,,letter  ,,to ,,sir ,,samuel           
,,shepherd1 ,,knt4 ,,his ,,majesty',s   
,,attorney-,,general  ,,upon ,,the      
,,subject ,,of ,,his ,,prosecutions ,,of
 ,,richard ,,carlile1  ,,for            
,,publishing ,,paine',s ,,age ,,of      
,,reason4   ,,london4  ,,printed ,,and  
,,published ,,by ,r4 ,,carlile1 #ee1    
,,fleet ,,street4     ,,letter1  ,sir1  
,as you have commenced the prosecution  
of ,carlile1 a printer1 for publishing  
an edition of ,paine's ,age of ,reason1 
in conjunction with the self-styled     
,society for the ,suppression of ,vice1 
,i take the liberty to submit to your   
consideration a few remarks1 upon the   
nature and tendency of this purposed    
suit4 ,since prosecutions of this kind  
are not novel1 and as it may be fairly  
conjectured that you will follow the    
ordinary routine of men in your office  
in these causes1 and moreover as the    
accused will be subjected to the usual  
disadvantage of meeting three pleadings 
to the one which will be allowed him1   

besides the probable interruptions from 
the ,judge on the bench1 ,i think it    
needful and reasonable to anticipate and
 meet beforehand those hacknied         
arguments1 which it seems to me most    
probable that you will advance in the   
court on the days of trial4  ,that the  
accuser should be permitted to plead    
three times to the once with which the  
accused is but imperfectly indulged1    
though it may be law1 is most flagrant  
injustice4 ,but1 perhaps1 you may not be
 quite satisfied with my arithmetic1 and
 may ask me1 how ,i make out my three   
pleadings to one4 ,it were much to the  
honour of this country1 and its laws1 if
 ,i should be mistaken in my            
calculation1 but ,i fear to be put to   
the blush as an ,englishman1 7if you    
serjeants at law are not17 by my        
computation1 being found to be but too  
true4  ,in the first place1 you open the
 case4 ,this you do not reckon pleading3
 but as you are allowed to say whatever 
you think proper1 it becomes as truly a 

pleading in reality as your latter      
speech1 which alone you call by that    
name4 ,the second is what is styled so  
on both sides4 ,and this would be       
injustice1 if ,i stopped here2 but      
having engaged to reckon up three       
pleadings1 ,i fix upon the most unfit   
person that could be named2 that is1 my 
,lord ,judge1 to plead on the third     
occasion4  ,this speech of the ,judge1  
you crown-lawyers term summing up the   
evidence2 but ,i believe you can never  
adduce one solitary instance in a crown 
prosecution1 in which the ,judge has not
 acted completely the part of a retained
 counsel for the crown4  ,that my ,lord 
,judge should be unable to divest       
himself of the habit of pleading as an  
advocate1 since he has formerly followed
 that employment1 though far from       
equitable or decorous1 is still very    
natural1 like as the mail-coach horse   
which has aforetime been a hunter1      
,when hounds and horns the forest rend1 
pricks up his ears1 and longs to join in

 the pursuit4 ,but the ,judge also      
discharges a still more exceptionable   
office1 that of interrupter on the part 
of the crown4  ,he is apt to lug in his 
observation1 that what the accused is   
saying in his own defence is irrelevant 
to the question2 though a man's         
penetration must be astonishing who can 
determine beforehand that any particular
 sentence uttered shall not1 by a       
concatenation of argument1 be brought to
 bear forcibly upon the point in        
question4  ,if the accused adduces      
instances of opposite decisions in      
similar proceeding suits1 with a view to
 point out an inconsistency1 the ,judge 
will exclaim1 ,that is not the cause    
before us2 though how in the world can  
inconsistency be shewn without bringing 
forward more than one particular8       
,these ill-timed interruptions1 by      
breaking the thread of connection of the
 defence of the accused1 must so maul   
it1 and put it out of shape1 that the   
jury become unable to make either head  

or tail of it1 even though it should    
have been previously drawn up with good 
judgement1 and contain the soundest     
reasonings4  ,in trials for alledged    
blasphemy1 if the accused complains that
 a garbled extract made from his book   
does not convey its true sense1 and     
wishes to read it at large1 the court   
object1 and cry out1 that the book is   
too bad to be read in that place1 and   
that it will poison the ears of the     
audience4  ,if the accused desires that 
the ,bible may be referred to1 in proof 
of its contradictions or blameable      
passages1 the court bawls aloud that it 
is too good a book to be produced before
 the profane4 ,if reference be thus     
objected to1 by what means1 then1 shall 
the truth be brought to light8  ,and    
now1 ,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 let us    
proceed to your own probable allegations
 and arguments in court in this         
particular cause2 and ,i will suppose   
you to say to the gentlemen of the jury1
 that you have been urged by the        

representations of a respectable body of
 men1 the ,society for the ,suppression 
of ,vice1 to prosecute ,r4 ,carlile1    
whom you have discovered and proved     
before the court to have gone vi et     
armis1 by violence and with weapons of  
war1 and not having the fear of ,god    
before his eyes1 to have published a    
blasphemous libel1 the ,age of ,reason1 
by ,thomas ,paine1 which libel had been 
previously condemned by a ,jury1 and    
burnt by the common hangman4 ,that the  
wicked tendency of this libel was to    
induce a general disbelief of your and  
their most holy religion1 that pure1    
pacific1 and benevolent system1 which1  
having emanated from the ,deity1 is1 to 
its adherents1 the basis of their       
comforts in this life1 their solace in  
the hours of affliction1 sickness1 and  
death1 their moral instruction in this  
world1 and their providitor of          
everlasting happiness in a world to     
come2 that libels of this impious       
description were with a malignant zeal  

