I am myself an empiric in natural philosophy, suffering my faith to go no further than my facts. I am pleased, however, to see the efforts of hypothetical speculation, because by the collisions of different hypotheses, truth may be elicited and science advanced in the end.

Neither Pagan nor Mahamedan nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the Commonwealth because of his religion. -quoting John Locke's argument.

It is a principle that the right to a thing gives a right to the means without which it could not be used, that is to say, that the means follow their end.

Neither believe nor reject any thing because any other person, or description of persons have rejected or believed it. Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven.

No stile of writing is so delightful as that which is all pith, which never omits a necessary word, nor uses an unnecessary one.

My affections were first for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind

To learn, you have to listen. To improve, you have to try.