A Continuation of the Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of France: On the Subject of Religion and of the Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever in Answer to Mr Paine's Age of Reason - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1795. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... and the translation of it uncertain, as that the Mosaic or Christian history is .incredible on that account. If there be such a thing as cavilling, unworthy of a serious writer, it is such reasoning as this. Indeed, I do not think I have any where met with more confident assertions, or a looser mode of arguing, than in this tract; of Mr. Paine's. I am, &c. LETTER III. Of the Objeil of Christianity, and of the History of Jesus. DEAR SIR, YOU will not much wonder that a person, so occupied as Mr. Paine has been, and so usesully occupied, in matters of civil policy, mould "hot understand every thing; though' his extraordinary success in writing on some subjects might lead him to think himself equal to any other. But you are now, I am persuaded, convinced, that, distinguished as his abilities are, he has not given sufficient attention to the subject of revelation ; that he has totally misconceived the object of it, and especially the nature of its evidence. His ignorance of this subject, arising I suppose chiefly from his contempt for it, is more apparent in what he fays concerning Christianity in particular, the origin of which, as lying within the compass of well known history, it was much easier for him to make himself acquainted with. What is more remarkable still, Mr. Paine admits things that are manifestly inconsistent with one another. For, according to him, nothing can be more truly amiable and excellent than the character of Jesus, the founder of Christianity, or more upright and disinterested than his views in founding it, and yet nothing more detestable than the real spirit and tendency of it. Iadeed,, he I he himself says, p. 57, speaking of the New Testament* u Out of the matters contained in those books, together u with the assistance of some ...