The National Register. — London, England, 1819-10-17 00:00:00

r OCT. 17. LAIV J.NI'ELLIGLCLz. TRIAL OF CARLILE. COUICT OF KING'S BENCH, GUILDHALL. Before Lunt Chief Justice AuBoTT and a Special Jury. BLASPHEMOUS LIBEL. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. RICHARD CARLILE. Tuesday morning, at nine o'clock. the long expected trial of Richard Carlin.. the bookseller and pamphleteer, commenced at Guildhall, before Chief Justice Abbott and a Special Jury. All the avenues to the Hall, as well as the Court, were crowded to excess at an early hour, and continued so. Notwithstanding that 300 constables were io attendance, and that bars had been placed to prevent pressure, the eagerness of the crowd to witness the proceedings was so great, that very great difficulty was expe rienced in procuring admittance for the Judge and Officers of the Court. Mr. Carlile entered the Court sonic time before nine, and tank his sent on what is called die Solicitor's Bench, on the right of the Court. Th.: Lord Chief Justice took his seat at half past 9. When tile trial was about to proceed, the business of the Court was interrupted by Mr. Hunt, who thought proper to charge the Bench with something like a breach of an arrangement stipulated with hint—that a trial of an alleged libel, in which he (Hunt) is the plaintiff', should take the place of the trial. which war about to Fooled, and all others. He had, he said, been waiting with his witnesses in the Sittings Vienne and after the two last Terms, in this Court ; and his Lordship had assured him that it should be the very first trial taken in the present Sittings, and lie settled it for this day. But now the trials of Mr. Carlile, which might occupy a month, would again postpone his trial to an inde finite time. The Lord Chief J ustice told the applicant that his statement was erroneous, that he had not fixed a day; but lie expressed a wish that the business of the trials shmild goon as re. ularly as possible in their usual order. The Court was not to be interrupted in the proceedings it thought most eligible to adopt; and the applicant had no occasion to detain his wttntsses, but inig'it postpone their attendance to some day in thuniurse of next ive.k. The Secondary was now proceeding to call over the names of the Special Jury. when Mr. Carlile rose. Mr. Carlile.—" My Lord, I challenge the competency of the Court to try the question on which I um now called here as a defender. Chief Justice.—" The Court is competent to try any indictment preferred by his Majesty's Attorney General." Mr. Carlisle.—" The indictment is not founded on the breach of any law." Chief Justice.—" If it is not formatd on any law, you will of course he entitled to your acquittal, and I dare say you, will obtain it." Mr. Carlile.—" My Lord, I enter my protest against the pro ceedings." The names of the twenty-four Special Jurymen were now edited over. Only eight answered to their names, vi;. Chart:* Wont!, A Ix:llinch Lane. Brikrt Ilmehinsun, Clement's Lane. John Hanson, Crooked Lane. George Harvey, Lawrence Lune. . A. C. Allen, Ironmonger Lane. IL Chambers, Dove Court. William Parker, John Street.. John Wilson. Queen Street. The Secondary was then proceeding to draw four talesmen, when Mr. Cathie dcsired bim to shake the box. Chief Justice.—You are not to direct the Officer of the Court bow lie shad do his duty. Mr. Carlisle.—l only ask that the salesmen shall be fai.ly drawn. The first which the Secondary .tad in his hand he selecoil." _ _ . 'ft— Secondary denied the imputation. Chief Jusiice.—Shake.the box well, by all means. The box was acconlinAly Marken wall, and lour talesman drawn, who. names were—.. litibert nun. George Coitus, Baker, Farringthin W Trigg!, iairmaker, I hit°. Matthew ilollyer, Glazier. Ditto. The Jury being now swum, 31r. Camplu Il rose front behind the Attorney General. Mr. Ciimpbell.—.. My Lord, and Gentlemen of the Jury, the defendant is charged with printing and publishing a certain scaadsloui, impious, and blasphemous libel on the fluly Serip sums." _ _ Mr. Carlile here rose, and demanded that the indictment should be read at length. lie ChielJustice stated, that it was not the usual practice of the Court to read the indictmeut, " at least," added his Lord ship, " where Counsel are employed." The fashion of p.rsons ph:tiling their own curses is quite a new practice. Mr. Carlile urged that it was of essential importance to hint that the Jury should have the indictment, on which they were to judge, read over to them. The Chief Justice observed, that, if it was.essetithil, Mr. Car. lile might take every word of it into his speech in defence.. Mr. Carlile reiterated that he considered it most essential that the intlit Latent should be read. Ile would not say alien it should be read. All that he insisted on was, that it should be read at tile proper Unit. Attorney)-Gzeerel then addressed the Jar) at great length; in his speech there was nothing of novelty. The Solicitor-General then called Mr. Grifrai Swanson, who, on being sworn, deposed that he was clerk to the Solicitors of the Treasury. On the 17th of December he went to the house of the tiefentlant, in Fleet Street. lie saw the defendant himself, and asked for " Paine's Age of Reason." Ile delivered it to him, and charged him Ins. eat. They had very little conversation.