Paine "The Church" Chapter 8

 

In this chapter, we examine Mr. Paine's view of the New Testament Church. As we have come to expect, his discourse concerning his understanding of the subject is again wanting. It would make one's efforts more worthwhile if his arguments were of any substance. Take this statement for example: "Had it been the object or the intention of Jesus Christ to establish a new religion, he would undoubtedly have written the system himself, or procured it to be written in his lifetime." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason) His opinion of what Jesus Christ undoubtedly would or would not have done is an argument based upon sheer speculation, for he or no one else could presume upon the mind of Christ. However, because of the influence that his name carries we will proceed and address his accusations. 

"The Christian Mythologists tell us, that Christ died for the sins of the world, and that he came on purpose to die. Would it not then have been the same if he had died of a fever or of smallpox, of old age, or of anything else? The declaratory sentence which, they say, was passed upon Adam, in case he eats of the apple, was not, that thou shall surely be crucified, but thou shalt surely die — the sentence of death, and not the manner of dying. Crucifixion, therefore, or any other particular manner of dying, made no part of the sentence that Adam was to suffer, and consequently, even upon their own tactics, it could make no part of the sentence that Christ was to suffer in the room of Adam. A fever would have done as well as a cross, if there was any occasion for either." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine continues to demonstrate he knew nothing about the subject of which he was writing. What he was attempting to accomplish with this argument is a mystery as well. In his ignorance, he sees no difference in the mode of death the Christ was to suffer, if he had any understanding of the subject of which he is writing he would have known the necessity of the Crucifixion in Christian doctrine.  The Prophet Isaiah wrote 700 years before the Crucifixion concerning Christ saying:

Isaiah 53:1-12 ESV

(1)  Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

(2)  For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

(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 [Crucified] 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.

(6)  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(7)  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

(8)  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

(9)  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

(10)  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

(11)  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

(12)  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. Pieces of the scroll have been dated using both radiocarbon dating and palaeographic/scribal dating giving calibrated date ranges between 356 and 103 BCE. The necessity and the means of Christ's death long precede Mr. Paine's imaginary Christian Mythologists. 

A book bound in wood and leather and found in a child's grave south of Cairo is the oldest complete copy of the biblical Book of Psalms ever found and possibly the world's oldest book, scholars who have studied the volume say it dates around the year 350 AD.  The Book of Psalms is estimated to have been written between 1440 BC and 586 BC, long before Mr. Paine's so-called Mythologist. In Psalms 22 we find this description as well as the fact it is recorded that Jesus quoted from this Psalm during the Crucifixion identifying himself with it.

 Psalms 22:1-31 ESV

(1)  To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

(2)  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

(3)  Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

(4)  In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

(5)  To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

(6)  But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

(7)  All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

(8)  “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

(9)  Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

(10)  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

(11)  Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

(12)  Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

(13)  they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

(14)  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

(15)  my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

(16)  For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet [Crucifixion]

(17)  I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;

(18)  they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

(19)  But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

(20)  Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!

(21)  Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

(22)  I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

(23)  You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

(24)  For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

(25)  From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

(26)  The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!

(27)  All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

(28)  For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.

(29)  All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.

(30)  Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

(31)  they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Mr. Paine may have been offended by the Crucifixion, however, he cannot argue against it in favor of another mode of death, except in ignorance of the doctrine he is professing to critque.

In previous paragraphs to the one quoted above, Mr. Paine mentions the betrayal of Judas again portraying his ignorance of the subject he writes about, in Psalms 41 we find this reference.

Psalms 41:9 ESV

(9)  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

Then in Zechariah 11:12 ESV

(12)  Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.

 

And then in Matthew 27:9-10 ESV

(9)  Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,

(10)  and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”

From this Mr. Paine moves on in his discourse again discrediting the authenticity of the New Testament books which we have already addressed in the previous chapter. Then he begins a discussion of purgatory, selling of pardons, dispensations, and indulgences. We will not address those subjects in this treaty as we do not consider them Christian doctrines. There are no Scripture references to none of these doctrines mentioned and Mr. Paine is confusing Catholic beliefs with Christian doctrines. 

"Since, then no external evidence can, at this long distance of time, be produced to prove whether the Church fabricated the doctrines called redemption or not (for such evidence, whether for or against, would be subject to the same suspicion of being fabricated), the case can only be referred to the internal evidence which the thing carries within itself; and this affords a very strong presumption of its being a fabrication. For the internal evidence is that the theory or doctrine of redemption has for its base an idea of pecuniary Justice, and not that of moral Justice.

