t light religion appears to me.

"If we suppose a large family of children on any particular day, or
particular occasion, made it a custom to present to their parents some
token of their affection and gratitude, each of them would make a
different offering, and most probably in a different manner. Some would
pay their congratulations in themes of verse and prose, others by some
little devices, as their genius dictated or according to what they
thought would please; and, perhaps, the least of all, not able to do any
of those things, would ramble into the garden or the field and gather
what it thought the prettiest flower it could find, though perhaps it
might be but a simple weed. The parents would be more gratified by such
a variety than if the whole of them had acted on a concerted plan, and
each had made exactly the same offering. This would have the cold
appearance of contrivance, or the harsh one of control. But of all
unwelcome things nothing would more afflict the parent than to know that
the whole of them had afterwards gotten together by the ears, boys and
girls, fighting, and reviling, and abusing each other about which was
the best or the worst present.

"Why may we not suppose that the great Father of all is pleased with a
variety of devotion; and that the greatest offense we can act is that by
which we seek to torment and render each other miserable? For my own
part I am fully satisfied that what I am now doing with an endeavor to
conciliate mankind, to render their condition happy, to unite nations
that have hitherto been enemies, and to extirpate the horrid practice of
war, and break the chains of slavery and oppression, is estimable in his
sight, and being the best service I can perform, I act it cheerfully.

"I do not believe that any two men, on what are called doctrinal points,
think alike who think at all."

[And this, my reader, is Thomas Paine who hath spoken. I would like to
have Henry Ward Beecher, after he has read this book, take the above
passage as a text and preach a sermon from it.]

I now call attention to a few parallels:

_Paine._

"A narrow system of politics like a narrow system
of religion, is calculated only to sour the
temper, and be at variance with mankind."--Crisis,
iii.

_Junius._

"Superstition is certainly not the characteristic
of this age; yet some men are bigoted in politics
who are i