Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-06-03

otntes We snail see that 20 decrY religions
md the public worship Sc God, CANNOT
Be phil1nihrcphy, X cannot be benekcial
% mankind, nor for their interest, but
that his II truth An act Of he most PERM
eions maleyoIence and cruel misanthro-
ply To abolish religion L toencourage
bad men inNire and ickedness. Itisto
discourage good men ii rood actions,
virtue and. morality. Human laws are
made 70 restrain wicked men from open
crimes but the check of conscience only
canrestraih them from secret wickedness
thar comes not within the coenizance Of
human hws. Take away religion, You
annihiiate this check of conscience.--
You set open the gatesto 1 food Of wick
edness Of I'll kinda 20 rush inon the
world, theta and robherics. and every
crime that can be named. The dissolu-
tion Of society must BE the inevitable con-
sequences Of such state md 10 Ibis d.
rsssly dsthe doctrines ofthis Thomas
Paine. \.
a conceive Ii the duty and interest Of
every man, as far a. he i able, 10 pre-
sentthis BY opposing The teness of this
dangerous man. Wherefose I have un-
dertitcn, according q ny email ability,
20 lay before you some thoughts (that
have occurred 70 ne from eommcn rea-
sson1 10 shew tint the souI Of man . inn
mor,sl md responsible FORTS acting here,
= theiife 10 come.
First / say man consists Of bodr and
mind 81 soul. The body i machine
cotistructed Of matter and durable = ! boz
.dy only ! few years. The SOULS invisi-
BE, we have no clear ideas Of what Il i,
but whatever the soul may be, We are
sufficiently certain Of lis sxistence, thar
il isin some manner joined 10 or connec-
ted to the body, whilst the body lives
thar i commands, the bodycan begin mo-
ton and put the body in motion, and con-
trout that motion ~ The mere act offs
will. but how or by what mechanisuliit
effects this, is Totally unknown TO- us.-
The soul Is therefore thing superior 10
the body and Ener work Of the Omnipo-
tent for the governor dc of higher rank
than the governed In the eyes6f him who
appoints them. Matter Is in It's nature
inert, iteannot begin motion, itmust Re.
ceivea force or impulse tobe always pro-
pordonate . the motion produced, yet
Notwithstanding this, Il IS in It's nature
eternal, / may be divided, burned, redu-
sedto IL competent particles and these
particles dispersed, but they cannot Be
DESTROYED, they still remainthe aane, they
come rom the hand 81 the OmnipotcIt
Creator, they eannot be changed into !
different MATTER nor annihilated without
me acto him who FIRST made IL m. Il 4
impossible and this We learn from de ar
Of Chemistry.
4. Nov matter. the baser thing, being ii
thrown nature eternal spirit, the finer ana
1 more noble thing in the eyes 81. the crea-
cor, must q forfiori be also eternal, Tor
% preserve coarse thing and DESTROY 1
tine one, indicxtes folly n the man who
does i, but folly cannot be predica,ed of
infinite wisdom, i Is the greatest .absur-
dity. Therefore Isaysspirit (the human
so0D = immortal without an act Of the
Omnipotent to annihilate Il.
Again the sense Of pleasure good acti.
!. e gives 70 him thatdoes Il, and the sen.e
~ guilt and intsrpal shame bad action
yes behind i. (and these are natural
g ~ nenl are Main intimafions from our
NE<.tot nat The soul il ! Responsible be-
ing and wiz be held 70 account hereafter
tor its actions in this life, could Il Sc
otherwise, i would follow dat The cre,-
tor had given Us these intimafions for no
qse or purpose, and this = impossible,
Tor infinite wisdom does noshike in vain,
therslore ! say, i i Impossible dat the
: soul = not irresponsible being bound 10
give seeount hereafter Of q artions:ip
SENEx.
nv n 1nfs. ne.,.r-,.sl II