"In like manner of reasoning, everything we behold carries in itself the internal evidence that it did not make itself. Every man is an evidence to himself, that he did not make himself; neither could his father make himself, nor his grandfather, nor any of his race; neither could any tree, plant, or animal make itself; and it is the conviction arising from this evidence, that carries us on, as it were, by necessity, to the belief of a first cause eternally existing, of a nature totally different to any material existence we know of, and by the power of which all things exist; and this first cause, man calls God." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)
This is an unusual chapter for Mr. Paine, though his theology in it is not that broad, it is not that bad. By observing the creation he so often pointed to in the previous chapter, his reason brought him to the logical conclusion that a god must exist. He was even able to reason to a limited measure into the Attributes of this Supreme Being. However, he strangely admits what may be the reason for all the errors and misunderstandings he has previously exhibited. When inserting the 19th Psalm into his discourse, he does so as a paraphrase, admitting from where he is writing he does not have access to a Bible. Then a few paragraphs later he also admits he personally keeps no Bible. Obviously, if he does not have access to nor does he possess the book that contains the subject of which he writes, a lack of knowledge is going to prevail. The greater question would be why he would pursue a subject without access to the necessary information to inform him concerning that subject? It would be common practice for one when undertaking the task to write a treatise on a particular subject, to become familiar with and well educated concerning all the nuances of the subject in question. One might conjecture he was not attempting to discredit Christianity for the sack of its doctrine, for it is clear he did not understand it. Instead, it may have been his purpose to discredit all religions in favor of his own, justifying himself before the god that exists in his own mind. Whatever the reason, we will continue to examine his work in order to answer his charges against the Church and Christianity.
"What more does man want to know, than that the hand or power that made these things is divine, is omnipotent? Let him believe this, with the force it is impossible to repel if he permits his reason to act, and his rule of moral life will follow of course. The allusions in Job have all of them the same tendency with this Psalm; that of deducing or proving a truth that would be otherwise unknown, from truths already known." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)
Mr. Paine's narrow theology leaves one much wanting in form of religion. Knowing that the creator is divine and omnipotent is good, but what of worship? If Mr. Paine were here with us today, one might ask him, why a man would not want to know more about this being? If he is the creator and divine and omnipotent, is he not worthy of inquiry? Is he not worthy of worship? What does he require of us as his creatures? Mr. Paine implies knowing of his power and omnipotence is enough for one's rule of moral life to follow the course. How can Mr. Paine possibly have known what that course was if he does not know what this creator required of him? Mr. Paine's thinking was irrational and illogical, he allows for a supreme being, confessing a church in his own mind, and true revelation being "power" and "omnipotence." By definition, a church cannot exist in one's mind, and revelation of only power and omnipotence would cause only chaos in religious minds, which alone would produce endless religions devised by the mind of men. It would create a thousand times the very thing he is attempting to despise.
"I recollect not enough of the passages in Job to insert them correctly; [Considering the seriousness of his subject, should he not take the time to present it correctly and knowledgeably?] but there is one that occurs to me that is applicable to the subject I am speaking upon. "Canst thou by searching find out God; canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?"I know not how the printers have pointed this passage, for I keep no Bible; but it contains two distinct questions that admit of distinct answers.
First, Canst thou by searching find out God? Yes. Because, in the first place, I know I did not make myself, and yet I have existence; and by searching into the nature of other things, I find that no other thing could make itself; and yet millions of other things exist; therefore it is, that I know, by positive conclusion resulting from this search, that there
is a power superior to all those things, and that power is God.
Secondly, Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? No. Not only because the power and wisdom He has manifested in the structure of the Creation that I behold is to me incomprehensible; but because even this manifestation, great as it is is probably but a small display of that immensity of power and wisdom, by which millions of other worlds, to me invisible by their distance, were created and continue to exist. It is evident that both of these questions were put to the reason of the person to whom they are supposed to have been addressed; and it is only by admitting the first question to be answered affirmatively, that the second could follow. It would have been unnecessary, and even absurd, to have put a second question, more difficult than the first, if the first question had been answered negatively. The two questions have different objects; the first refers to the existence of God, the second to his attributes. Reason can discover the one, but it falls infinitely short in discovering the whole of the other.
I recollect not a single passage in all the writings ascribed to the men called apostles, that conveys any idea of what God is. Those writings are chiefly controversial; and the gloominess of the subject they dwell upon, that of a man dying in agony on a cross, is better suited to the gloomy genius of a monk in a cell, by whom it is not impossible they were written, than to any man breathing the open air of the Creation. The only passage that occurs to me, that has any reference to the works of God, by which only his power and wisdom can be known, is related to have been spoken by Jesus Christ, as a remedy against distrustful care. "Behold the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin." This, however, is far inferior to the allusions in Job and in the 19th Psalm; but it is similar in idea, and the modesty of the imagery is correspondent to the modesty of the man." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)
Many groups in opposition to Christianity or religion in general, hold this work in high esteem. Those who do are either ignorant of the subject of which Mr. Paine writes or they are using the influential name which Mr. Paine carried for their advantage. Either is to be dishonest in their attempt. It would at least be honorable to use a work that presented a factual and knowledgeable understanding of the subject at hand.
In spite of his own admitted ignorance, Mr. Paine makes two correct assumptions, "Canst thou by searching find out God? Yes." and "Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? No." However, he then launches from that platform once again into a complete misunderstanding of his subject.
"I recollect not a single passage in all the writings ascribed to the men called apostles, that conveys any idea of what God is." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)
It is strange Mr. Paine could not recollect a single passage in all the writings of the apostles that conveyed any idea of what God is. Every New Testament book is about what God is and what He has done. He objects to the unreasonableness of Christianity and charges Christians of rejecting reason, yet he does not know what they believe or why they believe it. It is he who is unreasonable and is rejecting reason. It is illogical to condemn a scheme of reason without knowing or understanding that scheme. Below is a small list of scriptures, for it would be necessary to post almost the whole New Testament to list them all, which demonstrates Mr. Paine has no knowledge whatsoever of the subject of which he writes. If one is going to recommend a serious treaty in opposition to the Christian faith, this is not that work.
Matthew 22:32 ESV
(32) ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
Luke 18:19 ESV
(19) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
John 14:9 ESV
(9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Acts 10:34-35 ESV
(34) So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
(35) but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
(36) As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
Acts 17:29 ESV
(29) Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
Romans 1:19 ESV
(19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
Romans 3:29 ESV
(29) Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV
(9) God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV
(33) For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
(8) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Galatians 3:20 ESV
(20) Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Ephesians 2:4 ESV
(4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
Philippians 2:13 ESV
(13) for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Colossians 1:27 ESV
(27) To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV
(3) For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
2 Thessalonians 1:6 ESV
(6) since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
1 Timothy 4:10 ESV
(10) For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
2 Timothy 3:16 ESV
(16) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Hebrews 3:4 ESV
(4) (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Hebrews 6:10 ESV
(10) For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
James 1:13 ESV
(13) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
1 John 1:5 ESV
(5) This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 4:8 ESV
(8) Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
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