Thomas Paine took entirely to heart the gnosis of Pelagius, whose ‘inner knowing’ told him that ‘perfect wisdom’ comes from the minds of ‘sinless’ man. All gnostics were and remain characterized by Pride of Mind. Paine, seduced by Pelagianism, would proclaim of himself that his ‘mind is his own church.’ It is no wonder then that the majority of America’s Founders turned against Paine.