If Ever There Was A

The First Duty Of Man Is To Take None Of The Principles Of Conduct Upon Trust; To Do Nothing Without A Clear And Individual Conviction That It Is Right To Be Done.

In A Well-written Book We Are Presented With The Maturest Reflections, Or The Happiest Flights Of A Mind Of Uncommon Excellence. It Is Impossible That We Can Be Much Accustomed To Such Companions Without Attaining Some Resemblance To Them.

The Cause Of Justice Is The Cause Of Humanity. Its Advocates Should Overflow With Universal Good Will. We Should Love This Cause, For It Conduces To The General Happiness Of Mankind.

By Right, As The Word Is Employed In This Subject, Has Always Been Understood Discretion, That Is, A Full And Complete Power Of Either Doing A Thing Or Omitting It, Without The Person's Becoming Liable To Animadversion Or Censure From Another, That Is, In Other Words, Without His Incurring Any Degree Of Turpitude Or Guilt. Now In This Sense I Affirm That Man Has No Rights, No Discretionary Power Whatever.

The Real Or Supposed Rights Of Man Are Of Two Kinds, Active And Passive; The Right In Certain Cases To Do As We List; And The Right We Possess To The Forbearance Or Assistance Of Other Men. The First Of These A Just Philosophy Will Probably Induce Us Universally To Explode.