rostrum. They disbelieve certain parts of the Bible, lecture on the unreasonableness of the existence of a devil, and publicly declare that the Bible now extant is a fabricated work, or a wrong translation, and publish a spurious work of their own. I can bring a person into this court, if required, who will declare on oath, that he has heard a Unitarian Minister in Liverpool boldly assert, that Paul was a liar, that Matthew did not write the Gospel ascribed to him, and that there does not, never did, nor ever will, exist a Devil. This lecture, with many others, are now published under the title of "Lectures Delivered by the Reverend G. Harris, in the Unitarian Chapel, Renshaw Street, Liverpool." And persons holding forth this doctrine or giving their assent to it, are even received into the very bosom of the legislature of this country. I have heard in a meeting house in Moorfields, the divinity of Christ, as well as the miraculous conception, publicly declared to be both false and ridiculous. In Jewin Street Crescent, I have heard Samuel Thompson, the Wine and Spirit Merchant, of Holborn Hill, publicly recommend to a meeting of four or five hundred persons, the writings of Thomas Paine, for the sale of which, so many good and useful men have been, and are now, incarcerated in a prison, and wished that every man in the kingdom would read them. Now, Gentlemen, can you say those prosecutions are just, in the present day, when so much toleration as this is given, or do they only wink at it, as God is said to have done? Acts chap. xvii. ver. 30. Thus you see, which ever way my persecutors turn, they are foiled with their own weapons, which convinces me, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;" for of some, even ye ought, as ye are commanded, to "have compassion on making a difference;" for it is written: "the high priest himself is compassed about with infirmities." In many things we offend all, one believeth one thing, another believeth another thing, read what Paul says, Romans chap. xiv. ver. 2, 3, 4, "that one believeth he may eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs, but let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not, judge him who eateth, to his own master he standeth or falleth; therefore, who art thou, O man, that judgeth another man's servant. Let every man be persuaded in his own mind; and take care ye do not destroy him, for whom ye say Christ died, but have you not read that the Lord will harden whom he will harden, and shew mercy on whom he will have mercy." Read Romans chap. ix. ver. 22, 23. "What now, God, willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endureth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy." Will you then, feeble man, dare to prevent

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him, will you persecute those whom God tolerates; beware, lest you be found like the Jews of old "fighting against God." Read Acts chap. v. ver. 39, the scriptures were written for your instruction and example, and "be assured that judgment will begin at the house of God," and "he that shewed no mercy, shall have judgment without mercy." I would therefore, exhort you "to refuse not him who (you say) speaketh from heaven," "but love one another," even your enemies, and "follow after those things which make for peace.'

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I perceive, also, in the indictment, although you did not read it out to the court, that you have presumed to say, "to the displeasure of Almighty God," what presumption! "who among you hath known the mind of the lord," or who among you is his counsellor, that you should presume to tell me whether the Lord is pleased or displeased? "Are not his ways past finding out," or do you think, Mr. Raven, his own right arm is so shortened that he cannot save me without your assistance?" Shall not he that made the eye see; is his ear so heavy that he cannot hear, or do you thing he is not "the same to day he was yesterday?" If he, on former occasions, could change the hearts of King Nebuchadnezzar, and Saul of Tarsus, I warrant you, he can change mine, if he chooses, by the same means, without your assistance. He did not drag them to prison; although they were dragging others; you, therefore, are doing more than you are commanded, which is violating the xiv. Article of your religion. (The Defendant then read from the prayer book, part of the xiv. Article, which says that voluntary works, besides over and above God's commandments, cannot be taught without arrogance and impiety; for by them, men do declare, that they not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty they are required.") If you read Leviticus chap. xix. ver. 18, you will find that "ye are not to avenge yourselves;" for it is said in another place: "vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the lord." But what does he say he will take vengeance for, or for what is it he will repay? Is it for selling a sixpenny printed book? No, Gentlemen, it does not appear by this holy book, that God, or Jesus, or any other person spoken of in this book, knew any thing about or ever heard any thing about printed books. But I will tell you, for what he will take vengeance; for not feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked. Read Matthew chap. xxv. ver. 31, (the Defendant then read that chapter to the end.) Here, Gentlemen, you see, is nothing about faith, baptism, preaching, prayers, predestination, building of churches, or printing of books. You laugh at, and ridicule the solemn rites, and ceremonies, and observances of the Catholic Church, and call it superstition, you even consider the Catholic church itself to be no other than the whore of Babylon, spoken of by John in his Revelations, without reflecting, that the Protestant church, is no other than the daughter of that whore. Even those

