The Sun.
London, England, 1819-12-04 00:00:00

STAMP ACT.

Lord CASTIARESAUH brought in a 14i,41. to re-
strain the Illtisphemoni PublicAtioni, by subjecting
thein to the Newipaper Stamp. Duty. 2 • '•

" Mr. BROUCilikhe objected to the passing.
erect this first stage,. without entering, his protest
against it,. But as other opportimities Would oc-
cur for stating his opinions, 'he Should now only
generally'state'his objections'to the measure: He
also begged to know it It were to,be in the power
of any two Justices to commit for a breach 'of
such Act'?

LOiIreASTLARBAGH.-7JUStiCCS would only have
ptitver to inflict 1 film of 301.,but anr sunk ex•
ceeding that would only he recoverable in the
usual manner before the superior Courts. After
some other observritiOd. the Noble Lord coriClud-
ed by moving that .it be ITO a second time. on
Thursci!ly next, tibich was agreed
to.--Ad-
journed.

PA RLIANI EN:rAay vArggp.

SEDITIOUS LIBELS.

IIEADS'OF THE BILL YoR THI MORE gSTECTUat.
PREvERTION,AND PUNISHMBNT OFBLASPHEMOUS
AND SEDITIOUS LIBELS.
From and after - • In every case in
which'shy'verdict or judgment by default shall be
.had against..any.person for composing, printing,
or_publishing, any.blasphetnous or seditiOni
it shall belawfurtor theinctlgi, or iliti`eburtlie-
'fore 'dr in 4Vlrieli verdict shall !have
been given, or,the Court to nhich such judgment
by default shall be load, to make an ortle4 for the
seizure, carrying.ttai. 'and detaining iniafe eats'.
'ody,' all copies' of flit libel wltiOlt ahall-be in the
of -the person against whom such, vet'-
diet. or judgment shall .have been had, or in the
possession of any other,-perionlbr'his nse.' •
If ease' (afOtesiiiitinagnient shall
be arrestedror if after judgment • stoall. have ,been
entered, the same shall be reversed upon any writ
of error, all copiei So
returned to the person or persohiltOtri rrhoill the
Same Asti bitve been so- taken-as aforesaid, free of
all charge and expence, and withont the payment
of any fees whatever.
If any iferinn' shall, after the P-assing .0-f•
this act, be legally convicted of having compos,ed,
-printed, or published, any .blasphemous. or-
oils libel, and shall, after being so COnVieted,'Oirend
a second Belie, and' be therOf legally entivicted,
Such person may, on ,stich "second conviction, be
adjudged, at the discretion ,of the Court, either
to stiffer such punishment as may now by laW be
inflicted in caiei liigh-tilisd6neatiors,Or•to tie
hint-Shed fitirri,the United Kingdoiti; and all other
paits of his tolajeity'; dominions, for such term. as
the Court in which such conviction shall' take
pleee shill Order, or to. be transported to Such
!Attie tis shall be appointed' by his'Alajesty for the
rt.:impartation 'of offenders, for any term not ex-
ceeding 7 years.
Lf any offender who shall be so Ordered to be
bariiilied -tianepcirted; shill :be -afterwards tat
targe'within anypart of the .United KingdOm, or
any-other part of his Majestyis dominions, with-
out some lawful cense, before .the`expliation of
the term' for Offender Shall gibe been
sb ortieredla he banished or ,transported as afore-
said, every such offender being, so at large as
aforesaid,, being thereof lawfully cOniiCted,'Shall
tiiitfee deatli,"ai in 'easel 'of 'felony, witliont'betrifit
of'elergy.'. • '
. Any .aetion and .snit against, any Justice pe
Justices Of the Peace, constable, peaCe-offiCer, Or
other perion"br''personi;s'frir any.thitiolone Oi
eat inlioirstiance •of.t his act, shall 4 be:commeneed
within 3 Calendar month:rafter the fact committedi
and not afterwards.; and the venue in every soieli
action or, snit shatt.belii4 in the prp;ier county
where the tact fitflioeaievr hem..
ii;verY act ion and suif stitch shall be b?r,ni;flt
orCnintnenei;ll.
Setifland-far anYthilig• done pinatnince
Of this act, ' Ati'fifie"iiitihifir be eforrintenced
within three calendar months atter the. act:cc:mi.
witted, and not afterwards, and shall be brought
in the Court of Sessions in Scotland.