thrown in the way of the young and      
inexperienced1 too undiscerning to      
detect their sophistry1 or suspect the  
poison contained in them1 and too       
ignorant yet of the world to be on their
 guard against the practices of bad men3
 that irreligion and2 immorality are    
necessarily connected2 and that the     
propagators of infidelity are actuated  
by a malice too virulent to be          
attributed to mere human passion1 and   
for which a motive and stimulus would be
 in vain sought for1 unless it be       
assigned to the instigators of the great
 enemy of mankind1 the ,devil4 ,the jury
 will be conjured1 as they value the    
preservation of good morals1 the peace  
and good order of society1 both         
individual and public welfare1 the      
happiness of their fellow-subjects both 
in this world and in a future life1 to  
arrest the fatal poison in its progress1
 and give a verdict of conviction and   
condemnation against the accused4  ,but1
 ,mr4 ,attorney ,general1 you would not 

take shining pinchbeck counters instead 
of sovereigns for a fee1 with as little 
close examination as you will wish the  
jury to admit the weight and validity of
 your arguments1 and the accuracy of    
your assertions4  ,the imposing name    
assumed by the ,society who are the     
ostensible movers of the prosecution1   
might1 at the first glance1 seem        
sufficient to carry all before it1 and  
to dispatch the business at one blow4   
,for what could such a ,society direct  
their efforts1 against but vice8        
,however1 men are not to be judged of by
 the titles they choose to give to      
themselves1 without some scrutiny being 
made into their conduct4 ,this self     
styled ,society for the ,suppression of 
,vice1 exhibit themselves to us as the  
foes to free inquiry1 and stifling the  
arguments on one side of a question4 ,in
 vain will they excuse themselves as    
preventing the poisonous effects of     
reasonings on the wrong side2 for to    
decide in that way which side is wrong  

is a petitio propositi1 a begging of the
 question4 ,real truth is best          
established by the free production of   
the arguments on both sides2 for thereby
 suspicion of unfairness is re moved4   
,so many absurdities attend upon error  
and falsehood1 that truth has a very    
preponderating advantage against them1  
where enquiry is left free4 ,the        
arguments then adduced on the wrong side
 of a question1 are not so noxious and  
poisonous as disingenuous men wish to   
insinuate4 ,the truth abhors to be      
indebted to suppression of argument1    
from that it never can derive advantage2
 therefore it is only resorted to by the
 party who are in the wrong4 ,this      
endeavour to suppress argument implies  
disingenuousness1 and this last named   
quality is always at variance with real 
truth4 ,error may be designed1 but      
disingenuousness never can be2 and1     
therefore1 when accompanied with        
violence1 it is always criminal4        
,disinenuousness1 as far as it extends1 

cannot consist with the love of truth1  
but error may4 ,now as the love of truth
 is the basis of all real morality1 this
 disingenuous self-styled ,society for  
the ,suppression of ,vice1 are1         
therefore1 detected to be a ,society for
 the ,suppression of ,virtue4  ,i will  
still suppose you to proceed in the     
beaten1 track of your predecessors in   
office1 and omitting to reply to the    
technicality vi et armis1 on which1 ,i  
imagine1 you lay no stress1 ,i take the 
liberty to question the propriety of the
 accustomed phrase1 not having the fear 
of ,god before his eyes4 ,you will      
admit1 ,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 that to 
forge the ,great ,seal of ,england would
 be a criminal deception1 and also1 that
 to examine whether it was forged or    
not1 or to state reasons for believing  
it to have been forged1 would be        
allowable4 ,now1 as the authority of the
 ,creator is a higher one than the      
,british ,government1 so to forge a     
revelation from him would be a more     

criminal imposture than the former one2 
and a rigid examination and scrutiny    
into its truth or falsehood1 and all    
doubts and rational exceptions against a
 supposed revelation1 would always be   
innocent1 and might sometimes be        
laudable4 ,therefore1 as ,paine's ,age  
of ,reason is an objection against the  
truth of the supposed revelations of    
,moses and ,jesus1 the conduct of ,r4   
,carlile in publishing it must be       
innocent1 at least1 if not meritorious1 
and therefore would consist well with a 
pious veneration towards the ,supreme   
,being2 and this invalidates your       
assertion4  ,which libel had been       
condemned by the legislature4 ,but as   
the legislature is composed of fallible 
men1 their sanction does not prove the  
truth and validity of ,jesus's          
pretensions2 and as the conduct of the  
legislature in sanctioning this         
revelation might be directed and        
influenced by political motives1 their  
sanction is an argument rather against  

than in favour of its truth4  ,and burnt
 by the common hangman4 ,jean ,jaques   
,rousseau says1 and so must every       
reasonable man1 ,bruler un livre n'est  
pas y repondre1 ,burning a book is not  
answering it4  ,the wicked tendency of  
this libel was to induce a general      
disbelief of your and their most holy   
religion4 ,the truth can only be        
ascertained by leaving inquiry free1    
that arguments on both1 sides of a      
question may be brought forward1 in     
order that it may be seen on which side 
the preponderance lies4 ,therefore1 the 
same objection would hold good against  
producing the arguments on the wrong    
side of any other question1 as well as  
this before us now2 this would militate 
against truth in general1 and is1 of    
course1 absurd4 ,besides1 as the ,deists
 have made the offer to argue with      
,jesus's followers upon the truth or    
falsehood of ,jesus's pretensions upon  
fair and equal terms1 which offer       
,jesus's followers have thought proper  

to divine1 therefore1 to use a figure   
borrowed from pugilistic combats1 the   
,deists throw up the hat and claim the  
victory4  ,that pure1 pacific1 and      
benevolent system1 which having emanated
 from the ,deity4 ,but the ,deists offer
 to bring arguments to disprove the     
purity1 peaceableness1 and benevolence  
of ,jesus's system1 and likewise its    
origin from the ,supreme ,being2 and    
your laws hinder those arguments from   
appearing4 ,now1 this endeavour of yours
 to suppress is concealment4 ,and if    
there is nothing criminal in this system
 of ,jesus1 what could you have to      
conceal8 ,the ,deists do not endeavour  
to conceal any thing1 it is the hiding1 
hushing1 concealing party which are the 
guilty2 where morality is concerned     
concealment implies guilt4 ,if the      
,deists venture to bring forward        
demonstrations from the four ,gospels   
against the personal moral character of 
,jesus1 you call that blasphemy4 ,but   
recollect1 that when the ,deists make   

