Most true alfo it is, that Mr. Paine is extremely wanting in decorum, and highly infults our underftandings, when he attempts to obtrude on us his

that when the food is received into the body, the oily parts of the nourishment, evaporate, adhere to the carcafe, and become confolidated into fat ! ! Juft, fays he, as if we were to burn a great deal of tallow in a clofe room; for want of vent, the room and walls thereof would quickly be covered over with foot, which is no other than tallow itfelf, only that it has undergone a change in the nature and colour"!! And this admirable difcovery, is termed "a piece of PHILOSOPHY"!! Varlo's NEW SYSTEM of husbandry, vol. I. page

174.

Ignorance of the real genius of christianity, is a diftinguishing characteristic, it is believed, of moft Deifts. This is manifeft from their writings, and frequently appears from their converfation. But one inftance fhall be related, out of many which might be adduced, to confirm this affertion

But very recently, a French Deift, in the Aate of New-Jersey, was very politely, in a circle of chriftians, uttering invectives against their religion. A gentleman prefent, fhocked by his wickednefs; defpifing the indecorum of his conduct, and holding in contempt his fenfelefs prating, took the liberty to ask him, "if he thought himself acquainted with the religion of the gospel; if he underfood the facred Scriptures?" The Deift bluffed, was covered with confufion, and frankly confeffed, "That he had never read half a page in the Bible"!

It is probable, that nothing more than a witticifm or farcasm of Voltaire, or fome other deif

fyftem of Deifm, in oppofition to that religion which we have every rational and neceffary evidence to believe is from Heaven.

age

The prefent, in his eftimation, is the AGE of REA SON; but, unhappily, in France at least, it is not an of much useful invention and found philofophy, (though it is hoped the age will terminate in the enjoyment, by the French nation, of genuine režigion and real liberty) but an age of CHANGES and NOVELTIES, and as far as RELIGION is concerned, of ERROR and DELUSION.

Men idolize the words REASON and PHILOSOPHY; uncomprehended by them, they blindly offer incenfe at their fhrines,* and Mr. Paine would

tical writer, against chriftianity; or the mere prevalence of fashion, had been fufficient to detach this gentleman from chriftianity, and profelite him to the prefent polite and easy religion of his country: And this religion it is not irrational to conclude, he is as well acquainted with, as with the Bible!

Before the author concludes this note, he conceives it his duty to mention, in honor to fuch Frenth Gentlemen as he hath been acquainted with in this country, that he hath but very feldom obferved among them fuch an inftance of rudeness, folly and impiety, as this above recited.

* At one period, we perceive many in the National Convention of France, receive with bursts of applause, a declaration of ftupidity, "That there is no God"!

At another period, we find the Convention foleanly decreeing, There is a GOD!

prevail with us to add ourselves to the number of their votaries, and to adore his fcheme of INFIDEL

Now this enlightened body (the author means with refpect to religon) wholly influenced by reafon and philofophy, which, infallibly, are to lead them into all truth, fagely determining, "That death is an everlasting fleep!""

They foon, however, reverse the decree, and announce to their conftituents, that, however guilty, polluted and wretched, any of their fouls may be, they (though to them unwelcome the truth) are immortal!

And thus the faith of about twenty-five million people, philofophers and peasants; the virtuous and the vicious; the orthodox, and the heterodox, and generations yet unborn, is to be deter. mined by the caprice (vainly denominated reafon and philofophy) of a fet of POLITICIANS ! Men who fo loudly declaim against all religious, eftablishments, and who, in julliee, have not the leaft authority, thus to lord it over the confciences of their fellow-citizens !

O REASON! unaided by revelation, but debilitated by paffion, and warped by prejudice, how erring thy dictates; how feeble thy power to conduct men into the path of truth!

How amiable is CHRISTIANITY! How friendly to the rights of human nature! How confonant to the dictates of REASON! Defigned to instruct the ignorant; to reclaim the vicious; duly to regu late the morals of mankind and to promote their beft intereft, it is unconnected with the politician; it needs not his aid for its fupport; and its divine author, in language most audible, folemnly pro

ITY! A fyftem untried by France; or as far as it hath been experienced, inaufpicious to the morals of the Republic.

Indubitably true it is, that good government cannot fubfift without good morals, and that the fimple light of nature, unaided by divine Revelation, is infufficient for the moral and religious govern ment of mankind;* much lefs is it capable to en

claimed this important truth, (however difrégarded by many profeffing chriftianity) when he faid, "My kingdom is not of this world !" John xviii. 36.

In all governments, real reafon and true philofophy, will revere this doctrine; while it will be rejected by ignorance and error, by pride and ambition! In this refpect, no people whatever, have fo regarded this tenet of chriftianity, as the citi zens of thefe United States; and herein they exhibit to the world, an example of wifdoin and virtue, most worthy of imitation!

"The people of the United States, fays Mr. Coxe, have exploded those principles, by the operation of which religious oppreffions and reftrictions, of whatever defcription, have been impofed upon mankind ; and rejecting mere toleration, they have placed upon one common and equal footing, every church, fect or fociety of religious View of the United States of America, P. 427, juft publifhed, by Tenche Coxe, Efq; of Philadelphia.

men."

If the laws of nature, fays a judicious author, were fufficiently clear, thofe of fociety, in cafes

fure to us a future ftate of bleflednefs and to qua. lify us for the enjoyment of it.

Christianity alone is calculated to advance the prefent and future happiness of men'; and, with

entirely moral, are unneceffary to inform us of our duty; and were they fufficiently enforced, fociety would have no occafion to institute penalties of greater cogency, that they may be observed.

Indeed, if the laws of nature, with respect to their clearness, authority and obligation, were perfect and fufficient, the laws of fociety would be altogether needlefs. Men would obferve juftice and practice beneficence towards each other, with out adventitious obligations.

A lover of liberty would not incline to enter into fociety to become fubject to magiftrates; to fupport expenfive conftitutions, if convinced he could live independent, fafely converfe and traf fic with mankind, in a ftate of nature.

The argumens drawn from the fuppofed fufficiency of reafon and nature, to invalidate the neceffity of revelation, equally prove that fociety is unneceffary. If the laws of nature are able to effect their end, and that end is moral inftruction and obligation, there can be no occafion for other laws, either divine or human.

It is, however, of importance to confider, whether the evil difpofitions and vices of men, do not compel them, for their mutual advantage, to enter into fociety; and whether civil fociety, confidered in itself, is able to remedy the evils mankind wish to avoid, by entering into this state?

With regard to the laws of nature, were they