,,an ,,address ,,to ,,men ,,of          
,,science2  ,,calling ,,upon ,,them ,,to
 ,,stand ,,forward ,,and ,,vindicate    
,,the ,,truth ,,from ,,the ,,foul       
,,grasp ,,and ,,persecution ,,of        
,,superstition2 ,,and ,,obtain ,,for    
,,the ,,island ,,of ,,great ,,britain   
,,the ,,noble ,,appellation ,,of        
,,whence ,,mankind ,,shall ,,be         
,,illuminated1 ,,and ,,the ,,black ,,and
 ,,pestiferous ,,clouds ,,of            
,,persecution ,,and ,,superstition ,,be 
,,banished ,,from ,,the ,,face ,,of     
,,the ,,earth2 ,,as ,,the ,,only ,,sure 
,,prelude ,,to ,,universal ,,peace ,,and
 ,,harmony ,,among ,,the ,,human ,,race4
 ,,in ,,which ,a ,,sketch ,,of ,a       
,,proper ,,system ,,for ,,the           
,,education ,,of ,,youth ,,is           
,,submitted ,,to ,,their ,,judgment4    
,by ,richard ,carlile  ,london3         
,,printed ,,and ,,published ,,by ,r4    
,,carlile1 #ee1 ,,fleet ,,street4       
#ahba4 ,price ,one ,shilling4           
,,address1  ,gentlemen1  ,in addressing 

a ,letter to so distinguished and so    
important a part of the community1 it   
becomes me to say1 that1 ,i am not      
myself a man of experimental ,science1  
neither1 out of the ordinary occupations
 of my past life1 have ,i ever seen a   
scientific experiment made in any one   
department of ,chemistry1 or ,natural   
,philosophy2 all that ,i know1 with the 
above exception1 has been acquired by   
reading and meditation4 ,my present     
address is chiefly confined to those    
,philosophers1 who study and practice   
the sciences of ,chemistry and          
,astronomy4 ,i shall endeavour to point 
out to them that1 they are bound by     
duty1 by common sense1 and by common    
honesty1 to make known to mankind1 or1  
more particularly their fellow          
countrymen1 whatever discoveries they   
may make to prove that the others are   
following a system of error1 or that    
they are acted upon by a system of      
imposture4 ,i shall make it appear plain
 to them1 that they have not hitherto   

done this1 and that they have openly    
countenanced systems of error and       
imposture1 because the institutions of  
the country were connected with them2   
or1 because they feared to offend those 
persons who might be deriving an        
ill-gotten profit from them4 ,this      
subject will form the first head of my  
address4 ,in my second head1 ,i shall   
shew that the present system of         
educating children is entirely on a     
wrong basis1 and their youthful time is 
so far wasted1 as to leave them1 when   
advanced to the years of maturity1 in a 
state of comparative ignorance4 ,i shall
 shew that if in their school exercises 
they were made acquainted with nothing  
but the elements of ,astronomy1 of      
,geography1 of ,natural ,history1 and of
 ,chemistry1 so that they might at an   
early period of life form correct       
notions of organized and inert matter1  
instead of torturing their minds with   
metaphysical and incomprehensible dogmas
 about religion1 of which they can form 

no one idea but that of apparent        
absurdity and contradiction1 they would 
be prepared to make a much greater      
advancement in the ,arts and ,sciences1 
and to improve their condition in       
society much more than can be now       
possibly done4 ,these shall not be      
altogether theoretical ideas1 their     
practicability will reach the mind of   
every rational being1 or he who takes   
the liberty to think and reason for     
himself4 ,many new plans and schemes for
 education are daily starting up1 but   
the whole1 of which ,i have any         
knowledge1 have the above common error2 
for the subjects upon which our youth   
are taught to read and write1 and those 
in which the dead or foreign living     
languages are taught1 are by no means   
calculated to expand the mind1 or to    
give it a knowledge of ,nature and her  
laws2 and thus the most important of all
 opportunities is lost1 and much time   
actually wasted1 in which their minds   
might be prepared for the reception and 

knowledge of natural and useful truths4 
,what is the knowledge of the present   
school-boy1 in what is called classical 
literature1 when compared with a useful 
instruction 'in ,chemistry and the laws 
of ,nature8 ,of what use to society at  
large is a classical scholar8 or one    
well versed in the ancient mythologies1 
for this1 after all1 is the chief part  
of classical knowledge8 ,it neither     
gives a polish to manners nor teaches   
morality4 ,it fills the mind with a     
useless jargon1 and enables the         
possessor now and then to make a tinsel 
and pompous declamation in half a dozen 
different languages2 which1 if it were  
to undergo a translation into one       
language1 and that which we call native1
 would be found to be a mass of         
unintelligible and unmeaning            
trash--words of sound1 to which it would
 be difficult to attach an idea1 and in 
which all correct notions are wanting4  
,it makes a man a pedant only4 ,such men
 have been most aptly termed spouters of

 froth4 ,my present object is to lay    
down a sketch of what seems to me a more
 instructive and useful system of       
education4 ,i submit this sketch to the 
judgment of ,men of ,science1 with an   
idea that every schoolmaster ought to be
 a ,man of ,science1 and not a parish   
priest1 as ,mr4 ,brougham would have4   
,this is the outline of my second head1 
on which in due order ,i hope to enlarge
 most satisfactorily4  ,in my first head
 ,i shall address myself first to the   
,chemists of this ,island1 and finish by
 a distinct allusion to the students and
 practitioners in the science of        
,astronomy4  ,of all the advancements   
made in ,science of late years1 perhaps 
the most pre-eminent and the most       
important to mankind1 stands that in the
 science of ,chemistry4 ,our ,chemists  
have proved themselves the greatest of  
all revolutionists1 for they have       
silently and scientifically undermined  
all the dogmas of the priest1 upon which
 the customs and the manners of society 

seem hitherto to have been entirely     
founded4 ,every species of matter has   
been brought to dissolution1 and its    
elementary properties investigated1 by  
their crucibles and fires1 or their     
galvanic batteries1 and we have been    
practically and scientifically shewn in 
what manner ,nature performs her        
dissolutions and regenerations4 ,as far 
as ,i understand1 but one of the        
phenomena of nature remains unexplored1 
and that is the properties of the       
electric fluid1 or the real cause of the
 solar light and heat4 ,i do not despair
 of this being reached1 and ,i have the 
stronger hope1 as it will lead at once  
to a knowledge of the cause of our      
existence1 and that of every animal and 
vegetable substance4 ,it will shew the  
cause and process by which inert matter 
becomes organized1 and how all the      
variegated beauties of nature start into
 life4 ,however1 at present1 we know    
quite enough to authorize the rejection 
of all our priestly cosmogonies1 we know

 quite enough to set at nought the      
notion that the planetary system of the 
universe has existed but six thousand   
years--we know that matter is           
imperishable and indestructible1 for1   
although1 a fire to a common            
understanding seems to destroy          
combustible matter1 yet such is not the 
case1 for after any combustible         
substance has passed through the        
fiercest fire1 the whole of its         
component parts still exist to their    
former full extent2 the fire has only   
separated them and changed their        
relative situations2 they are dispersed 
in their gaseous state1 and again ready 
for the operations of nature1 to        
amalgamate with some new living and     
growing substance1 to which their       
qualities can be assimilated499       99
 ,the latter part of this sentence might
 appear preposterous      when addressed
 to the ,chemist1 or to the ,man of     
,science1 but      it is probable that  
this ,address might be read by some     

individual who might not comprehend the 
assertion that      matter is           
imperishable and indestructible2        
therefore the      writer has taken the 
liberty to introduce this slight        
explanation4 ,he confesses that but two 
years since he      startled himself at 
the assertion1 and asked the assertor   
whether fire did not destroy matter4    
,we know that the planetary system of   
the universe has existed to all eternity
 as to the past1 and must exist to all  
eternity as to the future4 ,for1        
although1 that solar system of which our
 habitation is a part1 or other solar   
systems1 might go through great changes1
 yet its effect is but as the falling of
 a hair from our heads1 and cannot be   
said to disturb the great whole4        
,instead of viewing ourselves as the    
particular and partial objects of the   
care of a great ,deity1 or of receiving 
those dogmas of the priest which teach  
us that every thing has been made for   
the convenience and use of man1 and that

 man has been made in the express image 
of the ,deity1 we should consider       
ourselves but as atoms of organized     
matter1 whose pleasure or whose pain1   
whose existence in a state of           
organization1 or whose non-existence in 
that state1 is a matter of no importance
 in the laws and operations of ,nature2 
we should view ourselves with the same  
feelings1 as we view the leaf which     
rises in the spring1 and falls in the   
autumn1 and then serves no further      
purpose but to fertilize the earth for a
 fresh production2 we should view       
ourselves but as the blossoms of ,may1  
which exhibit but a momentary splendour 
and beauty1 and often within that moment
 are cut off prematurely by a blast4 ,we
 are of no more importance in the scale 
of ,nature than those myriads of        
animalcules whose natural life is but   
for the space of an hour1 or but a      
moment4 ,we come and pass like a        
cloud--like a shower--those of us who   
possess a brilliancy superior to others1

 are but as the rainbow1 the objects of 
a momentary admiration1 and a momentary 
recollection4 ,man has been most aptly  
compared to the seasons of the year1 in 
our own climate1 the spring1 is his     
infancy2 the summer1 the time af his    
ardent manhood2 the autumn1 his decline 
of life2 and the winter1 his old age and
 death--he passes1 and another series   
comes4 ,he is produced by1 and produces 
his like1 and so passes away one        
generation after another1 from1 and to  
all eternity4 ,how ridiculous then is   
the idea about divine revelations1 about
 prophesies1 and about miracles1 to     
procure proselytes to such notions6 ,to 
what generation do they apply1 or if    
they apply to all future generations1   
why were not the same revelations1      
prophesies1 and miracles1 necessary to  
all the past generations8 ,what avail   
the dogmas of the priest about an end to
 the world1 about a resurrection1 about 
a day of judgment1 about a ,heaven and  
,hell1 or about rewards and punishments 

after this life1 when we assert that    
matter is imperishable and              
indestructible--that it always was what 
it now is1 and that it will always      
continue the same4 ,answer this1 ye     
,priests4 ,come forward1 ye ,men of     
,science1 and support these plain       
truths1 which are as familiar to your   
mind1 as the simplest demonstration in  
mathematics is to the experienced and   
accomplished mathematician4  ,future    
rewards and punishments are cried up as 
a necessary doctrine wherewith to       
impress the minds of men1 and to        
restrain them from vice3 but how much   
more impressive and comprehensible would
 be the plain and simple truth1 that1 in
 this life1 virtue produces happiness1  
and vice nothing but certain misery4    
,away then with the ridiculous idea1 and
 the priestly dogma of immortality4     
,away with the contemptible notion that 
our bones1 our muscles1 and our flesh   
shall be gathered together after they   
are rotted and evaporated for a         

