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A historian, Quentin Skinner, has three criteria to prove what a historical figure thought and believed the first is did the individual write down what they believed and does the original document exist? The second is do two documents written by different individuals that lived during the lifetime of this figure document what this historical figure believed. All three criteria need to be met, and if not, we do not know what this historical figure believed.
I follow this criteria.
If your opinion is based on the first pamphlet that was published in England that Paine stated in his lifetime he did not write and in his will he wrote that he did not write, then the first criteria is met. Secondly did others write in support of what Paine believed?
Here is an excerpt from, THE WRITINGS OF THOMAS PAINE, VOLUME I., COLLECTED AND EDITED BY MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY 1774 - 1779, Editors Preface
"The first "Crisis" was printed in the Pennsylvania Journal, December 19, 1776, and opens with the famous sentence, "These are the times that try men's souls"; the last "Crisis" appeared April 19,1783, (eighth anniversary of the first gun of the war, at Lexington,) and opens with the words, "The times that tried men's souls are over." The great effect produced by Paine's successive publications has been attested by Washington and Franklin, by every leader of the American Revolution, by resolutions of Congress, and by every contemporary historian of the events amid which they were written. The first "Crisis" is of especial historical interest. It was written during the retreat of Washington across the Delaware, and by order of the Commander was read to groups of his dispirited and suffering soldiers. Its opening sentence was adopted as the watchword of the movement on Trenton, a few days after its publication, and is believed to have inspired much of the courage which won that victory, which, though not imposing in extent, was of great moral effect on Washington's little army."
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3741/3741-h/3741-h.htm#link2H_4_0018