Paine "Chapter II" Closing the subject

 

"We know from history, that one of the principal leaders of this church, Athanasius, lived at the time the New Testament was formed; and we know also, from the absurd jargon he has left us under the name of a creed, the character of the men who formed the New Testament; and we know also from the same history that the authenticity of the books of which it is composed was denied at the time. It was upon the vote of such as Athanasius that the Testament was decreed to be the word of God, and nothing can present to us a more strange idea than that of decreeing the word of God by vote." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

It is apparent in "The Age of Reason" all that is necessary for Mr. Paine to malign one's character is for him to be a defender of the Christian faith. His charge here also is without foundation, nor is his assertion anything new. It is a common charge that the Word of God was appointed and chosen by men and their vote. In their hatred of the faith, they read history for their own purpose and not for the sake of history itself. Mr. Paine states as fact things which are merely his opinion and the opinion of a select group whose whole purpose is their distaste of religion. It is his assertion that he and this group alone are wise enough to decern and speak the truth of Athanasius's time.  

The Church Creeds to which Mr. Paine refers became necessary as false teachers and pseudo-writings began to circulate. As a result, the Church councils meet and made it official which writings were accepted by the Church as sacred scriptures. The scriptures were already in circulation and contrary to Mr. Paine's state of fact, accepted by the Church as such long before it was made official by Church Councils. Some of these writings took more consideration than others before their official acceptance. This however was a good thing, for it shows the caution that was in place in making an official statement and affirmation of the Canon. Mr. Paine on the other hand must view and present history in a different light to support his argument. So he and others of like persuasion concerning the voting of book acceptance in view of the Canon conveniently ignore the history leading up to the Church Councils. 

"I here close the subject on the Old Testament and the New. The evidence I have produced to prove them forgeries, is extracted from the books themselves, and acts, like a two-edge sword, either way. If the evidence be denied, the authenticity of the Scriptures is denied with it, for it is Scripture evidence: and if the evidence be admitted, the authenticity of the books is disproved. The contradictory impossibilities, contained in the Old Testament and the New, put them in the case of a man

who swears for and against. Either evidence convicts him of perjury, and equally destroys reputation.

Should the Bible and the Testament hereafter fall, it is not that I have done it. I have done no more than extracted the evidence from the confused mass of matters with which it is mixed, and arranged that evidence in a point of light to be clearly seen and easily comprehended; and, having done this, I leave the reader to judge for himself, as I have judged for myself." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)

Mr. Paine's writings find themselves in a precarious situation, for what he declares to be evidence clearly seen and easily comprehended should the Bible and the Testament hereafter fall, which had already been in place for nearly 2000 years under great scrutiny, and has yet stood some 200 more years after his maligning in "The Age of Reason". His writings have come and gone, the Bible he so distasted still remains the same.

May the Grace of God be with each of you,

David