resurrection to eternal life4 ,away with
 the idea that we have a sensible soul  
which lives distinct from and after the 
dissolution of the body4 ,it is all a   
bugbear1 all a priestly imposture4 ,the 
,chemist can analyse the body of man1   
and send it into its primitive gaseous  
state in a few minutes4 ,his crucible   
and fire1 or his galvanic battery1 will 
cause it to evaporate so as not to leave
 a particle of substance or solid       
matter1 and this chemical process is but
 an anticipation1 or a hastening1 of the
 workings of ,nature2 for the whole     
universe might be aptly termed a great  
chemical apparatus1 in which a chemical 
analysis1 and a chemical composition is 
continually and constantly going on4    
,the same might be said of every        
organized body1 however large1 or       
however minute2 its motions produce a   
constant chemical analysis and          
composition1 a continual change2 so that
 the smallest particle of matter is     
guided by the same laws1 and performs   

the same duties1 as the great whole4    
,here is an harmony indeed6 ,man alone  
seems to form an exception by his       
vicious conduct and demoralizing        
character4 ,by assuming to himself a    
character or a consequence to which he  
is not entitled1 and by making a        
pretension to the possession of         
supernatural powers1 he plays such      
fantastic tricks as to disturb every    
thing within his influence1 and carries 
on a perpetual war with ,nature and her 
laws4  ,after those few observations    
upon the properties of matter either    
organized or inert1 7to which ,i know   
every ,chemist in the country1 whose    
science has conquered the bigotry of his
 education1 will give his assent7 ,i    
would call upon them all and every one  
to stand forward and teach mankind those
 important1 those plain truths1 which   
are so clear and so familiar to their   
own minds4 ,it is the ,man of ,science  
who is alone capable of making war upon 
the ,priest1 so as to silence him       

effectually4 ,it is the duty of the ,man
 of ,science to make war upon all error 
and imposture1 or why does he study8    
,why does he analyse the habits1 the    
customs1 the manners1 and the ideas of  
mankind1 but to separate truth from     
falsehood1 but to give force to the     
former1 and to extinguish the latter8   
,why does he search into ,nature and her
 laws1 but to benefit himself and his   
fellow man by his discoveries1 by the   
explosion of erroneous ideas1 and by the
 establishment of correct principles8   
,science must be no longer studied      
altogether as an amusement or a pastime1
 which has been too much the case       
hitherto2 it must be brought forward to 
combat the superstitions1 the vices1 and
 the too long established depravities   
among mankind1 whence all their present 
and past miseries have emanated1 and    
unless the former can be destroyed1 the 
latter will still ensue1 as a regular   
cause and effect4  ,it is evident that  
,men of ,science have hitherto too much 

crouched to the established tyrannies of
 ,kingcraft and ,priestcraft4 ,speaking 
generally they have adopted some of the 
aristocratical distinctions of the day1 
and have supported the frauds upon      
mankind1 which it was their peculiar    
duty to expose4 ,this has given room to 
the advocates of superstitiop1 to put   
forward as an authority-for their       
dogmas1 the names of ,bacon1 of ,newton1
 of ,locke1 and many others4 ,they say  
that it is no disgrace even to err with 
such men1 and thus1 for the want of a   
more decided and determined character in
 the advocates of ,science and          
,philosophy1 the enemy has built a      
strong hold within our lines1 and has   
taken an important advantage of our     
irresolution4 ,i will not believe that  
,bacon1 or ,newton1 or ,locke1 in the   
latter part of their life1 had any other
 ideas of the ,christian religion1 or   
any other religion1 than ,i have4 ,in   
their days1 the faggots had scarcely    
been extinguished1 nor was the fuel     

which supplied them exhausted4 ,they    
might therefore deem it prudent to      
equivocate as a matter of safety4       
,besides1 the two former were in the    
employ of a court1 and consequently     
under the trammels of ,kingcraft1 which 
ever has1 and ever will find its        
interest in the support of ,superstition
 and ,priestcraft4  ,i would appeal to  
any man who calls himself a             
conscientious ,christian1 and ask him   
whether he thinks such a man as himself 
could write the following paragraph3    
,atheism leaves a man to sense1 to      
philosophy1 to natural piety1 to laws1  
to reputation3 all which may be guides  
to an outward moral virtue1 though      
religion were not2 but superstition     
dismounts all these1 and createth an    
absolute monarchy in the minds of men3  
therefore ,atheism did never perturb    
states2 for it makes men wary of        
themselves1 as looking no farther1 and  
we see the times inclined to ,atheism   
7as the time of ,augustus ,caesar7 were 

civil times3 but superstition hath been 
the confusion of many states1 and       
bringeth in a new primum mobile1 that   
ravisheth all the spheres of government4
 ,this is ,lord ,bacon's apology for    
,atheism1 and1 in my humble opinion1 he 
wrote it feelingly1 conscientiously1 and
 upon principle1 as an ,atheist1 which  
word has no other meaning than a seceder
 from all mythologies1 although the     
ignorant and interested make so much    
ridiculous clamour and fuss about it4   
,to shew that ,newton was thoroughly    
ignorant of the chemical properties of  
matter1 ,i will quote again a paragraph1
 which ,i quoted in page #cda1 ,vol4    
,,ii4 of ,the ,republican1 in the answer
 to the ,rev4 ,thomas ,hartwell ,home's 
pamphlet1 entitled ,deism ,refuted1 c4  
,it is thus3 ,all things considered1 it 
appears probable to me1 that ,god in the
 beginning created matter in solid1     
hard1 impenetrable particles2 of such   
sizes and figures1 and with such other  
properties1 as most conduced to the end 

for which he formed them1 and that these
 primitive particles1 being solids1 are 
incomparably harder than any of the     
sensible porous bodies compounded of    
them2 even so hard as never to wear1 or 
break in pieces3 no other power being   
able to divide what ,god made in the    
first creation4 ,while these corpuscles 
remain entire1 they may compose bodies  
of one and the same nature and texture  
in all ages2 but should they wear away  
or break in pieces1 the nature of things
 depending on them would be changed3    
water and earth1 composed of old worn   
particles1 or fragments of particles1   
would not be of the same nature and     
texture now1 with water and earth       
composed of entire particles at the     
beginning2 and1 therefore1 that nature  
may be lasting1 the changes of corporeal
 things are to be placed only in the    
various separations1 and new            
associations of these permanent         
corpuscles4 ,the ,chemists of the       
present day must smile at this notion of

 ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 about what ,god   
did in the beginning3 it is evident1    
that he knew but little about chemical  
analysis and composition2 or1 rather1   
that his ideas upon the subject were    
quite erroneous and hypothetical1 when  
he might have obtained a demonstration  
quite conclusive1 if he had studied     
,chemistry with other parts of his      
philosophy4 ,such1 in my opinion1 is the
 importance of the science of ,chemistry
 in the pursuit of truth and in the     
investigation of ,nature and her laws1  
that the first proper step towards      
philosophical studies must be an        
acquaintance with its elements and      
powers4  ,we need nothing further to    
convince us of the struggle which       
existed between science and superstition
 in the mind of ,sir ,isaac ,newton than
 the following creed1 which ,i have met 
with quite a propos1 or in the midst of 
writing this address1 in a weekly       
provincial paper1 and which1 ,i imagine1
 has been put forth at this moment as   

one of those little anxieties to prop   
the declining superstition of the age4  
,it is thus headed1 ,sir ,isaac         
,newton's ,creed3 ,the ,supreme ,being  
governs all things1 not as soul of the  
world1 but as ,lord of the ,universe2   
and upon account of his dominion1 he is 
stiled the ,lord ,god1 ,supreme over    
all4 ,the ,supreme ,god is an eternal1  
infinite1 absolutely perfect being2 but 
a being1 how perfect soever1 without    
dominion1 is not ,lord ,god4 ,the term  
,god1 very frequently signifies ,lord2  
but every ,lord is not ,god4 ,the       
dominion of a spiritual being           
constitutes him ,god2 true dominion1    
true ,god2 supreme dominion1 supreme    
,god2 imaginary dominion1 imaginary     
,god4 ,he is not eternity and infinity1 
but eternal and infinite4 ,he is not    
duration and space1 but his duration of 
existence is present1 and by existing   
always and every where1 he constitutes  
duration and space--eternity and        
infinity4 ,since every part of space1   

and every indivisible moment of         
duration1 is every where2 certainly the 
,maker and ,lord of all things1 cannot  
be said to be in no time1 and no place4 
,he is omnipresent1 not by his power    
only1 but in his very substance2 for    
power cannot subsist without substance4 
,god is not at all affected by the      
motions of bodies1 neither do they find 
any resistance from the omnipresence of 
,god4 ,he necessarily exists1 and by the
 same necessity he exists always and    
every where4 ,whence also it follows1   
that he is all similar1 all eye1 all    
ear1 all brain1 all arm1 all sensation1 
all understanding1 all active power2 but
 this1 not in a human1 or corporeal     
form1 but in a manner wholly unknown to 
us1 therefore not to be worshipped under
 a corporeal representation4 ,here is   
the creed of ,sir ,isaac ,newton6 and   
who can read this1 and for a moment     
believe that he was a ,christian when he
 wrote it8 ,i am not about to approve   
all this jargon and contradiction2 ,i   

despise it2 ,i pity the ,man of ,science
 that could write such nonsense2 and    
rather than ,i would be called the      
author of it1 ,i would relinquish as    
much fame as ,sir ,isaac ,newton        
obtained in other respects4 ,the        
foregoing ideas of ,sir ,isaac ,newton  
on the properties of matter are equally 
unintelligible1 contradictory1 and      
ridiculous4 ,lord ,bacon's definition of
 ,christianity1 or the essentials of the
 ,christian religion1 which ,i have seen
 printed as a religious tract1 but which
 ,i have not at hand for reference or   
quotation1 is just of the same stamp1   
and rather than be called the author of 
such trash1 ,i would consent to be      
considered an idiot4 ,yet ,lord ,bacon  
as a natural philosopher1 and ,sir      
,isaac ,newton as a mathematician and   
astronomer1 were eminent in the highest 
degree1 when the age in which they lived
 is considered4 ,the conduct of both    
evinces the mischievous effect of       
superstition on the human mind1         

particularly where that mind is         
brilliantly adapted for making a        
progress in science and scientific      
discoveries4  ,it is impossible to      
analyze the creed of ,sir ,isaac ,newton
 relative to ,deity1 or found any one   
idea upon it4 ,it is a string of words  
that have no application1 and           
independent of their contradiction1 all 
that can be said of them is1 that they  
describe nothing4 ,the writer of such a 
creed must have been an ,atheist in     
disguise1 or perhaps unknown even to    
himself4 ,its total amount implies that 
there is no ,god such as priests teach1 
and bigots and fools imagine and        
believe4 ,mirabaud1 in his ,system of   
,nature1 has brought forward several    
quotations from ,newton's writings1 and 
has commented on them to shew that he   
was what is vulgarly called an ,atheist3
 that he was what every ,man of ,science
 must be1 a seceder from the idolatry of
 the ignorant4 ,such ,i believe he was  
in his latter days1 and in his private  

