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It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.

Thomas Paine

No country can be called free which is governed by an absolute power; and it matters not whether it be an absolute royal power or an absolute legislative power, as the consequences will be the same to the people.
THOMAS PAINE

Country Freedom Government People Power Royalty
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
THOMAS PAINE

Ignorance Obedience Reason
It is always to be taken for granted, that those who oppose an equality of rights never mean the exclusion should take place on themselves.
THOMAS PAINE

Equality Opposition Place Right
Our greatest enemies, the ones we must fight most often, are within.
THOMAS PAINE

Enemy Fight Greatness Oneself Philosophy
The Deist needs none of those tricks and shows called miracles to confirm his faith, for what can be a greater miracle than the creation itself, and his own existence?
THOMAS PAINE

Creation Existence Faith Greatness Miracle Need Trick
Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
THOMAS PAINE

Appearance Freedom Liberty Nature Reason Rebel Truth
When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to [profess] things he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.
THOMAS PAINE

Believe Corruption Crime Himself Man Mindset Preparation Prostitution
Rights are not gifts from one man to another, nor from one class of men to another. It is impossible to discover any origin of rights otherwise than in the origin of man; it consequently follows that rights appertain to man in right of his existence, and must therefore be equal to every man.
THOMAS PAINE

Discover Equality Existence Gift Impossible Man Right
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
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
It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
THOMAS PAINE

Errors Mistake Philosophy Truth Wisdom
The greatest tyrannies are always perpetuated in the name of the noblest causes.
THOMAS PAINE

Destruction Disguise Greatness Name Noble
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
Government without a constitution, is a power without a right.
THOMAS PAINE

Constitution Government Power Right
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
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.
THOMAS PAINE

Angel Character God Man Reputation Thinking Woman
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
When all other rights are taken away, the right of rebellion is made perfect.
THOMAS PAINE

Perfection Rebel Right
The slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.
THOMAS PAINE

Afraid Fear Man One Liner Slave Thinking
The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Ignorance Kind Man Trade
To take away voting is to reduce a man to slavery.
THOMAS PAINE

Man Slave Vote
Government is best which governs least.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Politics Rule
We have it in our power to begin the world over again.
THOMAS PAINE

Beginning Inspirational Motivational Ourselves Power
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
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 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
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

It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.

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It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.

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Popular Authors

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