FOR Tifg.., SUN.

THE r.,ELIGION, LAWS', AND POLICY OE cOUN-
• • • • •-4 fR ("(-INSIDII3I.I,:D,
In a Serieaof Letters, most respeitfullv ipscriheFl to the Pro-
f
prietur of Tits:. SUN.
' • .'•

LETTEII,4I7.--RELlGlON.7(Contitiued)
MR. EDITOR—That there is an indelibte im-
pression on the min' of man, as to the being and
attributes of .God, is, 1 conceive, too obvious to
need either proof or illustration ;.1 shall there-
fore briefly observe, that. there is not a single
nation, people, or ttibe, however polished and
enlightened, by Arts, Refinement, or Religion, or
however degraded by 13arbat ism, Idolatry, or Su-
perstition, where such an impression is not to be
found, no, not if we explore the Countries front
the Gangei to the Nile, front the Euphrates to
die Thames," or from the birth of time to the pre-
sent moment. Nor is. it material, as far as relates

w our present inquiry, under what name soever
such Being may be worshipped, whether Jehovah,
Allah, Zzus',.Zeus, or God; in whatever place He
may be worshipped; whether in a Chui-ch, a
Mosque, a Temple, or'ar Grove; or by. whate'ver
tymbol He may be represented, whether by the
Sun, a Btaiit-,. a Bird, or even a piece of wood ;
since the adoration paid to the symbol must he
Understood to be, transferred to the Being signifi-
ed by it, consequently, proves the Convittiiin of a
superior power'; therefore, does not Militate
against our argument, neirivithstanding that such,
like all idol or image-woiship, is with regard. to
purity, directly contrary to the positive command
of God,*atid-fhose holy and correct forms. which
He has prescribed in His lloly Word.
Nor does it invalidate our argument, what some
ignorant travellers have asserted, namely, that
thete are some Islands of the grosser savages
where a notion of a Divine Pdwer does not at all
prevail; since it has been satisfactorily ascertain-.
ed that these travellers, from theie.totel ignorance
of the Customs, Manners, anti Language of the
Natives, and from their very short stay On inch
Islands, were totally disqualifiett from fOrming
any opinion at. ail on . this subject, much less a
correct one. „Besides, my
,kellow-Conntrymen,
let us view the most untutored African sinking
beneath the accumulated pressure of human care,
or writhing beneath the oppressor's scourge, While,
in tite,detipair and agony of the moment, he raises
to Heaven an imploriog eye, What, my Fellow-
Countrymen, do the silent eloquence of that lOOk'
anti the veneration with wOCIIIi is accompanied
convey ?'More, 1 appreliCnit, in suppOrt of our
argument, than either ail the words in his lan-
guage, or his Own. limited ideatiCtstild express.
Yet need.'we, toy ftiendi, explore ihe regions of.
Asia, of Africa, and of 'America, for testimonies.
in support of this truth' ? Can we not 'find them
in our own country, day, even in the vicinity of
our own residence'? Let us trace,Vice andDepra,..
vityt6their secret haunts ; let us scrutinize every
action and WatCh' Teiety • inutifent Is there no
serious interval during' witiCh they listen to ad-
monitions of conscience and the voice
No unguarded moment in tthiclt they:fretra"'ilreir
conviction of en pontipot cot ,God) 100 n!ri•
plunderer and the 'assassin betray such a convic-
tion, when
,they start at every.r,ostling
f •. • t
craih
ai everOsslt,qe,h.y the spontaneous cUnfes-
sion of crime Do not the drun64, the Jitter-
riot; and :Abe Replaue -swearer betray it by the
poignant pang,' the bursting sigh, sod the sudden
ejaculation of repentance or remorse 741. Need I,
my fellone,stkhjeet:s, a 11l W.er these
oim owl ant in-
quirres.?!,l2conciivo not,, aince,kC'wpiild 1). an
in-
suit to your good sense and discernment to do it ;
1 therefore. pose on to obaerve,
That the Atheist himstlf, when in his preisnrup-
hious moments, feels their Conviction :.ifi those
very moments, when he is .attetitptitig to !Witte
the existence. of that God, of whose being Ire
then feels, a conviction, and tharfroot Apse fa -
culties:7*itb which lie endeavours
.16 refute it.
For he knows,..be feels, that reasons,
and. ;decides'; consequently that, he possessei fa-
culties capable of performing the several
,opera-
flora. At the same time be knows that nailer
mere matter could perform them, nor could Other
himself or angels, not possessing the hecess.ayy
attributes, endue 'him with such
,faculties, since
these necessary attributes are incommunicable,
consequently ,exist in God_ only ; thereqe (13,0F1
alone could endow hint with such 'facn.lihiel.
Wherefore, a forlicai, the Atheist is convinced
from.these. very faculties, and that in the very
moment in which he is attempting to prove that
there is not, that there is a God.

