Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-15
LIFE OF TON PAINE
BEFORE The CRY PASTORS


III. Fsye-cen51enes Reufins-
In The aheencs oe hoGh preeiAent
snd v,ce-pres,dent ~ the meeting of
the paslors' oenferehos yseasrday after
noon. the Rev- Goodman uas appointed
20 the chair. ~ the earnest reques1 of
the conferences. The Rev. J. 7. Hus1sd
gave : yevieW Of the three lectures be
has been giving bic oonGreGafion upoa
"The L,fo and Writings Of Thomas
Paine.n He nnid: "Tho life and writ
ings Of Tom Paine are woven Into the
literature and history Of England,
France and America. His early career
is not one that re1ects much iustre
upon his life and pathway. He ueeo
the Bibls and the life Of Christ 70 help
support him IN his Ideas Of freo-love-
;ssr. He came 10 AmericA a. the eolici-
tation Of Benz. frxukiin. and coon after
wrote = pamphlet called Connon
6epse,' eetting forth hie reAsons for
the colonies should sepafate
from England.
Arrested n Bngsana.
Going ~ France in about lse8. he
write his Rights Of Man in answcr 70
Edmund Burke. In 1871 he was ar
rested in Engisnd for hrs ststemsnts.
and Erskine VAS bis stlorney. Skip
ping over to FrAnco he became = menu
her of the National convention, and
was one Of those who voted. with SSS
Others, to save the head of the king.
When Robespierre came into power,
Paine didn't attend ths convention any
oftener than WAS necessary to save his
credit. During this time he wrote his
Age Of Reason.' and completed the
first part of il inst beforo going to
prison, where he wab incarcerAted for
eleven months.
He was . very impulaise man, but
lacked courage at the most critical mo-
ment. He could STIR up . great storm,
and then be sure to be out of tho way
before the bolt fell upon him. In bic
writingo. his friends have claimed much
for HIM that cannot be sustained.
When they claim that he wrote the
Declaration Of Independence they tell
what u abject nonsense. When they
claim he did SO much for Carrying on
the war to . auccessf vi issue, they claim
y
ldShle political works he writes ~ il
he were : firm believer in the Bible, in
the Christian religion, and IN . Diyire
Providence. II his political theories
are true. his religious theories are false.
After noting 6fteen or twenty Of the
glariug errors in the Age Of Reason /
that ho wrote the first part
to save his head. Il agrees perfectly
with Robeepierre's statement that Il
was necessary for . nation 70 believe Ia
. supreme beng and the Immortality
Of the oodl.
think Mr.. Pa,ne h,mself cared very
little FOR hjo sAEo " Doouon,s ou6 Il
bis friends hadn't made % much % it,
il would probably have been better for
the world. After Pane came to tins
country he formed : great friendship
for Thomas Jefferson. and tiis friend
ship had much to do with the popular
belief at the time that JefferGon was
decidedly atheistical in hrs views.
Paine drank great deal. and bic ln-
temperance increased with years, but 1
think It is hardly right or Juss 70 con-
demn Paine for tins habit when he
lived in m age when almost every one
drank moro or lese. In Paine's viii !
believe he wrote his honest opinion
men are apt 10 say the truth ~ they
approach eternity. In that will. he
directed that there should b engraved
on his Tombstone, 'Thomas Paine, toe
Author Of Common Sense'-and Com
mon Sense - the title ct the pamphlet
"a which he eets forth his belief that
the Bible 10 divine and OF God: Mr..
Ingersoll 10 second edition Of Paine.
/ might almost say, In hla religious and
political views. For instance, they are
both believers Ia hard money. Paine
had . peculiar theory that must mem
ton for Mt. Frye's benefit: IL - this:
He Organized society IN France after
release from prisnu, for the relief Of
poverty. His theory was 70 give eacn
person, at the beginning OF life, Is
pounds sterling. Then. at the age ct
ttftys that each receive . like amount.
The ldca was that that amount wOulo
enable cvery onu 20 begin lie WELL And
70 out OF IL deceutiy."
Resssss ee shs osssleo.
Az the close Of the talk several of the
avalied themselves OF an op-
v~>pfssvsstw n. 49, NJ UesnAznd fee fssefh@r
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