MR. CARLILE THE HON. MR. JUST. ERSKINE. Gloucester, August 23, 1842. ORD JUDGE.-I have allowed a week to elapse ru presided at the mock trial of GEORGE HOLYOAKE, to ensure calm feelings and consideration before I address your lordship abject. I say "pock trial," not in insulted; even the language for which he was prosecuted as of their hands." lordship's presidency, nor to that of the jury pmded" guilty" to your lordship's request; that array of circumstances which brought ⚫ case before your lordship as a law officer of own, and before that most stupid and unreae Jury of blockheads as one of the Gloucester I am in hope that it will be the last case Lind to disgrace the records of English courts I am sure I do not distort your lordship's when I say that through every minute of ake's admirable, Christian, unwearying nine defence, you must have regretted the circumes which had brought such a case into court you. Yon saw a gentleman, at least in mind, nt before you, charged with having spoken my; and if you are but half as pious as creto be, your lordship would find no closer pato the case of Holyoake than that of your before the judgment-seat of Pilate, Herod, the High-priest of the Jews; the latter exclaimauswer to the truths of the saviour: "He poken blasphemy! What further need have > witness? Behold, now ye have heard his blasmy. What think ye? They answered and said, guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, afletted him, and others smote him with the Il this was, in spirit, done to the amiable Holye. It was the same everlasting gospel mystery, frama of divine principle played over again. As on the occasion, your lordship personified the Zion, the vice, not the virtue of Herod, Pilate, the high-priest. You did not, like Pilate, reai with the accnsors and and jury; saying, as you gal to have said, that you found no fault in the n, but you unlike Pilate, and like the high priest, aded against the accused, wbom, your office, in titutional administration of law, was, in duty ave saved from the evident malice of his accusors nitted for prejudiced judgment to the evident Borance of the appointed jurors. Your lordship roudly and maliciously pleaded against him in wing that no evidence was brought before the court how that Holyoake had not hired the questioner draw out his religious opinions! Was such an sensation made before the judge made it in aggration of the accusation? I then blushed for the cionsly degraded name of Erskine. Your father no vice but his religion. That was in him a e: it is so in you his son. Holyoake must have sed the educated man in you to struggle dreadlly with the religious judge. By your proceedings that case the queen was disgraced-by you, her dicial representative! It is the disgrace of the een that such a man as Holyoake should be in d; her majesty's honour is thereby tainted, her own tarnished, her character defamed, her glory aced, her peaceably disposed reign disturbed, her Tame made infamous. She is handed down to posanty by this act in her name as a tyrant, revengeF perseentress in matters of conscience and religion. In the mechanics institution of this city, this day, I have seen the charred stake exhibited at which Bubop Hooper was burnt. In the gaol I have seen the talented, the amiable and good Holyoake through an iron gate, with a turnkey listener, denied the prilege of reading a newspaper filled with a report of Lis trial, wishing and hurrying his friends away from the pain of so conversing with them. It was such a man as you, Mr. Justice Erskine, who caused Pishop Hooper to be burnt. It was such a man as you, Mr. Justice Erskine, who has caused Holyoake to be so imprisoned. Holyoake has no more blasphemed than you. He is as incapable of blasphemy You do it in the name of religion; he you. cannot do it under any name. He loves truth and science; you love idolatry and superstition. He a martyr to honesty and love of truth; you a penand will bear no defence-no discussion. Holyoake sioned defender of error, of the faith that is false, is a better Christian than his judge who sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. Every word of his defence was Christian; for that he was punish was Christian. He was but combatting an ignorant man's error, which every man should do, in season and out of season. The question which he was asked about duty to god was an unchristian question. Man has no drities to be performed toward god as an external being other than to make it a spirit internal to himself. This is a duty which society as a church owes to the man and the man to himself. Immanuel, or god in man, is the theory and the revelation of the mystery of the godhead in the bible. The godhead is men's heart made divine by an incarna tion of the spirit of god in man. It is purely a work of education in science, morals, and love. change the heart the head must be first changed; changed from the natural, sinful, or ignorant man, into the spiritual, intellectual, or enlightened moral man. To It is wholly monstrous that such a man as Holyoake should be imprisoned. It is the queen and country's disgrace and your judicial infamy. He offended no law, no moral, no propriety. The god he rejected, was an inferior man's idol. The religion he disclaimed was that man's superstition. He merely said, the country is too heavily taxed for its idols and its superstition. He said, in fact and effect, he would put the idols on half-pay. I would have wasted on them. I have no such religion; 1 altogether cashier