This was the last work that
Thomas Paine published. Prefixed with
An Essay On Dream it constitutes the unpublished "
Age of Reason:Part III ". Full of vim, vigor, and vitriol - this is
Thomas Paine at his best:
rabblerouser,
gadfly, American hero.
Paine, like many of our founding fathers, had a sceptical view of organized religion. In this work he Paine-stakingly goes through the books of the New Testament and cites all the passages that claim Jesus Christ fulfilled a prophecy made in the Old Testament.
While many schools might mention or even have students read Paine's The Age of Reason or Common Sense, this is not a work that gets much attention - undoubtedly due to its anti-church, anti-clergy, anti-christianity viewpoint.
Select to view:
Examination of the Prophecies:Author's Preface
Examination of the Prophecies:The Book of Matthew
Examination of the Prophecies:The Book of Mark
Examination of the Prophecies:The Book of Luke
Examination of the Prophecies:The Book of John