you the offer to discuss the moral      
character and the pretensions of ,jesus 
to a mission from the ,almighty upon    
honourable and fair terms1 and you      
choose to decline this equitable        
proposal1 the charge of blasphemy falls 
upon yourselves2 your sneaking evasion  
and concealment cause the charge of     
blasphemy to be brought home against    
you1 and you stand convicted yourselves 
as the blasphemers4  ,is to its         
adherents the basis of their comforts in
 this life4 ,observe1 that those very   
men who lay heavy taxation upon this    
country1 and1 what was unknown to ,pagan
 times1 entail those taxes upon unborn  
children1 those men are among the most  
zealous asserters of ,jesus's           
pretensions1 and employ ,jesus's priests
 as diligent advocates for the          
imposition of public burdens on the     
land1 and sundry abuses4 ,so that the   
bulk of the people of this country are  
not much indebted to ,jesus's system for
 temporal comforts4 ,nay1 it rather     

deprives them of many comforts1 and even
 necessaries in this life4 ,we have such
 men at present in office1 of greatest  
power and trust1 who are of such        
principles that they would countenance  
and patronize no religion but what      
suited their purpose1 and promoted their
 tyranny and oppressive objects and     
designs4 ,therefore1 we may see what    
,jesus's religion is by its suiting them
 so well4  ,their solace in the hours of
 affliction1 sickness1 and death4       
,jesus's religion has caused the        
affliction and death of far more people 
than it has solaced on such occasions4  
,their moral instructor in this world4  
,the real moral tendency of ,jesus's    
system is one of the points at issue    
between his followers and the ,deists2  
therefore that position is not to be    
assumed as it has not been fairly       
proved4 ,the effect of ,jesus's religion
 may have been to repress some vices in 
the world1 but it has greatly increased 
others4 ,when the ,pagan ,romans        

possessed ,britain1 there was not as    
much gin1 brandy1 and whiskey drank here
 as there is now4 ,nay1 the ,pagan      
,romans used to mix water with their    
wine most usually4 ,unpaid ,bank notes  
were unknown to them2 and thus millions 
of inhabitants were not employed in     
circulating among themselves falsehood  
and fraud1 which horrid practice among  
us renders those two last crimes        
familiar to the view1 and abates the    
abhorrence of them4 ,indeed1 perjury was
 evidently not near so frequent among   
the ,pagan ,romans as it is now that    
,jesus's system has prevailed2 this fact
 we can clearly infer from what remains 
to us of ,greek and ,roman writers4 ,the
 unnatural tax on unborn children was   
totally unknown to those ancients3 so   
that ,jesus's morality has not done us  
much good4  ,and their providitor of    
everlasting happiness in a world to     
come4 ,there are some drawbacks in this 
world1 at any rate1 if we reckon the    
,sunday's weekly gloom1 and the tythes  

on all landed property4 ,whether this   
future happiness be attained to at last 
or not by ,jesus's followers1 it is a   
long1 a very melancholy road1 however1  
that they go to it4 ,and as a tenth     
levied on all landed produce and other  
church dues are pretty large1 payment in
 advance for an inheritance in an unseen
 country1 which no man living has       
visited1 it seems unreasonable for the  
law to hinder a scrutiny and examination
 into the validity of the title-deeds4  
,besides1 as the land is rated heavier  
than other property1 the payment falls  
very unequally on the holders of shares 
in this ,terra ,incognita4  ,libels of  
this impious description are zealously  
thrown in the way of the young and      
inexperienced4 ,this practising upon the
 minds of the young and inexperienced1  
if it be culpable1 is not so chargeable 
upon the ,deists as upon ,jesus's       
priests4 ,the deistical writings are    
argumentative1 and therefore cannot be  
read by the young till they are almost  

grown up1 and the judgement is always   
appealed to by the ,deists2 neither do  
they discourage the examination of the  
other side of the question1 as ,jesus's 
followers usually do4 ,on the other     
hand1 ,jesus's priests burden the memory
 of children1 not seven years old1 with 
creeds and catechisms2 besides1 they    
labour to prejudice the young in favour 
of ,jesus's system1 and to discourage   
all fair inquiry into what concerns its 
truth2 a conduct which the ,deists would
 abhor to pursue in favour of deism4    
,moreover1 the catechisms and other     
machinations of ,jesus's priests are    
calculated to impair the discerning     
faculty of the young1 and to blunt its  
acumen4  ,let us examine the beginning  
of the church of ,england catechism as  
an example4 ,q4 ,who gave you that      
name8--,a4 ,my godfathers and godmothers
 in my baptism1 wherein ,i was made a   
member of ,christ1 c4 ,how should a     
child at seven years comprehend the     
meaning of a membership with an unseen  

metaphysical being8 ,this beginning with
 children on subjects beyond their      
comprehension is playing tricks with    
their understanding4  ,q4 ,what did your
 godfathers1 c4 then for you8  ,a4 ,they
 did promise and vow three things in my 
name3 first1 that ,i should renounce the
 devil and all his works4 ,it is a      
monstrous proposition to instil into a  
child's mind that one person could swear
 to the certainty of another's conduct4 
,surely these priestly tricks must be   
meant to incapacitate these young       
children throughout life from thinking  
ever acutely on religious subjects4 ,and
 what idea could a child have of the    
devil's works8 ,of the devil himself    
they might form some notion from the    
picture of him1 and might       ,dream  
of the devil1 and wake in a fright4     
,the processions i4 e4 pomps and empty  
things of this wicked world4 ,would any 
pious man swear that a child should not 
be fond of processions1 pomps1 and      
splendid shows8 ,neither could a child  