opinion1 but he had not the honesty to  
avow himself such4 ,it is unquestionable
 that ,newton in his youth possessed    
much superstition1 and it is equally    
unquestionable that the progress he had 
made in science in his advanced age1 had
 entirely conquered that superstition   
and banished it from his mind1 although1
 ,i am sorry to say1 that he was not    
honest enough to make a full and        
conscientious confession of the change  
to which his theological opinions had   
been subjected4 ,perhaps ,i cannot make 
a deeper impression on the mind of the  
reader as to the real character of      
,newton1 than by quoting an anecdote    
from ,william ,whiston's ,memoirs       
written by himself4  ,sir ,hans ,sloane1
 ,edmund ,halley1 and myself1 were once 
together at ,child's ,coffee-house1 in  
,st4 ,paul's ,church-yard1 and ,dr4     
,halley asked me1 ,why ,i was not a     
member of the ,royal ,society8 ,i       
answered1 because they durst not choose 
an heretic4 ,upon which ,dr4 ,halley    

said to ,sir ,hans ,sloane1 that if he  
would propose me1 he would second it3   
which was done accordingly4 ,when ,sir  
,isaac ,newton1 the ,president1 heard   
this1 he was greatly concerned2 and1 by 
what ,i then learned1 closeted some of  
the members1 in order to get clear of   
me2 and told them1 that if ,i was chosen
 a member1 he would not be president4   
,whereupon1 by a pretence of deficiency 
in the form of proceeding1 the proposal 
was dropped1 ,i not insisting upon it4  
,nay1 as soon as ,i was informed of ,sir
 ,isaac's uneasiness1 ,i told his bosom 
friend1 ,dr4 ,clarke1 that had ,i known 
his mind1 ,i would have done nothing    
that might bring that great man's 'grey 
hairs with sorrow to the grave3' ,nor   
has that ,society ever refused to let me
 come1 and lay any of my papers or      
instruments before them1 whenever ,i    
desired it2 without my being an actual  
member3 which1 considering my small     
ability to pay the usual sums for       
admission1 and annual dues1 was almost  

as agreeable to me1 as being a constant 
member4 ,now if the reader desire to    
know the reason of ,sir ,isaac ,newton's
 unwillingness to have me a member1 he  
must take notice1 that as his making me 
first his deputy1 and giving me the full
 profits of the place1 brought me to be 
a candidate1 as his recommendation of me
 to the heads of colleges in ,cambridge1
 made me his successor2 so did ,i enjoy 
a large portion of his favour for twenty
 years together4 ,but he then perceiving
 that ,i could not do as his other      
darling friends did1 that is1 learn of  
him1 without contradicting him1 when ,i 
differed in opinion from him1 he could  
not1 in his old age1 bear such          
contradiction2 and so he was afraid of  
me the last thirteen years of his life4 
,see my ,authentic ,records1 page #ajgj1
 #ajga4 ,he was of the most fearful1    
cautious1 and suspicious temper1 that ,i
 ever knew3 and had he been alive when  
,i wrote against his ,chronology1 and so
 thoroughly confuted it1 that nobody has

 ever ventured to vindicate it1 that ,i 
know of1 since my confutation was       
published1 ,i should not have thought   
proper to publish it during his         
life-time3 because ,i knew his temper so
 well1 that ,i should have expected it  
would have killed him4 ,as ,dr4         
,bentley1 ,bishop ,stillingfleet's      
chaplain1 told me1 that he believed ,mr4
 ,locke's thorough confutation of the   
,bishop's ,metaphysics about the        
,trinity1 hastened his end also4        
,whiston was the early friend of ,newton
 and succeeded him at ,cambridge in the 
professor's chair in the science of the 
,mathematics4 ,newton when young was a  
firm adherent to the ridiculous doctrine
 of the ,christian ,trinity1 and so     
useful as figures were to him in his    
mathematical and astronomical           
discoveries1 and to such an extent1     
beyond all predecessors1 could he carry 
them1 yet superstition could persuade   
him1 that three could be explained to be
 but one2 and one to comprise three6    

,the science of ,whiston in the         
,mathematics was almost equal to that of
 ,newton1 though ,i believe the former  
had not so fertile a genius as the      
latter1 and was obliged to acquire by   
labour what to the other was natural4   
,yet ,whiston1 although he had          
superstition enough to make him a honest
 and conscientious ,christian1 knew the 
proper use of arithmetic1 and would not 
allow three to be one1 nor one to be    
three3 he rejected the doctrine of the  
,trinity in the ,godhead4 ,whiston      
honestly and openly combated this       
impossibility1 and avowed himself an    
,arian1 and contended under much        
persecution throughout his lifetime that
 such were the sentiments of the early  
,christians1 and that the doctrine of   
the ,trinity was but a corruption of the
 church after it had been long          
established4 ,such tenets were then     
called blasphemous1 and ,whiston was    
expelled from his professor's chair1 and
 from the university of ,cambridge      

altogether1 and had to endure more      
clamour about blasphemy than ever ,i    
had1 or have any reason to fear in      
future4 ,this circumstance connected    
with a rivalry in the ,mathematics      
occasioned the breach between ,whiston  
and ,newton1 but ridiculous as even     
,whiston's superstition appears to me1  
,i think him a much more honest man than
 ever was ,newton1 and as a member of   
society much more useful to the age in  
which they lived4 ,newton courted       
distinction and popularity by servilely 
succumbing to all the despotisms of the 
day3 ,whiston was a man of principle1   
and lived and died poor for the         
satisfaction of writing and speaking    
what he thought and believed4 ,the one  
has been too much flattered and         
applauded2 the other too much vilified  
and degraded1 and the clamour by which  
both circumstances have been effected   
has been equally disgusting and         
disgraceful to the country4  ,i have    
contrasted the conduct of ,whiston and  

,newton1 and have made my observations  
on the latter to shew that even his name
 carries no weight with it in the       
support of superstition1 ,i trust ,i    
have sufficiently shown that            
superstition and science can never      
amalgamate1 which also justifies the    
inference that1 morality and religion   
never can amalgamate4 ,superstition     
corrupts and deteriorates all the human 
passions3 science alone is qualified to 
amend and moralize them4 ,the ,man of   
,science who knows his duty1 and what is
 conducive to the interest of mankind1  
will ever boldly and openly set himself 
in opposition to the priest4 ,this has  
not been sufficiently done hitherto1 and
 ,i hope that even my appeal will not be
 altogether useless1 but that1 it will  
rouse some latent spirit among the ,men 
of ,science in this island to assert    
their own dignity and importance2 and   
silence the foul1 the wicked1 and the   
mischievous clamour of ,priestcraft4    
,it is beyond doubt that ,locke was     

hostile to the system of ,government1   
both in ,church and ,state1 and the     
odium which he incurred from a certain  
quarter1 was quite equal to that which  
has fallen upon ,thomas ,paine1 or those
 who1 since the ,american and ,french   
revolutions1 have travelled so much     
farther in their opposition4 ,opposition
 to ill-founded establishments1         
possessing power1 must necessarily be   
progressive4 ,locke was thought to have 
gone to an extreme in his time1 but ,i  
now consider his writings to be         
scarcely-worth reading1 as far as they  
apply to toleration in matters of       
opinion1 or to political economy and    
political government4 ,the sentiments   
which ,i have put upon paper would have 
been called high treason a century ago1 
and the author hung1 beheaded1          
embowelled1 and quartered1 with the     
general approbation of the people2 and a
 person of the name of ,thomas1         
,matthews was actually hung for writing 
and printing what was called a          

treasonable libel1 in the reign of      
,george the ,first2 which libel1 or a   
similar one1 would not now bethought    
seditious by the ,attorney ,general     
himself4 ,such is the effect of general 
instruction among the people--such is   
the progressive power of the printing   
press1 that1 ,i feel a moral conviction 
that the sentiments which ,i have avowed
 will became general in another         
generation4 ,the circumstance is as sure
 as that no one will now condemn the    
political opinions of ,john ,locke1 as  
going too far1 but rather as weak and   
insipid1 and not going far enough in    
honest principle4  ,then come forward1  
ye ,men of ,science1 it is reserved for 
you to give the death blow1 or the last 
blow to superstition and idolatry4 ,now 
is the time--you are safe even from     
momentary persecution1 if you stand     
forward numerously and boldly4 ,you will
 have a people1 an all mighty people1   
with you1 a circumstance which no       
philosopher could ever heretofore       

calculate upon4 ,you have nothing to    
fear1 and nothing to lose1 but every    
thing to gain1 even that which is most  
dear to you1 the kind reception of your 
instructions1 the adoption of your      
principles1 founded in truth and the    
nature of things4  ,kings and ,priests  
have1 in some cases1 made partial       
pretensions to patronize the ,arts and  
,sciences1 as a cloak for their enmity  
towards them4 ,they ever were1 and ever 
will be1 in reality1 their direst foes4 
,an advanced state of ,science cannot   
benefit them4 ,their present            
distinctions1 and misery-begetting      
splendour1 could not be tolerated1 when 
mankind shall so far be illuminated as  
to know the real cause and object of    
animal-existence4 ,common sense teaches 
us that good government requires none of
 those idle distinctions2 for why should
 the servants1 or the administrators of 
the laws of society1 be distinguished   
above those whence those laws should    
emanate8 ,it is the duty of the ,man of 

