In the late eighteenth century , for example , the deist Thomas Paine commented at length on Moses ' Laws in The Age of Reason . Paine also gave his view that `` the character of Moses , as stated in the Bible , is the most horrid that can be imagined '' , giving the story at as an example . In the late 18th century the deist Thomas Paine commented at length on Moses ' Laws in The Age of Reason , and gave his view that `` the character of Moses , as stated in the Bible , is the most horrid that can be imagined '' , giving the story at as an example .