<
T orch
VOL 1.
of
R eason .
SILVERTON, OREGON. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY
THOMAS PAINE.
4, ¡897
NO. 14.
lvzes the moral sens«*, and its un- coarse and vulgar in this much
So long as orthodoxy continues
[L ecture D elivered by K ey . W. E.
fortunate victim can no longer dis- condemned and little read attack its venomous and libelous attacks
C opeland , U nity C hurch , S alem , O re .] tinguish between right and wrong, ' on the hypocrisy of his day. Read upon a man, to whom more than
Many object to my setting apart truth and error in its blind ad- other books published in those days to any one man, America owes her
one Sunday t<> honor Thomas Paine, herence to the letter of the Hebrew and you will soon learn that the independence, for Paine’s pen was
I <To this purposely.
Paine has bible and the articles of its creed J coarsness belonged to the age and as mighty as thesword of Washing­
been made by the unchristian
Orthodoxy has lost the power j not the man. Who is this Tom ton; it is right that lovers of justice
churches (called Evangelical,) to of detecting that word of God, Paine against whom the orthodox and right take occasion to let the
do duty as the lay figure, which which is fresh every morning and ' rage so blindly and all the more truth he known. Paine’s services to
each clergyman and theological every evening.
Repeating the furiously because blindly? What the cause of American liberty were
student may decorate with such robes old creeds and old commands, i t , place in the world’s gallery of very great and were so acknowledg­
of falsehood and abuse as his fancy makes so much noise that it can-1 portraits is filled by Tom Paine? ed by that galaxy of brilliant men
may dictate. With few exceptions not hear that voice of God which! What was done by Paine that some the signers of the declaration of
for over o n e hundred \ ears, orthodox aroused the prophets to clear every­ can find no words too harsh for independence. Rarely if ever has the
theologians have never ceased to thing in the interest of truth and his condemnation and others no United States government placed a
sneer at Tom Paine, to describe in religious freedom and which speaks words t«»o laudatory to sound his man of war at the service of a private
glowing fiery terms th«*awfui death today as it spoke in olden time, for honor? Of course his claim to hon­ citizen; yet this was done for
bed of the great infidel; by the way the father wiil never desert his or especially rests upon his services 1 homas Paine. Washington did
a descri} tion which has nothing in child.
in the cause of the freedom from not offer the hospitality of Mt.
common with the reality, and this
The school of the prophet has British tyranny of the thirteen Vernon to dirty drunken profli­
reminds me to say that 1 have been never been closed, the Bath, Koi or colonies, though he served freedom gates, yet this honor was offered
présentât tbedeath bedof a number Voice of God has never been sil­ 'he world over. What was done to Thomas Paine. Neither colo­
of infidels and I have never yet found enced, the book of Rcvela'ions has by Mr. Thomas Paine for American nial legislatures or congress were
one, who had any fear about the fu­ never been closed; orthodoxy so he- liberty which gave him so high profuse in gifts or praise in those
ture; their dying has been like the wilders the mind, that the ortho- a rank among the fathers? Not early days, yet both were given to
falling asleep of a child. As a rule «lox resolutely refuse to listen to i tie in a hundred of those who Thomas Paine. When he arrived
infidels <lie will» less terror than those other prophets, whom God sneer at Tom Paine, know that his at Paris the Marquis de La Fayette
earnest believer-, and this was as raises up in every age, and so con­ pamphlet, “Common Sense” was gave to him, with the request that
trueof Paine as of other unbelievers. fuses the senses that the faith­ the Tocsin, which awakened in the he send it to W ashington, the key
O ne would suppose a her the exhaust­ ful cannot hear the still small voice American people a determination to of the Bastiie, which meant so
ive lives of Pain«*, which have been ot God speaking in the silence of' e free, and which was the guide much to lovers of liberty of both
pub ished, especially Conways, the the heart.