If I owe a person money, and cannot pay him, and he threatens to put me in prison, another person can take the debt upon himself, and pay it for me; but if I have committed a crime, every circumstance of the case is changed; moral Justice cannot take the innocent for the guilty, even if the innocent would offer itself. To suppose Justice to do this, is to destroy the principle of its existence, which is the thing itself; it is then no longer Justice, it is indiscriminate revenge." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine was here attempting to make an argument by making a pecuniary offense different from a moral offense. If I owe someone money and don't pay that debt, it becomes a moral offense. His reasoning is again irrational. Penalty refers to a punitive measure that is imposed by law for undertaking an act that is forbidden or failing to perform a statutorily required act. It can take the form of imprisonment or a fine. The word penalty is derived from the word penal which describes the punishment for correcting the action of the wrongdoer under a legal system. It is like a price tag attached to a specific non-compliant behavior, paid by those who engage in such behavior. How in the world this can destroy the principle of its existence I suppose could only have been found in the mind of Mr. Paine.

We have already explained penal substitutionary atonement in Chapter 5 so we won't revisit that here, but Mr. Paine's conundrum is solved there. As a further explanation of the doctrine that so offends him, we will need to look at a few Scriptures. 

Romans 6:23 ESV

(23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is the one who has been offended, God is the Judge of the offense, God is the one who assigns the fine or penalty. The fine or penalty that is assign is death, that is the wages that are to be paid.

 Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV

(1)  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

(2)  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

(3)  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

That death is reigning in us now, though we are alive in the flesh, the penalty is working in us. It is a spiritual death that will continue to reign in us. When our flesh dies, we carry that penalty with us, paying it in full throughout eternity. However, the redemption which Mr. Paine charges is a fabrication is purchased by Christ. His charges of fabrication are answered from the Scriptures stated at the beginning of this chapter from Isaiah 53. It was articulated 700 years before Mr. Paine's so-called fabrication. 

Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV

(4)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

(5)  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

(6)  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

(7)  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

(8)  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

(9)  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Colossians 2:13-15 ESV

(13)  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

(14)  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

(15)  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Mr. Paine ends this section with another absurd rant consisting of no argumental substance whatsoever. Speaking of the Christian Mr. Paine states:

"Yet, with all this strange appearance of humility and this contempt for human reason, he ventures into the boldest presumptions; he finds fault with everything; his selfishness is never satisfied; his ingratitude is never at an end. He takes on himself to direct the Almighty what to do, even in the government of the universe; he prays dictatorially; when it is sunshine, he prays for rain, and when it is rain, he prays for sunshine; he follows the same idea in everything that he prays for; for what is the amount of all his prayers but an attempt to make the Almighty change his mind, and act otherwise than he does? It is as if he were to say: Thou knowest not so well as I." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Here Mr. Paine charges the Christian finds fault with everything, yet Scripture says, Hebrews 13:5 ESV

(5)  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Mr. Paine charges the Christian is full of selfishness and he is never satisfied, yet Scripture says, Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

(3)  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

(4)  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Mr. Paine charges the Christian's ingratitude is never at an end, yet Scripture says, Colossians 3:15 ESV

(15)  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Mr. Paine charges that the Christian directs the Almighty what to do, yet Scripture says, James 4:15 ESV

(15)  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Mr. Paine charges that the Christian prays dictatorially, Yet Scripture says, 1 Peter 5:5-7 ESV

(5)  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

(6)  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

(7)  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Mr. Paine suggests the Christian says to God, "Thou knowest not so well as I." Yet, Scripture says, 1 Timothy 1:17 KJV

(17)  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Mr. Paine's ignorance of Christian doctrine almost brings him to a state of slander to the one who calls himself a Christian. How is it that one who so misunderstood the subject before him chose to embark upon the task of writing about it? He writes as one full of anger, who cares not for truth but only to strike injury to that which offends him. 

Paine "The Scriptures" Chapter 7

 

We now begin our examination of Mr. Paine's view of the Scriptures themselves. The arguments he makes are so absurd it is almost ridiculous to try and address all the fictitious statements that are made. It will be a most laborious task for almost every sentence is either a contrived unsubstantiated myth or complete ignorance of the subject at hand. I do not say the Scriptures should not be examined and challenged. Extreme care should be taken and the most rigorous efforts made to authenticate the accuracy of the text we have. So, in this examination of Mr. Paine's work in "The Age of Reason" we do not fault him for his questions, but the mythical arguments he puts forth presenting them as some kind of rational truth.

