The balance of power is the scale of peace. Thomas Paine More Quotes by Thomas Paine More Quotes From Thomas Paine Character is much easier kept than recovered. Thomas Paine integritywarlife The fable of Christ and his twelve apostles is a parody of the sun and the twelve signs of the Zodiac, copied from the ancient religions of the Eastern world. Every thing told of Christ has reference to the sun. His reported resurrection is at sunrise, and that on the first day of the week; that is, on the day anciently dedicated to the sun, and from thence called Sunday. Thomas Paine zodiacsunrisesunday These are the times that try men's souls. Thomas Paine veterans-daymotivationtime One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests. Thomas Paine motivationatheistuse It is always to be taken for granted, that those who oppose an equality of rights never mean the exclusion should take place on themselves. Thomas Paine takenrightsmean One of the evils of paper money is that it turns the whole country into stock jobbers. The precariousness of its value and the uncertainty of its fate continually operate, night and day, to produce this destructive effect. Having no real value in itself it depends for support upon accident, caprice, and party; and as it is the interest of some to depreciate and of others to raise its value, there is a continual invention going on that destroys the morals of the country. Thomas Paine partyrealcountry The slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. Thomas Paine slaverymenthinking Practical religion consists in doing good: and the only way of serving God is that of endeavoring to make His creation happy. All preaching that has not this for its object is nonsense and hypocrisy. Thomas Paine truthgodpeace The final event to himself has been, that as he rose like a rocket, he fell like the stick. Thomas Paine eventspainrose Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good. Thomas Paine freedomgodcountry We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute. Thomas Paine governmentwisdomhands To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture. Thomas Paine atheistmenphilosophy Each government accuses the other of perfidy, intrigue and ambition, as a means of heating the imagination of their respective nations, and incensing them to hostilities. Man is not the enemy of man, but through the medium of a false system of government. Thomas Paine ambitionmenmean The countries the most famous and the most respected of antiquity are those which distinguished themselves by promoting and patronizing science, and on the contrary those which neglected or discouraged it are universally denominated rude and barbarous. Thomas Paine atheismrudecountry Man must go back to nature for information. Thomas Paine informationnaturemen 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. Thomas Paine christianmenjesus The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf. Thomas Paine violencefoxeswar 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. Thomas Paine motivationgunfear A Democracy is the most vile form of government there is! Thomas Paine democracyformgovernment To reason with goverments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected Thomas Paine reformagearguing