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John Henry Newman preaches that religious truth cannot simply be passively received; it must be actively pursued and sincerely desired or it will remain obscure and inaccessible. He emphasizes that truth is complex, dispersed across history, and requires persistent effort, humility, and the willingness to change one’s life and habits to apprehend it. Newman also warns that without such seeking, people become susceptible to falsehoods and superficial beliefs, turning away from the transformative power of real truth. Ultimately, Newman insists that a living witness — someone who embodies truth in action — has far greater persuasive power than eloquent arguments alone, as truth is realized and made effective through personal integrity and lived example.
"Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany (1615)" (abridged) by Galileo Galilei; Galileo Galilei, Karl Von Gebler, trans., in Galileo Galilei and the Roman Curia ()
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As to the arrangement of the parts of the universe, I hold the sun to be situated motionless in the center of the revolution of the celestial orbs while the earth revolves about the sun. They know also that I support this position not only by refuting the arguments of Ptolemy and Aristotle, but by producing many counter-arguments; in particular, some which relate to physical effects whose causes can perhaps be assigned in no other way.