Reason, the Only Oracle of Man: Or a Compenduous System of Natural Religion (Classic Reprint)
(Colonel Ethan A llen, the author ofO racles of Reason, vf...)
Colonel Ethan A llen, the author ofO racles of Reason, vfBS the son of Joseph A llen, 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, consist-? ing of two hundred and thirty, with which he surprised the fortr ss ofT iconderoga, May 10, 1775, containing about forty men, and one hundred pieces of cannon. He was unfortunately taken prisoner inS eptember following, in an attempt on Montreal, and sufferred a cruel imprisonment for several years. For an account of ifhich, 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 aM r. Haswell, of Bennington, Vt. in 1784. Not long after its publication, a part of the edition, comprising the entire of several signatures, was accidentally
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)
https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Only-Oracle-Man-Compenduous/dp/B008LVYDB2?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B008LVYDB2