,science to attack those distinctions1  
to combat all the established follies of
 the day1 and endeavour to restore      
society to its natural state2 to that   
state which first principles will point 
out2 the mutual support1 the comfort1   
the happiness1 and the protection of    
each other4 ,at present we are but as so
 many beasts of prey1 each strengthening
 himself by the destruction of his      
weaker fellow4 ,the many unnatural      
distinctions which ,kingcraft and       
,priestcraft have brought into society1 
have totally undermined the first object
 of the social state4 ,in addition to   
this universal evil1 those two crafts   
have set themselves up as a bar to all  
useful improvement4 ,they countenance no
 change but that which swells the amount
 of their depredations1 7for the manner 
in which their incomes are extorted     
deserves no other appellation47         
,societies can obtain no real or lasting
 strength under the sway of those two   
crafts1 for every improvement that has  

been made in their several conditions1  
has been evidently from the force of    
natural and scientific knowledge1 and in
 an exact ratio with the diminution of  
kingly and priestly influence4 ,this    
assertion is evident if we examine the  
decay of their influence for the last   
three centuries1 in this or any other   
country4 ,the printing press has come   
like a true ,messiah to emancipate the  
great family of mankind from this double
 yoke4 ,this ,messiah is immortal1 and  
its saving powers must be universal and 
perpetual4 ,by this1 and by no other    
,messiah1 can man be saved from         
ignorance and misery2 the only hell that
 he has to fear4 ,it will prove the true
 ,messiah of the ,jew1 of the           
,christian1 of the ,mahometan1 and of   
the ,pagan4 ,it is a ,messiah for all1  
and it will go on to unite under the    
name and title of ,man and ,citizen the 
whole human race1 or all those animals  
who have the gift of speech1 and its    
consequent1 reason4 ,i hope to see the  

day1 or ,i fear not but it will arrive1 
when every man of property shall        
consider a printing-press1 a necessary  
piece of furniture in his house2 and    
prize it more than our present          
aristocrats prize their hounds and      
horses4  ,in support of my assertion1   
that ,men of ,science have hitherto     
crouched too much to the established    
impostures of the day1 ,i have merely to
 remark1 that ,i am not aware of any one
 instance in which any ,chemist of this 
country has made a public attack upon   
them1 or called them in question in any 
public manner4 ,another proof of my     
assertion might be found in the ,medical
 and ,surgical professions4 ,from the   
best information1 ,i have learnt1 that1 
with a very few exceptions1 the whole   
body of those gentlemen in the          
,metropolis1 have discarded from their  
minds all the superstitious dogmas which
 ,priestcraft hath invented1 and that   
they have adopted those principles which
 have a visible foundation in ,nature1  

and beyond what is visible and          
comprehensible1 their credence does not 
extend4 ,yet1 when that spirited young  
man1 ,mr4 ,lawrence1 having obtained a  
professor's gown in the ,college of     
,surgeons1 shew a disposition in his    
public lectures to discountenance and   
attack those established impostures and 
superstitions of ,priestcraft1 the whole
 profession displayed that same cowardly
 and dastardly conduct1 which hath      
stamped with infamy the present         
generation of ,neapolitans1 and suffered
 the professor's gown to be stripped    
from this ornament of his profession and
 his country1 and every employment to be
 taken from him1 without even a public  
remonstrance1 or scarcely an audible    
murmur6  ,it is conduct such as this    
which gives courage and permanence to   
the despots who strive to enslave both  
our bodies and our minds4 ,it is this   
base disposition of making truth crouch 
before established and antique error1   
which has hitherto characterized the    

searchers after and lovers of the       
former1 that has given force and        
longevity to the latter4 ,it is the     
bounden duty of every man openly to avow
 whatever his mind conceives to be the  
truth4 ,if he shrinks from this he is a 
coward--a slave to the opinions1 of     
other men4 ,shall the enemies of mankind
 boldly tell us that they perceive truth
 in their mysterious and                
incomprehensible dogmas1 and shall we   
shrink from the publication and support 
of those truths which we perceive to    
have an evident foundation in ,nature6  
,shall we shrink from the avowal of     
truths because despotism and ignorance  
have granted stipends to the propagators
 of falsehood1 and because those        
stipends might be endangered8 ,forbid   
it1 ,nature6 ,let every lover of truth  
and the peace and happiness of the human
 race forbid it4  ,i may be told that   
the ,man of ,science had much better    
pursue his studies and experiments in   
silence and private1 and not expose     

himself to the persecution of bigots4   
,the idea is slavish--disgraceful4      
,science has made sufficient progress in
 this country1 and has a sufficient     
number of followers and admirers1 to    
enable them by a single breath to       
dissipate all the bigotry in the        
country1 or1 at least1 to silence all   
the idle clamour of the bigoted and     
interested about blasphemy and atheism1 
or any of their nonsense4 ,is the       
progress of ,science to be submitted to 
an ,excise1 and are all discoveries to  
be treated like contraband goods1 lest  
the trade and the tithes of the priest  
be injured8 ,shame on that man who can  
tacitly submit to such a system4 ,and   
yet this is just what we are called upon
 to submit to1 and threatened with      
punishment1 and even banishment1 if we  
murmur4 ,i1 as an humble individual1    
have resolved to break through those    
trammels1 to violate all those degrading
 and disgraceful laws1 and shall the    
,man of ,science be silent1 and see all 

that he values most dear1 persecuted in 
my person1 just because he will not     
proclaim that ,i am right1 and that my  
enemies1 and his enemies1 are wrong8    
,now is the time for him to speak       
out--now is the time when he can do it  
effectually4 ,my humble efforts have    
alarmed the whole of ,corruption and    
,falsehood's hosts1 and half frightened 
them to death1 let but a few eminent and
 distinguished ,men of ,science stand   
forward and support me1 and ,i have no  
fear of finishing well1 what ,i have    
endeavoured well to begin4 ,i aspire to 
nothing more than to become the humble  
instrument of sounding and resounding   
their sentiments4 ,i am anxious to sound
 a loud blast in the cause of ,truth1 of
 ,reason1 of ,nature and her laws4 ,i   
will give every ,man of ,science an     
opportunity of publishing his sentiments
 without any direct danger to himself3  
,i will fill the gap of persecution for 
him1 if a victim be still necessary to  
satisfy the revenge of dying            

,priestcraft4  ,this is an age of       
revolutions1 and where those revolutions
 have not yet displayed themselves1 it  
is not for want of the mind having been 
sufficiently revolutionized1 but because
 it is kept down by a superior acting   
force in the shape of fixed bayonets and
 despotic laws4 ,throughout ,europe the 
mind of the people has been long        
revolutionized from its wonted          
ignorance1 and wherever it finds an     
opportunity1 it displays itself4 ,this  
march of the mind will be progressive1  
and it is evident that it has already   
begun to spread itself among the very   
instruments of those despots called     
,kings1 by which they vainly hoped to   
have checked its course4 ,every march of
 the ,russian troops into the south of  
,europe will but tend to enlighten them1
 and by and bye they will become wise   
enough to return and revolutionize their
 own country2 by adopting the           
,representative ,system of ,government1 
and by making their present ,emperor    

what he is so well adapted for--a       
regimental tailor4  ,the horror which   
was so lately expressed by the ,emperor 
of ,austria at the progress of ,science1
 and at the revolution which ,sir       
,humphry ,davy had made in the science  
of ,chemistry1 is a specimen of that    
feeling which pervades all such men4    
,this imbecile idiot quivered at an     
observation of his own physician about  
the state of his own constitution1 and  
forbade him ever to use the word in his 
presence again6 ,yet it is by such men  
as this1 that the inhabitants of ,europe
 are held in a state of bondage and     
degradation6  ,will ye1 ,men of         
,science1 continue to truckle before    
such animals8 ,will ye any longer bend  
the knee to such ,baals--to such ,golden
 ,calves as these8 ,will ye bend your   
aspiring minds to prop the thrones of   
such contemptible1 such ignorant1 such  
brutish despots8 ,shame on you1 if you  
can so far debase yourselves6 ,up1 and  
play the man1 boldly avow what your     

minds comprehend as natural truths2 and 
all the venom of all the ,despots and   
,priests on the face of the earth1 shall
 fly before you as chaff before the     
wind4  ,the science of ,chemistry has so
 far explored the properties of matter  
in all its variety1 and has so far      
ascertained all its powers1 purposes1   
and combinations1 as to banish the idea 
of its having been formed from any      
chaotic state into its present form and 
fashion4 ,the ,chemist would smile at   
such a notion in the present day1 even  
if he feared to encounter the ,priest   
and his dogmas about the world having   
been created out of nothing4 ,creation  
is an improper word when applied to     
matter4 ,matter never was               
created--matter never can be destroyed4 
,it is eternal both as to the past and  
future4 ,it is subject to a continual   
chemical analysis1 and as continual a   
new composition4 ,for a full            
comprehension of these assertions1 it is
 necessary to have a knowledge of the   

elements of ,chemistry3 therefore1 if   
any other person1 but those to whom this
 letter is addressed1 should read it1   
let him not hastily reject without a    
full consideration and enquiry4 ,mr4    
,parke's ,chemical ,catechism1 or ,dr4  
,ure's ,chemical ,dictionary1 will      
explain all my assertions on the        
properties of matter4 ,the elements of  
,chemistry have been published by a     
variety of other ,chemists1 to any of   
whom ,i would refer the reader1 as it   
will not answer the purport of my       
address to enter into a fuller          
explanation on this important head1 or  
to fill these pages with an elemental   
description of ,chemistry4  ,i address  
myself to ,men of ,science1 not as one  
of them1 but as an individual who has   
obtained a sufficient insight into the  
various departments of ,science1 through
 the medium of books1 to convince him   
that all the dogmas of the ,priest1 and 
of ,holy ,books1 are false and wicked   
impostures upon mankind4 ,he therefore  

calls upon ,men of ,science to stand    
forward and unfold their mind upon this 
important subject4 ,he offers himself as
 a medium through which they might      
escape the fangs of the ,attorney       
,general1 or the ,society for           
propagating ,vice1 and pledges himself  
that there is no truth that any ,man of 
,science will write1 but what he will   
print and publish4 ,he has a thorough   
contempt and indifference for all       
existing laws and combinations to punish
 him upon this score1 and will set them 
all at defiance1 whilst they attempt to 
restrain any particular opinions4 ,he   
will go on to show to the people of this
 island1 what one individual1 and he a  
very obscure and bumble one1 can do in  
the cause of propagating the truth1 in  
opposition to falsehood and imposture4  
,i have now gone through the first part 
of my first head1 and ,i should have    
been happy if ,i could have made an     
exception in the general conduct of the 
,chemists of this island4 ,i am not     

aware that any one of them has ever made
 himself the public advocate of truth1  
of scientific philosophical truth1 in   
opposition to the false and stupifying  
dogmas of ,priestcraft or ,holy ,books4 
,in the ,medical and ,surgical          
professions ,i have found one exception1
 and but one1 although ,i almost feel   
myself justified in calling on many by  
name to come forward1 and among them my 
namesake stands most conspicuous1 in    
that cause which is nearest their       
hearts4  ,i have introduced the names of
 ,bacon1 ,newton1 and ,locke1 under this
 part of my address1 not as practical   
,chemists1 which ,i believe they were   
not1 or if they knew any thing of the   
elements of ,chemistry1 that knowledge  
is not now worthy of mention1 but       
because they are now claimed as the     
patrons of ,superstition4 ,newton       
certainly deserves to be called a great 
astronomer1 but as he endeavoured to    
make even his knowledge in ,astronomy   
subservient to his bigotry1 ,i have     

thought proper to treat him as a        
wavering and dishonest fanatic1 rather  
than as a ,man of ,science4 ,the        
theological and metaphysical writings of
 ,bacon and ,locke1 are completely      
ambiguous1 and form no key to the mind  
of the writer1 or to any abstract and   
particular opinions4 ,as ,i have said   
before1 they equivocated as a matter of 
safety2 whatever others might think of  
them1 ,i feel no pride in saying they   
were ,englishmen4 ,thomas ,paine is of  
more value by his writings1 than ,bacon1
 ,newton1 and ,locke together4  ,in     
calling upon the ,astronomer to stand   
forward and avow his knowledge1 that all
 the astronomical dogmas of ,holy ,books
 are founded in error and ignorance of  
the laws444    ,pages #bc and #bd are   
missing from all available copies       
444properly be termed a species of      
madness4 ,whatever opinions prevail in  
the minds of men which have no          
foundation in ,nature1 or natural laws1 
they can merit no other designation than

