A Belief Is Not Merely An Idea

Thomas More: Will, I'd Trust You With My Life. But Not Your Principles. You See, We Speak Of Being Anchored To Our Principles. But If The Weather Turns Nasty You Up With An Anchor And Let It Down Where There's Less Wind, And The Fishing's Better. And "look," We Say, "look, I'm Anchored! To My Principles!

Morality's Not Practical. Morality's A Gesture. A Complicated Gesture Learnt From Books.

This Account Of Him [thomas More] Developed As I Wrote: What First Attracted Me Was A Person Who Could Not Be Accused Of Any Incapacity For Life, Who Indeed Seized Life In Great Variety And Almost Greedy Quantities, Who Nevertheless Found Something In Himself Without Which Life Was Valueless And When That Was Denied Him Was Able To Grasp His Death.

When Statesmen Forsake Their Own Private Conscience For The Sake Of Their Public Duties, They Lead Their Country By A Short Route To Chaos.

Thomas More: ...and When The Last Law Was Down, And The Devil Turned Around On You--where Would You Hide, Roper, The Laws All Being Flat? This Country's Planted Thick With Laws From Coast To Coast--man's Laws, Not God's--and If You Cut Them Down...d'you Really Think You Could Stand Upright In The Winds That Would Blow Then? Yes, I'd Give The Devil Benefit Of Law, For My Own Safety's Sake.