them; not a sixpence would I renounce, reject, and scorn it altogether. Yet, I respect the bible; not as you profess to respect it. science of human wisdom, morals, and love. HolyI revere christianity; not as you profess, but as the oake is better-I am a better Christian than you. In the theatre of Gloucester and in the public ways of Cheltenham I have declared that a bad man was never prosecuted for blasphemy; and that the best, most virtuous, and most philosophical of men are they who are prosecuted. My evidence is in your gospel; in the lives of the Grecian philosophers, from Pythagoras to Aristotle; in the history of our own country, in my case, in Holyoake's, in that of my wife, sister, shopmen, and shopwomen. Not a shade of compliment did you offer Holyoake for his truly Christian defence. It was all blasphemy to you and the jury, as the language of the saviour was all blasphemy to the high-priest. My duty and office as a Christian minister is to tell you, Mr. Justice Erskine, that you are not and that Holyoake is a Christian. I will undertake to prove this, if opposed by all the law and learning of you have done to Holyoake. Take shame by time; the country. I call upon you to repent of that which retrieve the character of your queen, and save her prison gate opened. Do him justice; and ask parfrom such disgraceful associations! Get Holyoake's him. I am, my lord, your lorship's humble servant, don of god and man for the injustice you have done RICHARD CARLILE. JEW-BOOK PROMPTINGS. ON Monday, the 8th inst., I visited Croydon, with my son of twenty-two years of age, and repaired to the ancient archiepiscopal palace, which is now converted into a public school-room, and exhibited to any one for a shilling. I visited it as an object of antiquity, with its historical associations. An infa mous clerical job is connected with this sacred building. In 1780 the Archbishop of Canterbury obtained an act of parliament, by which he got rid of his mouldy, tottering, and uninhabitable palace, built in 1278, and erected in its place a beautiful dwelling about three miles from the town. The chapel of the ancient edifice, with Queen Elizabeth's open pew, turned into a school-room, and the clergyman, or is The following is the reply of Mr. J Hume, M.P., to an inquiry from. M. T secretary of the "Anti-Persecution U requesting information of the presenti a petition on behalf of Mr. SoUTHWE Ryde, 18th August, 1 somebody for him, exhibits it for a shilling, a sum I have often paid. On my last visit I had not a shilling, but the exhibitor changed me half-a-crown, and gave me back my eighteen pence, keeping her parsonic fee. On asking this clerical deputy representative, or clergyman's show female, whether corporeal punishment was inflicted on the pupils, the answer was, that the girls were flogged and beaten. The exhibitor added that there were no boys in the Sir. I presented the petition in fav school, but one hundred and sixty girls, and that it Charles Southwell; and, as there w was called the School of Industry. Many of these time to take any notice of it separat flogged or floggable girls are above the age of legal puberty. On my saying to my companion, "What spoke to Sir James Graham, who prv a shame!" a middle-aged woman, the mistress of to look into the case if anything can h the school, rushed down the long, narrow, steep and I expect, when he is a little at i staircase of Queen Elizabeth, with clenched fist and screaming violently. A short description of the scene to hear from him on the subject. will best answer the ends of public justice and utility. The Bedlamite frantic woman screamed out the following sentences: Do you say it is a shame to flog children? Get out of this building-it is not a public place. The public have no right to enter. I have a right to flog the children, and I will flog them. The BIBLE tells me to flog the children (of the age of puberty), The vicar says to me, Beat the children, Mrs. Davis,' and I will beat them. You are no gentleman. You are a disgrace to the name of gentleman, if you say ought not to beat the children. I was flogged very much when I was young, and I deserved it. Were you not flogged when you were young, for you must have deserved it? If you brought up your son without flogging you are not fit to be entrusted with the education of children. The BIBLE tells me to beat the children, and the vicar says, Beat the children.'"-Correspondent of the "Weekly Dispatch." I HOW TO DO THE DEVIL! or a hint for Sir R. Inglis to propose the erection of some BARREL churches. Mr. Edward Brooks, of Huddersfield, gave a sermon in a Methodist chapel at Oakham, in which he said, "I had a glorious salvation of souls in a place I preached in last year; the men sweated so for salvation that they were obliged to pull off their coats and waistcoats, and the women their gowns!" "He had," he said, "effected the salvation of the squire's wife, but the devil would not let her have her soul at liberty. She prayed in her room, but the devil entered there. She prayed in the barn with the door closed, but the enemy got in there; and at last she did him by praying in a barrel, the joints of which were too close for him." Persons in the country, who are interested in the cause, are requested to apply for sheets or books to the liberal publishers, secretaries of Social branches, &c., and if not promptly supplied, to write direct to the secretary. On Sunday, Sept. 11, one of the committee will be in attendance, after the evening lecture, at