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the mediation of this man, or god, Jesus. Now, all this is contrary to our established religion; as we believe that the Deity never did reveal himself to man, except through the visible works of Creation. The many ramifications these pretended revelations have run into, is one sure proof of the nullity and falsehood of the whole.

The prisoner was then called on for his defence: he addressed the Court to the following effect:

"I hope, in publishing my opinions, I have not offended any man, who calls himself a Deist, and who may hold a different opinion to mine; for I would not wound the feelings of any man intentionally. I do not hesitate to say, that it is my firm opinion, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God-that he actually revealed himself to Moses, and the Jewish prophets, and to Jesus Christ, of whom the Jewish prophets had predicted the coming, as the Son of God, and the Saviour of man, I believe every thing mentioned therein, except a few interpolations by interested men, to have been revealed by the god, Jehovah, for the benefit of his creature, man; and I do not believe that man can have any conceptions of God, by the study of nature, nor by any other means, than by this inspired volume." After a speech of two hours," for in dreams, we have," as Paine says, "no idea of time, as time," in which he expatiated very largely on the merits of the Bible, he concluded with the following words: -" In my Bible, I find my triune God, my election, and atonement-my Saviour, my Redeemer, and my Salvation-and my proof of a future resurrection:-in fact, my every thing :—and as other men, who have read this book, have arrived at a different conclusion to mine, and say that it is a book highly derogatory to their God of Nature, a Being, or first cause, who, they say, they discover in the visible works of Creation, it appears, that they cannot conform their minds to believe the Bible, as I do, I would ask them, how am I to alter my opinion to conform to theirs, seeing that no man has controul over his opinions or belief, but is necessitated to believe that which he does believe?"

The Judge recapitulated the evidence on both sides, with great inspartiality, and left it to the Jury.

The Jury instantly pronounced the prisoner guilty of publishing and preaching his opinions, but acquitted him of any bad intentions, there being no law to fetter opinion,

The Judge then addressed the prisoner in these words:-" You have been tried by a Jury of your countrymen; and have been found guilty of propagating a doctrine contrary to the Established Religion of your country; but, remember, they are Deists-they do not possess that unrelenting, vindictive spirit, towards you, as the Christians of old did towards them.-They do not wish to incarcerate their fellow-man, for publishing his opinions to the world, though coutrary to their own, because they know, no one has controúl over his opinions. “Go,” said he, " and if there are men credulous enough to believe your doctrine, they are unworthy the name of Deists."

A unanimous burst of admiration and applause resounded through the hall. I sprang forward to congratulate the released prisoner; and, in my extacy of joy, awoke.

I am, Sir, with great respect,

Your's truly,

Brick Lane, White Chapel, July, 1820.

T. R. BAYLEY POTTS.

P. S. The greater part of this letter was composed before last Christmas; but I then thought it too strong, so laid it by; but on reading it again, I do not see any thing so objectionable.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN.

SIR, Although the persecution, under which you suffer ought alone to excite the sympathy of every feeling heart, there is another incentive still stronger, which ought to gain you the support of every lover of truth.

In giving to the world an edition of "the Age of Reason," you have endeavoured to set us in the right path, to remove the bandage from our eyes, and to enlighten the mind, by contrasting reason and truth with those absurdities, by which it has been so long enslaved; and thus by opposing truth and reason to bigotry and fanaticism, you have laid a strong claim to the patronage of every enlightened man.

Had the judges, who lately condemned you for a crime purely imaginary, been so determined in the support of truth as they were in sacrificing you to their rooted prejudices, they would not have sanctioned a verdict, which in my opinion, reflects nothing to the credit of those by whom it was given, and which has deprived you of your liberty, and surrendered your property to the prey of persecuting fanatics.

While you continue your endeavours to promote the cause of truth, I hope that you will find amongst the enlightened, ample support to carry into effect so laudable an enterprize.

I am, Sir, yours sincerely,

JOHN PEACOCK.

P.S. I am sorry my means will not at present permit my contributing more than what I here enclose.

A trifling subscription towards the relief of the persecuted Mr. Carlile

£2 0 0

TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN.

SIR,-In the 26th letter of Lord Chesterfield, there is a remarkable prediction, which as we have lived to see it accomplished, is worth curtailing, transcribing, and preserving in the Republican.

