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

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 Mott: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 tole.
ealal,•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
ig my dc.ite, ;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...

M 9

w -
Religion.. it was true. contained die doettine of the Trinity. the
eery lit st article in particular. It aus well known, however. that
order to relieve indiz lintels from proaecution, who dad out
dis•lieve in the Trinity, •theie was a Toleration Act. This was as
jug as it was ranonal, for the article mentioned was altogether
Ineconcilable, one part describing the Deity. us a beihg without
mutat:owe or metier. and the othet eliciting that there was an
unity of three ;tenors, with substance and match—The Act of
ideration, he contended. went . to the repeal of this very article,
'because men were allowed, by law. to worship God, without be-
called upon to bell‘: we in the Trinity. The Attorney-General
tlierefine, in saying that the Christian Religion was the laser of the
Jantl, might have added that IDesion was also the law ohthe land,
• the Act protected those who did not belies e the Christian
doctrines. 'I here was sin law he knew of, which defined or took
cognizance of blasphemy ; and it was therefore he felt himself
justified in publishing '• Paine's Age of Reason." lie denied
. that lie had any malicious or inirieus intention, as alleged against
gbh)), and reminded the Jury that the Jews considered the
Christian religion a cheat; the Christians thought .the same of •
the Jews; both thought a like of the Ilindoos, and all thought
the religion oldie Slahometans a cheat. In the case of William.,
the first who published the tt Age of Reason" Kidd, hie
counsel, was not ithowed by the Court to enter upon a justification
of the alleged libel, and amaequently the question wits never
irly considetol. With respect to Eaton, who was tiled in sale,
&Oat person had not the physical power to defend I.iwxlf. He
was a very old man, bending under infirmities, and was crushed
„la once by the late Lord Chief Juatice. He might fairly contend
atliat the question had never been fairly brought Iwfore u .lury
He really and conscientiously believed the writer of the work
was influenced only by the best motives. His own motives were
good. He did not feel that he hurl published one blasphemous
avoid as stated in the intiwmation. '1 he eyes of the country were
. on the Jury. and they were expected to antic to an honest decision.
He had received congratulation and condolence upon the occasion
Irvin so many persons, that lie ants convinced trout that eirenoi-
, Vance alone that the publication hail not demoralized the mind of
• any man. 'l'llousamils were looking for a verdict of acquittal,—
Those who called liar a verdict of guilty were like the men who
lighted the tires in Smithfield. Mr. Carlile then stated, that otir
:Christian Religion declared that there was but one God, of infinhe
slower, wisdom, and waxiness ; and that in the unity of this
Godhead there were Three Persons. It could not be denied, lie
ion'. that this was founded upon the Trinity ; for, without that
latimiadon, Christianity could not be admitted. Now, an Act
;bad passed lately for the relief of persons who had impugned the
'Doctrine of the Holy Trinity ; anti it hail been passed on the best
iirinontle.—How. lie begged to know, could the first article of the
Ltiriatuan Religion be re-:smelled fin a nionient in the mind deny
reasonalt4 creature, when it is said in one plat* that there is but
tune teal, lind in another that there were 'nine Persons, all of
equadisivier, and all of course God.. 'Vida was part of what the
_Attorney-General called the law of the land. air. Cathie then
read the Act of l'arlianient in favor of the Unitarians, and said
that Act was, in tact, nothing less than a repeal of all funkier
Acts upon the subject of holding doctrines at variance with those
of the Trinity, and of all Acts iii support of the established reli
ion of the country, for if one Act of Parliament affected another
•tts any shape, it went to repeal that Act. 'lke Attorney-General
had bald that Christianity was pert of the law of the land. He
•ttliedetenthantt must declare, that was also part of thcltw
of the lard, and that these publiallirg Deistical doctrines were
protected by the Statute Law, and secured from all the punish.
trent that might have been inflicted previously to the pasaitig of
the Act to which he alluded. All laws should be understood.—
There shoula! bed written Code, by which the people might be
inturtheil of what it might be necessary to adopt and reject..—
'1 here was nu written law to authorize tae present prosecution.—
' lie (Mr. ('arlile) did not know what relii;ion the Attorney.
General 'login now plaSt.,S, but lie beliesed he once professed
Enharianisin, which was the religion of his father and faini'y,
and that lie lied held up his hand in that cause. The Attorney.
.General had stated that Paine, in his calmer moments, had con.
used the truth of Christianity; but he (Mr. Caddo doubted
its truth ; and lie was Collfidelll Paine had always doubeed it.—
Ile contended that there was not an immoral passage in the
.pubkation fur which lie waanew.on bis trial. lie courted Can-
dour and publicity only.
Here Cathie produced twelve copies of Paine's Age of
Reason, and was going to hand them to the Jury. when lie was
interrupted by
The lord Chief Justice. who stated, that he did not wish to
prevent the Jury lions having every means el judging of the
iiiiesuon; but as the books in question were not rtoduced iu
evidence, the proosaling was irregular, and he did not wish to
do To' thing which might he afterwards quoted as a precedent.
Resides, what proof was there of these being copies of the work,
for the publication of which this proaccution had been cowmen •
eel.