— . Ir. Carlile knew witness to be the Clerk to the Solicitors of the Treasury. and sect his compliments to Mr Maule, addiag, that if he would allow him to eat his Christmas dinher at home lie would be prepared to I.IOA him. Cross.exanained by Mr. Carlile.—" Was there any hesitation on my part to serve ion- ?" itness.—" None at all. You did it rather cheerfully.—You asked me if i did not w.ait half a dozier% colors." The Chief Justice now said, that as the defendant wished the Infontiation to be maul, the counts and passages ie. the book to which they referral, had better now be read to the Jury. first Count charged, that Richard Carlile, Lee of Ltlinlon, bookseller, being a wicked, impious, and ill disposed person, did, on the k7th December. in the Stith year of the reign of our pre , sent Sovereign Lord George the Third, &c. print and publish, and cause to lie printed oral published, a certau saindalims irupi• tots, and blasphemous libel, of aid concerning that part of the I holy Bible, which is called the tlkl Testament, cow aiiiing therein ainougst other things, divers scat.dalotts , impious anti blasithe nima matters, of and concerning that part of the Holy Billie which is called the Old Tcseatment, aceordirg to the tolor and effect following (that is to ray). " Whenever we read the obsetne-stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the caw' and tor turous executiom, the unrelenting tindietivek:ess with which utore than half the Bible" (meaning that part of the Holy Bible which is called the Old Testament) " is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it" (meaning that !Ali Of the Holy Bible which is called the Old TaaaMent), " the woad of a demon, than the word of God. IC' (meaning that }out .of the Holy Bible which is called the Old Tatement) " is a history of wickedueseltbut has served to COI rupt and brutalize mankind: " to the Lust displeasure of Almighty Gal, to the great reantral , infamy and contempt of the sod part of the Holy Hit& which is soiled tho Old l'stasucnt, to die evil example aid! When, and THE NATIONAL REGISTER. against the peace of our said Lord the King, his Crown and digni.y, second and other Counts charged the publication of the several libels which they respectively ~ct forth, in similariensw " I )id the book called the Bible" (meaning that part of the Holy Bible which is called the Old Testament) " excel in purity of ideas and expreasion, all the Woks that are now cxtaht in the world, I would not take it for my rule of faith as being the word of Cod, because the possibility , would, nevertheless, exist of my being imposed upon ; but when 1 see, throughout the greatest pan of this book" (meaning that part of the Holy Bible which is called the Old Testament) " scarcely any thing but a history of the grossest vices, and a collection of the most paltry and con temptible tales, I cannot dishonour my Creator by calling it by his name" (meaning and intending thereby, that throughout the greatest part of that part of the Holy Bible which is called the Old Testament, there is scarcely any thing but a history of the gloat% vices, and a collection of paltry and contemptible tales.) _ . . . _ Third Count.—" To charge the commission of acts upon the Almighty, which„ in their own nature. and by every rule of moral justice, are crimes, as all assawinaffin is, and more eve cadly the assassination of intknts, is matter of serious concern. The Bible tells us that those assassinations were done by the express command of God—to believe, therefore, the Bible to be true, we must w,believe all our belief in the moral justice of God, for wherein could crying or stalling infants offend? And to read the Bible without lioreor, we mast undo every thing that is tender, sympathising, and benevolent in the heart of man. Speaking for myself. if I (meaning the writer of the aforesaid libel) hail no other evidence that the Bible is fabulous than the sacrifice I (meaning the writer of the said libel) raw make to balLve it to be true-, that alone would be sufficient to determine my choice." And in another part thereof according to the tenor and effect following (that is to say.) " I have now gone through the examination of the four books ascribed to Matthew. Mark, Luke, and John" (meaning the kin. Holy Gospels, in that part of the Holy Bible which is called the New Testament.) "and when it is considered that the whole space of time from the cru cifixion" (meaning the crucifixion of our hless.sl Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ,) te to what is called the Accusation, is but a few days. apparently not more than three or four, and that all the circumstances are reported to have