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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

A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.
THOMAS PAINE

Accountable Body Hold Man Trust
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
It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies.
THOMAS PAINE

Greatness Power Strength Unity
I consider the war of America against Britain as the country’s war, the public’s war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
THOMAS PAINE

Country People Property Protection Security War
Some people can be reasoned into sense, and others must be shocked into it.
THOMAS PAINE

People Reason Shock Surprise
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
Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.
THOMAS PAINE

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

Blessing Expectation Freedom Support
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
He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
THOMAS PAINE

Dare Himself Honesty Offend
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
THOMAS PAINE

Children Day Myself Peace Trouble
There are two distinct classes of men – those who pay taxes and those who receive and live upon taxes.
THOMAS PAINE

Live Man Pay Privilege Tax
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

Constitution Exercise Government Illegal Limitation Logic Natural Power Result
Government is not a trade which any man or body of men has a right to set up and exercise for his own emolument, but is altogether a trust, in right of those by whom that trust is delegated, and by whom it is always resumable. It has of itself no rights; they are altogether duties.
THOMAS PAINE

Body Government Man Right Togetherness Trust
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
THOMAS PAINE

Best Evil Government Necessary Oneself Tolerance Worst
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
THOMAS PAINE

Enemy Establishment Himself Liberty Oppression Reach Security Violate

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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