The National Register. — London, England, 1819-10-18 00:00:00

OCT. IS. LdiriNTELLI64:.SCE.. TRIAL OF ARLILE. COURT OF KING'S BENCH. GUILDHALL. Before Lord Chief Justice ABOOTT dud a Special Jury. BLASPIIENIOUS LIBEL. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL v. RICHARD CARLILL Tue , dae morning, at nine o'clock, the long expected trial of Riehanl Crir:ile, the bookseller and pamphleteer, commenced at Guildhall. before Chief Justice Abbott and aSi eeied Jury. All the avenues to the Hall, as well as the Court. were crowded to excess at an early hour, and continued so. Notwitlistansing that 50t) constables were in attendants. and that bars had been placed to prevent pressure, the eagerness of the crowd to witness the proceedings was so great, that very grog difficulty was expe rienced in procwing admittance fur the Judge and Officers of the Court. Mr. Carlile entered the Court some time before nine, and took his scat nn what is called the Solicitor's Bench, on the right of the Court. The Lord Chief Justice took his seat at half past 9. When the trial wax about to proceed, Cie business of the Court was interrupted by Mr. Hunt, who thought proper to charge the Beneh with soim.thing like a breach of an arrarwement stioulated with him—that u tam of an alleged libel, in which lie (11 Wit) is the plaintiff', should take the pl .ce of r c trial Mach was about to proceed, and all others. Ile real. he said, been waiting with his wit esse in the Sittings before and after the two last Terms. in this Court; and his Lorethip had assured him that it should be the very first trial taken in the present Sittings, and he settled it for this day. But now the trial. of Mr. Celiac, which might occupy a month, would again postpone his trod to an inde finite time. The Lord Chief Justice told the applicant that his statement was ernmessus, that lie hail not fixed a day ; but lie expressed a wish that the business of the trials should goon as re gularly 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 mousse*. but might postpone their attendance to wine day in the course of next week. The Secondary was now proceeding to call over the names of the Special Jury, when Mr. Carlile row. Mr. Caride.—•• My Lurd, I challenge the competency of the Court to try the question on which I am now called here as a defender. Chief Justice.—" TheCoort is competent to try any indictment preferred by his Majesty's Attorney (lemma." Mr. Carlisle.--•• The indictment is not founded on the breach of any law." Chief Justiceo•-•" If it is not founded on any law, you a ill of coure be entitled to your acquittal, and I dare say you will obtain it." Mr. Carlile.—“ My Lord, I enter my protest against the pro. evalings." The names of the twenty-four Special Jurymen were now salted over. Only eight answered to their names, viz. Charles W ood, Abchureh Lane. Robert Hutchinson, Clement's Lane.. John Manson, Crooked Lane. George Ilarvey, Lawrence Lane. A. C. Allen. Ironmonger Lane.. It. Chambers, Dove Court. William Paiker, John Street.. John Wilson, Queen Street. The Secondary was then proceeding to draw four talesmen, when Mr. Carlile desired him to shake the box. Chief J ustice.—You are not to direct the Officer of the Court bow he shall do his duty. Mr. Carlisle.—l only ask that the taleamen shall be fairly drawn. The first which the Secondary hail in his hand he selected." . . .. . . Ti.c Secondary denied the imputation. Chief .lustice.—Shalce the box well, by all mean , . The box was acconlingly shaken well, and tour talestnen drawn, ik hose names were— Robert Plant. George Coitus. Baker. Farringthsn Jahn 'Nagy, Chaimiaker, Ditto. Matthew tiollyer, Glazier. Ditto. The Jury being now sworn, Mr. Campbell rose from behind the Attorney General. Mr. Campbell.—" M 7 Lord, and Gentlemen of the Jury, the defendant is charged with printing and publishing a e^staire scandalous, impious, and blasphemous libel ou the Holy Scrip tures." Mr. Carlile here rose,. and demanded that the indictment should be react at length. The Chiefiustice st..ted, that it Wai not the usual practice of the Court to read the indictment, "at keg," added his Lord. ship, " where Counsel are employed." The fashion of persons pleading their own causes is quite a new practice. Mr. Carlini: urged that it was of essential importance to him that the Jury should have the indictment, on which they were to judge, read over to them. The Chief Justice observes', that, if it was essential, Mr. Car. lile might take every word of it into his speoth in defence. Mr. Carlile reiterated that he eonside:ed it must vsential that the indictment should be read, lie would not say when it should be read. All that lie insisted on as-, that it shuold be read at the propel time. The item ray-Ganeral then raldrea‘ted the Jury at great length; io his speech tnere was nothip,7 of novelty. The Solicitor-General then coiled Mr. Griffin Swanson, who, on being Evora, deposed that he was clerk to tire Solicitors of the Treasury. On the 17th of Decembrr he went to the house of the defendant, in Fleet Street. lye raw the defendant himself, and asked for " Paine's Av Rtaaon." Ile delivered it to him, and charged hint 10e. fail. They had very little conversation.