"The affairs of France grow more and more serious every day. The king is irresolute, despised, and bated; the Ministers disunited, imbecile, and incapable the army dissatisfied, and insubordinate: though always the supporters and tools of absolute power, are always the destroyers of it too. The nation reasons freely on matters of religion and government-in short, all the symptoms which I ever met with in history, previous to great changes and revolutions in government now exist, and daily encrease in France."

The above was written Dec. 25th, 1753, and, considering the clearness with which the causes are unfolded, and the consequence fore told, I am surprised that it has not been noticed.

Camberwell, Aug. 1, 1820.

J. J. BRAY FIELD.

THE AGE WE LIVE IN.

O Tempora! O Mores!

Kings, some ruling, and some rul'd,
Some would be kings, if they could.
Nobles, in one country drooping,
In another meanly stooping;
Ministers, a very few

Acting right, and those that do
Stampt as rogues by ancient right,
Honesty! how came they by't?
Patriots, loudest in the cause
Of their country, and its laws,
Making speeches wond'rous long
Just to prove their conduct wrong.——
Parliaments, that represent

More themselves, than those who seat,
Venal courtiers voting aye,

Easier to nod than say.

Camberwell.

Rugged opposition folks,
Upon placemen cracking jokes,
Putting themselves down on paper
Wits, whom wisdom think but vapour.
Mobs, upon the levelling plan,
Practising the Rights of Man;
By informing spies led that way,
For which their forfeit lives they pay.
Powder'd parsons, preaching, praying,
Sometimes guiding, oft'ner straying.
Lawyer's, proving black is white,
Right is wrong, and wrong is right,
Roguery in thriving case,
Honesty in low disgrace;
Science on small income dining,
Ignorance o'er turtle shining-
Fashion sanctioning all folly,
Nought but virtue melancholy-
Anxious for their husband's fame,
Ladies doing-deeds of shame;
Conscience on forbidden bed,
Decorating friendship's head,
Afterwards in hostile field,
Bidding injured honour yield.
Tradesmen running credit's rig,
Round the city in a gig;
Soon as their high mettle cools
Walking calmly in the rules.
False religion losing ground,
Little goodness to be found.
Nothing valued less than health,
Nothing valued more than wealth.
Little poets for newspapers,
Wasting time and evening tapers.
Verses of description giving,
Of the blessed age we live in!

J. J. BRAYFIELD.

VOL. III. No. 16.

CONTINUATION OF REPLY TO THE REV. THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE'S PAMPHLET, ENTITLED "DEISM REFUTED."-From p. 540.

In the eighth chapter and fourth verse we have the following words:" Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years." I shall first give Dr, Adam Clarke's commentary on this verse, and then consider the general conclusion drawn from it. The doctor says,

The plain meaning of this much-tortured text appears to me to be this: God so amply provided for them all the necessaries of life, that they never were obliged to wear tattered garments, nor were their feet injured for lack of shoes or sandals. If they had carvers, engravers, silversmiths, and jewellers among them, as 'plainly appears from the account we have of the tabernacle and its utensils, is it to be wondered at, if they also had habit and sandalmakers, &c. &c. as we are certain they had weavers, embroiderers, and such like. And the traffic which we may suppose they carried on with tl e Moabites, or with travelling hordes of Arabians, doubtless supplied them with the materials. Though, as they had abun. dance of sheep and neat cattle, they must have had much of the ⚫ materials within themselves. It is generally supposed, that God, by a miracle, preserved their clothes from wearing out: but if this sense be admitted, it will require not one miracle, but a chain of ⚫ the most successive and astonishing miracles ever wrought, to account for the thing: for as there were not less than 600,000 males born in the wilderness, it would imply that the clothes of the infant grew up with the increase of his body to manhood, which would require a miracle to be continually wrought on every thread, and on every particle of matter of which that thread was composed. And this is not all: it would imply that the clothes of the parent became miraculously lessened, to fit the body of the child, with whose growth they were again to stretch and grow, &c. No such miraculous interference was necessary.'

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The Doctor has reasoned very well in the latter part of this paragraph, but he found himself in a dilemma to support the alternative, by saying that they had plenty of materials for clothing, and could not be deficient in handicraftsmen for its manufacture. If, Doctor, they had an abundance of sheep and neat cattle, how is the other tale to be received, that they were continually murmuring and rebellious for want of animal food?

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