The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'T is mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
~The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare

Any single man must judge for himself whether circumstances warrant obedience or resistance to the commands of the civil magistrate; we are all qualified, entitled, and morally obliged to evaluate the conduct of our rulers. This political judgment, moreover, is not simply or primarily a right, but like self-preservation, a duty to God. As such it is a judgment that men cannot part with according to the God of Nature. It is the first and foremost of our inalienable rights without which we can preserve no other."
~John Locke

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief
~St Paul

The foundation of justice is good faith
~Cicero

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
~Abraham Lincoln

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.
~John Adams

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.
~Gandhi

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.
~Timon of Athens, Shakespeare

He who is merely just is severe.
~Voltaire

Mercy allows you to continue on in sin; grace empowers you to overcome it.
~Jacquelyn K. Heasley

Reconciliation has to be built with full recognition and accountability for the wrong.
~Martha Kilpatrick

Yet I shall temper so Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most Them fully satisfy'd, and thee appease.
~Paradise Lost, John Milton

Mercy, detached from Justice, grows unmerciful.
~CS Lewis

They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience.
~Joseph Conrad