distinguish empty things or vanities of 
the world4 ,it is unavailing for        
,jesus's priests to say that at any age 
of maturity these distinctions will be  
comprehended1 for they have taken care  
before hand1 as far as they could1 to   
injure and debilitate the discerning    
faculty3 and if they should afterwards  
distinguish vanities1 they would still  
be less able to examine religious       
truths2 and to place impediments in the 
way of this last1 is the priest's       
object4 ,secondly1 that ,i should       
believe all the articles of the         
,christian faith4 ,how can one person   
swear1 to what another shall believe8   
and what a notion this swearing must    
give to young minds of the reverence due
 to an oath6 ,descant1 ,mr4             
,attorney-,general1 as you think proper 
upon the good moral tendency of the     
religion as by law established1 but you 
will find it very difficult to prove    
your assertions in its favour1 whenever 
you may please to advance them4 ,the    

oath extends so far as that the child   
shall believe not one article only but  
all the articles of ,jesus's religion1  
and that without even comprehending them
 all1 for some1 as that of the ,trinity1
 are quite unintelligible2 and some of  
these articles contain other articles so
 as to embrace the whole volume of the  
,bible1 all and singular every passage  
of it4  ,and thirdly1 that ,i should    
keep ,god's holy will and commandments4 
,then they must swear that the boy shall
 never be a godfather4  ,all this is    
done to impair the intellect1 and       
accounts1 in part1 for the extreme      
obstinacy and prejudice of ,jesus's     
followers4 ,somebody must have sworn1   
,mr4 ,attorney ,general1 that you should
 never be an ,attorney-,general2 for    
this exercise of your office herein     
described1 is not compatible with much  
scrupulosity4 ,as for its being said    
that the child afterwards takes the oath
 upon itself1 oaths cannot be so        
transferred2 therefore that plea is     

futile4 ,no description of people1      
besides ,jesus's followers1 ever        
admitted the execrable principle of the 
transfer of an oath4 ,in fact1 if the   
godfathers had sworn that the boy should
 turn out a pickle1 after all the rest  
of priestly management1 they would have 
stood a pretty good chance of having    
nothing fall upon their conscience from 
that quarter4  ,jesus's priests are apt 
to injure the intellect of young people 
by telling them1 that if they do not    
believe ,jesus's religion they will be  
damned to eternal punishments4 ,now as  
in all natural belief1 when the         
intellect is sound and healthy1 the mind
 is always passive in the act of giving 
its assent to any proposition1 this     
trick of ,jesus's priests disturbs1     
impairs1 and disorders the              
understanding2 and by this means also   
people are rendered incapable1          
throughout life1 to reason and inquire  
with penetration1 discernment1 and      
impartiality on religious subjects4 ,the

 natural belief of a sound mind is not  
determined by the will4 ,if men could1  
in all cases1 believe whatever they     
pleased1 their minds would be a complete
 chaos2 yet have ,jesus's priests1 in   
all ages since the days of the founder  
of their religion1 offered this violence
 to the human intellect4 ,thus1 ,i      
think1 that ,i have shewn you1 ,mr4     
,attorney-,general1 that the young and  
inexperienced are not more in danger of 
imbibing absurd notions and depraved    
principles from the ,deists than from   
,jesus's priests4  ,i now proceed to    
examine a supposed assertion1 rife      
enough among those of your side of the  
question that infidelity and immorality 
are necessarily connected4 ,that the    
,deists and other unbelievers are more  
immoral than ,jesus's followers1 is more
 than can be proved4 ,and when we       
consider that ,jesus's religion is      
always taken up as a prejudice1 and is  
maintained in the world by violence1 and
 by a pertinacious determination of     

,jesus's adherents to hear the reasons  
only on one side of the question1 that  
side which is favourable to his         
pretensions1 a procedure which is       
utterly repugnant to the love of truth1 
the most probable conjecture is1 that   
the unbelievers should be1 upon the     
whole1 the more moral party4 ,but it    
must be allowed to be a difficult matter
 to determine such a question as that to
 any thing like certainty4 ,until it be 
determined1 however1 you have no right  
to make the assertion alluded to4  ,when
 you declaim upon the too great         
prevalence of infidelity1 you speak a   
language which implies the insane and   
monstrous notion that natural belief is 
dependent upon the will2 whereas it is  
the known and suggested reasons which   
always naturally determine the assent4  
,a man is no more culpable merely for   
what he believes1 than he is for        
discovering by the taste that sugar is  
sweet and aloes bitter4 ,your slang when
 you speak of infidelity and belief1 as 

virtues or vices1 reprehensible or      
laudable1 would be quite unintelligible 
to us1 if we were not already acquainted
 with the tricks and machinations of    
priests to create prejudice1 or frighten
 people into an assent to points1 which 
they dare not trust and submit to the   
test of fair inquiry4  ,if the ,creator 
were to require an assent without a     
sufficient reason to determine it1 he   
would demand what is contrary to the    
structure of the human mind1 which was  
formed by himself3 thus he would        
disorder his own work1 which is a thing 
incredible4 ,if he has suggested reasons
 which would not have been otherwise    
thought of1 let ,jesus's priests produce
 them1 and let them be examined4 ,then  
the prosecutions of ,deists would be    
superfluous1 for they would be forced   
to3 believe when the reasons were found 
cogent enough4 ,but no such reasons have
 been hitherto produced3 reason or no   
reason1 the assent is still required4   
,and how shall such an assent without   

reasons sufficient be distinguished from
 what is universally allowed1 by        
physicians and all others1 to be        
insanity and mental derangement8  ,that 
the propagators of infidelity are       
instigated by the ,devil4 ,this         
assertion1 very usual from men in your  
office1 ,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 you are
 unable to prove4 ,and hereby you remind
 us1 that ,jesus's followers universally
 admit the very absurd notion of two    
principles in the universe1 a good and a
 bad one4  ,i know that the moderns     
being ashamed of it1 wish to abrogate   
it1 and to throw it off from themselves 
upon the early heretics4 ,but we shall  
not allow you to escape that way4 ,if   
you advance any principle1 you must     
admit all the consequences which        
necessarily flow from it2 and we will   
not suffer your evasions in this        
particular4 ,when pressed hard1 you     
followers of ,jesus want to pass off the
 ,devil upon us for a mere angel1 and   
tell us of his war in ,heaven1 and that 