— Mr. Carlile knew witness to be the Clerk to the Solicitors of the Treasure, and sent Ida encupliments to Mr Mettle, adding, that it he would allow him to eat his Christmas dinner at Louie he would be prepared to meet him. Cross-examined by Mr. Carlik.—" Was Oxman,' hesitation on my part to serve you. ?" • Witneas.—" None at all. You did it rather cheerfully.-a-You askial me it 1 did not want half a dozen eepte , ." The Chief Justice now stdd, that as the &fondant wished the information to be rad, the counts and pas.aea-, hi the book to which they raferted, had batter 'os be read to the Jury. The first t 'out,t charged. that Richard tio;11.. Lite of London, bookseller. beit.;.-, n wicked. in,pions, anti ill di-posed person, Old, on the IL:to:11,1:er. in the SJth year a ign dour pre. tent Ste:ereign Lord Ocorge the Thinl, &e. ant pubti.h, am: Cilab:: to be II 1.11! - II,111:1!, a teal •."..C: ralideus in. our,, and blo,pl,emots il.ri, ~f coneerniug t!‘at r.trt of the 1 I oly v...' , lac. , iled tic Old I at.::, , rat. rontaiiiiif thCrlID all•lrlght other tiiin ; ...s ! diver, ,e.11,(14,10 , , i l , r i,tus ant i bjjgil•r_ SVOtal matters. et and concerning ti :it 1-:,rt of the Holy thLie which the Cid Trsoatintit, Img to the L.-taw tool eliTt fohow i,.g Watt is to ta)l. oMttne storo - s. d, vuluptioti: .a ham h. tie,, the et ,ma tor turous race u. orn , the tint elentim: tiodictireacsa which more tht,; .he 1300," that part of the Ifoly bible which is ettd..l tl, 0.0 Tt.sialotrt) " is lhlcd, it wottid te mote eunsiph.rit et.l.ett i," (meaning that Nut of Me fitly Bible to:" ..i tl.e OW Ttattumno. t• Vera of O 1.0:11 Of Gad. it" part of tile Ikh, ti e Ohl Trt.iatrito " is a fowl of !...- to um raft brtm.lize maul:MO: to the f,l C.. 1 ctsi lei...llTV Of A.it ighly Go.:, to th. }'teat ace , infamy anti coottuTt tithe said !art of he I kly 'tibia a filth is called the Oki T‘btitlll(3lt, to the evil exank ut :4.11 ether, aud THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ageinst peace of our said Lord the King, his Crown and dignity. file second and other Coitnts charged the publication of the several libels which they respectifely set forth, in similar terms. Ifid the book called the Bible" (nsenning that part of.the Holy Bible which is called the Oid Testament) " excel in purity of ideas and expression, all the books that arc now extant in the world, I would nut take it far my rule of faith as being the meal of God, because the possibility would, nevertheless, exist of my being Unposed u .t: fla ; but when 1 see, throughout the greatest part of this book (meaning that part of the Holy Bible which called the Old Testament) " scarcely any thing but a history of the grostest vices, and a collection of the most Paltry and con temptille tales, I cannot dishonour my Creator by calling it by his name" (meaning and intending tlteteby, that throughout the greatest part of that part of the Holy Bible which is called the Oid Tmtatisent, there is scarcely any thing but a history of the grossest vices, and a collection of paltry and contemptible tales.) Third Count.—" To charge the commission of its upon the Almighty. wl.ittli„ in their own nature, and by every rule of moral justice, ate crimes, as all assassination is, and snore e.pe. chilly the afttAaJill4llo,ll of infant*, is matter of serious concern. The Bible tells us that those assassinations were done by the express command of God—to believe, therefore, the Itible to be true, we must unbelieve ail our belief in the moral Justice of God, for wherein could crying or smiling infants offend? And to read the Bible without horror, we insert undo every thing that is tender, sympithising, and benevolent in the heart of nian. Speaking for myself; if I (weaning the writer of the aforesaid libel , had no other evidence that the Bible is fabulous than the sacrifice I (meaning the writer of the said libel) must make to believe it to be true, that alone would be sufficient to determine toy choice." And in another part thereof according to the tenor and eifect following (that is to say,) " I have now gone through the examination of the tour books ascribed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" (meaning the four I loly Gospels, in that part of the Holy Bible which is called the New TeAament ;) "and when it is considered that tile whole space of time from the cru cifixion" (meaning the crutitixion of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jcstus Chrisr,) " to what is called the Accusation, is but a few days, apparently nut more than three or four, and that all the circumstances are reported to have happened nearly about the same