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

Thomas Paine

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Thomas Paine
Age: 72 †
Born: 1737
Born: January 29
Died: 1809
Died: June 8
Author
Entrepreneur
Journalist
Opinion Journalist
Philosopher
Politician
Prosaist
Writer
Thetford
Norfolk
Holding
Anybody
Nobody
Trust
Accountable
Ought
Libertarianism
Liberty
Accountability
Body
Trusted
Men
Libertarian

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Compassion, the fairest associate of the heart.
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EVERY national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints and the Turks their Mahomet as if the way to God was not open to every man alike.
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The representative system of government is calculated to produce the wisest laws, by collecting wisdom where it can be found.
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...Thomas did not believe the resurrection [John 20:25], and, as they say, would not believe without having ocular and manual demonstration himself. So neither will I, and the reason is equally as good for me, and for every other person, as for Thomas.
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... a thirst for power is the natural disease of monarchy.
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We have it in our power to begin the world over again.
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A government on the principles on which constitutional governments arising out of society are established, cannot have the right of altering itself. If it had, it would be arbitrary. It might make itself what it pleased and wherever such a right is set up, it shows there is no constitution.
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Liberty cannot be purchased by a wish.
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The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case.
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Every science has for its basis a system of principles as fixed and unalterable as those by which the universe is regulated and governed. Man cannot make principles he can only discover them.
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There is something absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.
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... in free countries the law ought to be King and there ought to be no other.
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But if objects for gratitude and admiration are our desire, do they not present themselves every hour to our eyes?
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I detest the Bible as I detest everything that is cruel.
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In the early ages of the world, according to the scripture chronology, there were no kings the consequence of which was there were no wars it is the pride of kings which throws mankind into confusion.
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From the east to the west blow the trumpet to arms! Through the land let the sound of it flee Let the far and the near all unite, with a cheer, In defense of our Liberty Tree.
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The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.
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The danger to which the success of revolutions is most exposed, is that of attempting them before the principles on which they proceed, and the advantages to result from them, are sufficiently seen and understood.
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Prophesying is lying professionally.
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All the religions known in the world are founded, so far as they relate to man or the unity of man, as being all of one degree. Whether in heaven or in hell, or in whatever state man may be supposed to exist hereafter, the good and the bad are the only distinctions.
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