he was cast out upon the earth4 ,this   
will not do1 we shall not allow you this
 subterfuge1 for in other places your   
received canon of ,scripture maintains  
the ubiquity of the ,devil2 this        
extravagant notion with which we charge 
you1 we shall bring home to you4 ,in #b 
,cor4 chap4 iv4 ver4 #d1 you have1 ,in  
whom the ,god of this world hath blinded
 the eyes of them that believe not4     
implying1 that the ,devil1 i4 e4 the    
,god of this world1 is present in all   
unbelievers4 ,this is still further     
confirmed by #a ,john chap4 v4 ver4 #ai1
 ,the whole world lieth in the wicked   
one1 i4e4 the ,devil4 ,i know that it is
 translated1 lieth in wickedness4 ,but  
this is a sneaking evasion of ,jesus's  
followers1 who are ashamed of the notion
 of the two principles4 ,that is an     
extraordinary vicious translation of the
 passage4 ,a man who knows the least of 
,greek at all must be sensible that the 
passage will only admit of the rendering
 which ,i have here1 and others have    

before me1 given to it4 ,the ,devil is  
said by ,jesus's followers to pervade   
the whole unbelieving world4 ,if you    
complain1 ,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 that 
this is pressing a lawyer too far on a  
theological question1 ,i shall lay the  
blame on you1 and those who have held   
your office1 for starting this          
particular subject2 and whenever an     
,attorney-,general advances a position  
he takes the risks attending it4 ,the   
story of the ,devil's fall from ,heaven 
in ,revelations1 chap4 xii4 may         
establish and show an inconsistency in  
,jesus's religion1 but it does not get  
you nor his followers clear of the silly
 notion of the two principles1 when your
 canon of ,scripture has once advanced  
what clearly implies that groundless    
notion4  ,the jury are conjured4 ,since 
the detection and exposition of that    
infamous list of jurors1 out of which a 
jury used to be packed for the ,crown   
whenever it was prosecutor1 some sort of
 reformation has taken place in the     

manner of appointing a jury1 so as to   
leave a better chance of having         
disinterested men on the jury4 ,before  
,hone's trial the scene which used to   
take place in prosecutions for alledged 
blasphemy was scandalous and detestable4
 ,the legislature take upon themselves  
to assign a revelation to the ,almighty1
 but as a revelation is a delineation of
 his character1 they assign to him a    
character of their own choosing2 and as 
they labour to suppress and hide the    
objections started against it1 that     
character which they have given to the  
,supreme ,being must of course be a bad 
one1 because concealment in this case   
implies guilt in the concealing party3  
so that the charge of blasphemy is      
justly retorted upon the legislature and
 upon the prosecuting party in this case
 of ,r4 ,carlile1 and also in the       
preceding cases of ,houston1 the reputed
 author of ,ecce ,homo1 of ,williams1   
who was  ,paine's printer of the ,age of
 ,reason1 of ,daniel ,isaac ,eaton1 too1

 and others4 ,the legislative bodies1 ,i
 repeat1 and their accomplices1 are the 
real blaspheming party1 who have given1 
as they testify by their concealing     
practices1 a bad and slanderous         
character to the ,almighty1 and whose   
guilt is aggravated by their endeavours 
to hinder other men from vindicating him
 from their foul aspersions4  ,the jury 
on all those above-mentioned occasions  
invariably gave up the character of the 
,maker of the universe to be traduced   
and calumniated by the legislative      
bodies and their accomplices2 and this  
abandonment of all rectitude and decency
 was by bad men termed a verdict1 i4 e4 
a vere dictum1 whereby infallibility was
 attributed to twelve mortal men at the 
same time that it was denied to the     
,ancient of ,days1 the real proprietor  
of all worlds4 ,if persons1 sitting     
judiciously upon the character of this  
exalted ,being1 gave it up thus to be   
reviled1 they ought1 at least1 to have  
been ,gods whose judgement was to have  

been thus appealed to2 in fact1 this    
sort of appeal of the prosecuting party 
to twelve mortals was erecting them to  
something far above the human nature2   
and these twelve mortals were induced by
 a gratuity of one or more guineas a    
piece1 a good dinner1 with plenty of    
jovial nectar1 at the expence of the    
country1 to consign over the character  
of the ,almighty to reviling and insult1
 thereby opening a door for a           
supposititious system of morality1      
,and raised to gods confess even virtue 
vain4      --,pope4  ,as they value the 
preservation of good morals4 ,this1 as  
,i have shewn1 must be merely ironical1 
these prosecutions having the opposite  
tendency4  ,the peace and good order of 
society4 ,this is to obtain a submission
 to tyranny2 which submission ,jesus in 
his religion inculcates by his ,apostle 
,peter1 #a ,cph4 chap4 ii4 ver4 #ac3    
,submit yourselves to every ordinance of
 man4 ,and this will account for zeal of
 the ruling authorities to support      

,jesus's pretensions3  ,individual and  
public welfare4 ,this1 after what has   
been shewn1 must be all rant4  ,the     
happiness of their fellow-subjects here 
and hereafter4 ,this can never be       
promoted by suppressing argument and    
stifling inquiry4  ,arrest the fatal    
poison4 ,here the fair and free         
investigation and examination of        
propositions is called poison4 ,yet1 who
 but the wicked can have any thing to   
dread from inquiry8  ,i apprehend1 ,mr4 
,shepherd1 that you and the self' styled
 ,society for the ,suppression of ,vice 
carry on separate prosecutions1 but ,i  
have classed you both together1 because 
you are both of you aiding1 abetting1   
and assisting in the same design4 ,of   
what individuals that ,society is       
composed is not known to me1 but as the 
,bishops of ,durham and ,rochester are  
the presidents1 ,i conclude1 that many  
priests of ,jesus are among the number1 
and that1 at any rate1 the parsons are  
the chief instructors in this business4 

