guitar, Italy to a hand-organ, and Ireland to exile.

Some one, not connected with the church, had to attack the monster that
was eating out the heart of the world. Some one had to sacrifice
himself for the good of all. The people were in the most abject
slavery; their manhood had been taken from them by pomp, by pageantry,
and power.

Progress is born of doubt and inquiry. The church never doubts--never
inquires. To doubt is heresy--to inquire is to admit that you do not
know--the church does neither.

More than a century ago Catholicism, wrapped in robes red with the
innocent blood of millions, holding in her frantic clutch crowns and
scepters, honors and gold, the keys of heaven and hell, tramping
beneath her feet the liberties of nations, in the proud movement of
almost universal dominion, felt within her heartless breast the deadly
dagger of Voltaire. From that blow the church can never recover.
Livid with hatred she launched her eternal anathema at the great
destroyer, and ignorant Protestants have echoed the curse of Rome.

In our country the church was all-powerful, and, although divided into
many sects, would instantly unite to repel a common foe. Paine did for
Protestantism what Voltaire did for Catholicism. Paine struck the
first blow.

The "Age of Reason" did more to undermine the power of the Protestant
church than all other books then known. It furnished an immense amount
of food for thought. It was written for the average mind, and is a
straightforward, honest investigation of the Bible, and of the
Christian System.

Paine did not falter from the first page to the last. He gives you his
candid thought, and candid thoughts are always valuable.

The "Age of Reason" has liberalized us all. It put arguments in the
mouths of the people; it put the church on the defensive, it enabled
somebody in every village to corner the parson; it made the world wiser
and the church better; it took power from the pulpit and divided it
among the pews. Just in proportion that the human race has advanced,
the church has lost its power. There is no exception to this rule. No
nation ever materially advanced that held strictly to the religion of
its founders. No nation ever gave itself wholly to the control of the
church without losing its power, its honor, and existence.

Every church pretends to have found the exact truth. This is the end
of progress. Why pursue that which you have? Why investigate when