Law in general is human reason, inasmuch as it governs all the inhabitants of the earth: the political and civil laws of each nation ought to be only the particular cases in which human reason is applied.

Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.

There is only one thing that can form a bond between men, and that is gratitude... we cannot give someone else greater power over us than we have ourselves.

Politics are a smooth file, which cuts gradually, and attains its end by slow progression.

If triangles had a god, he would have three sides.

The spirit of commerce... renders every man willing to live on his own property...& prevents the growth of luxury.

The Christian religion is a stranger to mere despotic power. The mildness so frequently recommended in the Gospel is incompatible with the despotic rage.