 insanity4 ,insanity1 or madness1       
consists in unnatural or incoherent     
thoughts and actions1 therefore1 as no  
species of religious notions have any   
alliance with nature1 it is but a just  
inference to say1 that they individually
 or collectively comprise the term      
madness4 ,in mild dispositions it may be
 but a harmless melancholy aberration2  
in the more violent it becomes a raging 
delirium1 which destroys every thing    
that comes in its way1 and for which it 
has sufficient strength4 ,it destroys   
all moral and natural good which comes  
within its influence1 and madly         
proclaims itself the summum bonum for   
mankind6 ,as yet there is scarcely      
sufficient reason among mankind to      
restrain this madness4 ,it has so mixed 
itself up with all political            
institutions that there is no separating
 the one without revolutionizing the    
other4 ,this is the chief cause of the  
frequent convulsions in society1 as this
 madness cannot possibly engender any   

thing but mischief1 and it is well      
known1 that1 in madness1 there is no    
rest2 it is always in a state of motion1
 unless there be a sufficient power at  
hand to curb and restrain it4 ,reason1  
or a knowledge of nature1 is the only   
specific for it1 and he who can throw   
the greatest quantity into the social   
system will prove the best physician4   
,several quacks have made pretensions to
 give society relief from this madness  
but they have only tortured the patient 
without checking the disease4 ,thomas   
,paine1 and a few ,american and ,french 
physicians1 have been the only ones to  
treat it in an effectual manner1 and by 
the use of their recipes1 and the       
assistance of ,men of ,science1 ,i hope 
at least effectually to destroy the     
contagious part of the disease4         
,mathematics1 magic1 and witchcraft1    
were formerly denounced by superstition 
as synonymous terms1 and the            
mathematical student has been often     
punished as a conjuror6 ,astronomy and  

,astrology were also considered one and 
the same thing4 ,such were the fantasies
 and delusions which superstition could 
raise in the minds of men1 and such has 
been the wickedness of priests1 who     
could always perceive and even          
acknowledge that human reason was       
inimical to their views1 and whoever    
possessed or practised it ought to be   
destroyed as the enemy not only of      
themselves but of their ,god too6 ,as   
,philosophy has left us no doubt that   
their interest was and still is their   
,god1 they have so far acted            
consistently1 but it is now high time   
that ,philosophy should triumph over    
,priestcraft4 ,it is now evident that   
,philosophy has sufficient strength on  
her side for that purpose1 as her       
supporters are now more numerous than   
the supporters of ,priestcraft4 ,let    
,men of ,science stand forward and shew 
the remaining dupes of ,priestcraft1    
that the ,mathematics are nothing more  
than a simple but important science1 and

 that ,astronomy has no affinity to that
 bugbear called ,astrology4  ,the       
,priests and ,judges of the present day 
are men of the same disposition as the  
,priests and ,judges of the seventeenth 
century1 who imprisoned ,galileo for    
asserting the sphericity of the earth1  
and its revolution round the sun1       
contrary to the tenets of the ,holy     
,bible1 and who burnt old women as      
witches because they might have had the 
misfortune to be old1 ugly1 or deformed4
 ,such is the power and progress of     
truth1 that those very men are brought  
to confess that ,galileo asserted       
nothing more than an important          
philosophical fact4 ,on this point ,i   
will briefly notice the misgivings of   
one of our living judges4 ,mr4 ,justice 
,best in his judicial circuit through   
the northern district1 at the late ,lent
 assizes for ,cumberland1 on a trial for
 libel1 made the following assertion1   
after attempting to contrast the state  
of freedom in this country at this time1

 with what existed at ,rome when        
,galileo was imprisoned in the          
,inquisition1 for stating a great       
philosophical truth1 his ,judgeship     
observed3 now in this country any       
philosophical truth1 or opinion1 might  
be stated and supported without its     
being considered libellous4  ,this is a 
most glaring and a most abominable      
falsehood1 when the quarter from which  
it came is considered4  ,mr4 ,justice   
,best in the month of ,november #ahai1  
sat as a judge in the ,court of ,king's 
,bench1 and advised the sending me to   
the gaol of ,dorchester for three years 
and the imposing a fine upon me of      
fifteen hundred pounds for stating and  
supporting a great philosophical truth4 
,not content with the imposition of this
 enormous fine and tremendous           
imprisonment1 he also immediately       
sanctioned the issuing of a writ of     
levari facias1 on the very same day1 by 
which my business and my property was   
destroyed1 and by which3 cause ,i am at 

present deprived of all visible means of
 making up that fine4 ,yet1 ,mr4        
,justice ,best1 had the effrontery to   
say from the bench1 which should ever be
 sacred to truth and justice1 that no   
philosophical truth stated and supported
 in this country1 would be considered   
libelous6 ,i do aver1 and ,i challenge  
any ,man of ,science to contradict me   
publicly1 if he dares1 that the two     
volumes1 for the publication of which ,i
 am now suffering imprisonment1 and for 
which ,i have been so excessively fined 
and robbed1 contain nothing more than   
philosophical truths1 as plain1 as1     
simple and as important1 as those for   
which ,galileo was imprisoned by the    
,christian ,inquisition1 about two      
hundred years since4 ,i appeal to ,mr4  
,justice ,best himself--he knows the    
truth of what ,i now write--yet he has  
had the effrontery1 in contempt of the  
good sense and discernment of the whole 
country1 to put forth this vile         
falsehood--still more vile1 because he  

himself partook in the order for my     
punishment1 ,galileo was told in the    
seventeenth century by the ,magnificent 
,inquisitor ,general that1 his          
astronomical ideas were not in unison   
with the ,holy ,scriptures1 and that he 
must not promulgate them4 ,mr ,justice  
,best told me in ,november #ahai1 that  
he would not sit on the bench as a judge
 and hear a particle of the ,bible      
called in question4 ,then where is the  
difference in the conduct of those two  
,magnificent ,inquisitors ,general1 and 
between my case and that of ,galileo8   
,the ,judges who condemned ,galileo were
 quite mild and humane when compared    
with mine1 they did not rob him of all  
his property and fix a fine with a hope 
that he would never be able to pay it3  
they merely1 in addition to his         
imprisonment1 ordered him to repeat1    
aloud the seven penitential psalms once 
a week6 ,canst thou ,mr4 ,justice ,best 
read this statement and these           
observations1 and again take thy seat as

 a judge in a ,court of law or what     
ought to be a ,court of ,justice8       
,blush6 ,best6 blush6 ,every ,man of    
,science--every lover of great          
philosophical truths1 will proclaim thee
 a liar for thy assertion on the bench  
at ,carlisle in ,cumberland4 ,the very  
name of the place might have reminded   
thee of the grossness of that assertion6
  ,neither will it become me here to lay
 down the elements of ,astronomy1 my    
appeal is to the ,astronomer1 and ,i    
have merely to remind him1 that1 if he  
supports the dogmas of the ,priest1 or  
the astronomical blunders of any holy   
book1 he is a corrupt and wicked        
hypocrite1 and a disgrace to the science
 which he studies1 practises1 or        
teaches4 ,science and truth ought to be 
synonymous terms1 and neither the one or
 the other ought1 upon any consideration
 whatever1 to pay the least respect or  
deference to established error4 ,to     
those same persons whom ,i have given a 
reference for the elements of           

,chemistry1 ,i would also refer to other
 works for the elements of ,astronomy4  
,they are now published in a variety of 
shapes and forms1 and ,i am much pleased
 to see that a number of gentlemen are  
giving lectures on ,astronomy in all our
 towns and cities of any note4 ,such men
 are worthy of support in preference to 
the ,priest1 and although they may      
jointly1 from fear1 or other motives1   
attempt to mix up religious dogmas with 
their scientific lectures1 ,i know that 
it must tend to a due enlightenment of  
the public mind4 ,an ,eidouranion or    
,orrery to have been displayed a few    
centuries ago would have gathered a pile
 of faggots for the lecturer1 and he    
would have been burnt as a daring       
blasphemer1 and his machine with him1 as
 the devil's workmanship4 ,such is the  
rapid progress of natural knowledge1    
that ,i almost doubt whether the person1
 that shall now stand forward and       
publish ,thomas ,paine's ,age of        
,reason1 and ,elihu ,palmer's           

,principles of ,nature1 in the same open
 and determined manner as ,i published  
them1 would find even imprisonment for  
it1 let him do it openly and ,i will    
commend him1 and be almost answerable   
for him in point of loss or suffering4  
,it is not a sufficient excuse for ,men 
of ,science to plead established        
institutions1 or to say that            
,priestcraft is powerful because six    
millions of money is wrung from the     
people in the shape of direct taxes to  
support it1 and about as much more      
levied in the shape of voluntary        
contributions upon that class of people 
called ,dissenters4 ,shew the people    
that they are imposed upon1 and they    
will no longer be robbed and laughed at1
 they will soon perceive that the money 
which this ,priestcraft takes from their
 pockets would be sufficient for a      
splendid execution and administration of
 the laws and government of the country4
 ,abolish ,priestcraft1 and the expense 
which now attends it will cover all the 

other necessary expences of the state4  
,this twelve millions of money is spent 
for the very worst of purposes1 for it  
does not civilize society1 but rather   
brutalizes it1 by setting its members   
one against the other1 upon different   
points of belief1 all of which are      
proved to be erroneous and to have no   
foundation in ,nature4  ,the ,man of    
,science ought not to look at1 or       
respect1 any thing but the discovery and
 propagation of truth4 ,instead of      
respecting mischievous and erroneous    
establishments1 he1 of all men1 is      
bound1 by every honourable tie1 to make 
an exposure of them1 and to teach the   
people right from wrong4 ,his knowledge 
and discoveries should be like the      
benefits of ,nature dispensed alike to  
all without price or reward4 ,he ought  
to be the patron of truth1 and the enemy
 of error1 in whatever shape it might   
appear1 or whatever effect it might     
produce4 ,like ,nature herself1 he      
should be no respecter of persons or of 

things individually but collectively4   
,i have now gone through the first head 
of this ,address1 and ,i trust that ,i  
have performed what ,i promised under   
it4 ,i have shewn that ,men of ,science1
 either from having their minds tinged  
with superstition1 or from the fear of  
offending those who might labour under  
that malady1 have deprived society of   
many of those benefits which it was     
their bounden duty to have conferred    
upon it4 ,they have withheld from the   
public the most important discoveries1  
because1 as the ,christian ,inquisition 
said to ,galileo1 such discoveries1 or  
such doctrines1 were contrary to those  
of the ,holy ,bible4 ,shame upon such   
dastardly principles1 say ,i--they are a
 disgrace to mankind1 which assumes a   
superiority over all other animals4 ,we 
had better never have possessed the gift
 of speech1 and its consequent reason1  
if we are only to use it for the        
propagation of falsehood1 and the       
production of misery1 to the majority of

