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Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.

Thomas Paine

A Constitution is not the act of a Government, but of a people constituting a government, and a government without a constitution is a power without right.
THOMAS PAINE

Act Constitution Government People Power Right
Practical religion consists in doing good: and the only way of serving God is that of endeavoring to make His creation happy. All preaching that has not this for its object is nonsense and hypocrisy.
THOMAS PAINE

Creation God Goodness Happiness Hypocrisy Practice Service
You cannot undermine police authority and then complain about rising crime.
THOMAS PAINE

Authority Crime Police Rise Yourself
It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.
THOMAS PAINE

Expectation Justice Madness Mercy Murder Trick Violence War Wolf
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.
THOMAS PAINE

Appearance Habit Reason Time Wrong
I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it.
THOMAS PAINE

Change Man Myself Opinion Present Right Slave Support
It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error.
THOMAS PAINE

Ability Error Illusion Man Responsibility
To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.
THOMAS PAINE

Administration Argument Atheist Authority Humanity Man Medicine Philosophy Reason Scripture
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
THOMAS PAINE

Children Day Myself Peace Trouble
Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime.
THOMAS PAINE

Crime Ignorance Knowledge Responsibility
Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property… Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.
THOMAS PAINE

Discouragement Law Mischief Order World
Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
THOMAS PAINE

Country Goodness Happiness Independence Person Place Religion View World
Beware the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Greedy Hands Organization
Some people can be reasoned into sense, and others must be shocked into it.
THOMAS PAINE

People Reason Shock Surprise
A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Ignorance Nation Politics Support
One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.
THOMAS PAINE

Goodness Priest Worth

Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.

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Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.

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