New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-02
THE TEACHINGS OF THOMAS PAINE.

THE TEACHINGS OF THOMAS PAINE.
An Address by Professor Adler at Chlekering Hall
Professor Felix Adler lectured before the
Society for Ethical Culture yesterday morning, IN
Chickering Han, on " Thomas Paine" The hall was
densely filed and the speakers remarks received the
closest attention.
There are some men, said Professor Adler In whom
the spirit of their age TO have taken living form
men who are removed out OF all personal relations
and who stand the embodiment or the living
law Such a man was Thomas Paine, to the
memory Of whom and 10 whose honor raise
M my voice to-day. His was perfect hfe His was
not the Christ nature which dwells with broodng gen.
teness over tue wrongs the world. His was the rev.
oluiIonist's nature Utterly lacking III syuipa-
thy with any form OF wrong. lie fought
against his enemies ST. George did against the ORA
eon He seems TO have been the embodiment OF tho
spirit of rebellion and revolt against the tmehohored
traditions of the past.
LIDO not need to dwell at length upon the Incidents
Of his life for they are well known 10 you fou
know how he was born of humble parentage. how
he worked in London as a stay-maker' ana
how he was afterward o dissenting preacher;
how he II shopkeeper in an English town. ana no"
his anmosity against the English Government grew
more intense year by year. You know how when the
struggle for freedom broke out IN America Paine saw
the chance to realize his hope for free popular govern
mcnt You know how he came to this country ana De-
came tower OF strength; how he fired the NationaI
heart by his publications, and how nc crysta'lzeu the
vague ideas of the people. and made II cearo them that
the issue out of their struggle could only be their
separation from Great Britain. You know how Jefer-
SON. and Monroe and Washington esteemed hm, ana now
Congress gave him OF aR TaS SG So ~
was returned 10 the Na,ionai Frnoco "9 bv
mprisonment and how he escaped irnomnious death
only by accident. shortly after the Govern nent or
nberaled Paine returned 10 America where he was
welcomed by and iDsulted by others. he reIlreu
to farm in New Rochcle-the gift OF TIC state oil New
You know how his last days were troubled by those
in those hours when the pulse feeble and when only
incoherent stammernes escape the lips shame, say
and then undertakes to establish rs truth
lAppause One cannot express TOO strong hs nag
Paines memory since his death They may shut ou his
they cannot blot the record Of his signal services TO
the country. IL is our disgrace, and not his.
influence and oi the development OF his religious IDEAS
/ shall treat him critic rather than as eulogist
mnyement. and in studying the points 10 which
we differ nom him We shall learn how Tar we have
PP'Ine's theological tenets are laid down. He was
then 10 the Paris c0nyenon. ana d wne@ '0ls
went home and wrote day and night SIX hours before
the mnions Of RObesperre dragged him on 10 prison ne
gave manuscript into the hands OF ,r,ond 10 me
Age OF Reason he gave 70 h tSoagnts tnat
Condemn the harsh style and spirit Of invectye that
aTacterze the book OF the faults OF liberal lead
s 6s Is snsl 1S spirit they don't that harsh
ness never heals. OF course u IS easy 10
cain the applause OF the multitude by ndiculng inc
sanctity of life; the thing Is wrong 50 believe
that TIonas Paine failed TO impress the American people
narty because OF the acerby Of his terms Mhen chl
he heard OF the scheme Christian redemption and bis
mind rebeed against IT. Then. although ignorant OF
the Bible he rejected all Of the elements OF The Christian
wish then TO call yonr attention to two points |
charge him first with dogmatisIn, and secondly
with being deficient III the sense OF Ms
to-icaI distinction Paine was not radical,
that IA deep enough lie was superficial. ard dd
not sec distinctly nor penetrate deep enough mo te
ouesons upon which he wrote. Paine argued that tue
existence Of God based In logic, because all animal
or vegetable fe-everythDg IN fac-must DC traced Oa
first cause He In first cause because there
was tcnfod greater difficulty Ia not believing In hrst
cause But maintain that reason leads 70 no such con
clusion Only q sub0rnation on reason iends 10 tns
Eitber the existence the non-exlstence OF nrst
cause IL ipcom preheuslbo TO the human mind Inen
nrehend first cause and not select one OF the two al
ternatiyes because IL Is the more pleasing falue 100
| was dognatic in adopting nature as 600,
when he undole 10 accept inc
God OF Revelation We have MIL as our authority thht
there never was 80 nhumsn tyrabt as Nature. sec
ondy. Paiues charges against the HEBREW piopne,sI
Who he wrongly SAYS, TsTe n., tne for the
cxcesses and excrescences OF the times show how
necessary II s to make accurate study OF people II
one wonld write intelligently and accurately ABOUT
them His criticisms based on inadequate lnIOf,
| Paine in two respects: In that we have
s,ryen to rid ourselves fully than be dd OF oog
matism and have better justice 10 the men 81 the
mast than did Then let us not forget 10 Il" justice 70
Paine hnsef. lie erred but he erred ID ignorance ioi
! the knowledge OF to-day was not within his grasp