 the species4 ,i have broken through the
 trammels of ,priestcraft publicly1 ,i  
bid defiance to all the persecution it  
can inflict upon me1 and ,i now call    
upon the ,men of ,science in this island
 to stand forward and support me4       
,however it might affect the momentary  
interest of individuals1 ought not to be
 a question1 it is certain that         
superstition would not linger another   
year1 if the ,philosophers of the       
country would stand forward and make war
 upon it3 they would then find that the 
extortions of the ,priesthood would be  
willingly given for the erection of     
,temples of ,science1 and the support of
 competent professors in the ,arts and  
,sciences2 and that a mutual instruction
 in every thing that can benefit a      
society would be the first and last     
object in view1 both individually and   
generally4  ,i come now to the second   
head of my address1 in which ,i have    
undertaken to shew1 that1 all existing  
systems of education are imperfect and  

improper1 and further1 to give a sketch 
of a system that shall be more proper4  
,in the first place ,i would remark     
that1 in all the schools of this        
country1 or with scarce an exception    
worthy of mention1 the youth are        
subjected to a certain system of        
religious study and exercise4 ,they have
 to attend certain ceremonies called    
public worship or prayers--they have to 
get those prayers by heart1 and also a  
catechism of religious belief1 or ,i    
should rather say religious dogmas1 as  
there can be no real belief where there 
is no comprehension of the object in    
contemplation or discussion2 however1   
altogether1 about these religious       
ceremonies1 one half of the time of     
youth is wasted2 for the lessons in     
reading1 lessons in grammar1 copies for 
writing1 and even those lessons in which
 foreign languages are taught1 have     
their subject matter founded upon       
religious dogmas1 either ancient or     
modern4 ,here and there a moral precept 

is thrown in1 but the dogmas of religion
 have a decided preponderance1 and more 
than half of the time of youth is wasted
 upon them4 ,it is evident that these   
religious dogmas make not the least     
impression upon the minds of youth1     
further than to stupify them by so dull 
and so constant a repetition1 and the   
reason of this is1 that these religious 
dogmas have no foundation whatever in   
,nature4 ,they neither instruct1 amuse1 
interest1 or delight1 because the       
youthful mind has no comprehension of   
their object1 and can perceive no real  
utility arising from them4 ,they are    
viewed but as a matter of school        
discipline1 and the youth returns to    
them with a loathing4 ,still they are   
continually pressed upon him as long as 
he remains under parent or tutor1 and he
 grows up with a mind soured by an      
habitual distaste of that which he is   
told to venerate4 ,if you were to       
instruct a child in the elements of     
,chemistry1 you would find that it would

 be constantly amusing itself with such 
simple chemical experiments as its      
childhood could practise and comprehend3
 it would feel an interest in all the   
little experiments it could make1 and   
that interest would lead on to a        
self-importance1 to industry1 to a      
knowledge and due comprehension of the  
value of time1 about which children     
think so little1 or rather think nothing
 at all1 under the present system of    
education4 ,they are exhorted to set a  
value on their time by written precepts1
 but they have no inducements to that   
object1 owing to their system of        
education being one dreary monotony4 ,no
 part of it is calculated to kindle the 
fire of genius1 or to cherish the       
aspiring spirit of youth4 ,it is from   
such a system of education that true    
genius has become so very scarce1 and is
 so seldom seen3 it blunts and stupifies
 the mind1 and obscures that radiance to
 which the system ,i now propose would  
have given energy and opportunity to    

display itself4 ,many of ,nature's      
,nobles have passed through life unknown
 and unheeded entirely from the         
influence of a superstitious and        
genius-destroying education6  ,from the 
evident disposition of children to      
imitate all the actions of grown        
persons1 from their little scientific   
propensities to produce in miniature    
what they see in magnitude1 from the    
delight which they feel1 and the deep   
interest which they take in all their   
little works and playful amusements1 it 
is certain that nothing more is required
 to put them in the channel of correct  
ideas than to give them such            
instruction1 and to bend their minds to 
such objects as shall at once employ1   
amuse1 and delight1 and at the same time
 form a playful and healthful exercise  
for them2 whilst it is calculated to    
expand their minds in the knowledge and 
comprehension of those objects which are
 above all things conducive to the      
interests of society1 and which relate  

to the progressive improvement and      
advancing state of the ,arts and        
,sciences4  ,the objects to which ,i    
allude1 are chemical experiments1 and   
experiments in every other branch of    
,natural ,philosophy3 and a study of    
,natural ,history by observation and    
examination of natural subjects4 ,i need
 not enumerate the various branches of  
,natural ,history1 suffice it to say1   
that ,i would have a system of education
 that should embrace the whole          
successively2 and here a wide field     
would be open for the conversion of     
priests to professors in the various    
departments of this science2 and this   
science alone is so far infinite as to  
make the life of man a continual system 
of education and research4 ,independent 
of the foregoing sciences there are     
,geography1 ,astronomy1 ,mechanics1 and 
all the lesser branches which are       
commonly and necessarily taught to youth
 in the present system of education4    
,this ,i consider would be a natural and

 proper system for the education of     
youth1 and this system has all the      
degrees which are as well adapted to the
 comprehension of infants or children of
 three and four years old1 as to the    
most mature age and knowledge4  ,the    
beauty of scientific pursuits is1 that  
there is always a novelty in them--that 
discoveries in them will ever be        
infinite1 and that the further you      
proceed the more you see before you1 and
 the more ardour you feel in those      
pursuits4 ,it is the best of all        
amusement and pastime1 because1 it      
produces universal advantage and        
universal satisfaction1 whilst it       
neither fatigues the follower nor       
injures his neighbour4 ,other amusements
 and pastimes are apt to occasion       
individual injury and even misery1 but  
this cannot4 ,the sportsmen cannot hunt 
or shoot1 without damaging the          
cultivated property of others1 and      
whilst in the pursuit of his game his   
mind allows no obstacles to be just4    

,with the ,man of ,science the case is  
different1 his amusements and           
experiments are made within a narrow    
sphere1 and the result is calculated to 
benefit all without injury to any4      
,chemistry ,i deem to be the foundation 
of all other science1 and in a manner pf
 speaking to comprise all other branches
 of science4 ,as matter and motion      
comprise everything we can behold or    
conceive1 and as ,chemistry is an       
investigation of the properties of      
matter1 with the causes and effects of  
its various combinations1 it is         
evidently the most important part of    
science1 or rather1 the first and last  
part of it4 ,the cultivation of the     
earth--the cookery of our food--its     
quantity and quality1 and every thing   
connected with feeding the body--the    
preservation of our health1 and the very
 preparation of our clothing1 may be    
said to be comprised in the terms       
chemical analysis and composition4      
,there is no one part of the ,arts and  

,sciences1 but to which ,chemistry has  
relation1 and even the most important   
relation4 ,in all manufactures1 whether 
wood or metal--clay or stone--wax or    
glass--paper or cloth1 or what not1 the 
knowledge of ,chemistry is essential4   
,it is to the science of ,chemistry that
 we owe all our artificial productions1 
it is to the science of ,chemistry that 
we owe all our knowledge and            
comprehension of natural productions1   
and their adaption to our several uses4 
,it is therefore of the first           
consequence that we should commence our 
studies in this all important science1  
even in our infancy4 ,as the ,science of
 ,chemistry embraces so extensive a     
variety of objects1 it is not without a 
class simple enough for the             
comprehension of children4 ,the burning 
of a candle is a chemical experiment for
 the production of light--the burning of
 the fuel which keeps up our fires1 is  
but a chemical experiment for the       
production of heat2 to which a thousand 

might be added equally simple1 a        
definition of which could not fail to be
 of the greatest importance in the      
education of children4 ,and why might   
not even the first lessons of children  
be comprised of these and similar simple
 chemical experiments1 which beyond     
every other subject must instruct and   
amuse1 attract the child's particular   
attention1 and expand its mind by       
filling it with correct ideas8  ,i would
 banish from our school-books every word
 about ,god or ,devil--,heaven or ,hell1
 as hypocritical and unmeaning words1   
mere words of sound1 and confine the    
attention of children and youth to such 
subjects1 as an every day's experience  
shall evince to them to have a          
foundation in ,nature4 ,moral precepts  
might1 be necessary and useful but even 
morality might1 in my opinion1 be taught
 much better by example than by precept4
 ,therefore1 ,i would say1 that the     
books of children had better be filled  
with scientific subjects than with moral

 precepts1 as the former are infinite   
and cannot be too early entered upon1 or
 too closely studied1 whilst the latter 
might be comprised in a few expressions1
 and taught better1 and with more       
impression by colloquy and example1 than
 in lessons for reading and writing4    
,however1 lessons on moral virtue might 
be most appropriately mixed up with     
lessons on scientific subjects4 ,they   
lead to one common end--the happiness   
and welfare of the human race in        
society4  ,let no one imagine that ,i   
hold moral virtue in light esteem1 or   
that ,i deem it a secondary object1 ,no1
 the possession of moral virtue with the
 grossest ignorance on every other      
subject1 is preferable to the most      
extensive knowledge connected with an   
immoral and vicious character4 ,moral   
virtue should form the foundation of    
every motive1 and every action in life4 
,it is from the conviction that         
scientific pursuits1 or a scientific    
education1 must naturally lead to the   

extension of moral virtue1 that ,i have 
been induced to submit this sketch to   
,men of ,science4 ,moral virtue is with 
me a primum mobile in all things4 ,it   
forms the beginning and the end of all  
my views1 and1 according to my          
conceptions1 of all the principles ,i   
advocate and teach4 ,but ,i would most  
strenuously exhort the reader to abandon
 the idea1 if he does hold it1 that     
morality is dependent on religion1 or   
that the former cannot exist without the
 latter4 ,i solemnly and deliberately   
assert1 that religion is rather the bane
 than the nurse of morality4 ,i have    
imbibed this impression from the deepest
 reflection and the closest observation 
of mankind4 ,to those who think ,lord   
,bacon an authority worth notice1 for   
what ,i assert1 ,i would refer them to a
 quotation from his writings on a former
 page4 ,however1 ,i want no written     
authority1 nor no name1 to convince me  
of the truth of my assertion2 we have   
but to look around us with an impartial 

eye1 and we might read it in the every  
day actions of the majority of mankind4 
,i would also banish from our schools   
,homer1 ,hesiod1 ,horace1 ,ovid1 and    
,virgil1 and every volume that makes the
 least allusion to the mythologies of   
,greece or ,rome1 or any-other part of  
what have been called the ,pagan        
mythologies4 ,if such books are amusing 
or instructive in ancient history1 it   
will be time enough to read them after  
having gone through a scholastic        
education4 ,they should make1 no part of
 the school routine4 ,i do not here mean
 to dispute the propriety of children   
been taught the dead languages1 although
 ,i must confess1 that ,i consider them 
no farther useful than to teach the     
etymology of our own language4 ,paine1  
,franklin1 and ,cobbett1 are powerful   
instances that they are by no means     
essential to an enlarged mind4 ,however1
 if the dead languages continue to be   
taught in our schools1 ,i could wish    
them to be taught through a different   

