Here's the whole quote:
"But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal of Britain. Yet that we may not appear to be defective even in earthly honors, let a day be solemnly set apart for proclaiming the charter; let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God;let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America THE LAW IS KING. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other. But lest any ill use should afterwards arise, let the crown at the conclusion of the ceremony be demolished, and scattered among the people whose right it is."
As you can see "word" in word of God is not capitalized, and from the context you can see that he was denouncing monarchy, saying that our rights come from God. That's a very Deist sentiment.
If you don't think Paine was a Deist, you're bucking a lot of factual evidence to the contrary.
Steve |