I now proceed to cite a few passai;'es in sup-
-1)61.0E4'0m Idiktline, which are taken fFnns•the
highest authOrity in the Several language,- in
which they are -written. 1 shonlil have made

extracts from several' 'other .langiraget, Could I
have procured 'the writert I wanted : "fiat not
being the case, I must crave tire indulgence of
my fellow-subjects until some future opportunity.

Tile Latin and. French being now so generally
nnderstooq, 1 should consider it ars insult to,my
countrytneti to translate the quotations in those
languages. •
1 Ifli‘'e; Mi. Editor, withheld the Hein ew,
Arabic, and.,PerOan supposing they
might be inconvenient with respect to types
when; as the Greek was written on the same page,'
and not 'having time to re-copy it, I was obliged
to omit that original also.
Trahslatione of Ae Hebrew, Ar4bic, Persian, and
Grfek Quotglioni;
I. 1 bslieve with a perfect ipith, that god (ivfeSsed he his
name) is the Creator awl Ciuiernor of silt Ctidrd tiriii -and
that he alone has made, doeilnaki, and ever will make, every
koiluttion. ' • ' •• • •

. .
-itt:lktiear witness that there is no .God. :brit .one God, to
whinn there Ps no Comparison; laudable, gloriouso lie begin-
ner, the- restorer, whole act is irresistible, bringing near ,virat
is remote, the Crratorof the Slave and Pritwei ;cod of them
the miserable and the hippY : a cupfctsiv,), which
• • -

Yst should it be. here objected that these instances
arc more indicative of the firree olcorisrietice than 'of the con-
of the being of a gutl,, 1. beg to remind !inch ofilectiirt
that tin.; cunsgience, is, as it were, ttie Iligh Priest of that.
Ttibple. of Itcc:ittidc. which clud..los consecrated in .every
man's heart, cuniegneritly canconlYtn.riortisli and reprove, as
awuketied by the voice of,thinnipOtZioe biinselt ;-tlterefori„
i rsstad of n,i litati ug tilviinst OW conclusion, it affords striouger
evidence:in it* suppvit.

Hill lead the speaker of it into Paradise on the day ofi'ufrfi
Mesa, when every snut shalt come Logettirr with '
eh evidence;
.and the two angels dise;iorse emiCelmir4
him when the ' • over hi 4 (Or
rt;word that is not heard tiy vigilatit,ol4erver.
3. Wherefan're art thou ? if itiou art come to learn the
science of, ancient and niodern times, thou bast not talcpcs-t1
Wiv -•
right path.: the Creator" all and if thylnfrr -
come to seek blot, know that where thou fiaas 67seci;t"C--
be was present.
4:Mllth; if 'l'o+ one rightly distingulAfilf,
wholly tn, this as the principal thing, that tpile,lieve the ci"s..
to be the first• Beings, is a divine ; mat hat tliough 4",'
and Sciences have prFliably often lost andievived, Art."!
, •
opinion bath .becit preserved as a retie to this very time.
5. Quis est tam vecors, qui, curn susgexerit in Ccmt.—,noti
esse ?
polar it olio umii, 'ordo rerun) ceelestioni, cons7ersio s
tunze, siderunique omdiunr, indicant satis aspectn ipso ea
onutia non rsse fortuita; et cozinit nosconflteri nat nrant es't,
aliquain pilestanteui wtertianque, quzi.sitadtairanda icurtrdpa
generi.

