It was the most prosperous invention the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of idolatry. The Heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the Christian World hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones.
This is a telling sign that many in Paine's audience are Christian. It illustrates Paine's understanding of who his audience is, and takes advantage of that knowledge to drive home the points he's making to the part of his audience.
no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever, and tho’ himself might deserve some decent degree of honors of his contemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.
This is a significant in that a system that had long been accepted by many is being challenged here. It shows a difference in belief many colonists have in contrast to their predecessors.
The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances hath, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested.
Why is the cause of America great for the cause of mankind? What benefits does rebellion does it bring for everybody else in the world?
In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves.
Why does Paine avoid getting personal? Is there a downside to expressing something personal? What being personal weaken the argument Paine is trying to lay out?
Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not YET sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.
This shows an understanding from Paine that many colonists are not fully for rebellion, even with it looming on the horizon. Thus Paine adds this part in to show understanding in the fact that he likely won't gain any favor for writing, at least not yet.
Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. — Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.
This highlights the time Paine lived, where most continents were ruled by monarchies, or if not that something similar. This shows how much of a step the colonies are taking, which in effect was fighting a system of government that was in charge of almost every nation on Earth.
Oppression
Oppression is normally a situation in which people governed unfairly and cruelly, with rights and freedoms being suppressed. Paine is trying to get across that the colonists are being oppressed because of the amount of power Britain have over them.