Deism and Natural Theology

Where it surfaces

• Editor's Introduction

  Paine's theism is described as a birthright; his early work is an amplification of Newtonian Deism based on planetary motion, while later work bases belief in God on the moral nature of man.

• The Author's Profession of Faith

  Paine professes belief in one God and hopes for happiness beyond life, rejecting all organized creeds and advocating a pure, unadulterated belief.

• VI: Of the True Theology

  Paine points to the natural world—the sun, rain, and abundance—as evidence of a benevolent Creator, arguing that true theology is found in the observable universe rather than in scripture.

• IX: In What the True Revelation Consists

  Paine asserts that the creation itself is the true word of God, revealing divine attributes without need for scripture.

• X: Concerning God, and the Lights Cast on His Existence and Attributes by the Bible

  Paine emphasizes that God is known through reason and the book of creation, not through scripture, citing Job and Psalm 19 as deistical compositions.

• XI: Of the Theology of the Christians; and the True Theology

  Paine advocates for studying the works of creation as the true theology, emphasizing the divine origin of scientific principles.

• XIII: Comparison of Christianism with the Religious Ideas Inspired by Nature

  Paine contrasts the pure and simple profession of Deism with Christian mythology, emphasizing contemplation of the Deity in his works.

• System of the Universe

  Paine uses the orderly structure of the solar system to argue for a rational Creator and a universe filled with worlds.

• XV: Advantages of the Existence of Many Worlds in Each Solar System

  Paine uses the structure of the universe—a plurality of worlds in motion—as evidence of the Creator's wisdom and beneficence, arguing that this design instructs humanity and inspires gratitude.

• Recapitulation

  Paine argues that the creation is the true word of God, demonstrating His power, wisdom, and goodness, and that moral duty is to imitate these attributes.

• III: Conclusion

  Paine argues that the universe itself is the true 'Bible of the creation,' revealing God through science and natural laws, not through scripture.

• The Book of John

  Paine and Middleton argue that the true revelation of God is found in the creation itself—the visible universe—which serves as the infallible standard for all truth.

• Private Thoughts of a Future State

  Paine emphasizes leaving matters of the afterlife to the Creator's justice and goodness, consistent with deist reliance on reason and natural theology.

• Endnotes

  Editor notes Paine's deist perspective, including the assertion that Deism was the religion of Adam.