"When the Church Mythologists established their system, they collected all the writings they could find, and managed them as they pleased. It is a matter altogether of uncertainty to us whether such of the writings as now appear under the name of the Old and New Testament are in the same state in which those collectors say they found them, or whether they added, altered, abridged, or dressed them up.

Be this as it may, they decided by vote which of the books out of the collection they had made should be the WORD OF GOD, and which should not. They rejected several; they voted others to be doubtful, such as the books called the Apocrypha; and those books which had a majority of votes, were voted to be the word of God. Had they voted otherwise, all the people, since calling themselves Christians, had believed otherwise — for the belief of the one comes from the vote of the other. Who the people were that did all this, we know nothing of; they called themselves by the general name of the Church, and this is all we know of the matter." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

There is so much wrong with this statement it is hard to know where to begin. This is one of the reasons I am addressing this work from a Christian perspective. "The Age of Reason" was widely circulated during his lifetime and remains in print today, thereby making its fallacies known to unsuspecting readers. 

He begins by making this statement as someone in authority with knowledge of the subject of which he is speaking. The very premise of which he begins is irrational, describing in precise and vivid detail how and what occurred during what he estimates as the formation of the books of the Bible, then immediately precedes to tell us we can know nothing of these books or the people he suggests were there. This has been the pattern of his so called investigation, attempting to present his imaginations as truth that he may dismantle them with his arguments. He somehow suggest that this group of people of whom we know nothing about gathered a bunch of old books together of which we know nothing about and out of that quarry, choose what they would call the Word of God. I suppose we are to believe that the church which had survived the most severe and torturous persecutions for the previous 300 years had no uniform collection of teachings or instructions of faith. I suppose we are also to believe this church would accept such a concoction of books as the Word of God presented in Mr. Paine's imaginary story. As ridiculous as it is, he has made the charge so we must address it.      

Since Mr. Paine does not say, we must suppose the event he is making reference to in his gathering of books would be the 3rd Council of Carthage in 397 A.D. It is here Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage, and an assembly of 219 Bishops with possibly as many as 1,000 other attendees gathered to consider various church issues. One of those issues being the affirmation of the 27 books of the New Testament along with the Old Testament books as we have them now. 

The first such list to be affirmed was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in A.D. 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books we now have except Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John. In A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with one book of the Apocrypha) and 26 books of the New Testament (everything but Revelation) were canonical and to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) also affirmed these books. 

The history and formation of the Biblical canon is a very interesting study, one we do not have the time or space here to embark upon. However, it is necessary to make some response to Mr. Paine's imaginary story. Very early on the church began collecting the letters together that were written by the Apostles. We must understand at first all the churches did not have access to all the letters that were being circulated. However, over time more and more copies were produced and the letters became more readily available to the churches. In Colossians 4:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:27 we find examples of this in the letters themselves. 

Colossians 4:16 ESV

(16)  And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

1 Thessalonians 5:27 ESV

(27)  I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the apostle, acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235). The early Christians were reading and like us today, they were reading other books outside what was considered scripture. These were books they considered helpful and instructive, however, like today, there was always a distinction made between those and the ones considered scripture. We know this, because the church fathers mentioned above, when referring to scripture, never mentions a quote from any book other than those we now have in the Bible. Some books were more popular than others, so it took some of them more time to be accepted by the church as a whole. The books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. So by the time the books of the Bible began to be affirmed by the church authority, their list was already in use by the church. It became necessary to affirm these accepted books as false teachers troubled the church just like it does today. These heretical groups introduced books by pseudo-authors and unorthodox lists of scriptures which caused confusion. It was only an affirmation and had nothing to do with the imaginary story of Mr. Paine.

Perhaps we should give Mr. Paine the benefit of the doubt, considering he may not have had access to this information as travel and availability of books were limited in the 18 century. However, that does not excuse him for writing upon a subject of which at best he does not understand or at worst is a fabrication of his imagination.

Mr. Paine also asserts these books cannot be thought to be the one's that were written stating: "It is a matter altogether of uncertainty to us whether such of the writings as now appear under the name of the Old and New Testament are in the same state in which those collectors say they found them, or whether they added, altered, abridged, or dressed them up." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

This is a subject I have covered in previous posts, so I want repeat that effort here. However, we could not be more certain of those writings, there are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament alone. We have a fragment of the gospel of John that dates back to around 29 years from the original writing (John Rylands Papyri A.D. 125) and it reads like John today. There are manuscripts dating all the way back to 2nd and 3rd centuries still in existence, of which we can compare our text today. We have them in the original languages, we have them in translations of other languages, and we have them in quotes from the writings of the Church fathers in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. This makes it possible to have a very high accuracy of preservation. Mr. Paine was again speaking upon a subject he was either ignorant of or purposely misleading his readers.