spot, Jeruotlem, it is, I believe, impossible to find in any story upon record, so many and such glaring absur dities, contradictionin anti falsehoods as there arc in those books." Fourth Count—`• It" (nienning that part of the Bible which is called the Old Testament) •` is a book of lie,, wickedness, atal blasphemy." Fifth Count—" A' it is nothing extraordinary that a woman should be with child before site was married, and that the son site might bring loth Would be executed, even unjustly, I see no reason for r.ot believing that such a woman as Mary" (mean ing the Blessed Virgin Mary,) "end such a man at, Joseph anti Jesus" (meaning our Saviour Josue Christ) •• existed ; their nitre existence le a matter of intiifferenee, about which tere is no ground either to believe or to disbeleive, and which comes under the common head of, It may be so, and what then ? The probability, however, is, that there were such persons, or at least such us resembled them in part of the circumstances, be cause almost all romantic ((tones have been suggested by wine actual circumstances, as the adventurea of liobinson Crusoe, not a word of which is trite, were suggested by the case of Alexander Selkirk. It is not then the existence or non-existence of the persons that 1 trouble myself about, it is the fable of Jeans Christ, as toll in the New Testament, and the wild and visiona ry doctrine raised thereon; against which I conteml.. The story, taking it as it is told, is blasphemously obscene; it gives an account of a young woman engage.' to be warned, and while under this engagemea t she is to tweak ):!aim language, debauch ed by a ghost, under the inytour, pretence (Luke, chap. i. vet. 33,) " that the Holy Ghost shall conic upon thee, and the pow er of the Highest shall overthrow thee." Sixth Count—" What is it the Testament" (meaning that part of the Iloly Bible which is called the New Testament) •• teaches us ? To believe that the Almighty committal de bauchery with a woman engaged to be married and the belief of this debauchery is called faith." Seventh Count.—" But the case is, that people have been KO ION; in the habit of reading the books culled the Bible" (meaning that pan oldie Holy Bible called the Old Testainelit) •• and testament" (meaning that part of the Bible called the New 'resnutient) " with their eyes shut, and their senses lucked up, that the most stupid inconsistencies have passed on them for truth, and imposition Mr prophecy. Tic 31i*WiS4: Creator bath been dishonoured by being made the mullet of fable, and the human mind degraded by beli,:ving it." And in another part thereof, according to the tenor and tallet following (that is to say) •• I thcheas making any remark on this abominable imposition of Matthew" (weaning the Holy Evangelist Stint Matthew), •• the thing glaringly speaks for itself: it is priests and comaten tawrs that I rather ought to censure for having preached Elbe hood so lo g, and kept people in darkness with respect to those impoeitions. lam not contending with those men upon points of doctrine. for I know that sophi try has always a city or refuge; I am saeaking of facts: for where; er the thing calld a fact is a falsehoo.l, the faith founded upon it is delusion, and the doc trine raised upon it not teas. Alt 1 reader, put thy tru tin thy Creator and thou alit be safe, but if thou trusted in the 800 called the Scriptures" (meaning the IlAy Scri , tutes) •• thou truttest to the rotten will of fable and falsehood.' Ard in an other part thereof, according to the tenor aad effect foliating (that is to ray), I.luste now, reader, gooe through and examin• eel all the passages which the four hawks of Matthew, Meat, Luke, and John' (meaning the four Holy Gospels) " quote time the Old Testament, anti call them prophecies of Jesus Christ. When first I set down to this exammatton. I expected to tied cause for st•n•e censure, but little did I expect to hind theta so t tierty destitute of truth. and of all pretensiens to it, as 1 have Olean them to be; the practice which the writers of those boo:.. t mph)) , is not more false than it is absurd; they state sonic trilling ete's of the person they call Jesus Corist, and then cut out a sentence from wine passuge of the 01(1 Testament. and cell it a prophecy of tat Case. But when the wattle thus cut out are restored to the place they are taken frau, and read with the words before and after them, they give the lie to the New Testa ment: a shun iratahce or two of tots will suffice for the whole." .trl in anther part f •eienf. according to the tenor and effect !Alan ing (that is to soy). " Thar repeated titrestritat and faistfi• cations create a well-feenda stookihitt, that all tile cast.s spoken of concerning the person called Jaw Christ, ace mail.: cats on purpose to log in, and that very clutmily.eottie broken sentences front the Ord Testament. end apply tlitao as play:in.