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The American constitutions were to liberty, what a grammar is to language: they define its parts of speech, and practically construct them into syntax

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
America
Grammar
Define
Parts
Constitution
Constitutions
Speech
Syntax
Liberty
Construct
American
Constructs
Language
Practically

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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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Where there are no distinctions there can be no superiority perfect equality affords no temptation.
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Truth never envelops itself in mystery, and the mystery in which it is at any time enveloped is the work of its antagonist, and never of itself.
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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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...the true greatness of a nation is founded on principles of humanity.
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Religion is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind and, for my part, I sincerely detest it as I detest everything that is cruel.
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Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.
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For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho' himself might deserve some decent degree of honours of his cotemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.
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It is from our enemies that we often gain excellent maxims, and are frequently surprised into reason by their mistakes.
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To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather be loaded with taxes than not.
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Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise.
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The times that tried men's souls are over-and the greatest and completest revolution the world ever knew, gloriously and happily accomplished.
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Beware the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry.
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He who takes nature for his guide, is not easily beaten out of his argument
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Politics and self-interest have been so uniformly connected, that the world, from being so often deceived, has a right to be suspicious of public characters.
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Priests and conjurors are of the same trade.
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Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime.
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My country is wherever liberty lives.
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Government is a necessary evil
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The intimacy which is contracted in infancy, and friendship which is formed in misfortune, are, of all others, the most lasting and unalterable.
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