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Southwell, Charles

"An Apology for Atheism Addressed to Religious Investigators of Every Denomination by One of Its Apostles"

' Fortunately, however, imagination, though a
prisoner, has abundance of room to legitimately exercise itself in. But,
is it not obvious that if, as Des Cartes and D'Alembert contended, the
'imitations of imagination are imitations entirely confined to the
material world,' all conceits about a Supernatural somebody, or
Supernatural somebodies, are necessarily false, because of purely
natural origin, and should be viewed as at best 'mere cobwebs of
learning, admirable indeed, for the fineness of the thread and work, but
of no substance or profit.' [54:1]
It is unfortunate for Theologians that the fundamental principle of
their 'science' either cannot be comprehended, or, if comprehended,
cannot be reconciled with any known principle of nature. 'God is,' they
pompously declare; but what He is they are unable to tell us, without
contradicting themselves and each other. Some say God must be material;
some say, nay, He must be no such thing; some will have Him spiritual,
others immaterial, others again neither spiritual nor material, nor
immaterial, nor even conceivable. Some say, if a Spirit, He can only be
known by His place and figure; some not.


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