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A constitution defines and limits the powers of the government it creates. It therefore follows, as a natural and also a logical result, that the governmental exercise of any power not authorized by the constitution is an assumed power, and therefore illegal.

Thomas Paine

Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must undertake to support it.
THOMAS PAINE

Blessing Expectation Freedom Support
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.
THOMAS PAINE

Light Value Worth
To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.
THOMAS PAINE

Administration Argument Death Medicine Person Reason
Our greatest enemies, the ones we must fight most often, are within.
THOMAS PAINE

Enemy Fight Greatness Oneself Philosophy
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
What is it the Bible teaches us? – raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? – to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married, and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.
THOMAS PAINE

Commitment Cruelty Faith Marriage Murder Rape Teaching Woman
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 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
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
THOMAS PAINE

Deserve Man Patriot Shine Soldier Soul Stand Sun Thankful Time Try Woman
Christianity is the strangest religion ever set up, for it committed a murder upon Jesus in order to redeem mankind from the sin of eating an apple.
THOMAS PAINE

Commitment Eat Kind Man Murder People Religion Sin Strange
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
The right of voting for representatives , is the primary right by which other rights are protected.
THOMAS PAINE

Protection Representation Right Vote
The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
THOMAS PAINE

Country Goodness Kind Man Religion World
If I do not believe as you believe, it proves that you do not believe as I believe, and that is all that it proves.
THOMAS PAINE

Believe Evidence Myself Philosophy Yourself
Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.
THOMAS PAINE

Himself Learning Person Teacher
It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
THOMAS PAINE

Errors Mistake Philosophy Truth Wisdom

A constitution defines and limits the powers of the government it creates. It therefore follows, as a natural and also a logical result, that the governmental exercise of any power not authorized by the constitution is an assumed power, and therefore illegal.

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A constitution defines and limits the powers of the government it creates. It therefore follows, as a natural and also a logical result, that the governmental exercise of any power not authorized by the constitution is an assumed power, and therefore illegal.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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