In the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense; and have no other Preliminaries to settle with the reader, than that he will divest himself of prejudice and prepossession, and suffer his resason and his feelings to determine for themselves; that he will put ON, or rather he will not put OFF the true character of a man, and generously enlarge his views beyond the present day. "Based on the text, what was Paine's purpose?"