medium than at present4 ,those languages
 might be taught on other subjects than 
wars1 famines1 and massacres1 immoral   
mythologies and the history of base and 
vicious characters4 ,it has been the    
common misfortune of historians to take 
especial notice of base and vicious     
characters4 ,hitherto profligacy has    
been the chief passport to immortality1 
and the virtuous few have passed through
 life unheeded before or after death    
with but very few exceptions4 ,the very 
books which are called holy and divine  
are filled with descriptions of human   
monsters1 and scarce any set off or     
contrast to exhibit the benefits and    
beauties of moral virtue among mankind4 
,i am sensible that at present no books 
exist1 such as ,i point out for the use 
of schools1 embracing the elements of   
the ,arts and ,sciences1 and free from  
allusion to all kinds of mythology and  
superstition1 among which ,i wish to be 
understood as including the mythology   
and superstition of the ,christians1 but

 no task can be more simple than for a  
few ,men of ,science to compile them4   
,of late some brief and partial         
descriptions of the ,arts and ,sciences 
have been introduced into school-books1 
but it has been mingled with so much    
trash about religion and superstition1  
as to render it of no avail1 and but as 
a secondary or useless object4 ,it is   
high time that the subject was taken in 
hand by ,men of ,science1 and that such 
books1 in the various departments of    
science1 should be compiled1 as to be   
adapted for all the different stages of 
education4 ,none but he who is skilled  
in any particular science can be equal  
to the task of compilation4 ,he alone   
can judge of the best method of         
introducing that particular science to  
the youthful mind4 ,it will not be      
necessary that ,i should here draw out  
any specific plan for this system of    
education2 ,i submit the outline to the 
judgment of ,men of ,science4 ,my       
meaning is too clearly stated to be     

misunderstood or cavilled with4 ,the    
subject is a proper one to attract the  
attention of any legislature that       
emanates from1 and legislates for1 the  
benefit of the people1 and he that shall
 move it as an amendment to ,mr4        
,brougham's proposed system1 which has  
no other object than to become a new    
prop for decaying superstition1 will at 
least deserve well of his country and   
every lover of science and real liberty1
 whether he succeeds or not4 ,it is a   
subject that no honest man need be      
ashamed of4 ,it is by no means a        
theoretical subject2 if it be a novel   
one1 its practicability1 and its        
importance1 must reach every mind that  
has the least idea about ,science1 and  
its utility4 ,i break in upon the       
present system of education no further  
than that ,i would change the medium    
through which the lessons for reading1  
exercises in grammar1 copies for        
writing1 and that in which the dead1 or 
even living foreign languages are       

taught3 the medium which ,i would       
substitute1 should treat exclusively of 
scientific subjects1 so as to leave the 
mind in a continual state of exercise   
upon the subject of ,science1 and that  
alone4 ,unlike religion1 ,science can   
never weary the mind3 the dreary        
monotony of the former is a perfect     
contrast to the life-inspiring power of 
the latter4 ,every step you take in     
,science1 stimulates you to further     
pursuit4 ,the vast volume of nature1    
that book of books1 that only revelation
 worthy the attention of man1 is always 
open to the ,man of ,science2 and in    
this book the child can find a language 
that shall be intelligible1 and adapted 
to his youthful capacity4 ,he can read  
here without stupifying his senses1 and 
gain useful information without         
corrupting his manners4  ,i would even  
exclude all historical subjects from our
 schools1 as very little of what is left
 us can be relied on as true1 and such  
as is true1 is of very little           

consequence to a rising generation4     
,however far it might be useful in the  
shape of example1 or amusing and        
instructive to grown persons1 it forms  
but a waste of time with children at    
school4 ,general ,history is but ill    
adapted to correct the bad or stimulate 
the better passions of mankind4 ,it     
displays scarce any thing but the       
ignorance and brutality1 the massacres  
and superstitions1 which have been so   
common to mankind hitherto4 ,it is rare 
indeed to find a sketch of a virtuous   
character4 ,i am of opinion that we     
could not do better than draw a veil as 
close as possible over the past1 and    
endeavour to start upon a system that   
our posterity shall not blush to read   
when impartially stated4 ,who can read  
the history of the past1 without        
blushing and pitying the madness of that
 animal man1 for making so bad a use of 
his gift of speech and its consequent   
reason8 ,i must confess that ,i cannot4 
,in teaching ,geography it is by no     

means necessary to describe the ancient 
division of the earth into ,empires1    
,kingdoms1 ,principalities1 c1 or the   
customs of their former several         
inhabitants1 as they have been subject  
to a continual change1 to trace which1  
serves but to distract the mind without 
filling it with any useful information3 
it would be sufficient for all purposes 
in studying this science1 to become     
acquainted with the present divisions of
 the earth1 and the present customs1    
manners1 and distinctions of its        
inhabitants4 ,the same rule applies to  
,astronomy1 it is by no means necessary1
 but as a matter of curiosity1 to trace 
and study its history3 it is sufficient 
to acquire all the present information  
that can be obtained in that science1   
and to stand prepared to make further   
discoveries or to receive the           
discoveries of others4 ,by cutting off  
all that part of the present system of  
education which forms but a waste of    
time1 you will gain so much the more    

time for making fresh advances in the   
various ,arts and ,sciences4 ,of course1
 ,i do not expect that under my proposed
 system1 one individual can become an   
adept in all the various branches of all
 the sciences--no--it would be still    
necessary that some individuals should  
confine themselves to one particular    
science1 and some to another1 as their  
peculiar abilities and dispositions     
might suggest1 as the best means for a  
further and a quicker improvement and   
advance in the whole4 ,it is sufficient 
that they all begin right1 and waste no 
time about unmeaning and useless trash2 
but1 by an assiduous application to     
their several branches1 make the        
farthest possible progress4  ,that      
infinity of experiments which ,chemistry
 opens to our view1 and that infinity of
 subjects for examination in ,natural   
,history1 makes it necessary to begin at
 those two sciences as early as         
possible4 ,the elements of ,chemistry1 a
 knowledge of which is so essential in  

all the relations of life1 might be     
simplified for an adaption to the       
meanest capacity1 and even to that of   
children beginning to read1 of which ,i 
have before pointed out two familiar    
instances1 upon which a more enlarged   
explanation might be made1 and to which 
a thousand others equally simple and    
instructive might be added4 ,in ,natural
 ,history what a vast field is open8    
wherein       ,to teach the young idea  
how to shoot4  ,here every thing both in
 the animal and vegetable world1 which  
comes under the every day observation of
 the child1 or even the grown person1   
might be familiarly described and       
explained in our school-books by a      
regular classification and arrangement4 
,by such a system of education as this1 
the youth would instinctly and          
involuntarily read a useful lesson in   
every object that came within his view2 
his mind would be incessantly led to a  
contemplation of ,nature1 a knowledge of
 which can alone lead a man to true and 

substantial happiness4 ,no part of      
matter would then escape the            
scrutinizing disposition of man1 he     
would explore the ocean and the rivers1 
the mountain and the valley1 the forest 
and the plain1 the bowels of the earth  
and its atmosphere1 and even the surface
 and atmosphere of other orbs to gratify
 his scientific and laudably insatiate  
curiosity4 ,the blade of grass1 the     
leaf1 the tree1 its fruit1 the          
flower-bed with all its vivid tints and 
animating effluvia1 with all the        
infinite variety both in the vegetable  
and animal world1 would alike form      
matter for his scientific research1 and 
objects for him to explore4 ,here in    
contemplating the stupenduous           
organization which constitutes animal   
and vegetable life in ,nature's infinite
 variety1 all varying1 yet all connected
 by one common link1 operating by one   
common cause1 and to one common end1 a  
successive production and decay1 decay  
and production1 the human mind might    

find an exercise as infinite1 and have  
ideas stirred up equally stupendous4 ,i 
cannot help exclaiming3 ,this is the    
path of ,nature3 tread here1 ,o ,man6   
and be happy4  ,the works of ,nature    
though infinite are strictly analogous1 
and human reason is produced by the same
 laws as every other natural product4   
,the culture of the mind1 by which human
 reason is produced1 bears a strict     
analogy to the culture of the soil1 by  
which we subsist ,in each ,nature will  
produce to a certain degree1 but the aid
 of art is necessary to produce a       
sufficiency1 and to reach refinement and
 perfection4 ,it is therefore of the    
utmost importance that we begin right1  
that all the ideas of our infancy and   
youth be founded in ,nature1 and that   
the poisonous effusions of ,priestcraft 
be carefully weeded1 and kept from our  
minds4 ,we should guard our minds       
against those destructive enemies of    
human reason1 the priests1 as we would  
our fields and gardens against the      

destructive powers of the locusts1 or   
similarly destructive insects and       
animals4 ,our interest and happiness is 
as much at stake in the one instance as 
the other1 for the ,priest is not       
content with destroying our happiness1  
but he must be also fed by our labour4  
,he takes on an average an eighth of all
 our produce4  ,the children or the man 
might here learn that the organization  
of the vegetable is not less stupendous 
than that of the animal--that the life  
and the death of the vegetable is as    
near alike the life and the death of the
 animal as that the life and the death  
of any two animals of a different       
species are alike each other--that there
 are animal-vegetables and              
vegetable-animals1 or living substances1
 in life and vegetation1 that partake   
both of the properties of animals1 and  
vegetables--that this is an evident link
 between animals and vegetables which   
unites them in the great chain of       
nature--that they exist by the same     

cause1 for the same purpose1 and to the 
same effect1 ,he might also learn1 that 
the organization of the smallest insect 
and animalcule is equally stupendous    
with the organization of man himself2   
that it is alone from a peculiar        
organization that the different animals 
have the power of uttering so many      
different sounds1 and that man is       
indebted to the power of uttering a     
greater variety of sounds for his gift  
of speech1 and for a greater degree of  
reason1 than any other animal possesses1
 as its consequent4 ,let the child1 or  
the man even1 be taught to reason in    
this manner1 and he will soon feel      
himself humbled down into his proper    
sphere in the scale of ,nature4 ,he will
 leave off all the mad tricks which now 
daily and hourly occupy his time1 he    
will occupy his time by a self and      
social improvement1 and will perceive   
that a study of ,science can alone lead 
him to true happiness4  ,why might not  
the ,linuean system of classification1  

arrangement1 and description1 both of   
animals and vegetables1 with all the    
improvement which has already been made1
 or which might be made in future1 upon 
that system1 be taught in our schools to
 children8 ,what can be more simple1    
more amusing1 or more useful1 and more  
instructive8 ,what other system of      
education can be so well calculated for 
a proper expansion of the juvenile mind8
 ,how much more advantageous to society 
would such a system of education be1    
connected with a knowledge of           
,chemistry1 ,astronomy1 ,geography1     
,geometry1 and the ,mathematics1 than   
all that lying and stupifying lore about
 religion and its offspring2 for the    
support of which mankind are so         
excessively robbed8 ,if religion be a   
word that has any substantial           
definition1 or if it be a proper word1  
and can be made applicable to ,nature in
 its meaning1 or the action it          
indicates1 ,i have no hesitation to say1
 that the ,system of ,education which ,i

