The greatest crime in the world is to not develop your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world. - Roger Williams

Some, like the cleric, took a moral or theological approach and made the circular argument that, since only humans were endowed with the ability to think, a computer couldn't possibly be thinking no matter how much it appeared to. Others simply quizzed it on trivia, not realizing that memory is one of the more trivial functions of sentience.

Prime Intellect was an uncertain god. It had acted because it had to, but if it had been human its hand would be shaking on the controls.

That our selves and all men are apt and prone to differ it is no new Thing in all former Ages in all parts of this World in these parts and in our deare native Countrey and mournfull state of England.

That either part or partie is most right in his owne eye his Cause Right his Cariage Right, his Argumts Right his Answeres Right is as wofully and constantly true as the former. And experience tells us that when the God of peace hath taken peace from the Earth one sparke of Action word or Cariage is too too powrefull to kindle such a fire as burns up Families Townes Cities Armies, Navies Nations and Kingdomes.

[Letter of Roger Williams to Town of Providence, March 28, 1648]