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Thomas Paine Quotes - Page 16

All Quotes 4th Of July Adversity Age Ambition Arguing Art Atheism Atheist Being Strong Belief Bible Character Children Christ Christianity Church Common Sense Community Constitution Country Creation Crime Democracy Determination Devil Duty Dying Earth Encouragement Evil Exercise Fate Fear Feelings Fighting Freedom Giving God Happiness Heart Heaven Home Honesty Honor Humanity Hypocrisy Ignorance Imagination Independence Inspirational Integrity Jesus Justice Language Liberty Life Lying Money Morality Motivation Nature Opportunity Oppression Passion Patriotism Peace Perseverance Philosophy Politics Poverty Prejudice Progress Purpose Reflection Religion Revolution School Science Scripture Second Amendment Separation Slavery Soul Strength Study Taxes Theology Time Trade Trust Truth Tyranny Unity Virtue Voting War Wisdom

Is it more probable that nature should go out of her course, or that a man should tell a lie? We have never seen, in our time, nature go out of her course; but we have good reason to believe that millions of lies have

Is it more probable that nature should go out of her course, or that a man should tell a lie? We have never seen, in our time, nature go out of her course; but we have good reason to believe that millions of lies have been told in the same time.

Lying, Believe, Men

"The Age of Reason".

The burden of the national debt consists not in its being so many millions, or so many hundred millions, but in the quantity of taxes collected every year to pay the interest. If this quantity continue the same, the burden of the national debt is the same to all intents and purposes, be the capital more or less.

Years, Purpose, Debt

Thomas Paine (1852). “The Rights of Man: With a Brief Historical Preface”, p.179

We hold the moral obligation of providing for old age, helpless infancy, and poverty is far superior to that of supplying the invented wants of courtly extravagance.

Justice, Age, Extravagance

Thomas Paine (2016). “THE AGE OF REASON - Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology (Including “The Life of Thomas Paine”): Deistic Critique of Bible and Christian Church”, p.350, e-artnow

Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods. It would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but "to bind us in all cases whatsoever," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious, for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

Army, Expression, Heaven

Thomas Paine (1835). “The Political Writings of Thomas Paine: To which is Prefixed a Brief Sketch of the Author's Life”, p.75

Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise.

Kings, Government, Dresses

Common Sense (1776)

It can only be by blinding the understanding of man, and making him believe that government is some wonderful mysterious thing, that excessive revenues are obtained. Monarchy is well calculated to ensure this end. It is the popery of government; a thing kept up to amuse the ignorant, and quiet them into taxes.

Believe, Men, Mysterious Things

Thomas Paine (1856). “Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution”, p.99

Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities.

Contradiction, New Testament, Absurdity

Thomas Paine (1826). “An examination of the passages in the New Testament quoted from the Old and called prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. To which is prefixed, An essay on dreams. Also an appendix”, p.34

Action and care will in time wear down the strongest frame, but guilt and melancholy are poisons of quick dispatch.

Guilt, Poison, Care

Thomas Paine (1922). “Paine's Complete Works ...”

In Deism our reason and our belief are happily united.

Belief, Reason, Deism

The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries, that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion.

Race, Atheism, Wickedness

Thomas Paine (1852). “The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology”, p.190

Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

Government, Design, Benefits

Thomas Paine (2016). “Common Sense”, p.4, Coventry House Publishing

Public credit is suspicion asleep.

Credit, Suspicion

Thomas Paine (1822). “The Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance”, p.13

Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part.

Nature, Blood, Voice

Thomas Paine, Bruce Kuklick (2000). “Paine: Political Writings”, p.20, Cambridge University Press

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

America, Liberty, Syntax

The Rights of Man pt. 1 (1791)

There is a happiness in Deism, when rightly understood, that is not to be found inany other system of religion. All other systems have something in them that either shock our reason, or are repugnant to it, and man, if he thinks at all, must stifle his reason in order to force himself to believe them.

Believe, Men, Thinking

Thomas Paine (1830). “The Theological Works of Thomas Paine: To which are Added the Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar”, p.341

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.

Government, Principles, Would Be

Thomas Paine (1830). “The Political Writings of Thomas Paine ...: Prospects on the Rubicon. Rights of man, part I. Rights of man, part II. Letter to the authors of the Republican. Letter to the Abbe Sieyes. Address to the addressers. Letters to Lord Onslow. Dissertation on the first principles of government. Speech delivered in the French National convention. Letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas. The decline and fall of the English system of finance. Letter to the people of France. Reasons for preserving the life of Louis”, p.77

The Bill of Rights should contain the general principles of natural and civil liberty. It should be to a community what the eternal laws and obligations of morality are to the conscience. It should be unalterable by any human power.

Rights, Law, Community

As my object was not myself, I set out with the determination, and happily with the disposition, of not being moved by praise or censure, friendship or calumny, nor of being drawn from my purpose by any personal altercation; and the man who cannot do this, is not fit for a public character.

Determination, Character, Men

Thomas Paine (2016). “THE RIGHTS OF MAN: The French Revolution – Ideals, Arguments & Motives (Political Classic): Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution”, p.214, e-artnow

Now, which am I to believe, a book that any impostor might make and call the Word of God, or the creation itself which none but an Almighty Power could make? For the Bible says one thing; and the creation says the contrary. The Bible represents God with all the passions of a mortal, and the creation proclaims him with all the attributes of a God.

Believe, Book, Passion

Thomas Paine (1830). “The Theological Works of Thomas Paine: To which are Added the Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar”, p.163

It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all.

Blessing, Evil, Where You Live

Thomas Paine (1830). “Brief sketch of the life of Thomas Paine. Common sense. Epistle to Quakers. The crisis. Public good. Letter to the Abbe Raynal. Dissertations on government, the affairs of the bank, and paper money. Miscellaneous”, p.80

...the true greatness of a nation is founded on principles of humanity.

Greatness, Humanity, Principles

Thomas Paine (2016). “THE AGE OF REASON - Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology (Including “The Life of Thomas Paine”): Deistic Critique of Bible and Christian Church”, p.285, e-artnow

Of more worth is one honest man to society, and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.

Men, Sight, Political

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.123, Rowman & Littlefield

Wisdom is not the purchase of a day

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.245, Rowman & Littlefield

It is unnatural that a pure stream should flow from a foul fountain its vices are but a continuation of the vices of its origin. A man of moral honor and good political principles, cannot submit to the mean drudgery and disgraceful arts, by which such elections are carried. To be a successful candidate, he must be destitute of the qualities that constitute a just legislator: and being thus disciplined to corruption it is not to be expected that the representative should be better than the man.

Art, Mean, Successful

And when we view a flag, which to the eye is beautiful, and to contemplate its rise and origin inspires a sensation of sublime delight, our national honor must unite with our interests to prevent injury to the one, or insult to the other.

Beautiful, Eye, Views

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.20, Rowman & Littlefield

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