Quentadmodum, si quis venerit in cedes a!iquas, ant in grne
distinctionem rerun: ()minim], ordipcm;
disciplinam: intelliget aliyuetn,esse profectb, qui presit, ttt
cui pareattir: si; si quis intneator mutt's, perpetttos et certoh
vicissititndines, °Hiner rerum ccelestiurn tot tarn:vitt:Nue:
necesse cAt ut fateatur ha c cuncla gubernari d mente aliqlm#
Cdm rutted) lire, nietts, nee poteitas•po.ssit boeullicere,-1)51
nuns potest e'ae architect us et rectOr rant: °Perri ac nionerto%
o. (,lie le monde est .grande ! (Veil tit' g
Ir re
Kuutvertleturpt des itats Cl des empires olfce d-nos yeu•-is%
d'ntdre' ire Stigesse;de triagnificleriee, qiiand 3tiotisfy:-Voydl/,
Dieu invisible, Souveraln, tuodiratetir, litiniecrs,,,qui
pose de toitf, depuis extr6liitilusqu'a l'itturtravrc-pinFC;
avec noyobre, avec inesure; qui suit lys, 6v6uFilvpsiesi."!kr
Coignes dans leurs'canses ; renfeftne dins set ir
causes de tabs. Irs . qui' donUe au Vioode.
-
rrinceS vt des Souverains, scion sec desseirts de justice val.' sslturuai'r
ille'llftles'; qui rikW entirs 'des. pas'ich'_
nes; et
,qpi,,iltrder•iii6trai.Tenteris. inexplicablc,,cl,
ke'rVir attic de.
*ltirttie.ruenle u
licinnuesl - • •
Clue le morale, crinsid4rd" dans ce point•de vue, et- 3144
rue, 'Ouvrier Souverain qui le conduit, est pleits Word tr, 01E10
la ("1'
et de magnificence ! quec'est tin spectacle de ',
Alms si yobs en" siparez Lnetz,•-•---rnals si 'Vous is sVgartfer
sous n'y voyez plus que lea umairi es, qui senilrle
mettre tout en knouveznefil,--si vuus n'y voyez plus la vol(14.!•
7
vterut Ile_ du Seigneur,, qui en est le ressort et co
donne le nom vetuent k tout ! ce ti'vst
tin that re de 'confusion et di: trouble, not cif isa placel
Vitapie jortit de la recompense de la vertue o'h Pit"
sOuvent pour portage, ribjection et le& priors do Tice) Soh
Thus, my friends and fellow•tillbjeCtS,
traced to the best of my. limited absli,ies, eo ea!'
'dished the doctsine concerning the being of 6
God, and that froth the necessity of a first. causct
-the indelible impression on the breast of titan 0f
the reality of such a cause,
,and the testisno'
tiles of the greatest and wisest man, its whit: I.L
haie not only endeavoured to awaken your feel-
ings. .
and stlinuhrte your devorlon, but like t, ifC tv
convince your jodgment, that from a coneictioll
.of its truth you may not only .feel a pious xesi irs
your Creatot's service, .but be duly qualified tv
defend the reality of his existence, and the.pe"
fection and harmony of his attributes. Its WY:
next, I trust I shall be able, by the good bend 0v
ruy.God upon tire, to prove that those holy Scrir
titres, on Which. you found your faith, and trout
which you derive your brightest, your Isca.venit
hopes, are not, as has -been publicly and b 139:
phemously asserted, a .compilation of frase.loo."
and immorality, .but that they are the unsoPiihitr
cated..oracles of GOll, written with the pen of
tu-
spiration, aud what 'alone can make us wise not°.
salvation.
•

•Viii craving your early insertion of this Letter'
I beg to
,subicribe rtiyself,

Sir,
Your most obedient bumble Servant,
1.11:11:0,