The first sense he had of God was when he was eleven years oldat Chigwell being retired intoa chamberalone: he was so suddenly surprised with a sense of inward comfort and (as he thought) an external glory in the room that he had many times said that from thence he has the Seal of Divinityand Immortality, that there was a God and thatthesoul of manwas capable ofenjoying his divine communications.

-Aubrey,John
  Of  William Penn, early Quaker. Brief Lives (published 1813).

An agreeable harmony for the honour of God and the permissible delights of the soul.

-Bach,Johann Sebastian
His definition of music. Quoted in Derek Watson Music Quotations (1991).

But men must know, that in this theatre of man's life it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  The Advancement of Learning, bk.2, ch.20, section 8.

It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such an opinion as is unworthy of him.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  Essays, no.17,'Of Superstition'.

It had been hard for him that spake it to have put more truth and untruth together, in a few words, than in that speech: 'Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast, or a god.'

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  Essays, no.27,'Of Friendship'.

God Almighty first planteda garden; and indeed, it isthe purest of human pleasures.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  Essays, no.46,'Of Gardens'.

God's first Creature, which was Light.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
New Atlantis (published1627).

If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.

-Baldwin,James Arthur
  'Down at the Cross', in the NewYorker,17 Nov.

   Whether the angels play only Bach in praising God I am not quite sure; I am sure, however, that en famille they play Mozart.

-Barth, Karl
  Quoted in the NewYork Times.

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed Hisgrace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

-Bates, Katharine Lee
  'America the Beautiful', opening lines.

Quand me"  me Dieu n'existerait pas, la religion serait encore sainte et divineöDieu est le seul e"  tre qui, pour re¤  gner, n'ait me"  me pas besoin d'exister. Even if God did not exist, religion would still be holyand divine.God isthe only being who, inorder toreign, need not even exist.

-Baudelaire, Charles
  Journaux intimes.'Fuse¤  es', no.1.

The immortal god of harmony.

-Behn, Aphra ne¤  e  Amis
Of Bach. Letter to Christoph Breitkopf.

I am a Catholic. As far as possible I go to Mass every day. Asfaraspossible Ikneeldownandtell these beadsevery day. If you reject me on account of my religion, I shall thank God that he has spared me the indignity of being your representative.

-Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre
  Election campaign speech, Salford.

Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free, How shall we extol thee who are born of thee? Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set; God who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.

-Benson, A(rthur) C(hristopher)
  'Land of Hope and Glory'.

If the iron dice roll, may God help us.

-Bethmann Hollweg,Theobald von
  Speech in the Reichstag.

And God saw that it was good.

-Bible (Old Testament)
Genesis1:10.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh dayand sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

-Bible (Old Testament)
Genesis 2:2^3.

And the L God planted a garden eastwards in Eden; and there he put the manwhom he had formed. And out of the ground made the L God to grow every tree that is pleasant for the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

-Bible (Old Testament)
ORDORDGenesis 2:8^9.

And the L God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LGod had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said,This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Thereforeshall a manleavehisfatherand hismother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

-Bible (Old Testament)
ORDORD Genesis 2:21^4.

My son,God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

-Bible (Old Testament)
Genesis 22:8.