- -
Mr. Carlile pledged himself they were the same.
The Lord Chiclimaice said, if the Jury wished to kave copies,
he did not object to it.
Carlile presumed his Lordship had given his consent,
ta.d copies were. Immediately handed to the Jury. lle then pro-
ceeded to read the title of the work and the preface, M which he
had stated his motives for publishing the work, as truth was
Ails only object.
The defendant then read the Preface to the Second Part of
A. The Age of ItLmon," acd recited the composition which denies
that doses was the author of Genesis. _ . _

In the passage where Moves is censured for ordering the male
ghildren and mothers to be put to death, and the young women
so be given to the lust of the Israelites, he observed, that NI r.
Pain tied omitted to statc that the took 5 of Muse wo-
men to themselves. The trwisaction was so horrid in itself, that
had he published any thing like it, he could 111,): have expected
piy favour from the Jury.
At half-past five his Lordship called for candles.
The defendant expressed a hope that his Lordship would now
adjourn the Court; he felt himself much fatigued with the ex-
ertion, having now been reading upwards of live hours.
The Cilia Justice said lie could not adjourn the Court at this
Lately hour. .If the defendant wished tt, lie might retire for a
short time to take any refreshment he required.
The defendant, under this permission, quitted the Court, and
was absent about ten minutes. lie then returned, and resumed
his reading. On that part of the work contained in the informa-
tion relating to the miraculous conception and birth of our Savi-
our, the defendant expressed great sum prise that the Attorney-
General should have observed with to much severity on this
part, since the sect called Unitarians had dissented from this
history, and as he had before stated, the Attorney-tienend was,
or at least had been, an Unitarian.—
_ _ _

The defendant then ptoceedsd to read the third part of " The
Age of Reason," which is principally made up of observationa
on the proplieties, eke. telative to our Saviour's appeatanee. He
concluded reading at ten O'clock, and observed. having new
stated to the Jury the w hole subject of the infomiation, he
aould put it to diem to say, if tiler: was any thing ohm immo-
ral tendency in it. The author had not perhaps spoken always
in the most respectful terms of the Scriptures; but, it should he
recollected, he considered !hen, fible. With respect to him-
self, he was completely exhausted, and hoped his Lordship
would now adjourn the further proceedings tilt monorrow, us lie
had still matter to submit to the Court and Jury. which would
occupy Oil Saturday night, in reading, if his strength was equal
tti it.

Chief Justice said he should be sorty to curtail hint in
.any thing he considered nuerw*.ry for his defence, and therefore
would now adjourn till Lo•worro hall-pabt nine o'clock.
The Court adjourned aLcunlit,gly, at a quarter past ten to!clock.
)s 11411 and pe.,eages, as rill us 4 Yatd, were saowil•