,that free inquiry should not generally 
take place is much their interest1 for  
thereby their gains would be gone4 ,they
 would much wish that the ignorance of  
ancient days1 so profitable to parsons1 
could be brought back2 and ,i send you a
 verse or two upon a desire expressed in
 the ,gentleman's1 or as it ought to be 
called1 from its treating so much of    
ecclesiastical matters1 and expressing  
the wish of the parsons1 the ,parson's  
,magazine1 that the level near ,st4     
,andrew's church should be filled up4   
,priests1 who through fiats their trade 
sustain      ,wish level ,holborn ,hill2
      ,and wish the world were flat     
again      ,as erst when it stood still4
 #a  ,the self-styled ,society for the  
,suppression of ,vice1 are zealous to   
substitute useless or absurd observances
 as parts of religion1 instead of real  
true morality2 and have taken great     
pains to prevent amusements1 and produce
 a gloom throughout ,sunday1 the only   
holiday for many people4 ,there are not 

less spirits drank on amount of a       
sabbatical gloom2 for harmless          
chearfulness is rather a preservative of
 innocence4 ,i have therefore sent you1 
,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 a song1 which  
,i beg you to deliver to the parsons of 
that ,society1 and to any other parsons1
 to help them to keep up their spirits4 
#a ,joshua1 chap4 x4   ,,song1  ,to the 
tune of ,come1 bustle1 hustle1 drink    
about1 and let us merry be1 of ,george  
,alexander ,stevens4       ,since ,paul 
affirms that ,heaven has chose      ,the
 thoughtless foolish things1 #a         
,and bless'd with ,paradise all those   
,for paying priests and kings3 #b       
,then a preaching we will go1 will go1  
will go1      ,then a preaching we will 
go4       ,fanatic herds1 as if with    
strings      ,at their nose1 by priests 
are led2      ,and know not that the    
knavish things      ,made that choice in
 ,god's stead4      ,then a preaching1  
c4       ,as crowds believe the heavens 
reject      ,the prying1 shrewd1 and    

wise1      ,no fear lest he our fraud   
detect1      ,whose faith has closed his
 eyes4      ,then a preaching1 c4       
,now ,sion is rubied1 gilt1 and pearl'd1
      ,as the seat of blockheads' bliss2
      ,our flocks may take that future  
world1      ,give us the joys of this4  
,then a preaching1 c4            #a     
,cor4 chap4 i4 ver4 #bg4            #b  
,rom4 chap4 xiii4 ver4 #d4       ,our   
muttons1 gulled and ignorant1      ,dare
 never close inquire1      ,lest if they
 disbelieve our cant1      ,they fall to
 ,hell's hot fire4      ,then a         
preaching1 c4       ,thus dolts suck in 
through panic dread      ,the ,gospel's 
milk #a and crumbs1      ,and with all  
nonsense fill their heads1      ,lest   
,hell should scorch their bums4         
,then a preaching1 c4       ,march      
#b1ahaj4 ,,philalethes4             #a  
#a ,cor4 chap4 iii4 ver4 #b4            
and ,heb4 chap4 i4 ver4 #ac4            
,,letter ,,to ,,mr4 ,,carlile1  ,london1
 #bhth ,february1 #ahai4   ,sir1  ,you  

are about to be placed in a situation1  
and to perform a part1 which will       
interweave your name in the page of     
history3--not1 however1 in that species 
of history which records the wars1      
bloodshed1 or misery of nations1 as     
opposed to one another2 but in that     
which exhibits the cruelties of         
governments towards individuals among   
their own subjects1 who seeing1 or      
thinking they see1 their fellow men     
suffering afflictions through the       
ignorance1 prejudice1 and misrule of    
their governments1 endeavour to remove  
the causes of such oppressions and      
misery1 by disclosing them1 and setting 
their fellow-men to think for           
themselves4 ,you have had the virtue and
 intrepidity to engage in this          
honourable career1 and are1             
consequently1 a prominent object in the 
public eye4 ,every friend to the        
progress of knowledge1 reason1 and      
truth1 as well as of sincere humanity1  
is warmly interested in the nature and  

result of those severe proceedings      
instituted against you4 ,they devoutly  
hope that your character as a man and a 
neighbour will afford no handle for     
disparagement of you and your conduct2  
that your moral principles are good1 and
 your integrity unquestioned2 that your 
deportment in the relations of private  
and domestic life is amiable3 and that  
conscious of the purity of your motives1
 you will not shrink before the threats 
of your adversaries2 but1 on the        
contrary1 display that manly firmness of
 courage which will enable you to       
encounter and defeat the numerical1     
though not formidable1 superiority of   
force to be arrayed against you4 ,if1   
however1 contrary to our hopes and      
expectations1 the abettors of           
persecution in church and state should1 
by their arts and machinations1 succeed 
in obtaining a verdict for the          
persecutor1 be you assured that the     
respect1 sympathy1 and support of every 
enlightened1 liberal1 and benevolent    

mind1 will follow you1 wherever your    
oppressors may convey your person4 ,yet1
 ,i cannot but cherish anticipations of 
a very different termination of these   
proceedings1 engendered as they are     
between religious bigotry and political 
folly1 when submitted by both sides to a
 jury of our countrymen4 ,i trust that  
impartial justice will guide their      
decision4  ,as a friend to the universal
 freedom of mankind1 civil and          
religious1 ,i take leave to address you1
 for the purpose of contributing my     
sincere congratulations on the honours  
that await you1 and the fine opportunity
 presented to you of benefiting mankind4
 ,i regret that the nature of my        
situation constrains me to conceal my   
name4 ,to disclose it would1 in all     
probability1 prove my ruin in worldly   
circumstances1 and thus both my present 
and future usefulness in this very cause
 be destroyed4 ,i know many individuals1
 eminent for public and private virtue1 
who entertain the same sentiments as    

