Reason, the Only Oracle of Man; Or, A Compendius System of Natural Religion
Colonel Ethan Allen, the author of Oracles of Reason, was the son of Joseph Allen, a native of Coventry, Connecticut, a farmer in moderate circumstances. He afterwards resided in Litchfield, where Ethan was born in the year 1739. The family consisted of eight children, of whom our author was the eldest. But few incidents connected with his early life are known. We are apprised, however, that notwithstanding his education was very limited, his ambition to prove himself worthy of that attention which superior intellect ever commands, induced him diligently to explore every subject that came under his notice. A stranger to fear, his opinions were ever given without disguise or hesitation; and an enemy to oppression, he sought every opportunity to redress the wrongs of the oppressed.
At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, he raised in Vermont, where he had resided, a company of volunteers, consisting of two hundred and thirty, with which he surprised the fortress of Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775, containing about forty men, and one hundred pieces of cannon. He was unfortunately taken prisoner in September following, in an attempt on Montreal, and sufferred a cruel imprisonment for several years. For an account of which, the reader is referred to his narrative, contained in a memoir of the author, by Mr. Hugh Moore, Plattsburg, 1834.
Soon after the close of the revolution, Col. Allen composed the following work; which, on account of the bold and unusual manner, particularly in this country, that the subject of religion is treated, he had great difficulty to get published. It lay a long time in the hands of a printer at Hartford, who had not the moral courage to print it. It was finally printed by a Mr. Haswell, of Bennington, Vt. in 1784. Not long after its publication, a part of the edition, comprising the entire of several signatures, was accidentally consumed by fire. Whether Mr. H. deemed this fire a judgment upon him for having printed the work or not, is unknown—but, the fact is, he soon after committed the remainder of the edition to the flames, and joined the Methodist Connection; so that but few copies were circulated.
Ethan Allen
REASON,
REASON
INTRODUCTION.
PREFACE.
ORACLES OF REASON,
CHAPTER I.
SECTION I. THE DUTY OF REFORMING MANKIND FROM SUPERSTITION AND ERROR...
SECTION II. OF THE BEING OF A GOD
SECTION III. THE MANNER OF DISCOVERING THE MORAL PERFECTIONS...
SECTION IV. THE CAUSE OF IDOLATRY, AND THE REMEDY OF IT
CHAPTER II.
SECTION I. OF THE ETERNITY OF CREATION
SECTION II. OBSERVATIONS OF MOSES'S ACCOUNT OF CREATION
SECTION III. OF THE ETERNITY AND INFINITUDE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
SECTION IV. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD DOES NOT INTERFERE...
CHAPTER III.
SECTION I. THE DOCTRINE OF THE INFINITY OF EVIL AND OF SIN CONSIDERED
SECTION II. THE MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD AS INCOMPATIBLE...
SECTION III. HUMAN LIBERTY, AGENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, CANNOT...
SECTION IV. OF PHYSICAL EVILS.
CHAPTER IV.
SECTION I. SPECULATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE DEPRAVITY...
SECTION II. CONTAINING A DISQUISITION OF THE LAW OF NATURE...
CHAPTER V.
SECTION I. ARGUMENTATIVE REFLECTIONS ON SUPERNATURAL...
SECTION II. CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROVIDENCE...
CHAPTER VI.
SECTION I. OF MIRACLES
SECTION II. A SUCCESSION OF KNOWLEDGE, OR OF THE EXERTION OF POWER...
SECTION III. RARE AND WONDERFUL PHENOMENA NO EVIDENCE OF MIRACLES...
SECTION IV. PRAYER CANNOT BE ATTENDED WITH MIRACULOUS CONSEQUENCES
CHAPTER VII.
SECTION I. THE VAGUENESS AND UNINTELLIGIBLENESS OF THE PROPHECIES...
SECTION II. THE CONTENTIONS WHICH SUBSISTED BETWEEN THE PROPHETS...
CHAPTER VIII.
SECTION I. OF THE NATURE OF FAITH AND WHEREIN IT CONSISTS
SECTION II. OF THE TRADITIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS
SECTION III. OUR FAITH IS GOVERNED BY OUR REASONINGS...
CHAPTER IX.
SECTION I. A TRINITY OF PERSONS CANNOT EXIST IN THE DIVINE ESSENCE...
SECTION IX. ESSENCE BEING THE CAUSE OF IDENTITY...
SECTION III. THE IMPERFECTION OF KNOWLEDGE...
CHAPTER X.
SECTION I. OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF MAN, IN MOSES'S PARADISE...
SECTION II. POINTING OUT THE NATURAL IMPOSSIBILITY OF ALL AND EVERY...
SECTION III. OF THE ORIGIN OF THE DEVIL OR OF MORAL EVIL...
CHAPTER XI.
SECTION I. IMPUTATION CANNOT CHANGE, ALIENATE OR TRANSFER...
SECTION II. THE MORAL RECTITUDE OF THINGS FORECLOSES...
SECTION III. CONTAINING REMARKS ON THE ATONEMENT...
SECTION IV. REMARKS ON REDEMPTION, WROUGHT OUT BY INFLICTING...
CHAPTER XII.
SECTION II. THE VARIETY OF ANNOTATIONS AND EXPOSITIONS...
SECTION III. ON THE COMPILING OP THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE SCRIPTURES...
CHAPTER XIII.
SECTION II. OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXERCISE OF REASON...