"Had the inventors of this story told it the contrary way, that is, had they represented the Almighty as compelling Satan to exhibit himself on a cross, in the shape of a snake, as a punishment for his new transgression, the story would have been less absurd — less contradictory. But instead of this, they make the transgressor triumph, and the Almighty fall." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)As we demonstrated in the previous chapter, it is difficult to comprehend how one during this time in history with so much available to him concerning the subject of which he is commenting, be so ignorant of it. It is difficult to make any real progress in the examination of this work for almost every statement is derived from a complete ignorance of Christian doctrine. We are not here faulting Mr. Paine for his disdain of the Christian faith, but for his total misrepresentation of it.
Aside from his misrepresentation, he now precedes to inform us from his own mind a less absurd rendering. In his arrogance, he believes there resides in his mind a less absurd understanding than the scriptures themselves. He suggests rather than the Biblical account, a story should have been told about Satan being compelled to the cross himself, perhaps in the shape of a snake as punishment for his transgression. This somehow would be more believable and less derogatory to the Almighty. Mr. Paine continues to confuse the concept of the spiritual and the material and speak of each as though they are the same. He also continues to confuse the incomprehesivable divide between the Creator and the creature.
Revelation 20:10 ESV
(10) and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Somehow in his mind he is able to conceive that putting Satan on a cross would be sufficient and less absurd than the account given. Putting aside his delusion of putting a spiritual being upon a material cross, the whole suggestion demonstrates his complete misunderstanding of the being of God and the creature. Satan is the creature and a fallen one at that, and it is not a cross but a lake of fire for all eternity. That level of punishment is not determined because God is a powerful mean brute, but because of this vast divide between the Creator and the creature. Satan is a created finite being, his very continued existence depends upon the sustaining hand of God. This finite being owes its very existence to the one who owns it. If this vast divide between these two beings was just very great, then a very great punishment would be required. However, this divide is not very great, but infinite, therefore the punishment must be as well.
Justice as defined by Webster's 1828, JUST'ICE, n. [L. justitia, from justus, just.]
1. The virtue which consists in giving to every one what is his due; practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other; honesty; integrity in commerce or mutual intercourse. Justice is distributive or commutative. Distributive justice belongs to magistrates or rulers and consists in distributing to every man that right or equity which the laws and the principles of equity require; or in deciding controversies according to the laws and to principles of equity. Commutative justice consists in fair dealing in trade and mutual intercourse between man and man.
The punishment rendered is what is due when a finite being commits' rebellion against the infinite being of God. It is justice and the only justice that can be rendered. It is not necessary for Mr. Paine to agree with that doctrine, however, in his surmising he is not disagreeing with it, he is completely ignoring it and suggesting some other scheme in its place as Christian doctrine instead. This renders his argument irrelevant because he is arguing against a doctrine that does not exist.
Mr. Paine continues by suggesting in the Christian faith, it is somehow believed or implied that Satan has triumphed and the Almighty failed. It is difficult to believe one to be this confused even with the slightest understanding of Christian doctrine. Remember, if Mr. Paine wanted to publish a rebuttal to Christian doctrine, a comprehensive statement of all doctrines and affirmations of faith existed in the great Confessions of faith freely published during his time. However, in his work "The Age of Reason" instead of confronting true Christian doctrine, he invents ridiculous statements like the one above and pretends to expose the irrational belief of the Church.
1 John 3:8 ESV
(8) Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Hebrews 2:14 ESV
(14) Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
"That many good men have believed this strange fable, and lived very good lives under that belief (for credulity is not a crime), is what I have no doubt of. In the first place, they were educated to believe it, and they would have believed anything else in the same manner. There are also many who have been so enthusiastically enraptured by what they conceived to be the infinite love of God to man, in making a sacrifice of himself, that the vehemence of the idea has forbidden and deterred them from examining into the absurdity and profaneness of the story. The more unnatural anything is, the more it is capable of becoming the object of dismal admiration." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)
Mr. Paine speaks of credulity, which is defined:
Webster's 1828:
CREDULITY, n. [L., to believe. See Creed and Credulous.] Easiness of belief; a weakness of mind by which a person is disposed to believe, or yield his assent to a declaration or proposition, without sufficient evidence of the truth of what is said or proposed; a disposition to believe on slight evidence or no evidence at all.
