrity.

William Ellery Channing

Integrity, Suffering, Done

William Ellery Channing, William Henry Channing (1860). “Memoir of William Ellery Channing, with extracts from his correspondence and manuscripts ...”, p.424

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Mistakes and errors are the discipline through which we advance.

William Ellery Channing

Mistake, Errors, Discipline

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Nothing which has entered into our experience is ever lost.

William Ellery Channing

Lost

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God be thanked for books; they are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us heirs of the spiritual life of past ages.

William Ellery Channing

God, Spiritual, Reading

William Ellery Channing (1839). “Self-culture: An address introductory to the Franklin lectures, delivered at Boston, September, 1838”, p.22

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The world is to be carried forward by truth, which at first offends, which wins its way by degrees, which the many hate and would rejoice to crush.

William Ellery Channing

Crush, Hate, Winning

William Ellery Channing, George Channing (1849). “(411 p.)”, p.161

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Great effort from great motives is the best definition of a happy life

William Ellery Channing

Inspirational, Happiness, Motivation

William Ellery Channing, George Channing (1849). “(411 p.)”, p.88

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I call that mind free which protects itself against the usurpations of society, and which does not cower to human opinion: Which refuses to be the slave or tool of the many or of the few, and guards its empire over itself as nobler than the empire of the world.

William Ellery Channing

Mind, Doe, Tools

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To give a generous hope to a man of his own nature, is to enrich him immeasurably.

William Ellery Channing

Hope, Nature, Men

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No power in society, no hardship in your condition can depress you, keep you down, in knowledge, power, virtue, influence, but by your own consent.

William Ellery Channing

Confidence, Depressing, Attitude

"Self-Culture" (address), Boston, Mass., Sept. 1838

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It has often been observed, that those who have the most time at their disposal profit by it the least. A single hour a day, steadily given to the study of some interesting subject, brings unexpected accumulations of knowledge.

William Ellery Channing

Interesting, Unexpected, Study

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The cry has been that when war is declared, all opposition should be hushed. A sentiment more unworthy of a free country could hardly be propagated.

William Ellery Channing

Country, Peace, War

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Love is the life of the soul. It is the harmony of the universe.

William Ellery Channing

Sweet, Love Is, Romance

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It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours.

William Ellery Channing

Book, Men, Giving

William Ellery Channing (1839). “Self-culture: An address introductory to the Franklin lectures, delivered at Boston, September, 1838”, p.22

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God deliver us all from prejudice and unkindness, and fill us with the love of truth and virtue.

William Ellery Channing

Prejudice, Virtue, Unkindness

William Ellery Channing (1836). “A discourse on same of the distinguishing opinions of Unitarians, delivered at Baltimore in 1819. ...”, p.4

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Health is the working man's fortune, and he ought to watch over it more than the capitalist over his largest investments. Health lightens the efforts of body and mind. It enables a man to crowd much work into a narrow compass. Without it, little can be earned, and that little by slow, exhausting toil.

William Ellery Channing

Men, Compassion, Effort

William Ellery Channing (1849). “Lectures [on the elevation of the working classes] with selections from his writings”, p.68

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Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance.

William Ellery Channing

Ignorance, Knowledge, Fate

William Ellery Channing (1843). “The Works of William E. Channing”, p.160

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All virtue lies in individual action, in inward energy, in self determination. There is no moral worth in being swept away by a crowd even toward the best objective.

William Ellery Channing

Determination, Lying, Self

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Born: April 7, 1780
Died: October 2, 1842
Occupation: Preacher
Cite this Page: Citation

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