The Ongoing Bicentennial of Thomas Paine's Age of Reason by William B. Lindley  The bicentennial of Thomas Paine's Age of Reason began sometime in late 1993. In the Preface to Part II of Age of Reason, Paine writes: I have mentioned in the former part of the Age of Reason that it bad long been my intention to publish my thoughts upon religion; but that I bad originally reserved it to a later period in life, intending it to be the last work I should undertake. The circumstances, however, which existed in France in the latter end of the year 1793, determined me to delay it no longer.... Under these disadvantages, I began the former part of the Age of Reason; I bad, besides, neither Bible nor Testament to refer to, though I was writing against both; nor could I procure any: notwithstanding which, I have produced a work that no Bible believer, though writing at his ease, and with a library of Church books about him, can refute. [Paine calls what we call the "Old Testament" the "Bible"; what we call the "New Testament" he calls the "Testament".] Toward the latter end of December of that year, a motion was made and carried, to exclude foreigners from the convention. There were but two in it, Anacharsis Cloots and myself, and I saw I was particularly pointed at by Bourdon de l'Oise, in his speech on that motion. Conceiving, after this, that I had but a few days of liberty, I sat down and brought the work to a close as speedily as possible; and I bad not finished it more than six hours, in the state it teas since appeared, before a guard came there, about three in the morning, with an order signed by the two Committees of Public Safety and Surety- General for putting me in arrestation as a foreigner, and conveyed me to the prison of the Luxembourg. I contrived, on my way there, to call on Joel Barlow, and I put the manuscript of the work into his hands, as more safe than in my possession in prison; and not knowing what might be the fate in France either of the writer or the work, I addressed it to the protection of the citizens of the United States."  This address was apparently written from prison. Here it is: To my fellow citizens of the United States of America. I put the following work under your protection. It contains my opinion upon religion. You will do me the justice to remember, that I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it. The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason. I have never used any other, and I trust I never shall. Your affectionate friend and fellow-citizen. THOMAS PAINE. Luxembourg (Paris), 8th Pluvoise. Second year of the French Republic, one and indivisible. January 27th, O. S. 1794. Paine remained in prison until November 1794, and his narrow escape from the guillotine is a story in itself. Meanwhile, Part I, entrusted to Joel Barlow, was published, so that 1994 has been celebrated as Age of Reason's bicentennial year. However, as there was a Part II, that wasn't the end of it. His Preface to Part II continues in part: I have seen, since I have been at liberty, several publications written, some in America and some in England, as answers to the former part of the Age of Reason. If the authors of these can amuse themselves by so doing, I shall not interrupt them.... They will now find that I have furnished myself with a Bible and Testament; and I can say also that I have found them to be much worse books than I bad conceived. If l have erred in anything in the former part of the Age of Reason, it teas been by speaking better of some parts of those books than they have deserved. The Preface to Part II is dated October 1795, and it is the bicentennial of that Preface which we encourage our readers to celebrate. The bicentennial isn't over, though. Part II was published in 1796, although a pirated edition appeared in England in December 1795. And then there is Part III....