Quotes By Thomas Paine

It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance.

Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

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.

Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.

Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.

There are two distinct classes of what are called thoughts: those that we produce in ourselves by reflection and the act of thinking and those that bolt into the mind of their own accord.

To establish any mode to abolish war, however advantageous it might be to Nations, would be to take from such Government the most lucrative of its branches.

Character is much easier kept than recovered.

I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.

That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.

It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same.

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.

If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.

The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security.

Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.

A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes.

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.

He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third.