How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
As the exalting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on the equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority of scripture; for the will of the Almighty, as declared by Gideon and the prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings. (2.5)
There is no way the Bible would ever support the idea of a king ruling over people. The king is a sort of all-powerful being, and the only one in the universe who deserves this kind of power is God. Or at least that's what Paine thinks.
Quote #2
And when a man seriously reflects on the idolatrous homage which is paid to the persons of kings, he need not wonder that the Almighty, ever jealous of his honor, should disapprove of a form of government which so impiously invades the prerogative of heaven. (2.6)
When any serious person thinks about how wrong it is to treat kings like gods, they'll see that the only way to really please God is to create a democracy that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Quote #3
And man hath good reason to believe that there is as much of kingcraft, as priestcraft, in withholding the scripture from the public in Popish countries. (2.9)
In "Popish" or Catholic countries, regular folks are kept from reading the Bible for themselves. Instead, they have to listen to priests who interpret it for them. For Paine, though, this is just a sign of how corrupt it is for societies to be based on inequalities that have no basis in nature.