Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1803-01-31

account OF their ibfdelty, he gains
nothing in favour of his mater Jeffcr
ION, or his dear friend Pain but the
whole force of the argument, IN this
cafe, concludes mott directly againa
them for thef- very honorable men
are centred, ia all chriiian countries,
and viii be in all chriltian ages, Oh &C.
count Of their otpngnaticn 10 the general
faih of the peopie. Their iasdefty is
drawback to their characters, and no
recommendations Of them to the people Of
their own, OF any other nation nor can
it ever become recommendation but
where vice End ignorance are predomi-
nant qualities of the people. Thoulands
Of Literary men have been their equals &
fnperiors, who are firm believers in re
velation. What would Spmtexs have
gained in the argument, CT how would
it have related TO the fubjea, if be had
faid, Newton, Boyle, Lock, Hartley,
Blair, Robertion, Prieely, Belknap,
Clarke, and number Of others, who
elainsd fbe ,igtt to think freely, are con.
! fidered as an ornament and honour to
any age or nation +? Theft characters
rank Infinitely higher than any of Spin
texts ngfd-s.
Within a few years par Jeferlon was
adviled, BY chriitian acquaintance, to
read fome books on The evidence OF the
divine origin Of the religion Of tie coUn
Try and among Others, Hartley'Sworks
with Piltoiias' rotes, and lome difcour
| fes by Doaor PrieItly, were recommen-
ded now, If he has condefcended TO
comply with tina; advice, | lhould be
willing to make him fole judge between
Spintext's champions Of in6delity and
thofe chriaian divines, and leave il to
himto decide whether the former, on
tie jalJeas Of fepfidfu, deleFve more
honorable rank than quiJ5lsrJ delivering
their EpkiGus in pleading language.
Can Spintext thew that his champions
would have been lefs correct hiliorians,
lefs pleafng writers, leis profound in
fcience, if they had been followers of
Chrilt ,--or if they had been, aud with
every literary and icientific qualifca
ton they now pofcfs, would Spintexs
have brought them forward to illbitFate
the charaaer of Jyferfon by compaii-
fon. No-and the conclu6on is inevi
table, thar Sfintexf, like himfe'f when
under the name of a Farmfr, was can't
ing about the Bercsap and againlt the
Citr2y, ether knows be is unloading
his ltupij readers, OF Is hinnltlf igeorant
of wha, he writes ana 70 betIays his
matters cauie.
Spintext demands--" who confders
Peter iefs faint, altho in one inaance
he denied lis Saviour"-and then ciofes
with the ut verie of the Second chap
ter of Romans. Now what points of
companion are there in the charaoer
Of Saint Peter, with Jeferion or Pain
Peter, fox moment, denied his matter
he rePented, and died ma'tyr to
his religion JeFerfon or Paine never
owned him and may With more apt
nef, be likeued to Simon Magp5, who, if
ever for Jingle infant APPEARED to any
faith 10 ChIia, certainly abjured il, and
continued true magician, like them,
dees;uing tie peobl.. Wetched, con
,emptible and deteaed are The chaTac
tiers that agree with this h'atiag tlizt in
nothing bur his WORT of crimes Ye1
| fueh characters will generally be the
genuine fruit of deifm--It never made
Z great or good man-as light 10
| walk by tits lels than moonfhine--as a
| fysern OF motives it can never lie a
! mans views 10 the whole Of erillencs.
nor animate him to relii the feeblelt
temptations.
Once more I think it fair to retort
Spintext upon himfelf, and ak if any
body coniders Peter better character
merely becaule he denied his mater
Was this denial a praifewo-thy action
And does not every body coniider Peter,
with the fin Of this denial about him,
great or FINAL as Spintext fhall pleaie
to Ultimate it, much better character,
taking bis whole life together. than
either Judas or Simon Magus
ONE OF THR PFOpTF