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gion and its supporters. Even the poor old people, who, through the enormous weight of taxes, are sunk into a workhouse, are mulcted out of their small pittance of meat, if found absent from their chapel. Who can say, then, that religion is not forced upon the people; but Christianity does not authorize you to do those things, as I have proved to you: you are commanded to "follow after those things which make for peace," and to leave those "secret things to God." I warrant you, he knows how to act better than you do. And now, Gentlemen, after what I have said in defence of Christianity, for surely it must be admitted, I have been defending Christianity from the innovations which you have made in it, should any one present feel inclined to make me any acknowledgment, it will be more than I aimed at or expected. To proceed further I conceive to be unnecessary, as I think any reasonable man would be convinced, that this prosecution is unjust and unlawful, as well as contrary to God's word written; besides an usurped authority in bringing me before this court, when the laws of England forbid it, as I have proved; for you not being saints qualified" to judge angels," are not qualified to judge me; because you have not given yourselves" continually to prayer and the ministry of the word," like the saints of old, read Acts chap. vi. ver. 4. But, as I suppose by your appearance, you are serving tables," you cannot be the proper persons appointed to try me, you will, therefore, accordingly acquit me, though I am very willing to be consigned over to the Ecclesiastical Court of Saints, and there engage agreeably to the aforesaid challenge which I have given. But if you, Gentlemen, do conscientiously believe on your oath, that this prosecution is lawful and just, agreeably to the precepts given in this holy book, which is the foundation of the religion of your country that tolerates Freethinkers, Unitarians, and Jews, I must "search those Scriptures," and see whether those epithets contained in the indictment be true or false; for, if I utter any thing against public or private individuals, their persons and their characters must be made known before it can be ascertained, whether what I have said be true or false; and as the persons whose characters I am accused of defaming, are men unknown to any person in the present age, having departed this life upwards of one, two, three, and four thousand years since, who lived in kingdoms not now extant, and whose posterity you treat with indignity and scorn, there can be no other way of proving the truth or falsehood of those epithets, but by examining their lives as recorded in this holy book. I know not, Gentlemen, whether it is customary to put questions to the jury, or whether it is contrary to the rules; for never having been in such a place before, I am unacquainted with its laws. I should wish to be informed, Gentlemen, what is your opinion of this prosecution. (Here the defendant left off speaking, seeming to wait for a reply, when the Recorder said, the Jury could not argue with the defendant, and several of the Jury

stood up, and said something to the Recorder, but we could not distinctly hear. The Jury seated themselves again, and the defendant receiving no answer, proceeded.) Well, Gentlemen, I perceive by the passages selected for prosecution (looking into the Republican), that I am charged with not only calling Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Paul, a band of robbers, murderers, liars, impostors, &c.; but that the Bible is a book of contradictions, fables, and nonsense. I will, therefore, begin at the beginning; but first, (taking up the Bible) hear what Bishop Porteus says in this book, for it is called by his name, page 9, "It is true, indeed, that in the historical books of the Old Testament, there are some bad characters and bad actions recorded, and some very cruel deeds described:" thus you see, Gentlemen, that the Bishop himself tells you there are some bad characters, and I have done no more than tell you their names, which it appears he was unwilling to do. (The defendant then turned to the 1st chapter of Genesis and said) If this be the word of a God, it will be found clear, positive, and distinctly worded. I shall now begin with the first book of Moses called Genesis. (The defendant then read, without commenting, to chap. ix. ver. 21, as he seemed fearful of being interrupted, but every remarkable passage he met with, he read over again, and several words he would lay a much stronger emphasis on, that it might be particularly observed, such as FLAMING SWORD, which might have been heard a considerable distance out of court, and this way of reading he continued until he was exhausted. He then said) Now, Gentlemen, my indictment accuses me of calling Noah a drunkard, here in the nineteenth chapter, verse 21, you find these words, "he was drunken." I leave this to your consideration, and proceed

The Recorder said, a person who accidentally was overcome with liquor, could not be called a drunkard. The word drunkard could only be applied to persons who habituated themselves to drinking immoderately.

son.

