Authority Quotes - Page 34

• The doctrine of Scripture teaches us about the authority of God's Word. Scripture must be the final rule of faith and practice for our lives. Not our feelings or emotions. Not signs or prophetic words or hunches.

  Joshua Harris

  Practice, Feelings, Doctrine

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• Rulers are no more than attorneys, agents, and trustees, for the people; and if the cause, the interest and trust, is insidiously betrayed, or wantonly trifled away, the people have a right to revoke the authority that they themselves have deputed, and to constitute abler and better agents, attorneys, and trustees.

  John Adams

  People, Agents, Betrayed

  John Adams, George A. Peek, Jr. (2003). “The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections”, p.13, Hackett Publishing

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• In all things, therefore, where we have clear evidence from our ideas, and those principles of knowledge I have above mentioned, reason is the proper judge; and revelation, though it may, in consenting with it, confirm its dictates, yet cannot in such cases invalidate its decrees: nor can we be obliged, where we have the clear and evident sentience of reason, to quit it for the contrary opinion, under a pretence that it is matter of faith: which can have no authority against the plain and clear dictates of reason.

  John Locke

  Faith, Ideas, Judging

  John Locke (1836). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.530

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• The power of the legislative being derived from the people by a positive voluntary grant and institution, can be no other than what that positive grant conveyed, which being only to make laws, and not to make legislators, the legislative can have no power to transfer their authority of making laws, and place it in other hands.

  John Locke

  Government, Hands, Law

  John Locke (1821). “Two treatises of government”, p.312

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• No power but Congress can declare war; but what is the value of this constitutional provision, if the President of his own authority may make such military movements as must bring on war? ... [T]hese remarks originate purely in a desire to maintain the powers of government as they are established by the Constitution between the different departments, and hope that, whether we have conquests or no conquests, war or no war, peace or no peace, we shall yet preserve, in its integrity and strength, the Constitution of the United States.

  Daniel Webster

  War, Integrity, Military

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• The Holy Ghost carries on the whole Christian system in this earth. Not a Baptism, not a Marriage, not a Sacrament can be administered but by the Holy Ghost... There is no Authority civil or religious: there can be no legitimate Government but what is administered by this Holy Ghost. There can be no salvation without it. All, without it is Rebellion and Perdition, or in more orthodox words Damnation.

  John Adams

  Christian, Religious, Government

  John Adams' letter to Benjamin Rush (December 21, 1809), as quoted in "No, Mr. Beck, John Adams Did Not Think Governments Must Be Administered by the Holy Ghost" by Chris Rodda, www.huffingtonpost.com. June 16, 2010.

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• The reason why the simpler sort are moved by authority is the consciousness of their own ignorance

  Richard Hooker

  Ignorance, Reason Why, Consciousness

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• The founding fathers gave the House of Representatives one function when it comes to cleansing the office of the presidency and that is impeachment, .. Whether or not a resolution of censure is appropriate is something beyond our constitutional authority.

  Henry Hyde

  Father, Office, House

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• The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent and abundant instances may exist to the contrary, yet it either does not observe them or it despises them, or it gets rid of and rejects them by some distinction, with violent and injurious prejudice, rather than sacrifice the authority of its first conclusions.

  Francis Bacon

  Sacrifice, Support, Understanding

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• To hinder, besides, the farmer from selling his goods at all times to the best market, is evidently to sacrifice the ordinary laws of justice to an idea of public utility, to a sort of reasons of state; an act of legislative authority which ought to be exercised only, which can be pardoned only in cases of the most urgent necessity.

  Adam Smith

  Sacrifice, Law, Ideas

  Adam Smith, William Playfair (1811). “An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations”, p.26

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• When Jesus sent forth his servants formerly he sent them to preach this Gospel. When the Father and the Son and Moroni and others came to Joseph Smith, he had a priesthood conferred upon him which he conferred upon others for the purpose of manifesting the laws of life, the Gospel of the Son of God, by direct authority, that light and truth might be spread forth among all nations.

  John Taylor

  Jesus, Father, Son

  "Journal of Discourses" by John Taylor, Volume 20, March 2, 1879.

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• I grew up a child of Watergate. It gave me a good dose of skepticism about authority. One of my favorite movies is 'All the President's Men.' Woodward and Bernstein, those guys were my heroes. I have a degree in journalism.

