The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-07 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD."

Not only common humanity, but the interests
of religion itself, strongly suggest the release of
the person named Carlile, who was at one time
so notorious, but is now so obscure a personage.
He and his publications would he wholly for-
gotten or contemned, if his long imprisonment
and periodical appeals to Parliament did not
keep him and them in the recollection of the
public. Let him be but quietly released in
the interval between this and the next Ses.
sion, and there will be an end of him. It was
never contemplated in his sentence that it should
subject him to perpetual imprisonment—or even
to a confinement of such a length as he has actu-
ally suffered. The very idea of sentencing even
him to so many years of captivity would have
shocked the very Judge who pronounced it. The
imposition of fines, without regard to the fortune
or circumstances of the individual, is a most
delicate power. Its capability of abuse is not
glaringly observed, only. because it has, since
the Revolution, been used with discretion. But
that must be an anomaly in a system of juris-
prudence, professing to be equal, which, in
precisely the same words, confines one man for a
short and specified period, and another for life—
at the mercy of the Government. There is also
something perilously loose and ill-understood in
the very term of blasphemy, which is applied to
the offence 'of Carlile. Offences should be spe-
cified and expressed with precision and clear-
ness. But is that a precise and clear deno-
mination which is applied to the fanatic
James Naylor and the infidel Carlile? This
proves that instead of expressing a particular and
defined mode of wrong doing, it is a cameleon
word, which changes its colour according to
existing opinions, or the purposes of those who
use it. Before the Reformation, blasphemy and
heresy were obviously synonyinow,, and punish-
ed by the Archbishop of -Canterbury. An in-
stance is mentioned of a man accused of blas-
phemy and heresy in the reign of Henry VII.,
for denying that tithes were due to the Par-
son. Heresy, hitherto the technical word, was
dropped in reformed countries. But when the
term heresy was proscribed, and that of blas-
phemy adopted, a serious difficulty occur-
red, in rendering the latter punishable by law.
In the case of the poor fanatic Naylor, some
were for putting him to death under the writ de
heretico comburendo, and others, under the autho-
rity of the 24th chapter of Leviticus, where the
blaspheming Egyptian is stoned to death. 'fire
term itself is a most delusive one, and may be
taken in either of two senses—as signifying
simply " blame," with is an abbreviation of
it from the common Greek origin—or in the
sense of cursing and reviling the name of God
—which is the more popular and honest accep-
tation.—The Latin definition of a blasphemer,
on the best authority, is qui conteinptu contumelias
in Drum projicit'et iracundia. It is obvious that
this definition does not apply to the simple and
conscientious denial and discussion of the evi-
dences of a particular faith, but only to the per-
son reviling that faith in malice and a lying spi-
rit. The law of libel in general is sufficiently
vague and ensnaring, but in this particular in-
stance it is loose and anomalous beyond all
reason.

The will of the late Right Hon. CHARLES Earl
Wiirrwonrn was proved in the Prerogative Court, Doctor's
Commons, on the 30th ult. by the Most Noble Arabella Diana,
Duchess Dowager of Dorset, the relict, the sole executrix. Her
Grace is the universal legatee. The personals were sworn under
70,000/. It is dated the 20th Dec. 1815.