Defendant then read on till he found "cursed be Canaan," Who was this Canaan? Why, Gentlemen, it was Noah's grandAnd what had he done to be so cursed? Nothing: his grandfather got beastly drunk, and his father looked at him, and so he must be cursed for it, and that too by his drunken old grandfather. Shameful!

He then read to verse 30, chap. x. when the Recorder asked him, what were his objects in reading the Bible?

The defendant replied, I am charged with asserting that this book, the Bible, is a book of contradictions, fables, and nonsense, and I must read it to prove the truth of it; and is not this chapter a proof? What have you learnt from this chapter, a chapter of jaw-breaking words, and is not this nonsense?

The Recorder said, when this was written, it was all necessary to the people it was written to.

The defendant said, whatever it might be to those it was written to, it was nonsense to him, and he would prove, in the course of the work, it was nonsense to them it was written to; for he would prove by and bye, it was not written till the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia. He then read on, chap. xi. ver. 6, 7. Was God really afraid they would get into heaven? chap. xii. ver. 10. Let me see, did not God promise here in chap. viii. ver. 22, that while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest should not cease? Chap. xii. ver. 19, let us see who was this Pharaoh, he was no Jew, no; nor a Christian; he seems too generous and virtuous for either. Chap. xvii. ver. 17, what, laugh in God's face, worse than blasphemy! Chap. xix. ver. 8, (the manner in which this verse was read caused something like horror around). Chap. xix. ver. 35, surely this man was a drunkard, for he was blind drunk two nights together; but he does not belong to my gang!

After he had finished chapter xxi., the Recorder advised him to consider whether the course he was pursuing was likely to serve him or not, and that he did not think that his line of defence applied to the charge against him.

Defendant-I intend to prove that this book is what I have stated it to be, false and nonsensical.

Recorder-It appears, your object is only to weary the court and jury; and I ask you, if it is your intention to read the Bible through?

Defendant-Yes, Sir, and the Testament also.

Recorder-The court will not allow it.

Defendant-I must, Sir, in order to prove the truth of my asser

tions.

A Juror then got up and asked if it were not possible to stop the defendant from proceeding any further?

Defendant-Then you stop my defence.

Recorder-The greatest part you have already said, has nothing to do with the charge, perhaps you think it has, so follow your own contumelious course.

Defendant-Well, perhaps I may skip some verses or chapters here and there; but I will turn over every leaf,

He then read on. Chap. xxii. ver. 15, out of heaven, oh! it can't be far off, if Abraham could hear him! chap. xxv. ver. 5, gave all that he had to Isaac, ver. 6, gave gifts to the sons of his whores. Why I thought he gave all that he had to Isaac! Ver. 22, struggled together within her. Oh! then it is no wonder they could not agree together when they came out of her, seeing they quarrelled within her. Chap. xxvi. ver. 1, another famine, Gentlemen! ver. 10 and 11, here was morality without your Christianity. Chap. xxxii. ver. 1, angel of God met him, I wonder where they were travelling, chap. xxxiv. throughout. Is it possible that two mere

boys could do this, if they did why were they not punished? has not God said, chap. ix. ver. 6, whoso sheddeth man's blood shall die, horrid! Chap. xxxvi. ver. 31, this could not be written surely till after some king had reigned in Israel, chap. xxxviii., throughout. Now if we turn to Matthew, chap. i. ver. 3, we shall find, that from this incestuous connection our blessed holy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, sprang. Chap. xlix. ver. 10, the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver, until Shiloh come. Now this Shiloh, the priests would persuade us, means Christ; but we find in Luke chap. iii. ver. 1, that the sceptre was departed long before he came, and if this means Christ, what a drunken fellow he must have been; it says, his eyes shall not only be red with, wine, but he shall wash his cloaths in wine. I dont't think that Jessu was such a drunkard, so I won't believe it can mean him. Exodus chap. ii. ver. 12, slew the Egyptian. There, Gentlemen, I have proved Moses, at any rate, to be a murderer, even by his own account: ver. 14, Moses feared. I think I recollect in Hebrews chap. xi. ver. 27, that Moses went away not fearing, ah! here it is, chap. iii. ver. 22. Is not this an encouragement for robbers, seeing it was God's commands; and is he not the same to day he was yesterday. Chap. iv. throughout, 5, a curious way of making them believe, by destroying them all in the Red Sea: ver. 16, oh! the vanity and presumption, he thus made himself a God, for God is too jealous of his Godhead, to make any more Gods: ver. 21, hardened his heart! I thought God tempted no man; look at James chap. i. ver. 13,-24, sought to kill him, and could he not? ver. 25, even his own wife called him a bloody husband! chap. vii. throughout, 1, ah, here he is a God again! ver. 12, this cannot be considered much of a miracle, if wicked men could do the same, ver. 22, they did so too, why where did they get the water, I thought all the water, even the very ponds, were turned into blood before? how then is this? oh, I have no faith. Chap. viii. throughout, what was the use of sending so many messages to him, when he said before, in chap. iii. ver. 19, that he was sure he would not let them go, ver. 7, clever fellows! I wonder whether the two armies of frogs got fighting together, like Homer's frogs and mice? Ver. 13, ah, the lord is merciful, his tender mercies are over all his works; ver. 15, he hardened his heart, why I thought the Lord hardened it for him in chap. vii. ver. 13. Chap. viii. ver. 18, how the plague could they, when all the dust was made lice before? I think I have read enough of this nonsense to prove it fabulous. Chap. xv. ver. 3, this cannot be the same God spoken of in Hebrew chap. xiii. verse 20; for there he is called a "God of Peace."