who have dissented from the Protestant church, you ridicule and call fanatics, enthusiasts, and fools; yet, you forbid us to take the same liberty with yourselves. You endeavour to promulgate your opinions even to the most distant parts of the earth; yet you would prevent us from propagating our opinions amongst our neighbours. Surely this is acting contrary to God's word written, which commands you to do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you. Even Jesus hath set you an example of toleration. Read Luke chap. ix. ver. 49, when John told his master, "that they saw one casting out devils, and that he forbid him, because he did not follow them; did Jesus say, call fire from heaven and consume them? or did he even say go and cast him into prison? No, Gentlemen, he said, "forbid them not." You condemn this spirit of persecution in others, but cherish it among yourselves. If the various reformers that have been, and to whom the Protestant church owes its present establishment, had not been at liberty to express their thoughts, you yourselves would have been groaning under that yoke of oppressive superstition, you beheld in the Catholic church. Then why not let us advance unmolested and unfettered, towards that height of intellectual perfection, to which you perceive mankind is rapidly advancing. Remember Galileo was condemned and imprisoned for maintaining an opinion which is contrary to the tenor of your holy book; but now, having become more enlightened, you acknowledge that his opinion was correct, having since had demonstration of it. Religion is nothing more than a system of faith, and what is faith? Ask Paul: Hebrews chap. xi. ver. 1, where he says, that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen " I would ask you, what substance can there be in things hoped for? Would your belly be filled by merely hoping for a dinner? or what evidence can you have of things you nor any one living has ever seen? I will not say, though that man have no faith, notwithstanding I once believed, that God put lying spirit in the mouth" of 400 prophets, as it is recorded in 1st Kings chap. xxii. ver. 23; and that he told Ezekiel to bake his bread with "man's dung," as it is said in Ezekiel chap. iv. ver. 12; but my belief did not make it any more true, than Judge Hale's belief in witchcraft; for, if he did not believe in witches, he must have been a very wicked man to condemn to the stake people accused of witchcraft. Faith, therefore, being so deceitful, it is neither just nor wise to command us to believe that, for which, as I have before proved, we can have no direct evidence; but if you punish for what is both deceitful and involuntary, it must be most unjust and cruel; for a man can only believe or disbelieve, ac

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cording as evidence appeareth unto him. Besides, you know that religion is one thing in one country and another thing in another country; it is also one thing in one age and another thing in another age; and you cannot say, that, although we may refuse obedience to your divine law, as you call it, we refuse obedience to the moral law. Why not then let every man worship God, or no God if he likes, in his own way, so that he doth no injury to his fellow creatures? If you conceive that our opinions proceed from ignorance, why do not you, who have knowledge, shew us our ignorance and instruct us? But if it is proved to proceed from knowledge; why then should knowledge be persecuted? Does not Solomon tell us in his proverbs, chap. iv. ver. 7, "that wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom, (says he) and with all thy getting, get understanding." He moreover tells you, that " none but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Now we are willing to be instructed; but this is not the way to instruct us, by casting us into prisons upon door-mats, and locking us up among thieves, swindlers, drunkards, and gamesters, which has been the case since my imprisonment, and amongst whom I was despised, because I would not game, swear, and drink with them. Yet those men called themselves Christians, went to chapel on the Sunday in the prison, and when they came down, would look upon me with horror, considering me far worse than themselves! Even the principal clerk in Mr. Shelton's office, when asked, last Saturday, by a friend of mine, whether a bill had been returned against me or not; put on a look of the most consummate malignity, and, with all the insolence of office, exclaimed to my friend: "I wonder you are not ashamed to apply for any thing of the kind; a man like that I should despise. Publishing a blasphemous libel against the Christian religion! why he is worse by half than a common thief." I cannot but observe, on the false and malignant statement, concerning the defence and behaviour of William Campion last Tuesday, by the editor of the old Times. They may do the same by me if they think proper; but, Gentlemen, is this spirit consistent with the spirit of Christianity? No, you find in Jude chap. ix., that "when Michael the Archangel was contending with the devil about the body of Moses, he durst not rail against him, but only said, the Lord rebuke thee." Even Paul himself, though "Alexander, the coppersmith," did him so much evil, only said, "the Lord reward him according to his works." (Read 2d Timothy chap. iv. ver. 14.) How do you know but

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that the Lord "hath sent me a strong delusion, that I might believe a lie, and be damned," as he has promised shall be the case? Read 2d Thessalonians chap. ii. ver. 11. you dare attempt to frustrate his design? Did he not tell Shimei to go and curse David (Read 2d Samuel chap. xvi. ver. 10) the man after God's own heart? And how knowest thou, O man, but the Lord has put it into my heart to say David is a murderer, an adulterer, a liar? But what did David say-Go bring him and cast him in prison? No, David told them to "Let him alone," and if David did not mind people calling him bad names, what need you trouble yourselves about it? Are not the Jews an instance of the severity and goodness of God." (Read Romans chap. xi. ver. 23.) "What, though some of the branches be broken off, he is able (without your assistance) to graft them in again." At least, it appears evident to me, that prosecutions will never graft them in again; for not one person, who has been prosecuted, has ever been converted; and if you will still persist in prosecutions, instead of building more churches, you will find occasion to build more gaols; for prisons will not intimidate an Englishman, when he knows his cause is good. It is in vain, then, for you to attempt to force a religion upon the people. I told the Alderman so at Guildhall when I was taken before him; but he said, that the religion was accepted. How can you call it accepted, Gentlemen, when people are forced to pay for it? Is not a poor shoemaker, if detected in selling an old pair of shoes on a Sunday, though they may not be worth two and sixpence, forced to pay eight shillings fiue for it? And how often have I seen a poor old woman, who, having a large family to support, is obliged, in order to procure them bread for the Monday, to sell apples, nuts, or gingerbread, on the Sunday, for God don't send us double allowance of food on the Saturday, as he used to do; I beg pardon, Gentlemen, it was on a Friday he used to do such wonderful things, when the sabbath was on the Saturday; but since those days God hath changed his mind, although James says, that "with him there is no shadow of turning," no variableness whatever, being "the same to day he was yesterday:" how of ten, then, have I seen a something in a human shape, with a large coat and red collar, with stick in his hand, throw the poor old woman's stall, with her whole fortune in the dirt, merely, because she did not go to church like other fools and hypocrites. Do you think this makes her more religious? No, Gentlemen, it gives her more reason to curse both reli