"As to the account of the Creation, with which the Book of Genesis opens, it has all the appearance of being a tradition which the Israelites had among them before they came into Egypt; and after their departure from that country they put it at the head of their history, without telling (as it is most probable) that they did not know how they came by it. The manner in which the account opens shows it to be traditionary. It begins abruptly; it is nobody that speaks; it is nobody that hears; it is addressed to nobody; it has neither first, second, nor third person; it has every criterion of being a tradition; it has no voucher. Moses does not take it upon himself by introducing it with the formality that he uses on other occasions, such as that of saying, 'The Lord spake unto Moses saying. . . .' Why it has been called the Mosaic account of the Creation, I am at a loss to conceive." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine again continues presenting stories from his imagination as factual accounts and events. The story related above is found nowhere except in what was then Mr. Paine's own mind. He then precedes to suggest that if a book does meet with or form itself in style to his acceptance, then it must not be a true account. He presents nothing against the book of Genesis other than he cannot conceive of it being true. By making the statement, "Moses does not take it upon himself by introducing it with the formality that he uses on other occasions, such as that of saying, "The Lord spake unto Moses saying.'" - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason) he seems to be trying to suggest most think Genesis was dictated to Moses by God. Throughout the Pentateuch it is recorded that God spoke to Moses face to face, however, the phrase Mr. Paine is alluding to is missing in the Genesis text. 

Though Mr. Paine's imaginary story adds nothing to his argument, his questioning the divine revelation account has some merit. To have Moses writing the book we have 3 options seeing the events occurred before he was born. 1st, he could have received it directly from God of which Mr. Paine points out was doubtful by its structure. 2nd, he could have received it from the oral tradition and written it down. 3rd, he could have received it through written records already existing. 

Genesis is a mystery, however, recent discoveries since Mr. Paine's writing sheds a bit more light. In the structure of Genesis we find a Hebrew term called "toledoth" which means account, record, or genealogy. It’s also interesting that the word Genesis itself is derived from the Greek translation of toledoth.  It seems the Jewish scribes translating Genesis into Greek (The Septuagint (LXX)), possibly believed this word to be significant enough, they chose it as the title for the book. Had they translated it to English, it may have been known today as The Book of Accounts, or The Book of Histories. 4,000 year old clay tablet with written language on them have been discovered. Many of these tablets end with what is called a colophon which are concluding remarks found at the end of written documents which identify the author or owner of the document, along with other important information. This is consistent with the use of the toledoth in Genesis. If the toledoth in fact serves as a colophon, what Moses used was a collection of records that had been collected and passed from their authors. Therefore, in Genesis 5:1 the “book of the toledoth of Adam” was actually an account originally written down by Adam—the same with Noah, Shem, Terah, etc.

 Genesis 5:1 ESV

(1)  This is the book of the generations (toledoth) of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

"The Book of Genesis was originally written on tablets in the ancient script of the time, by the Patriarchs who were intimately concerned with the events related, and whose names are clearly stated. Moreover, Moses, the compiler and editor of the Book, as we now have it, plainly directs attention to the source of his information." - Air Commodor P. J. Wiseman, New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis, (Zondervan Publishing House, N.W. Grand Rapids, MI, 1946)

The first toledoth appears in Genesis 2:4.

Genesis 2:1-4 ESV

(1)  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

(2)  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

(3)  So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

(4)  These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

The NASB translators choose to translate toledoth in verse 4 as "account", and the NKJV translators choose "history" instead of "generations". All three are acceptable translations and it is easy to see that verse 4 speaks of the events in the previous verses not the following verses. If you apply this hermeneutic to each toledoth the passage flows and falls into place. It is also interesting this toledoth is the only one that does not have a name assigned to it. This is also the only one of which no human would have been an eye witness to. 

This application answers Mr. Paine's charge that no author is assigned to the book. Hebrew tradition tells us Moses was the author, if that is so, it does not make the tradition wrong by applying this hermeneutic. Moses could have been the author of parts of the book as well as the compiler of the additional books noting their authors in the toledoth.

