Smyrna times., 1858-10-14
MIS- LLANEOUS.
Benjamin Franklin's Letter to Thomas
Paine.

= dIE6s
| This interesting document is taken from
Niles Register, vol. 30, page 397 1t wa.
written after Mr.. Franklin had read the irst
part of Mr.. Paine's " Age of Reason" and H.
luslrates fully the sentiment of this distinguish
ed man on the windy theories of Thoma,
Paine:
"DEAR SIR: | have read your manuscript
with some attention. BY th4 argument it con.
talns against particular Providence, you strike
at the foundation of all religion. For withorl
the belief OF Providence That takes copni-
zance OF, and guards, and guides, and favors
particular persons, there is no motive 10 wor-
ship Deity, to fear It's dlspeasure, or to pray
Tor It's protection. l will not enter into anv
discussion OF your principles, though you seem
10 desire It, AT present shall only give YOU
my opinion, that though your reasonlngs are
subtle, and may prevail with some readers, vou
VIII not succeed SO as 10 change the general
sentiment Of mankind on this subject; and the
consequence of printing this piece will be a
great odlum upon YOURSELF mischief to you, and
no good to others. He that spits against the
wind, spis in his own tace. But were YOU to
succeed, do you imagine any good will be done
by 1t! You yourself may find it easv to live a
Vlrtuos lie without the assistance afforded by
relIglon. You have a clear perception of the
advantages of virtue and the disadvantages of
vice, and possess strength of resolution sulli-
Gent to enable you to resist common tempta-
t!pDs. But think how great portion of man.
kind consists of weak and ignorant men and
woman, and of inexperienced, uconsiderate
youth, OF both sexes, who have need of the mo.
tives Of religion to restrain them from vice, to
SuDDOrt their nd tn th
practice Of it until it becomes haJltuaL, which
is the great point for Its security And per-
haps, you are indebted to her, orIgnally,-that
S, to your religious educaton,-for the habits
OF virtue upon which you Justly value yourself
You might easily display your excellent talent
"t reason upon less hazardous subject, and
thereby obtain rank with our most distinguished
authors"
That was sensible advice given by DR.. Frank
IN to Tom Paine, not to print his :" Age of Rea-
SON, as 1t would be great Odum upon him.
sell and produce no good to others. This copy
has been read by multiplied thousands since, but
no good has ever been done to any body, but the
~ublllty of the reasoning has wrought ncalcu-
fable injury. This remark Of Franklin is wor-
Thy of passing notice:
You yourself may find it easy to live vir
'uous life without the assistance afforded by re-
Hglon. You have clear perception of thf ad-
Vantages of virtue aud disadvantages of vice,
and possess strength of resolution sufficient to
enable you TO resist common temptation"
Tom Paine did not find it very easy to live
vlrtUous life! With all his " clear perceptions
OF the advantages of virtue" etc, and his
i" strength of resolution" he lived wretched,
wicked, depraved lite, became a vagrant drunk
ard, outraged all the decencies of life, sent one
orokeu-hearted wife TO a premature grave, com-
PEELED another to seek refuge from his brualI-
ties by divorce, and finally died u scathed,
blasted, profane, gutter drunkard,-dled alone,
aba andoned of man and forsaken of God ,-ot de
Lirium tremenS.
The life and death of Paine should be
warning to all young men who would throw off
the restraints Of religion. 1t is fit and proper
that the lager-beer infdes, who rrpudiate the
Bible, discard the Sabbath aud Christianity,
should celebrate the birthday, and laud the
virtues of such a man. If he had devoted his
excellent talents to a more pralseworthy OBJ
ject, aud had conducted himself properly, he
might have left a name worthy of being enrolled
atnoDg the great and good of earth.