Thomas Paine

January 29, 1737 - June 8, 1809

What he did:

American Revolutionary author

Wrote 16 pamphlet series The American Crisis which he signed “Common Sense”

What he said:

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Where, say some, is the king of America? I tell you, friend, He reigns above.”

“ 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.”

“ 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”

“I die in perfect composure and resignation to the will of my Creator God.”