Sam Adams' Letter to Thomas Paine (Christianity vs. Deism)

deism.com ^ | November 30, 1802 | Samuel Adams

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Sir:

I have frequently with pleasure reflected on your services to my native and your adopted country. Your "Common Sense" and your "Crisis" unquestionably awakened the public mind, and led the people loudly to call for a declaration of our national independence. I therefore esteemed you as a warm friend to the liberty and lasting welfare of the human race. But when I heard that you had turned your mind to a defense of infidelity, I felt myself much astonished and more grieved that you had attempted a measure so injurious to the feelings and so repugnant to the true interest of so great a part of the citizens of the United States.

The people of New England, if you will allow me to use a Scripture phrase, are fast returning to their first love. Will you excite among them the spirit of angry controversy, at a time when they are hastening to unity and peace? I am told that some of our newspapers have announced your intention to publish an additional pamphlet upon the principles of your "Age of Reason."

Do you think that your pen, or the pen of any other man can unchristianize the mass of our citizens, or have you hopes of converting a few of them to assist you in so bad a cause? We ought to think ourselves happy in the enjoyment of opinion without the danger of persecution by civil or ecclesiastical law.

Our friend, the President of the United States, has been calumniated for his liberal sentiments, by men who have attributed that liberality to a latent design to promote the cause of infidelity. This and all other slanders have been made without a shadow of proof. Neither religion nor liberty can long subsist in the tumult of altercation, and amidst the noise and violence of faction.

Felix qui cautus.

Adieu. SAMUEL ADAMS.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

I forgot to excerpt the article, but the website shares some of the back and forth exchange the two men had. Paine was quite the debater for his case as well...I encourage all of you to read it. There’s no better way to get inside the minds and hearts of our founders...

[matginzac]

I just read a book review in the Weekend edition of the WSJ on “The Declaration” by Hogeland - seems a good one on the “behind the scenes” elements of the hashing out of The Declaration. Sam. Adams and Paine are featured. The reviewer does warn that the author is a lib but says he stays pretty coherent through out the book...

[matginzac]

OOOps, the title is “Declaration” - sorry...

[trickyricky]

James 2:19 (King James Version)

19 Thou believest that there is one God;
thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But:

John 14:6 (King James Version)

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

[WackySam]

Paine’s response to the Adams letter is brilliant.

IMHO, The Age of Reason is a masterfully written “Declaration of Independence” from organized religion. To me, no less important than the United States Declaration of Independence.

[definitelynotaliberal]

ping

Happy 4th, gentlemen, and thank you all for enabling me to appreciate it more this year than the last.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Great verse. There’s no away around Jesus Christ. No Jesus, No “God.”

[Popman]

Oh' that we had such men as leaders today besides their civil disagreements.

Too think what type of men (if you can them men) serve this county, it's people today for their own corrupt and craven pleasures is heartbreaking.

For these who have Netflix, there is a fantastic series done on John Adams, well worth watching

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Sam Adams, I think, was much more religious than John Adams was. That being said, Paine was quite the debater for his case as well, certainly far more eloquent than the Christopher Hitchenses or Richard Dawkinses of our day. Reading these private letters invites us into the hearts and minds of our founders and all the spiritual questions they wrestled with. I appreciate learning from their soul-searching journeys because the men and women of that time period (believers and non believers alike) did not suffer from the shallow, provincial, and petty thinking which unfortunately characterizes our era and is further perpetuated by our lacking education system. Reading our founders' diaries, letters, and essays (rather than analyzing documents such as the Declaration of Independence or US Constitution) would clear up a lot of over-simplification of the "Is America a Christian or Secular Nation?" debate that pervades academic and public discourse today. More importantly, it reveals to us the kind of intellectual and moral fortitude it takes to "secure the blessings of liberty" for our generation and beyond..

[call meVeronica]

bump 4 l8r

[Shark24]

I do love the respectful attitude between Adams and Paine. Chesterton (among other Christian apologists) was similar with his critics. Would be great to see the same attitude on some of the threads here. As for Paine, this Catholic boy loved his “Age of Reason” but still would be happy to defend the Faith. My first thought experiment would be to bring ol Tom forward in time and see what he thinks of our own “age of reason” Happy 4th everyone!

[Loud Mime]

Thanks for the ping, D!

I believe “EGO” is the reason for the creeping anti-religious “religion” around the US. The socialists have never believed in a person greater than themselves.