Page "The Age of Reason" Paragraph 3

Paine's book followed in the tradition of early eighteenth-century British deism.

These deists, while maintaining individual positions, still shared several sets of assumptions and arguments that Paine articulated in The Age of Reason.

The most important position that united the early deists was their call for " free rational inquiry " into all subjects, especially religion.

Saying that early Christianity was founded on freedom of conscience, they demanded religious toleration collaborated on an edition which sold about 2, 000 copies.

Williams also produced his own edition, but the British government indicted him and confiscated the pamphlets.