Date: 1686, 1689, 1697

"What Struglings and Conflicts are there betwixt the Animal Inclinations, and the more masculine Dictates of Reason?"

— Nourse, Timothy (c.1636–1699)

Date: 1690, 1694, 1695, 1700, 1706

"Earthly minds, like mud-walls, resist the strongest batteries: And though perhaps sometimes the force of a clear argument may make some impression, yet they nevertheless stand firm, and keep out the enemy truth, that would captivate or disturb them."

— Locke, John (1632-1704)

Date: 1690, 1694, 1695, 1700, 1706

"Syllogism, at best, is but the Art of fencing with the little Knowledge we have, without making any Addition to it: And if a Man should employ his Reason all this way, he will not doe much otherwise than he, who having got some Iron out of the Bowels of the Earth, should have it beaten up all in...

— Locke, John (1632-1704)

Date: 1691

"First, for Use; So we see the Senses of such eminent Use for our well-being, situate in the Head, as Sentinels in a Watch-Tower, to receive and conveigh to the Soul the impressions of external Objects"

— Ray [formerly Wray], John (1627–1705)

Date: 1691

"Fourthly, We arm and defend our Bodies. And our Souls have as much need of Armour as they: For the Life of a Christian is a continual Warfare; and we have potent and vigilant Enemies to encounter withal; the Devil, the World, and this corrupt Flesh we carry about with us."

— Ray [formerly Wray], John (1627–1705)

Date: 1694, 1704

"If we give way to our Passions, we do but gratify our selves for the present, in order to our future disquiet; but if we resist and conquer them, we lay the foundation of perpetual peace and tranquillity in our minds."

— Tillotson, John (1630–1694)

Date: 1698

"Your Bulwarks, Entrenchments and Redoubts lay so cunningly hid in your Way of Ideas, that they were altogether Invisible; so that the most quick-sighted Engineer living could not discern them, or take any sure Aim at them: Much less such a Dull Eye as mine; who, tho' I bend my Sight as strongly ...

— Sergeant, John (1622-1707)

Date: 1698

"But when Vice is varnish'd over with Pleasure, and comes in the Shape of Convenience, the case grows somewhat dangerous; for then the Fancy may be gain'd, and the Guards corrupted, and Reason suborn'd against it self."

— Collier, Jeremy (1650-1726)

Date: 1698

"The Passions are up in Arms, and there's a mighty Contest between Duty, and Inclination. The Mind is over-run with Amusements, and commonly good for nothing sometime after."

— Collier, Jeremy (1650-1726)

Date: 1700

"As it can't but be uneasie to the Person who pays it, so he who receives it will be sometimes disappointed when he expects to find it, for that Woman must be endow'd with a Wisdom and Goodness much above what we suppose the Sex capable of, I fear much greater than e're a Man can pretend to, who ...

— Astell, Mary (1666–1731)