each of the London Social branches, viz. at A. 1, Johnstreet, Tottenham-court-road; 53rd branch, Blackfriars-road; 63rd, High-street, Whitechapel; 16th, Frederick-place, Goswell road. The collectors and persons desirous of assisting are requested to be present. M. RYALL, Sec. 312 The present undefined offence of blasp leaves every man, who differs from the lished church in his opinion on questio faith, at the mercy of every judge lik Charles Wetherall; and such a statelaw is much to be regretted, I remain, your obedient servant, Mr. M. Ryall. JOSEPH HUM Also the following from Lord Brougham: Lord Brougham's compliments to Mr. Ryall. has no doubt that he presented the petition Bristol with others, as he presented all the peta which came from any bodies of persons, belum end of the sessions. Lord Brougham made ne tion upon the subject. BROCCE August 22, 1842. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS, MR. FREDRIC HOLLICK, now of New I of New York, desires him to make as public a America, writing to Mr. Holyoake on the cou sible the fact that there is no employment for chanics in New York-hundreds are walking only to join them. He says "the only parties who cannot get work, and numbers are daily arra should come are farm labourers, who are wanted, or parties with a little money who buying land, and settling on it." Mr. Hollick is anxious this should be made known as it may vent many friends from making an unfortunate The articles of "Wm. Birch," " W.," and " ERRATA. In the article of W.B.C., No. 36, p transpose the " is," eighth line from the bottom of paragraph, to immediately after the parenthes In p. 287, No. 35, article "Christian Ignorance &c. for "two thousand emendations,” read “tu thousand." Malcolm Kilneaid.. A few friends to Free Inquiry at Stansfield Print Works Ditto at Rochdale Printed and Published for THOMAS PATERSON, URGH ORACLE OF REASON Or, Philosophy Vindicated. ECULAR UNION "FAITH'S EMPIRE IS THE WORLD; ITS MONARCH, GOD; ITS MINISTERS, THE PRIESTS ITS SLAVES, THE PEOPLE." . 38.] wwwwww EDITED BY THOMAS PATERSON. Originally Edited by CHARLES SOUTHWELL, sentenced, on January 15, 1842, to Tirelve Months' Imprisonment in Bristol Gaol, and to paya fine of £100, 【PRIcy 2D. Second Editor, G. J. HOLYOAKE, sentenced, on August 13, 1842, to Six Months' [RENOLOGY AND MATERIALISM. publicly exhibiting them to the females' won RENOLOGISTS boast that their science is king rapid strides, moving with giant steps ards universal acceptation. Perhaps they quite right, but whatever may be the it or denierit of their science, it is certain t the reasonings by which it is commonly ported are very funny. In respect of ioning, however, there is hardly a pin to ose hetween phrenologists and anti-phregists, those who attack or those who deI A fine example of this duplex drollery lately been furnished by the Rev. Robt. Ixon, A.M., author of The Pleasures of ty," and a Mr. Barber, who styles himself | ate Professor of Elocution at Harvard iversity, United States, and Member of Royal College of Surgeons" The rev. has just published two lectures against Enology, Mr. Barber is now engaged in delivery of a course of lectures at Man ster for phrenology. dering eye? Here we have a fine example of argument against science drawn from fiction, and a ludicrous yet forcible illustration of l'esprit de metier, the nothing-like-leather animus of clerical philosophers. These fellows get their living by the Jew-book, and consistently enough say there is nothing like it. The currier in the beseiged city recommended a fortification of leather, and parsons when beseiged in their citadel of folly and corruption, have no idea, nor indeed necessity for any other than a Jew-book fortification. Is it not absurd to attempt a disproof or an answer to skull or any other philosophy, by an appeal to the fabulous trash of Genesis? However, phrenologists themselves can hardly complain of this, for they are inveterate canters about god and the scripture. They appeal to that detestable Jew-book, and cannot complain with good grace if their opponents equally avail themselves of its superlative humbug. on Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war, gent.'s conclusions, if they admit his premises. Nor do I see how they can deny the rev. it may amuse as well as instruct my If they admit that Adam and Eve were a ders to observe how these two Grecians perfect pair, it will be difficult for phrenolompionise their respective opinions. gists to account for the circumstance of Cain The rev. opponent of phrenology, as rev. and Abel being so very different, it will indeed pnents of anything are wont to do, draws be difficult for them to account by an appeal leading arguments against that real to phrenological principles for the Jew-book posed science from the Jew-book. I can fact that Abel was the best and Cain the worst y find room for one, which is passing rich, possible specimen of humanity. My convicwill serve as a fair sample of the rest. tion is that science never can flourish while Franting (says he) that a man with an or- mixed up with superstition, and that he who isation developed in the very best possible takes upon trust and adopts as the basis of iner, might find a wife with an equally his reasonings the truth either of Jew-book or ellent development, this would be no cer- Jew-god, is totally precluded from arriving I warrant that their children would all have at sound conclusions. Daniel Hoffman, a dis. arally noble dispositions of mind. Of the