But, in addition to this right, which they possessed by delegation, they set up another right by assumption, that of binding and controlling posterity to the end of time.
Thomas Paine: “But, in addition to this right, which they possessed by delegation, they set up another right by assumption, that of…”
Editor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine critiques the idea that one generation can bind future generations, arguing against inherited power.
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It has nothing to dread from attacks; truth has given it an establishment, and time will record it with a name as lasting as his own.
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The more it is struck the more sparks it will emit; and the fear is it will not be struck enough.