![]() PAINE'S AGE OF REASON, by the celebrated Dr. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AGE OF REASON, by Gilbert Wakefield and, 2. Wild, incomprehensible ravings of a Hunting∣ton, and other mystical writers, are beneath the dignity of Criticism and to cope with such men with the weapons of sound argument and plain reason, would be, to adopt the language of their favourite Apostle, "fighting like one that beateth the air."įor these reasons I shall confine my strictures chiefly to what I conceive the two most res∣pectable publications that have appeared in our language on this interesting subject. Their name may truly be denominated Legion, "for they are many " and a serious refutation of some of them is, perhaps, a moral impossibility. It cannot be expected, nor indeed will the limits I have prescribed to the present work permit it, that I should enter into a minute, elaborate, examination of every petty Reply to which the Age of Reason has given birth. ![]() Replies, Answers, and Re∣futations of the Age of Reason, and its diaboli∣cal doctrines, were therefore published in abun∣dance many of which, however, by their futi∣lity, and total want of argument, have produced the very reverse of that effect, which their respective writers hoped to bring about in∣asmuch as their incapacity to refute the doc∣trines they attacked, served at once to show their own imbecility, and the impregnable strength of the fortress against which their puny efforts were directed. Priests, nor religious forms-were necessary to introduce man to his Maker that moment, they readily foresaw, must inevitably put an end to their lucrative traffic, and totally anni∣hilate the vast revenues they received for acting as ambassadors of Christ, and instilling into the minds of the people spiritual knowledge and heavenly comfort. Not only the clergy of the established church, but the leading men of every religious sect, had equal interest at stake, and were equally concerned in providing an antidote against the baneful influence of this deleterious poison: for the moment the way to God was laid open to every man alike the moment neither masters of the ceremonies, nor court etiquette-neither Every disgraceful epi∣thet of abuse was conferred with liberal hand upon the author: the titles of Deist, Atheist, In∣fidel, the Apostle of Beelzebub, the Agent of Lu∣cifer, with an infinite variety of the like op∣probrious terms, now succeeded to the appel∣lations of Jacobin, Leveller, Anarchist, Revolu∣tionist, Rebel, &c. Re∣ligion was now declared to be threatened with as great, and even greater dangers than those which were supposed at a former period to me∣nace the state, in consequence of the publication of the Rights of Man. Hence the Age of Reason no sooner made its appearance, than the toosin of alarm was sounded throughout the whole Hierarchy. Which they domineered over the souls and con∣sciences of mankind, and which "brought no small gain unto the craftsmen." Men who had long been in the habit of fattening in luxurious ease upon the spoils and contributions of credulity, bigotry, and superstition, were justly apprehensive, lest the investigation of truth should at length open the eyes of the community at large, and discover in all its na∣kedness the fallacy of that system, by virtue of ![]() No sooner was the challenge given, than a "whole host of witnesses" started up in defence of that system, from whence (as Deme∣trius in a similar case observed to his colleagues at Ephesus) they derive their wealth. ![]() It was not, indeed, to be expected that a work of this description, which struck immediately at the very root of priest-craft, should remain long unanswered. MANY and virulent are the Replies which have appeared to Mr. Page A VINDICATION OF THE AGE OF REASON, &c. ![]()
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