In his use of credulity, Mr. Paine puts his arrogance on display for all to observe, suggesting, it is not he who has a weakness of mind, or quickly and easily believes, but everyone else. Yet he believes in a one god and presents thus far no evidence or doctrine other than a church in his own mind. His irrational mind first suggest this strange fable Christians believe is a result of credulity, and then as proof, declares they believe it because they have been educated in it's doctrine, which is a contradiction in itself. He continues to demonstrate it is he who is not educated in Christian doctrine.
In the beginning pages of this work Mr. Paine states: "All national institutions of churches, . . . appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit" yet here he suggest "That many good men have believed this strange fable, and lived very good lives under that belief . . . is what I have no doubt of." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason) It is irrational thinking to suggest a system designed to terrify and enslave mankind without doubt allows men to live good lives.
Mr. Paine finally comes close to presenting an accurate statement in Christian theology. The concept of the infinite love of God being demonstrated by penal substitutionary atonement is a true Christian doctrine. However, Mr. Paine then demonstrates a complete ignorance of the necessity of such a doctrine.
Isaiah 53:3-5 ESV
(3) He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
(4) Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
(5) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
In penal substitution, the penalty that is due to us for our transgression is paid by a substitute, namely, Jesus Christ. Earlier we spoke of justice and gave the definition from Mr. Webster as receiving what one deserves. It is the demands of justice which calls upon penal substitution as being necessary to meet those demands of justice and let the transgressor go free. The principle of penal substitution undergirds the old sacrificial system. God told Adam that the penalty for sin was death (Gen. 2:16–17). In the old Testament sacrifices, the people placed their hands on a sacrificial animal, thereby identifying with it, and then the animal was put to death (see Lev. 4). This symbolized the transfer of sin and guilt from the sinner to the substitute. The sinner could live because the animal died in the sinner’s place, bearing the punishment the sinner deserved. Thereby, the sinner was free and justice had been satisfied.
This answers to another charge of Mr. Paine, namely, that Christ preached a most excellent morality and was a virtuous and amiable man. Setting aside his irrational thinking that a virtuous and amiable man who preached an excellent morality could have claimed to be the Son of God while being nothing but a man, it must be understood that only an infinite, eternal being could be this substitute for such a crime of treason in creation.
Hebrews 10:3-4 ESV
(3) But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
(4) For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:12-14 ESV
(12) But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
(13) waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
(14) For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Mr. Paine has no understanding of the immensity of his sin, does he believe himself worthy to live in communion with this god in his mind? Does he believe his sin is simply passed over and he is accepted and loved with no consideration of his corruption? Then this god of his mind knows nothing of justice and finds himself corrupted. The god that does not answer the demand of justice is no better than we are and is no god at all.
Any rational mind would logically reason that if a crime is committed, the criminal must pay retribution for that crime. Yet Mr. Paine thinks it absurd and profane to consider penal substitution a necessary element for the satisfaction of justice in a cosmic crime. It is Mr. Paine's scheme that is absurd, and profane, not the Christian system. It is the Christian system alone which offers relief from one's guilt and shame. After feeling the condemnation of the law and being convinced of their sin by the work of the Holy Spirit, one is brought to faith, placing the entirety of their sin in the work of Christ alone. Understanding this work of grace frees the soul from the weight of its guilt and places the conscience at peace with God feeling the gracious love it has been offered. This is a wonderful gift to the Christian, it is not something learned, but something given. After receiving this gift, a life of learning does begin, it is the result of receiving this grace, not the means of obtaining this grace.
Romans 5:1 ESV
(1) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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