Recorder said; defendant, you know the marginal references are not considered the word of God.

Defendant--Here are no marginal references you see (holding up the book) this is the Porteusian Bible.

says,

The defendant proceeded. Chap. xvi. verse 35, how could Moses write this, when he died long before he entered Canaan? Read Joshua chap. v. verse 12, and the manna ceased on the morrow, after they had eaten of the old corn of the land, that was the land on the other side of Jordan to that on which Moses died. Chap. xvii. verse 3, murmured against Moses: no wonder when the poor creatures had no water. Chap. xix. verse 19, I wonder who made this trumpet? chap. xx. verse 5, this cannot be the same God who spoke to Ezekiel: look at chap. xviii. verse 20, he "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.”—verse 13, he should have told Moses this before he slew the Egyptian: verse 14, God forgot this I suppose, when he told David by Nathan the prophet, in 2d Samuel chap. xii. verse 11, that his neighbour SHOULD lie with his wives publicly in sun shine, and which we find was fulfilled in chap. xvi. verse 22, when his own son Absalom went into his father's whores, if they were not his wives. Chap. xxii. ver. 18, oh, there were witches then; why should you suppose there are none now? Chap. xxiv. verse 11, now if those seventy men saw God, John must tell a lie, for he says, 1st John chap. iv. verse 12, no man hath seen God at any time; and Paul says, 1st Timothy chap. vi. verse 16, no man can approach him: but here they not only saw him, but it seems they had a feast together. Chap. xxv. verse 8, make me a sanctuary "that I may dwell with them," why I think Stephen says, in Acts chap. vii. verse 48, that "he does not dwell in temples made with hands:" verse 18, cherubims, what are they? if they be the likeness of any thing either in heaven or earth, he soon forgot his former command in chap. xx. verse 4; but perhaps they were like something in hell. Chap. xxxii. verse 1, this is an odd manner of speaking, concerning a man like Moses: verse 10, let me alone, ah, Job says, it is of no use. Job chap. xxiii. verse 13, he is of one mind, who can turn him; verse 14, oh then it appears Moses did turn him. Chap. xxxiii. verse 11, he could not speak to him as a man speaketh to a friend without hearing his voice, and Jesus says in John chap. v. verse 37, ye have not heard his voice or seen his shape." I won't say Jesus was a liar, but one must be it is evident. Verse 20, this is very strange, when Jacob has told us in Genesis chap. xxxii. verse 30, that he had "seen God face to face:" verse 23, his back parts, Gentlemen, observe that. Now I have gone through the second book; and I find here, in the latter part, a great many commands about making candlesticks, snuffers, and other trifling things; but not a word about that which is the most important, a future state. However, we will see what we can find in Leviticus. Recorder said, you will find it in other parts of the Bible. Defendant-Well, we shall see.

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Recorder-Defendant you are only aggravating your crime, without doing any service to yourself.

Defendant-Sir, I am bound to prove that those persons men