happened nearly about the same spot, Jerusalem, it is, I believe, impossible to Lind in any story upon record, sit many and such glaring absur dities, contradictions, and falsehoods as there are in those Woks." Fourth Count—" It" (meaning that part of the Bible which is carted the Old l'estainent) •` is A book of lies, wickedness, and blasphemy." Idoh Count—" As it is nothing extraordinary that a woman should be with child before she was married, and that the son she might bring forth should be executed, eves: unjustly, I see no reason for not believing that such a woman as Mary" (mean ing the Blessed Virgin Mary,) •• tent such a non as Joseph and Jilll/4" (meaning our Saviour Jesus Christ) existed ; their mere existence is a matter of indifference, about which there is no ground either to believe or to disbeleive. and which comes under the common head of, It may be 60, and what then ? The probability, however, is, that dicer were such persons, or at least such as resembled them in part of • the circumstances, be calm almost all romantic stoats have been suggested by some actual circumstances, as the adventures of Robinson Crusoc, not a word of which is true, were suggested by the case of Alexander Selkirk. It is not. then the existence or non-existence of the persons that I . trouble myself about, it is the fable of Jesus Christ, as told in the New Testament, and the wiltband visiona ry doctrine raised thereon, against which I contend. The story, taking it es it is told, is blasphemously obscene ; it gives an account of a young woman engaged to be manied, and while under this engagemew t she is to ei.eak plain language, debauch. ed by a ghost, under the impious pretence (Luke, chap. i.• see. 350 `r that the holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the pow er of the Highest shall overthrow thee." Sixth Count—a` What is it the l'estionent" (meaning that part of the Holy Bible which is called the New Taaanient) " teaches us ? To believe that iii Almighty committed de bauchery with a woman engaged to be married ! and the belief of this debauchery is called faith." Seventh Count.—" Rut the case is, that people have been so long in the habit of. reading the books called the Bible" (meaning that part of the Holy Bible called the Old Testament) `• and 'testament" (meaning that part of the Bible called the New Testament) t• with their eyes shut, and their senses locked up, that the most stupid inconsistencies have passed on them for truth. end imposition for prophecy. The• all-wise Creator bath been dishonour:al by being made the author of fable. and the lout-in mind degraded by believing h." And in antalteepart thereof, according to the tenor and ettlas following (that is to say) .• I forbear making any remark on this elan:M.lde imposition of Matthew" (meaning the Holy Evangelist Saint .11... thew), " the thing glaringly speaks for itself : it is priests and eonimen utters that I rather ought to censure for having preached false hood so lo g, and kept paw le in dasktiesa with respect to those impositions. I and not contending with those men upon points to do...trine. for I know that sophistry has always a city of refuge; I sin speaking of facts : for wheretar the thing called a filet is a falsehood, die faith founded upon it is delusion, and the doe nine raised upon it no: true. Ali ! reader, put thy tut tin thy Creator and thou wilt be safe, but if t h ou trustest in the Book celled the Scriptures" (meaning the Holy Scriptures) " thou ti ui test to the rotten stelf of table and falsehood." And in an -o,ller part thereof, according to the tenor anti tafect tidlowing (that is -ay', I have now, reader, gone through and examio. ed all elle ptiesages which the fon books of Matthew, Mark. Luke, and John" (meaning the four /lob Gospels) " quote from the Old Tiatainent, and call them prophecies of Jesus Christ- When first I bet down to title cxamination, I expected to find cause for sonic censure, but little did I expect to find them so utterly des:itute of truth, and of all pretensions to it, as have sliewn them to be; the practice which the writers of the :e hooks eitqAtly is not more false than it is absurd , they state some trifling ease of the person they call Jesus CArist, and then cut out a sentence front some poesage of the Old Testameat, anal call it a pro phecy of tl•at ease. But when the words thus cut out are restored to the place they arc taken hom, and read with the words before and atter them, they give the lie to the New 'tea ts ment : a short is or two of tais a iil suffice for the wholes" And in another pot tieretsf, according to the tenor and effect following .that is to say). •"these repeated forgeries and falsiti• cations create a well-founded suspicion . that all - the cases spoken of concerning the person called Jesus Christ, are mall, cases on purpose. to lag in, and that very clumsily, sonic broken sentences trout the Old l'estanient, and apply them as proplieciee.of those cases, and that so far from los being the mai of God, he did not even exist as a non ; that he is merely en imaginery or allego rical character, as A polio. Jupiter. and all the Dvaties a antiquity were. 