-Ls of those cases, and that so far fruit, his being &cam of thsl, lie did nut even exist its a man ; that Inc is ii.ereh, nn Mot t: Mary or e'ltaa.- rind charitet, r, as Apollo. Hercules, Jupiter, and all the Mattes of antiquity were. /'here is no history a alien at the time Jesus Ciaia said to have lived, dint :Teals of the existence at such a pet: oat, even as a man. I)iti we that in any th her book, pre. teatliog . to Give a system of reliaoit, the tahs. talsiiicstions, coeit.auctions, mind Olson:hie, tt hiel. e ..• met wilt it. al most every page of the Oil and New has.attaia, all the ;oh as ef the present day who suppesed Olt 111861% e 5 ri mopliantiy w:ea their skit' in criticism, at. ray it do-ii as must gluing tap calm ; but. sineththe desalts in question bt'ong to their own Ira: e and rota situ, they, or a, ,east (11 1111 seek to eons: every inquiry itito a Loll. anti tisc those aha Intro I the honesty i11..1 roulege to co it." Arid in ameba r part th 704, eceottlitig to Me tenor and 011tet Ildlowin.; (r lit i. t.• sn)).• tcl: us that Jesus rota boot the dead and as 1 into ilea. In ; it is very eay to say so ; a greet lie is as treaty :eat 6i a huhame ; but it i.e lam douse so, these would have bteu the only eh:emu:tan- 841 ces restweting him that wratld have differed from the e,ttinon act of lan, and consequently the only case that would y exclu sively to hint us propIICCV, would be some passage in th 01 I Testa ment that di , etold such things of him : but there is nut a passage in the OW Testament that speaks of a person, who, :titer bt ing crticitiol, dead, and buried, should rise from the dead and ascend into !leaven. Our prophecy mongers supply the silence; the Old Testament guards upon such hangs. by telling 11.4 Of pay. sages they eitll prophe les, sod that falsely ; as Cann Joseph's dreams, old domes, broken bones, and such like trstiing stud'. Aral in another part thereof. according to the tenor and ether fullowitig (that it to sap. 't Now had the news of salvation I y Jesus Christ been in(crihed on the face of the soul and moon in characters that all nations would have understood, the whole earth had known it in twenty-fair hours, and all nations would have believed it. Whereas. though it i. now Wino t two thousand years since, as they tell us• Christ earns upon earth, not a'twentieth part of the peop e of the earth know any thing of it, and among those who do, the wisest part to not believe it. 1 have 111.1 k, reader, gone through all the passages called prophec'es of Jesus Christ, and shewn there is no such :ping. I have examined the story told of Jesus Christ, and onnpared the several eircum. stances of it. with that revelation, which, as Middleton wisely sap, God has made to us of Ilk potter and wi dont in the struc ture of the unitcrse, and by whien every thing ascribed to hint is to be tried. The result is, that the story of Christ has not and trait, either in its character or in the means employed. that bea-s the least resemblance to the power ar.cl wi-dons of Go,l, as de monstrated in the creation of the universe. All the meaus are human means, slow. uncertain, and inadequate to the accom plishment of the cnd proposed, and therefore the whole is a falai • lotus ;oven•ion, and undescreing of credit. 'flue . priests of the present day profess to believe it, they gu'n their living by it, and they exclaiin against something they call infidelity. I will define what it is: he that believes in the story of Christ is an infidel to God." Eighth Court—ee These repented forgeries and falsificationc create a well-founded suspicion that all the cases spoken of con.. corning the person called .lams Christ. are made cases on porress to lug in. and that very clumsily, sonic broken sentences trout the Old Testament, and apply them as prophecies of those cape,. and that so far from his bong the Son of God. he did not exit even as a man , that he is merely an imaginary or allegorical character, as Apollo. Herculee. Jupiter, and all the deities of antiquity were. There is nu history written at the time of JP. tin Christ is said to have lived that speaks of the existence of such a person, even as a man. Did we hind in any other book, pa-. tending to give a system of religion, the fithwooods, falsification , . contradictions, and abeuelities which are to be met with in aliteet every page of the Old and Ncw Testament, all the priests of t• present day who supposed tlvanselves capable. would triumph andy shew their skill to tviuci.m, and cry it down as a me•t glaring imposition; but since the books in question belong to their own trade and profession, they, or at least inane of mew. seek to stifle every inquiry into theta, and abuse those who btu,: the honesty and the courage to do it." Ninth Count —ee Now had tile news of salvation by .1-ens Christ been inscribed on the face of the sun and moon, in c:ia racters that all nations would have understood, the whole este& haul known it in twenty four hours, and all nations %meld hats believed it; whereas, thusigh it is row ahnost two thowand years since, as they tell us. Christ came upon earth, not a twen tieth part of the people of the earth know any fling . of it, and among those that do, the wiser part do not believa it. 1 have now, reader, examined the story told of Jeans Christ. and shewn there is no such thing. I have examined the story told of Jena' Christ, and compared the several circumstances of it with that revelation, which, as 'aliddleton wisely says, God hits made use of his power and wisdom in die struettue or the universe, and by which every think ascribed to him is to be tried. The result is; that the story of Christ has not one trait either in its character or or it tae means employee!, that bears the least reseinalance to the power and wisdom of God as denominated in the creation of the universe. All the means are human metros. slow, uncertain, and inadequate to the accomplishment of the end proposed, and therefore the whole is a labulaus invention raid undeserving of of credit. The priests of the present day restless to believe it, they gain their living by it. and they exclaim against something they tall infidelity. 1 will define w hat i: is : he that believes ut the story of Christ is an infidel to God. Tenth Count—" For my own part, I do not believe there is one word of historical truth in the whole book" (meaning that part of the Holy Seriptures called the New 'l'estantent.) I look upon it at best to be a romance, the principal octet/a:age of which is an imaginary or alleeorical character foutelea upon some tale. and in which die moracis in many parts good, and the narrative part vety badly and bluwleringly written.' Eleventh Count—e• But the case is, that people have been so long in-the habit of retching the books called the Bible and Tee. tament with their eyes shut, such their bellStS locked up. that the most stupid intionsinencie, have passed on them for truth, and imposinon for prophecy. The all-wise Creator hue been dishio boated by being made the anthor of table, and the human mind &graded by believing it." And in anotiaer pen thereof, according to the tenor and nine following (that is tansy), " As to the New Testament" (meaning that part of the Holy Scriptures called the New Testament). " if it be liconglit and tried by diet standard, which. as 3lia.ileton wisely sieve, God has revealed to our senses of his almighty power and wisdom to Cie mania and government of the visible univer e, it is ill be found equaliy as false, paltry, and absurd as the Old" (meaning that part of the Holy Scriptures called the Ord Testament)—to cue high din. rleastire of A liniglity God, to the great scandal of the Christian ieligion, to the evil example of all others, and against the pewee of our said Lord the King. hisvmwn and dignity. Whereupon the said Arorney-Genera/ of our said Lord sae King. who toe our ilia l.ord the King in his behali prosiectattli for our said Lord the King, prayetli the coesideration of the Court here its the premises, and that due process of law malt be awarded against bin the said diehard Carhle in this behalf. to make Min answer to our said Lard the King, touching and concerning the premises aforesaid. Mr. Cathie admitted- that the paseeges in the hook .eorres limited with the passages set forth in the Inthrmation, and added that it was unnecessary us read the passages twice steer, ache should read the book himself as part of his defence. Dining the nailing of the information, the Archbishop of Canterbury entered the Court, and took his seat betide die Chief Justice. Mr. Hunt, Mr. Carla°. and some other persons, friends of the latter, were busily engaged in taking uutes of the Acanthi Gercial's speech, and ante evidence. The case for the prnaccution having been closed.- , lie. f'arlile then rose to make hie Defense% Grath:men of the Jury.—l now rise to make my defenee egad rise the charge exhibited egailat me by toe Aqui rey General, an believe me I ant deeply impreseed with the great inirori.v,ce of the selsect. Of amp importance, intleetl. it is: tic it is V.) * area:an ti,.in to try, w: ether a wan may. or may Eat lie to l e. e a l a l,•ieg e/aer,aor cr:ed Of 001111111. 012 Veit•ell to Pelf. a,:eas nfrairs. The :ameneysGeneral has boa_ted hatch of the , . b:;v:ty of the rrtio, and u: tree discussion; but 1 t:o not drink chat c it.w oviticed much of this brit it of the preunt i g my d c .i t e, ;11N20:01r, Gentledion. to I.:0 into Ent int,re• Isui+y then .he hay Com., and to cat:mine n in all vs beitrH,...•. 1., I -hink it a question of the first itiagnitu.lc. In enticavour to convince you. tict.tic.ico, O. of writ awe my for •• l'atite's Age of Beason." I :Int were the 1110ilje* 0.1 in t;ie ptin!:...ition, I will pet, al.sti. I ,tivi tom:. it i 4 nit th4t wttrk it is ilr,ctitied to I:: ; nor tun I that tint ties:ribs:it in the Attorney- G inforniAtunt. The thir:y-uitte AiLieLa et ate Clitiitaa...