Of Captain Mission and His Crew | Page 7

who inhabit the Southern Climes, the Prepuce

consolidating the perspired Matter, which is of a fatal Consequence. In
short, he ran through all the Ceremonies of the Jewish, Christian and
Mahometan Religion, and convinced him these were, as might be
observed by the Absurdity of many, far from being Indications of Men
inspired; and that Moses, in his Account of the Creation, was guilty of
known Blunders; and the Miracles, both in the New and Old Testament,
inconsistent with Reason. That God had given us this Blessing, to make
Use of for our present and future Happiness, and whatever was contrary
to it, notwithstanding their School Distinctions of contrary and above
Reason, must be false. This Reason teaches us, that there is a first
Cause of all Things, an Ens Entium, which we call God, and our
Reason will also suggest, that he must be eternal, and, as the Author of
every Thing perfect, he must be infinitely perfect.
If so, he can be subject to no Passions, and neither loves nor hates; he
must be ever the fame, and cannot rashly do to Day what he shall
repent to Morrow. He must be perfectly happy, consequently nothing
can add to an eternal State of Tranquillity, and though it becomes us to
adore him, yet can our Adorations neither augment, nor our Sins take
from this Happiness.
But his Arguments on this Head are too long, and too dangerous to
translate; and as they are work'd up with great Subtlety, they may be
pernicious to weak Men, who cannot discover their Fallacy; or, who
finding 'em agreeable to their Inclinations, and would be glad to shake
off the Yoke of the Christian Religion, which galls and curbs their
Passions, would not give themselves the Trouble to examine them to
the Bottom, but give into what pleases, glad of finding some Excuse to
their Consciences. Though as his Opinion of a future State has nothing
in it which impugns the Christian Religion, I shall set it down in few
Words.
That reasoning Faculty, says he, which we perceive within us, we call
the Soul, but what that Soul is, is unknown to us. It may die with the
Body, or it may survive. I am of Opinion its immortal; but to say that
this Opinion is the Dictate of Reason, or only the Prejudice of
Education, would, I own, puzzle me. If it is immortal, it must be an

Emanation from the Divine Being, and consequently at its being
separated from the Body, will return to its first Principle, if not
contaminated. Now, my Reason tells me, if it is estranged from its first
Principle, which is the Deity, all the Hells of Man's Invention can never
yield Tortures adequate to such a Banishment.
As he had privately held these Discourses among the Crew, he had
gained a Number of Proselytes, who look'd upon him as a new Prophet
risen up to reform the Abuses in Religion; and a great Number being
Rochellers, and, as yet, tainted with Calvinism, his Doctrine was the
more readily embrac'd. When he had experienced the Effects of his
religious Arguments, he fell upon Government, and shew'd, that every
Man was born free, and had as much Right to what would support him,
as to the Air he respired. A contrary Way of arguing would be accusing
the Deity with Cruelty and Injustice, for he brought into the World no
Man to pass a Life of Penury, and to miserably want a necessary
Support; that the vast Difference between Man and Man, the one
wallowing in Luxury, and the other in the most pinching Necessity,
was owing only to Avarice and Ambition on the one Hand, and a
pusillanimous Subjection on the other; that at first no other than a
Natural was known, a paternal Government, every Father was the Head,
the Prince and Monarch of his Family, and Obedience to such was both
just and easy, for a Father had a compassionate Tenderness for his
Children; but Ambition creeping in by Degrees, the stronger Family set
upon and enslaved the Weaker; and this additional Strength over-run a
third, by every Conquest gathering Force to make others, and this was
the first Foundation of Monarchy. Pride encreasing with Power, Man
usurped the Prerogative of God, over his Creatures, that of depriving
them of Life, which was a Privilege no one had over his own; for as he
did not come into the World by his own Election, he ought to stay the
determined Time of his Creator: That indeed, Death given in War, was
by the Law of Nature allowable, because it is for the Preservation of
our own Lives; but no Crime ought to be thus punished, nor indeed any
War undertaken, but in Defence of our