Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1875-11-23

land civil liberty, are irrefutable; but
Of Christianity. whether didactic, ex:
Iperimental, OF even historical, your SO.
called Age Of Reason proves, that you
are wholly ignorant" "Well," he re.
.|joined, with good tempered smile,
that is capital; and ! like your blunt
ness and sincerity; but how can you
show my ignorance on these sub
ljects" 9t"s #
very easily" | answered, "Of all
the matters. connected with human
knowledge, not one demands such ex-
tensive literary requirements and pro-
tracted study as the Bible. A compe-
tent disputer should accurately and
critically understand the Hebrew,
Chaldee, Syriac and Greek languages
at least, or he cannot read the Script
ures in the tongues in which they
were written, and the words con
tanned in them were spoken. Then he
ought to be versed in the opinions,
customs, usages, domestic and public
annals OF the Asiatic nations of antiq-
uity. He should, also, be well ac-
quainted with ancient history, espe-
cially Of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
Persia and Arabia; with the Grecian
and Roman affairs. To all of which
he must superadd a minute and deep
insight in ecclesiastical history since
the introduction OF Christianity. Now,
to all these things you directly avow
yourself a stranger, and if l remember
Alright, you have disclaimed even
grammatical knowledge Of our ver-
nacular speech. How, therefore, can
! admit your competency as judge
of the evidences of the celestial inspi-
ration of the Holy Scriptures?"
A species Of rambling and evasivc
rigmarole ensued, aud it was all that
| could obtain from him in answer, un.
til resolved to risk giving him Of
fense by quoting from memory some
Of his pretended statements concern.
ing the sacred volume, which were so
glaringiy incorrect that l told him
there was no other alternative. Ell.
ther, Mr.. Paine, you designedly and
wantonly falsifed the book which you
professed to quote, which | am not
inclined to believe, or You wrote those
paragraphs at random, without any ac-
quaintance with. the Bible, or actual
inspection of the inspired volume"
To that rebuke he thus responded:
"You have driven me into corner, !
confess, sir; and therefore will ex-
plain the origin of the Age of Reason
to you. You may remember that in
consequence of my vote against the
execution of Louis the XVI, with some
other circumstances that were op-
posed to the proceedings of the French
rulers during the Reign Of Terror. !
was first suspected Of disaffection to
Marat, Robespierre, and their accom-
pliccs, and finally arrested and cast
into prison." think Mr.. Paine said
La Conciergerie. "While in the dun
gcon, and constantly expecting, like
the others, without moments warn.
ing, to be transferred to the guillotinc,
it was suggested to me thatif / would
make it known that l was devout
worshiper Of the goddess of Reason,
and utterly reject everything Chris
tan, might escape the dccapitation
to which I felt myself doomed. A tao.
it pledge was given by friend, that
if my life was spared. would write q
work adverse to Christianity, express
" to be disseminated in Britain, to
weaken the power Of Pitt and his ad-