Paine, Thomas |
" It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author." Thomas Paine " The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal." "The Existence of God--1810" Thomas Paine ![]()
How can we know anything about anything? That’s the real question |
Other Pages in this sectionFounding Documents Slavery Supreme Court The States Adams, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Samuel Boudinot, Elias Brewer, Justice David J. Carroll, Charles Clinton, DeWitt Christopher Columbus de Tocqueville, Alexis Benjamin Franklin Hamilton, Alexander Hancock, John Henry, Patrick Jay, John Jefferson, Thomas Johnston, Samuel Lincoln, Abe Madison, James McHenry, James Morris, Governor Morse, Jedediah Muhlenberg, John Peter Gabriel Penn, William Rush, Benjamin Reagan, Ronald Story, Joseph Washington, George Webster, Daniel Webster, Noah Woodrow Wilson Wilson, James Witherspoon, John Recently Viewed |