The next toledoth in Genesis is a bit more complicated, however, the hermeneutic still works very well. Reading from Genesis 2:5 to 5:1 would be one book. We have the toledoth in verse one of chapter 5, which generally would imply that it was tied to what follows in that Chapter. We must remember though that the chapter and verse divisions are not in the original and is a fairly recent addition. They are helpful tools to locate scripture and sometimes are helpful reading tools, sometimes they only confuse things such as possible here. Lets read from Chapter 2 verse 5 and stop with Chapter 5 verse 1 and for our exercise omit or ignore the Chapter and verse division. Looking at the last couple of verses of Chapter 4 and the first portion of Chapter 5 to save space, it would read like this.

(And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him. To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. This is the book of the generations {accounts} of Adam.) 

This would be Adam's account recorded in the ancient language of the time from 2:5 to 4:26 which would include his toledoth assigning it to him in Chapter 5:1. Most of the events within those texts, Adam would have been an eye witness to, the few at the beginning that occurred before his existence would have been communicated to him by God, possible even before the fall.  

Here is a link to those discoveries: PDF_wiseman.pub

"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine here took issue with the Biblical accounts recorded putting on display human depravity. He is somehow trying to make a connection between the phase Word of God and the accounts of humanity, seemingly suggesting if it is one it cannot be the other. It is difficult to tell here if he is again drawing upon his own imagination or speaking from complete ignorance of the subject. I will not attempt to discern which, for neither will excuse him for his misguided efforts. 

Is it not surprising Mr. Paine is offended by the obscene, voluptuous, debaucheries, cruel, and torturous executions, and unrelenting vindictiveness of fallen humanity that are recorded in Scripture, yet passes over the obscene, voluptuous, debaucheries, cruel, and torturous executions, and unrelenting vindictiveness of fallen humanity in his own time? A brief overview of the French Revolution of which he was witness would have produced enough for him to write about. 

To omit all those things in Scripture which offend Mr. Paine would be to truly render it nothing but a myth, for the reality is, beginning in Genesis, man is fallen, and everything he touches in human history is corrupted. The Scriptures and human history both bear of this truth. For Mr. Paine to take issue with what Scripture records concerning man, he must also take issue with human history itself. The Bible was not written to make us look good, it was written to show us what we are, then lead us to our only hope. In the Bible we find not only our fall but our redemption.

Mr. Paine then moves on in his discourse speaking of Poets, Prophets, and Prophesying. He is difficult to follow in his next statements, for he attempts to suggest none of these words mean what we think they mean. Suggesting we have applied different meanings to the words than the original writer intended. He implies Poets, and Prophets were nothing more than musical instrument players and Prophesying was nothing more than the ability to play those instruments. It is all quit irrational and difficult to follow his confused efforts to discredit the text. It is best to quote him in his own words rather than attempt chiffer his musings. 

 

"Now, were there no other passage in the book called the Bible than this, to demonstrate to us that we have lost the original meaning of the word prophesy, and substituted another meaning in its place, this alone would be sufficient; for it is impossible to use and apply the word prophesy, in the place it is here used and applied, if we give to it the sense which later times have affixed to it. The manner in which it is here used strips it of all religious meaning, and shows that a man might then be a prophet, or he might prophesy, as he may now be a poet or a musician, without any regard to the morality or immorality of his character. The word was originally a term of science, promiscuously applied to poetry and to music, and not restricted to any subject upon which poetry and music might be exercised.

Deborah and Barak are called prophets, not because they predicted anything, but because they composed the poem or song that bears their name, in celebration of an act already done. David is ranked among the prophets, for he was a musician, and was also reputed to be (though perhaps very erroneously) the author of the Psalms. But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not called prophets; it does not appear from any accounts we have that they could either sing, play music, or make poetry.

We are told of the greater and the lesser prophets. They might as well tell us of the greater and the lesser God; for there cannot be degrees in prophesying consistently with its modern sense. But there are degrees in poetry, and therefore the phrase is reconcilable to the case, when we understand by it the greater and the lesser poets." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine does not tell us, but judging from his statements a few paragraphs before the one quoted here, the Scripture of which he is referring is 1 Samuel 19:20.

1 Samuel 19:20 ESV

(20)  Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

Mr. Paine is correct (I think, for he is quit confusing) that what is going on in these verses is praising and singing and playing instruments. What is confusing, is all his rhetoric about the changing of word meaning. The meaning of the words here are and have always been understood, the meaning is not being confused. It is Mr. Paine, who again is confused if he is indeed implying Prophet and Prophesying only and always mean playing, singing, praising. The meaning of the words in question is determined by the context in which they are used. This is a common principle one would think Mr. Paine would have understood. For we find a few chapters later in 1 Samuel 28:6 Saul looking for instruction from the Lord, and God does not answer. One of the means by which Saul is looking for an answer is from a Prophet to prophesy. The text interprets the meaning for us, for Saul is not looking for someone to play an instrument and sing, he is looking for a word from God. Mr. Paine's argument is ridiculously irrelevant, for it is no argument at all.  