'there is no history written at the time Jesus Christ is said to have lived, that speaks Ut Ric existence of such a person, even as a man. Ilid we find in any other books ors tending to h ive a system of religion, the falselioteis, falai:nations, contrettictiose, and absurdities it loch arc to be met a ids in al-. most every page of the Old and New T.slaineut. ail theriesl4 of the present e.ay who supposed themselves e a pa'ale, .e 04 1(1 tri. uniphantly skew their skill in criticism, and cry it down as a most glaring inspe4tion ; but, since the banks in anestion beleng to their own inuie and !were sito, ther. or at least many of them, seek to stifle every impury into them. and abase these who have the !moldy and courage to do it." And in :mother part thetetof, according to the tenor and (street thllow lag (that is to say) •• They tell us that Jester ruse from the dead and ass:email into !leaven ; it is very easy to say so ; a great lie is as easily told as a little ere ; but it he had done so, these weald have beta the circuottitan- sic ces re..,peedn t would Eav- direred font the common set et' ....an, and to:.. iently die only es,e that would apply eselu• si rely to hint prophecy. would be ionic passage in the 011 Testa slant that foretold such things of him : but there is nut a passage in the ()Id Testament that speaks of a person, who, after bein„st crucified, dead, and buried, should rise from he dad and ascend into Ileaven. Our prophecy mongers supply the seenee; the phi Testament guards upon such thing‘, by telling us, of pas- • saws they all prophecies, and that falsely ; so about Joseph's dreams, old clothes, broken bones, and such like trifling stuff: And in MIMIC, part thereof, amording to the tenor and ett:s..t followins: (that i. to say). ** Now had the news of salvation it y Jesus Cfitiasbeen inscribed on the iibee of the sun and moon is• char:utters that all nations would have understood, the whole eart had known it in twenty-four hours, and all nations would have believed it. Whereas, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they tell u , Christ came upon earth, not a twentieth part of the peove of the earth know any thing of it, and among those who do, the wiaest part do not believe it. I have now, reader, gone through all the passages called prophecies of .IC6UA Christ, and shewn there is nu such thing. I have examined the story told of Jesus Christ, and compared the several circam • stances of it, with that revelation, which, as Middleton wisely says, God has made to us of his power and wisdom in the struc ture of the universe, and by wham every thing rasa ibed to him is to be tried. 'l'he result is, that the story of Christ has not ont trait, either in its character or in the means employed, t h at brae: the least resemblance to the power and wisdom of God, as de • tuonstratal in the creation of the universe. All the means are human means, slow, uncertain, and inadequate to the scam • plishment of the end proposed, and therefore the whole is a fabu • loua invention, and undeserving of credit. The priests of tla present day profts to believe it. they gain their living by it, arm they exclaim against something they call infidelity. I will detinv whet it is: he that believes in the story of Christ is an infidel t 3 God." . . Eighth Count—" These repeated forgeries and falaificatiors create a well-founded suspicion that all the caste spoken of we.. coming the person called Jesus Christ, are made cases on purpoie to lug tn. and that very climisily, some broken sentences trot the Ohl Testament, and apply them u prophecies of those case , . and this: so far from his being the Son of Goa, he did not ealo even as a man that lie is merely an imaginary or allegories! character, as Apollo, I leretslea, Jupiter, and-all the deities i t antiquity were. There is no history written at the time of Jest.* Christ is said to have lived that speaks of the existence of such a person, even as a ma... Did we find in any. other book, pre tending to give a system tit religion, the falsehoods, falsiticatiutia, contradictions, and absurdities which are o.