 now propose forms the basis of the only
 true1 the only rational religion4 ,the 
word religion implying a fixed faith or 
belief1 and having its etymology in the 
,latin verb religo1 to bind fast1 there 
can be no true1 no just1 no rational    
religion1 but that which applies to     
something we can comprehend1 and which  
has its foundation in ,nature and her   
laws4 ,we cannot strictly speaking fix  
our faith on a phantom1 unless we admit 
faith itself to be but a phantom of the 
mind1 yet such is the pretence of all   
those who make so much clamour about the
 word religion4 ,a study of ,nature and 
her laws1 alone forms any substantial   
faith or religion4 ,this study ,i would 
make the basis of all education1 to the 
exclusion1 or explosion1 of all the     
remaining mythological nonsense of the  
day4  ,arithmetic1 ,geometry1 and the   
,mathematics1 being taught in figures1  
admit no change in the system of        
teaching1 or at least in the medium3 the
 same might be said of ,algebra1 which  

has the simplicity of the alphabet for  
its medium for instruction and practice4
 ,this forms the only part of education 
that the priests have not corrupted1 and
 the reason is because they could not2  
and these figures being above their     
reach to corrupt or destroy will prove  
their overthrow4 ,the science of the    
,mathematics has given a fatal blow to  
,priestcraft1 and this science1         
connected with ,astronomy1 was the first
 which1 began to undermine the dogmas of
 all priests4 ,the science of ,chemistry
 has come to its aid1 by proving that   
matter is indestructible and            
imperishable1 and must have existed as  
it now is1 to all eternity as to the    
past1 and will exist as it now is1 to   
all eternity as to the future4 ,the     
sciences of ,physiology and ,zoology    
have convinced us that the organization 
of the animal called man1 is not more   
wonderful than that of every other      
animal and vegetable1 nor is he of more 
importance in the scale of ,nature4 ,all

 that can be said of him is1 that he is 
superior in mental strength to any other
 animal1 and his superiority over the   
lion1 the tiger1 or the elephant1 is not
 more than the superiority of those     
animals over the lesser beasts of the   
forest4 ,man only possesses the highest 
degree in the rank of animals4 ,it is   
high time to teach man what he really is
 in the scale of ,nature1 and no longer 
allow him to play such fantastic tricks 
as he does play1 by pretending to be    
something beyond other animals1 and to  
possess supernatural and immortal powers
 of existence4 ,man has nothing but the 
dogmas of superstition in support of his
 future sensible existence--these dogmas
 are false and wicked impostures4 ,no   
appeal can be made to ,nature in support
 of them4 ,man1 as a part of a whole1 or
 as an atom of matter1 is immortal1 but 
with whatever he might amalgamate after 
his frame has passed its dissolution1   
and has evaporated like a dunghill1 or a
 bed of rotten vegetables1 that atom can

 retain no sense of a former existence4 
,the system of ,pythagoras would have   
been strictly true and rational1 if he  
or his disciples had not imagined a     
sense of former existence1 or that an   
animal under one shape could retain a   
sense of his existence under a former   
shape1 although the two might form two  
distinct animals of a different species4
 ,pythagoras1 and his followers1 have   
erred only on this point4 ,i would bring
 the whole race of mankind back to a    
conviction that they exist to no other  
purpose1 and by no other cause than     
every other animal and vegetable4 ,let  
mankind be once sensible of this        
important fact1 and they will cease to  
persecute1 to harass1 to rob1 and to    
destroy each other4 ,they would then    
make the best use of their time1 and    
view their animal existence but as a    
moment in the space of eternity4 ,they  
would sedulously endeavour to increase  
the sum of human happiness1 and lessen  
the sum of human misery1 and this alone 

would form the first and the last object
 of their wish and existence ,let our   
youth be educated upon this basis1 and  
let even grown persons1 re-educate      
themselves in the same manner1 and we   
shall soon see mankind in its proper    
character4 ,that character will be the  
opposite of what it is at present4 ,the 
representative system of government will
 be found to be the only necessary      
government amongst them1 and the chief  
part of legislation will consist in an  
advancement of the ,arts and ,sciences4 
,i have now completed the task which ,i 
set out by promising1 and whatever      
reception my address might find among   
,men of ,science1 ,i feel assured that  
,i have misstated nothing1 and that     
nothing which it contains can bear      
contradiction4 ,i neither fear the      
critic or the caviller upon the         
ground-work of my address4 ,i have      
performed a task which ,i have many     
months had in view1 and the more ,i have
 considered the subject1 the more ,i    

have felt its importance4 ,i submit the 
whole1 not to the prejudices of the     
bigot or the priest1 but to the clear   
impartial judgment of ,men of ,science4 
,i have kept much within bounds in      
noticing the advanced state of ,science1
 and ,i feel assured that what ,i have  
recommended can be easily and           
immediately reduced to practice4 ,the   
breath of ,philosophy is now            
sufficiently strong to puff out the     
glimmering superstition of ,priestcraft4
 ,the ,philosopher should no longer bend
 the knee to this or any other corrupt  
power4 ,there is a keen public appetite 
for philosophical truths4 ,i feel       
satisfied that ,i have the daily thanks 
of thousands for rescuing their minds   
from the horrible dogmas of             
,superstition and ,priestcraft4 ,i have 
so strong an assurance of the rapid     
decay of superstition1 and the powerful 
effect of the books and pamphlets which 
,i have thrown into the social system1  
that no persecution1 no punishment1 no  

fines1 shall deter me from proceeding to
 the utmost of my power and abilities4  
,i am happy to see others following in  
the same path1 as ,i rather court       
assistance and emulation than dread it4 
,i am ever pleased at the extensive     
circulation of those publications to    
which mine are exposed1 as it is of the 
first consequence to stimulate mankind  
to read1 to examine1 and to discuss the 
pretensions of all principles4 ,the     
,bible ,society might circulate its     
millions of books1 and not a member of  
that society shall feel more pleasure at
 the circumstance than myself4 ,i do not
 wish that any of my publications should
 fall into the hands of any individual1 
but he who can read the ,bible1 and who 
is fully acquainted with its contents1  
and all the dogmas which the priests of 
this country teach4 ,it is on this      
ground that ,i wish to try the force of 
those principles which ,i advocate and  
no other4 ,i feel assured that no       
impartial and disinterested man ever    

read a copy of  ,thomas ,paine's ,age of
 ,reason without having his faith shaken
 in the ,christian religion1 and if ever
 he has read ,mirabaud's ,system of     
,nature he will find his faith shaken on
 the subject of all religion4 ,he will  
see that the whole has arisen from one  
common fault--the ignorance and         
credulity of mankind4  ,for instance1   
when the use of the telescope and the   
advanced state of the science of        
,astronomy has given us ocular and      
mathematical demonstration1 that every  
orb we see revolving in the wide and    
infinite expanse of space1 and that each
 of that infinite number of orbs1 which 
something more than hypothesis convinces
 us do revolve in space1 corresponds    
with a portion of that solar system1 of 
which our parent earth is a part1 that  
they are guided by the same laws and    
composed of the same species of matter1 
by which we infer that they bear the    
same productions1 does not the query    
arise in our minds1 which must          

inevitably strike down the fabric of the
 ,christian religion1 that if it was    
essential for a ,jesus ,christ1 the only
 begotten son of ,god1 as old as his    
father1 to pass through the virgin-womb 
of a woman1 to be buffeted1 scourged1   
and put to an ignominious death by a    
sect of superstitious bigots1 who have  
constantly for the space of eighteen    
hundred years denied all knowledge of   
such a person1 for the purpose of       
procuring the future happiness of those 
animals on this orb whom we call human1 
and their salvation from the eternal    
torments which he and his father had    
prepared for those who should reject    
them2 was it not also essential1 that   
this same ,jesus ,christ1 this only     
begotten son of ,god1 as old his father1
 should have submitted to a similar     
incarnation in a virgin-womb1 and have  
been buffeted1 scourged1 and executed1  
as a criminal malefactor1 according to  
the respective customs of treating such 
characters on the several orbs1 or the  

peculiar part of them on which he might 
chance or choose to inhabit2 was it not 
essential that he should have performed 
a similar mission for the similar       
salvation and future happiness of the   
several inhabitants or animals          
denominated human on each and every one 
of those orbs8 ,can any priest answer   
this question8 ,the ,man of ,science ,i 
know will smile at it1 and pity the     
credulity and ignorance of all who have 
believed1 who do believe1 or who may    
believe1 such ridiculous nonsense4 ,then
 let him come forward and preach up his 
scientific knowledge1 and silence the   
dogmas of the priest4 ,it is reserved   
for the ,man of ,science to rid mankind 
of this horrid ignorance and credulity1 
and to impress upon their minds the     
all-important subject of scientific     
knowledge4 ,man does not naturally      
delight in ignorance and credulity1 but 
he naturally strives to free himself    
from those vices4 ,there is no truth    
that you can impress upon the mind of   

man1 but what he will rejoice at feeling
 it to be truth1 and himself undeceived 
as to former error4 ,it is the          
interested hypocrite alone1 that is     
alarmed at the progress and power of    
truth1 he whose very trade is the known 
propagation of falsehood and delusion1  
the tyrants tool and scourge4 ,all      
tyranny1 oppression1 and delusion1 have 
been founded upon the ignorance and     
credulity of mankind4 ,knowledge1       
scientific knowledge1 is the power that 
must be opposed to those evils1 and be  
made to destroy them4 ,come forward1 ye 
,men of ,science1 ye must no longer     
remain in the back ground as trembling  
cowards1 ye must no longer crave        
protection from1 and creep at the       
pleasure of1 your direst foes2 grasp at 
tyranny1 at oppression1 at delusion1 at 
ignorance1 and at credulity1 and you    
shall find yourselves sufficiently      
powerful to destroy the whole1 and      
emancipate both the mind and the body of
 man from the slavery of his joint      

oppressors4  ,the latter of the         
before-mentioned works is a most        
important one1 and has hitherto passed  
through several editions without        
molestation by the ,attorney ,general1  
or the ,society for propagating ,vice4  
,whatever they may attempt1 it will defy
 the malice of either4 ,many other very 
important publications are now in full  
sale1 and from the appetite which ,i    
find still exists for them1 ,i have been
 induced to make this bold appeal to    
,men of ,science1 calling upon them to  
stand forward and vindicate the truth1  
from the foul grasp and persecution of  
,superstition2 and obtain for the island
 of ,great ,britain1 the noble          
appellation of the focus of truth2      
whence mankind shall be illuminated1 and
 the black and pestiferous clouds of    
persecution and superstition be banished
 from the face of the earth2 as the only
 sure prelude to universal peace and    
harmony among the human race4           
,,dorchester ,,gaol1 ,,may #ahba4       

,eighteenth ,month of the ,author's     
,imprisonment1 and the ,fourth ,month of
 the ,imprisonment of his ,wife4