Major Greene this evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and satisfaction of Jesus Christ. All the argument he advanced was, "that a mere creature or finite being could not make satisfaction to infinite justice for any crimes," and that "these things are very mysterious." Thus mystery is made a convenient cover for absurdity.

John Adams

Categorized in : Jesus Justice Wisdom

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

religious god bible

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.

safety class men

There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.

party government humble

Always stand on principle even if you stand alone. by John Adams

Always stand on principle even if you stand alone.

stand-alone politics principles

There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by th... by John Adams

There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.

debt two country

One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three is a Con... by John Adams

One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three is a Congress.

Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is... by John Adams

Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

war peace thinking

When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny.

citizens political hands

As the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims] ... it is declared ... that no pretext arising from religious opinion shall ever product an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.... The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or a Mohammedan nation.

religious christian country

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

suicidal freedom suicide

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

presidential government forever

Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.

patriotic freedom history

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.

passion revenge religious

Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.

hypocrisy suffering names

The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.

freedom power writing

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence: nor is the law less stable than the fact.

patriotic passion law

Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of f... by John Adams

Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.

patriotic freedom children

[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.

eye intellectual men

Before God, I believe the hour has come. My judgment approves this measure, and my whole heart is in it. All that I have, and all that I am, and all that I hope in this life, I am now ready here to stake upon it. And I leave off as I began, that live or die, survive or perish, I am for the Declaration. It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment. Independence now, and Independence for ever!

blessing heart believe

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. by John Adams

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

freedom government forever