to show them the wav to that free­ continents. Lafayette the perfect
bigots would eease their reiteration
Another peculiarity of the war dom we so highly prize. Few re­ French gentleman placed this key
of exploded romance, but they say against Paine, is its utter groun<l- member that when the Colonial in the custody of Thomas Paine,
the same things over again, with no lessncss. Thomas Paine is by no Army, short of provisions, short of who with Jefferson had prepared
qualifica ion, showing an ignorance means so great an infidel, as many clothes, short of ammunition, was the Declaration of Independence;
whichstamps them as no trustwor­ today, who are professors in Theo­ almost in despair, that Paine’s Crisis to Paine a creature who accord­
thy guitles for people. We expect of a logical schools; Piebysterian Theo­ aroused them to hear their depri­ ing to orthodoxy was sunk so low
man, whom we ewpl<»\ to teach us, logical schools at that, and preach­ vations a little longer. All seem as hardly to be above the level of
and
who has been specially ers in pulpits belonging to ortho­ to have forgotten that when the the brutes; hut by LaFayette
educated to that end, that he will at dox churches. He was a devout treasury was empty and it was deemed worthy of the great honor
least keep himself informed of every worshipper ofa personal God, whom evident that peace must be obtained of taking across the ocean the sym­
advance; made in thought and that he conceived of, as too perfect, on any terms, Mr. Thomas Paine bol of civil and religious tyranny,
he will correct old errors when they lofty and good, for the Hebrew started a subscription, giving all he a gift from the French to the Amer­
have been proven to he errors yet bible to he his word, and n«>w great had in the world, which subscrip ican Republic. Paine not return­
the average orthodox preacher goes scholars are telling us that much tion soon filled the treasury, clothed ing at the time expected, gave the
over the same old story in blissful of the bible is purely of human the army, secured rations and arn- treasure to Rutledge.
When
ignorance, that it has been totally origin and written by men of a low munition, and not very long after Munroe had secured a treaty which
disproved. Every year and many order of development, not so far a«l- peace on such terms as the Ameri- was advantageous to both countries,
times a year, especially when there vanced as the Persians, Egyptians cans dictated. It is not saying too he selected 1 homas Paine as the
is a revival in progress, theaudience and Hindoos. Scholars, whose much, in the light of history, to one best suited to take the precious
is pointed to Tom Paine as an chiislianity none dare impune, tell assert that no man, not even Wash- document to the United States, hut
awful example of the terrible effects us that we art« not to accept every ington, made so great sacrifices and the National Assembly would not
of infidelity, poor, drunken, dirty, word of the bible as God’s word, accomplished so much for American grant leave of absence to a valued
frightened Tom Paine; when the indeed n«»t every word of the New liberty as did Mr. Thomas Paine, member. After his release from
truth is Mr. Paine was no more dirty Iestament; that we must decide j Whosoever has any patriotism prison Paine was an inmate of
than many other snuff takers, that what parts of the bible are from should find his pulse quickened, as Munroe’s house, meeting there as
he was exceptionally temperate, God. 1 he infidelity for which lie thinks of the author here, of the elegant a body of gentlemen and
that he had no fear of the future. Paine is so severely condemned, is revolution. “GrandTom Paine” said ladies as assembled in Paris. There
I have proven the falsity of these now openly taught by Christian the volunteers as around their camp were many times, during Paine’s
statements again and again, and professors, under whose direction fires they eagerly read the last residence in Paris, when hut for
mv words were hardiv uttered la- is to be presently published the number of the Crisis. “Noble Tom him there would have been short
f«»re the same old fables were re- polychrome bible which will sort Paine” was heard on every side, as shrift for both Americans and Eng-
peated. This simply shows friends, out one part of a given Ixmk from he offered all that he had on the alter lish, and more than once the Amer-
what kind of a disease orthodoxy another, giving a hint of the origin of American freedom. But such is ican minister had to appeal to Paine
is This is the most terrible spirit- which can be seen at a glance by the venom of orthodoxy, that now for help.
tial disease, which can effect liu- the color.
all which is said of this patriot is
No other American citizen had so
inanity. Whatever comes to me
Quite an important part of “ Drunken Tom Paine,” no recollect- great an opportunity to represent
I hope that I may be spared the Christendom now accept as truth, ion of his great services remaining, the true American spirit of liberty
supreme calamity of becoming or- r- what Paine taught
_ in his “Age
_
of Against
„
this injustice I will ever as was given
gP1 to Thomas Paiue be-
thod<»x. Orthodoxy entirely ; ara- , Reason.” But some say, he is so protest.
Continued on 3rd. Page.
V