‘ be•niet with in alum t every page of the Old and New 'festament. all the priests of . the present day who stv,.posed themselves capable, would triunipl antly show their skill in criticism, and cry it aos•n as a mu t gla. Mg imposition; but since the books in question belong to their own trade and profession, they, •or at least many of theta. seek to stifle every inquity into them, and abuse those who have the honesty and the courage iota() it." Ninth Count—" Now had the news of salvation by Ilan Christ been inscribed on die fate of the sun and moon, in cha racters that all nations would have understood, the whole twat had known it in twenty four hours, and all nations would have believed it; when.aa, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they.tell us, Christ came upon earth, nut a twen tieth part of .the people of the earth know any thing of it, anid among those that do, the wiser part do an believe it. I have now, reader, examined the story told of Jesus Christ, and stiewn dine is no such thing. I have eitaminea the story told of Jesus Christ, and compared the several tin:natant . ..cur of it with that revelation, which, as Middleton Wisely says, God has made use of his power and wisdom in the structure of the universe, and by which every thine ascribed to him is to be tried. The tesult is, that the story of Christ has not one trait either in its character ur or in the means employed, that baara the least rthenthlance to the power and wisdom of God as denominated in the creation of the universe. All die means are human means, slew, uncertain, and inadequate to the accomplishment of the end pr0p0,..11, sod theretOre die whole is a fabulous invention and tool:eery:Jig of of credit. The priests of the present slay profess to believe it, they gain their living by it, and they exclaim against something they call infidelity. I will define a hat it is : he that twilevot iu the story of Christ is an infidel to God. Tenth Count —" lior toy own part, I do not believe there is one word of historical truth in the whole hook".lniemiing that pan of the Holy Scriptures called the New Tegument.) I look upon it at best to be a romance, the principal personage of which is an imaginary or allegorical character founded upon same tale, and in which the mural is in many Fula good, and the narrative part very badly and blunderingly written." Eleventh Count—" flat die case is, that people have been so long in the habit of reading the books called the Bible and 'fee tanient with their cyth shot, and their senses locked up, that the MO it stupid' incon.sistencie, hare paiised on them thr truth, and imposition fur prophecy. The all-wise Creator has been dish°. homed by tieing 'made the author of fable, and the humors mind degraJotl by believing it." And in another part thereof, according to the tenor and effect billowing (that it, to Lay), " As to the New 'Testament" trneaning that pert of the Holy Scriptures =lied the Ne-a Testament). " if it be atuaght and tried by End staudatd, witich, as Aliildleton wisely says. God has revealea to our senses of his almighty aetwer and wisdom in the creation and government ti: the veible univer , e. it will be found equally a. tike, paltry, atali absurd as the Old" (meaning that part iLf the Holy Sumter.. called the t Testament).- to the high the. pica .tire of Almighty Gixi, to the great sca n dal of the Christian acligium to the evil example of all others,. and against the petite of uur said Lord the King, his crown and darnity. ‘Vhereupan the wad Attorney-General of unr said Lord the King, who not our said I .and the King in hii behalf' pro•ecuteth for our Rad • Lord the King, prayeth the consideration of the Court here in the premises, and that- due process of law may be awarded against ldtii the said Richard Coble in this behalf, to make hint. . answer to au said Lord the King, touching and concerning the premises aftweanal. tlr. Carlile admitted that the passages in the book corm. ponded with the passages set forth in the information, and adadl that it was unnecessary to read the Massages twice over, as he should read the book himself as pan of his defence. roving the reading oh' the inti 1111 l atimi, the Archbishop of Canterbura entered the Court, and took his seat beside the Chief Justicta . Mr. limit, Mr. Carlile. and some other persons, friends of the latter, were busily engagnal in taking.no.es of the Attom.y General's speech, and of the evidence. The case for the prosecution having been dosed, Mr. Carlile then rose to make his Defence. Gentlemen of time J ury.—ll now rise so make my daffinee against , the enarge ex:alined against me by the Attorney General, and believe me t am deeply inipttairea with the great impotnuice the subject.. Of deep imperiance, indeed, it is: for it is no has a question than to try, wiusher a mart eta", or ifray not be tole- - rated in indulging whatever creed or opinion he pleases in nal rug. afEtirs. AtturricysGeneral has boasted much of teeny of the presa, anal of free disc:swarm ; but I do not think that he his ennead much of this spitit of libeioli•y rot ti:e prate-t occasion. it is my desire, therefore. Gen:rennin, to go into thie case Ilene Sully than lie has done. anti to cx‘unine it in all : a bearings, for I think it a question if the first magnitade. I doing this, I shall entheivour to co.,cince you, Genticitten, of c alone what were my motives far l'aine's Age of Reason," but what were the motives of l'aine iiinwelf, in ti.e original publication, 1 soil spew you, also. I sin sure it is rot that blaspheme:is work it is deecribtal to be ; nor sin 1 that , impious and wic k ed individual acidified in the Attorney -1 Geticrara ihtganeuetu. Thee thirty-nine Arti:le:i et time Claxibusis ;~I