myself1 who1 by the prejudices so       
assiduously kept up1 are equally obliged
 to be silent4  ,i have felt desirous1  
too1 of sending you a few unconnected   
thoughts which have occurred to me on   
your case4 ,it is very likely that they 
are quite common1 and may have been much
 better expressed by others2 yet1       
nevertheless1 ,i shall state them4  ,i  
can easily suppose1 that1 even if you   
had an intention to employ counsel in   
your defence1 you would find some       
difficulty1 in the present servility of 
the bar to the powers that be1 to obtain
 any assistance4 ,but you require none1 
and you will be your own best advocate4 
,i am not a lawyer1 and therefore am ,i 
neither deeply read in musty statutes1  
nor skilled in legal subtleties4 ,i     
apprehend1 however1 that there is not a 
law in the statute book forbidding      
theological controversy4 ,the crime with
 which you are charged is called a      
libel4 ,now1 what a libel is ,i do not  
know1 nor can any body tell me2 yet you 

are doubtless pretty well aware1 that   
your prosecutors will1 in a strain of   
inflated declamation and bombast1       
describe this libel as a thing of the   
most atrocious and diabolical nature and
 tendency4 ,your mode of defence against
 this attack is obvious4 ,since the     
question at issue between you and your  
accusers is not one of law1 but of fact1
 your object is to get behind their     
ambuscade of words1 and beat down their 
phillippics by that irresistible weapon1
 common sense1 wielded by an honest man4
  ,it has always appeared to my         
understanding that the most powerful    
argument that can be used with          
well-meaning people who assisted in1 or 
approve of1 prosecutions to support the 
ascendancy of their religion1 is1 that  
which shews such prosecutions to have a 
directly opposite tendency4 ,persecution
 is the very scandal of religion3 it    
confesses weakness at once1 and is a    
complete admission that the origin1     
doctrines1 and progress of that religion

 cannot bear investigation4  ,it proves 
that the professors of and believers in 
it1 are not themselves convinced of its 
truth and divine nature4 ,but a system  
of things being established1 of which   
these persons form apart1 in which they 
live1 move1 and have their being1 they  
wish it to be true4 ,they themselves    
take it for granted1 and live very      
comfortably under that system of        
machinery of which it is a wheel1 and so
 their interest and indolence combine in
 prompting them to wish every one else  
to have the same belief4 ,there are     
people1 however1 who cannot1 and will   
not1 believe what appears to their      
judgements to be false2 but1 should they
 go farther than this1 and consciously  
wishing their fellow-creatures to       
perceive the truth1 endeavour to shew by
 writings on what grounds they cannot1  
and others ought not1 to believe in     
falsehood and impositions1 then1 in     
default of counter argument1 or         
refutation by the same instrument of    

reason1 courts of law and armed         
authority are called on1 to compel those
 unbelievers either to believe1 and of  
course such belief would be against     
their consciences1 or to hold their     
tongues4 ,in former ages1 shooting1     
stabbing1 burning1 and flaying alive1   
were the means used for propagating     
religion for the good of men's souls2   
now they are imprisonment1 fine1        
pillory3 but these remnants of barbarity
 are also fast sinking into disgrace and
 disuse1 and ,i cannot help thinking    
that you are destined to give the       
finishing blow1 in this country at      
least1 to the cruelties of bigotry4     
,now1 as inspiration or direct          
revelation from ,heaven is not believed 
even by ,christians 7at least the more  
rational7 of this day1 though in the    
early and middle ages of ,christianity  
priests and monks would have sworn that 
,god communicated with them every day1  
let me suggest that1 in the course of   
your defence1 you ask the ,jury trying  

your guilt or innocence as a libeller of
 that religion1 whether they believe it 
to be founded on truth8 ,and since it   
would be to insult them1 you can add1 to
 suppose they should profess belief of a
 subject doubtless considered by them of
 the highest importance to their present
 and future welfare1 without having     
thoroughly examined it1 again           
ask--whether in their hearts and        
consciences they think that any         
sophistical reasoning1 which every thing
 contrary to it they must deem so1 could
 shake their principles thus established
 on the basis of demonstration8 ,if so  
established1 what can hurt it--what can 
be a libel on it8 ,unless their religion
 be capable of demonstration1 it is at  
best but doubtful1 and may1 therefore1  
be at least susceptible of confutation4 
,if1 in spite of the objections and     
attacks to which it has been exposed1 it
 can be shewn to be the true religion   
after all1 such discussion1 instead of  
doing harm1 must do good1 inasmuch as it

 fixes the religion on a firmer basis4  
,on a subject where so many men of the  
most acute intellect and most           
respectable character differ in opinion1
 you1 as a humble inquirer after truth1 
may be allowed to have yours4           
,speculative opinions on religion1 you  
can tell the jury1 are nothing3 whether 
you are a ,roman ,catholic1 a           
,protestant1 a ,mohammedan1 a worshipper
 of ,vishnu1 or a ,free ,thinker1 or    
none of all these1 is of no consequence 
to mankind1 either governing or         
governed--,it is a matter between you   
and your ,maker only4 ,all that         
governments can have to do with         
individuals1 is their conduct as members
 of the state towards their neighbours4 
,had you been charged with any acts of  
disturbance1 with the violation of any  
of the laws for the protection of       
persons and property1 then it would have
 been intelligible2 you might have been 
a fit object for trial1 and1 if found   
guilty1 of punishment4 ,not one of the  

books which you have published have the 
slightest tendency to promote disorder1 
but1 on the contrary do they profess and
 are calculated by a diffusion of their 
principes to extend and consolidate     
universal peace1 virtue1 happiness1 and 
prosperity4  ,if1 then1 the gentlemen of
 the ,jury's religion be founded on what
 they have satisfied their understanding
 to be truth1 nothing can injure it2    
since1 if it really come from ,god1 to  
imagine that any writings1 whether      
argumentative or satirical1 could       
maintain a doubtful contest with books  
said to contain a revelation of the     
divine will1 is actually to raise the   
author of such writings1 and you their  
publisher1 to a level with ,god himself6
 or1 rather1 to degrade that ,almighty1 
wise1 and good ,being1 your ,creator1 to
 a level with you1 the creature4 ,hence 
it follows1 that persecution may        
destroy1 but never can support any      
religion4  ,you cannot have a better    
ground-work for your defence than the   