  Chris Carter

  Children, Hero, Men

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• For men to be tied and led by authority, as it were with a kind of captivity of judgment, and though there be reason to the contrary not to listen unto it, but to follow like beasts the first in the herd, they know not, nor care not whither, this were brutish.

  Richard Hooker

  Men, Firsts, Captivity

  Richard Hooker, Izaak Walton (1839). “The Works of Mr. Richard Hooker: Containing Eight Books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, and Several Other Treatises”, p.274

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• The reason why the simpler sort are moved with authority, is the consciousness of their own ignorance; whereby it cometh to pass that having learned men in admiration, they rather fear to dislike them than know wherefore they should allow and follow their judgments. Contrariwise with them that are skilful authority is much more strong and forcible; because they only are able to discern how just cause there is why to some men's authority so much should be attributed.

  Richard Hooker

  Strong, Ignorance, Men

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• There exists, I believe, throughout the whole Christian world, a law which makes it blasphemy to deny or doubt the divine inspiration of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelations. In most countries of Europe it is punished by fire at the stake, or the rack, or the wheel... Now, what free inquiry, when a writer must surely encounter the risk of fine or imprisonment for adducing any argument for investigating the divine authority of those books?

  John Adams

  Christian, Country, Inspiration

  Thomas Jefferson, John Adams (2006). “"Ye Will Say I Am No Christian": The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values”

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• Many argue that Christianity is "different" from other religions - that it is primarily about love of one's fellow man. The Crusades, The Inquisition, Calvin's Geneva all prove that this is not the case. These events were pre-eminently about obedience to authority.

  Andrew Bernstein

  Men, Atheism, Fellow Man

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• But in a turbulent environment the change is so widespread that it just routes around any kind of central authority. So it is best to manage the bottom-up change rather than try to institute it from the top down.

  Kevin Kelly

  Top Down, Trying, Literature

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• All commandments that I give must be obeyed unless they are revoked by me or by my authority and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with but stand forever.

  John Taylor

  Giving, Forever, Done

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• I didn't really fit with other kids. I had problems in school all my life and problems with authority. But my parents never did drugs or anything. They just believed in freedom in the best sense of the word.

  Julie Delpy

  School, Kids, Parent

  "Julie Delpy's Entropic Vacation". Interview with Drew Fortune, www.interviewmagazine.com. August 9, 2012.

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• Most of us aren't crazy psychotics, but most of us are a whole bunch of different people. I think when you are in a position of authority, that doesn't remove that from you.

  David Hyde Pierce

  Crazy, Thinking, People

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

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• Oftentimes, churches are started by an entrepreneurial church plant visionary whom everybody follows, but he's not following anybody. Even though he's "accountable to a board," he's really not. Authority's a good thing, and if it's not forced upon you as a leader, then I suggest, strongly, that you go buy some.

  Henry Cloud

  Leader, Church, Boards

  "The Composition of Integrity - Henry Cloud Interview". Interview with Paul Braoudakis, willowcreek.org.uk. November 10, 2010.

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• I always feel bad for those who, in a sense, cede their authority to others, let others make major decisions about their life and actually believe them. When you're tiny, you have no choice. But as soon as your mind starts working, you pretty well figure it out. And you realize you're a hostage until you're old enough to leave. But as long as you have that goal - I will get out of here - you'll be OK.

  Rita Mae Brown

  Believe, Goal, Long

  "Joe Wenke Interviews: Rita Mae Brown on being a Lambda Literary Pioneer". booktrib.com. May 31, 2015.

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• Public circulation is what renders something a quotation. It's quotable because it's been quoted, and its having been quoted gives it authority.

  Louis Menand

  Giving, Circulation, Quotations

  "Notable Quotables" by Louis Menand, www.newyorker.com. February 19, 2007.

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• Do not believe anything on the mere authority of teachers or priests. Accept as true and as the guide to your life only that which accords with your own reason and experience, after thorough investigation. Accept only that which contributes to the well-being of yourself and others.

  Gautama Buddha

  Teacher, Believe, Reason

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• I think it will be found that he who speaks with most authority on a given subject is not ignorant of what has been said by his predecessors. He will take his place in a regular order, and substantially add his own knowledge to the knowledge of previous generations.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Thinking, Order, Ignorant

  Henry David Thoreau (2006). “Thoreau and the Art of Life: Precepts and Principles”, p.77, Heron Dance Press

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