1 Samuel 28:6 ESV

(6)  And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

Mr. Paine's comment concerning the greater and lesser prophets is nothing more than a confused misguided string of words that carry no rational meaning. The phase greater and lesser prophets mean nothing more than some wrote more extensively than others. It has nothing to do with one prophet being greater than another or that what God spoke through one was less important than the other. If Mr. Paine was confused about this, he could have asked any young lad or lassie and they could have explained it to him. I realize I am being somewhat sarcastic, but his foolish assertions seem to demand it.  

Paine "His Theology" Chapter 6

 

"But if objects for gratitude and admiration are our desire, do they not present themselves every hour to our eyes? Do we not see a fair creation prepared to receive us the instant we are born — a world furnished to our hands, that cost us nothing? Is it we that light up the sun, that pour down the rain, and fill the earth with abundance? Whether we sleep or wake, the vast machinery of the universe still goes on. Are these things, and the blessings they indicate in future, nothing to us? Can our gross feelings be excited by no other subjects than tragedy and suicide? Or is the gloomy pride of man become so intolerable, that nothing can flatter it but a sacrifice of the Creator?

I know that this bold investigation will alarm many, but it would be paying too great a compliment to their credulity to forbear it on their account; the times and the subject demand it to be done. The suspicion that the theory of what is called the Christian Church is fabulous is becoming very extensive in all countries; and it will be a consolation to men staggering under that suspicion, and doubting what to believe and what to disbelieve, to see the object freely investigated." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine points us to creation as a revelation of who God is, and it is true that creation does reveal certain aspects of God. To Mr. Paine's credit he recognizes the immense blessing that await us the moment we are born. He rightly suggest these things should move us to gratitude. He then briefly acknowledges these great blessings are interrupted by tragedy and suicide. He then seems to pass over the query why such a prepared creation is so broken. Instead of investigating the obvious question he instead turns upon the Church in an attempt to dismantle its influence. The creation has brought Mr. Paine to the conviction of the existence of God, but it will take the Gospel to bring him to salvation.      

Romans 1:19-20 ESV

(19)  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

(20)  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

 Romans 10:16 ESV

(16)  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

CONSCIENCE, n. [L., to know, to be privy to.]

1. Internal or self-knowledge, or judgment of right and wrong; or the faculty, power or principle within us, which decides on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our own actions and affections, and instantly approves or condemns them. Conscience is called by some writers the moral sense, and considered as an original faculty of our nature. Others question the propriety of considering conscience as a distinct faculty or principle. The consider it rather as the general principle of moral approbation or disapprobation, applied to ones own conduct and affections; alledging that our notions of right and wrong are not to be deduced from a single principle or faculty, but from various powers of the understanding and will.

Mr. Paine's so called bold investigation is truly an investigation in fables, for he continues to demonstrate he knows nothing of the Gospel. 

Romans 5:1 ESV

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Peace with God, meaning we are at war with Him by nature. We will not have Him rule over us, we will not acknowledge Him or submit to His law. 

(Romans 3:18 ESV (18)  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”)

In the Gospel, God takes such men and so works in their consciences to bring them to faith and set them at peace with Him. 

(Romans 15:13 ESV (13)  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.)

It is strange that Mr. Paine would rail so fiercely against that which set men's conscience at peace. 

( Romans 2:15-16 ESV (15)  They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (16)  on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.)  

(Hebrews 9:14 ESV (14)  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.)

Mr. Paine seems in this work to have lamented that men with troubled consciences find such peace and freedom of mind in this world. His life was truly a troubled life, yet he rejected and condemned the very hope he had for peace and attempted to drive other men away as well. Mr. Paine looks at religion with disdain, especially Christianity, yet somehow embraces a religion of his own mind, trusting in a god who passes over sin, does not communicate his will, and cannot be known or understood, unless one could somehow have seen into the mind of Mr. Paine. This is not surprising, the scripture anticipates mans hostility and speaks of his various forms of objections.

 Romans 2:3-5 ESV

(3)  Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

(4)  Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

(5)  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

 1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

(18)  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

(14)  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.