theological works of ,paine1 which1     
indeed1 settle the question about the   
inspiration of the scriptures and the   
divinity of ,christ4 ,on the subject of 
religion generally there is a book which
 every lover of truth must regret is not
 so well known as it will infallibly be 
in no long time--,i allude to a work    
entitled ,principles of ,morality1 by   
,george ,ensor1 ,esq4 ,it displays the  
most extensive research and erudition1  
combined with good sense and an amiable 
disposition2 the subject is pursued with
 much perspicuity of order1 and         
expressed in an easy1 neat1 appropriate 
style4 ,the book forms a very useful    
companion to ,hume's ingenious and      
philosophical ,essays on the ,natural   
,history of ,religion4  ,i have now to  
advert to what you will doubtless       
consider the most valuable part of this 
communication4 ,at the period of the    
late ,mr4 ,eaton's cruel and abominable 
treatment under the chief persecutorship
 of ,lord ,ellenborough and his high    

priest1 ,sir ,vicary ,gibbs1 a letter   
appeared in the ,morning ,chronicle on  
the subject of that unfortunate         
gentleman's unmerited punishment4 ,it   
purported to be written by one who      
believed in the ,christian religion2 but
 it evinced sentiments so liberal1      
reasoning so just and forcible2 it      
placed the right of conscience1 even as 
good policy1 in so striking a point of  
view2 arguing the subject in such good  
temper1 and with such conciseness1 as to
 appear to me a masterpiece of its kind1
 and a standard to which every member of
 the ,christian church ought to be      
referred4 ,i preserved a copy of it at  
the time1 and now send you one          
transcribed1 believing that it may be   
useful to you1 or that it may at least  
be interesting to you in the perusal4   
,the public mind has1 of late years1    
been making rapid progress towards a    
true knowledge of its rights4           
,priestcraft and bigotry must and will  
be destroyed4 ,once trampled upon by man

 in the energy of his wrath1 these      
monsters can never again rear their     
,gorgon heads4 ,like the ,apollo        
represented by the ,grecian sculptor1 in
 the act of destroying the ,pythian     
serpent1 man will then stand as ,god    
created him1 the impress of his own     
image1 erect1 free1 noble1 and grand4   
,we have seen the glorious result of the
 attempt to crush1 not ,hone1 but in him
 the spirit of a free press1 and it is  
not permitted us to doubt that a similar
 triumph and reward awaits you4  ,i am1 
,your sincere 7though anonymous7 friend1
  ,a ,,fellow-,,inquirer ,,after        
,,truth4  7,copy47  ,to the ,editor of  
the ,morning ,chronicle4  ,sir1  ,i was 
one of those who saw ,mr4 ,eaton stand  
in the pillory for what has been called 
an attempt to overturn the religion of  
his country4 ,the manner in which the   
spectators behaved during the execution 
of this severe punishment1 was1 in my   
opinion1 highly creditable to the       
liberality of the age4 ,i think ,i may  

venture to say1 there was hardly an     
individual present who did not          
sympathise with the unfortunate man2 he 
was cheered by numbers during the whole 
time of the punishment2 and many efforts
 were made to convey various kinds of   
refreshments to him4  ,as one of those  
who wish well to the interests of the   
,christian religion1 ,i own ,i was      
shocked upon this occasion4 ,i have     
always conceived this religion to be    
perfectly independent of the arm of     
authority for its support1 and to       
require only to be heard and examined to
 bear down every species of opposition4 
,i cannot but consider that it has made 
its way against power1 learning1 and    
philosophy1 united to destroy it2 nor   
can ,i refuse to draw from this the     
deduction1 that it will equally         
withstand all the efforts of abuse1     
sophistry1 and calumny4 ,when ,i see any
 set of men resort to punishment1       
instead of argument1 in its defence1 ,i 
can with difficulty conceive they are   

serious in the belief of its doctrines1 
for the smallest reflection might       
convince them1 that such a course is the
 most effectual method they could take  
to lower its estimation1 and to cover it
 with discredit4 ,it betrays that       
diffidence and fear for the result which
 a man thoroughly impressed with the    
truth of the ,christian doctrines would 
surely not be the most likely to        
entertain4 ,i cannot bring myself1      
therefore1 to believe1 that those who   
manifest a zeal to crush the enemies of 
,christianity by the arm of the law1 are
 themselves acquainted with that        
religion4 ,i imagine them1 on the       
contrary1 to be men whose time and      
attention have been completely ingrossed
 by secular affairs1 and who believe the
 ,christian religion as they would      
believe the ,mohammedan1 merely because 
their fathers believed it before them4  
,let those cruel persecutors reflect for
 a moment on the injury they are thus   
doing to the very cause they are        

pretending to support4 ,let them        
consider that religion can be defended  
only by argument1 or by force2 and that 
it cannot be defended by the union of   
both2 for it is in vain to say1 it may  
be defended by argument1 when the       
reasonings on one side only can be heard
 aloud1 while those on the other draw   
down on the head of the user of them    
pillory and imprisonment4 ,it is        
certainly a very unequal conflict when  
one of the combatants may make use of an
 argument or a halter at his discretion4
 ,it is like a battle between a pugilist
 and one armed with a stiletto1 which1  
though he may not use at first1 he knows
 he can use if hard pushed4 ,such       
defenders of ,christianity would do well
 to remember1 that the means they are   
resorting to are those which so         
successfully promoted the cause of      
infidelity in ,france4 ,had the same    
pains been bestowed in refuting the     
productions of ,rousseau1 ,diderot1 and 
,voltaire1 which were employed in       

burning their books and punishing the   
authors1 ,france and the whole of       
,europe might1 at this day1 have        
exhibited very different spectacle4     
,the progress of liberal opinion has    
been very rapid1 indeed1 of late years2 
and though ,judges and                  
,attorney-,generals1 whose daily        
pursuits1 certainly so unfavourable to  
liberal and comprehensive reasonings1   
are generally among the last persons to 
shake off antiquated prejudices1 yet    
they too1 however slowly1 will1         
unquestionably1 at last1 be borne down  
by the tide of public opinion4