ciple of Luther, said that whate is true in it perfect pair that ever lived, the first-born theology is false in philosophy, and what is a murderer. Cain murdered his brother true in philosophy is false in theology. From The circumstance of Cain and Abel which opinion I dissent. My own is, that ig so very different in disposition, though that there is no true theology, or truth in theang from the same parents, is sufficient toology. That it begins with a lie, goes on w the folly of the phrenological system in with a lie, and finishes with the same-in rence to marriage. And what I ask even | short, that it is a lie altogether. Theology enologists themselves, on their own prin-is hermaphroditic in its character, being at les, is more likely to injure the succeeding once father and mother of at least nine-tenths Leration than for itinerant lecturers on their of all the lies, crime, and wickedness in the ence to carry about a host of ideota” skulla, | world. I am qurious to see what answer el. phrenologists will make to the Rev. Mr. | action, I presume. Now all this looks ver Wilson, for though they may not share my disgust and contempt for the idle stories about Cain, Abel, Adam, Eve, the serpent, &c., they cannot, I think allow that the difference of disposition of Cain and Abel, though sprung from the same parents, "is sufficient to show the folly of the phronological system in reference to marriage." like nonsense, as "Publicola" would say for what can be. known about the mode e mind's action, when in point of fact, mindi neither more nor less than a mode of body action. Mind is not a subject or existence like body, but an attribute of certain kinds o subjects or existences. Is it less conceivab that the fine, active, highly sensitive matte called brain, should think, than that an in tangible, immaterial, no-one-knows-what en I leave them to settle this matter as best they may with their rev. opponent, whose arguments have not shaken my faith in phre-ed mind, should slide into and make use o nology, but they will undoubtedly tell well upon the soft heads of all real good Jew-book Christians. I do nevertheless agree with the rev. gent. that it is not fitting idiots' skulls should be publicly exhibited to the females' wondering eye, and therefore sincerely hope that his own may be carefully looked after. the brain, as I do of my breeches? Mr. Ba I will now pass from this rev. attacker to a no less sage and able defender of phrenology, viz., Mr. Barber, who in a lecture introductory to the course above mentioned, displays much anxiety to shield phrenologists from the charge of being Materialists. Such a charge certainly is a proof of considerable ignorance in those who make it, for materialism lends no sanction to phrenology as it is called, or craniology as it ought to be called. But let us hear Mr. Barber. I call, says he, on inquiring minds to go to nature and see what she has said as to the truth or false hood of phrenology. After which very rational call, comes the following slap at Ma terialists. "Such is the intimate connection between mind and body that the metaphy sicians made a great mistake in paying no attention to organisation, and physiologists sometimes made as great a mistake in as-sidered under a certain point of view, that signing all operations to the body. And in this way many persons were led into the fatal and indefensible doetrines and theory of materialism. Phrenologists assert that the brain is the organ or instrument of the mind, not the mind itself. This is the first proposition to be established." Now after all this prate about materialism, one might have expected that Mr. Barber would have taken some pains to establish "this the first proposition," and utterly annihilate materialism by clearly manifesting that brains are incapable of thought, and that the thinking principle or mind is a something not matter, yet capable of making use of matter as its organ or instrument. A course of this kind might, I say, have been looked for from so boastful a goer to-nature as Mr. Barker, but no, like all the bouncing spouters about mind, be so far from attempting to establish his proposition, runs on with a string of nonsense about the mode of the mind's action being a matter placed altogether beyond the reach of the human faculties, for over this, he continues, the author of nature has spread an impenetrable veil. That is over the modes of the mind's 314 to say, with relation to some of his modes action, arising out of his particular organis tion." Again, "The physical man is he w acts by causes onr senses make us understar The moral (or mental) man is he who acts physical causes with which our prejudice preclude us from becoming acquainted." A to mind hearing, seeing, tasting, &c. I cann but deem it gratuitous and most unwarrant able impertinence to talk about mind doi this, that, or the other, before it is know there is such a thing in existence. I must return to this subject, not baita yet relieved my conscience of one-half its li and this article is already too long. Mes Wilson and Barber may therefore reckon on a few more castigations, age and some ones too, for my determination is to have a manner of mercy upon canting sophists, be th reverend or irreverend, craniologic craniologic. With craniology or phrenol itself I am not now meddling, my object be simply to show up the fallacies of those " pretend to expound it, and above all to st the latter of the sanctified garb in which the love to array themselves. or anth A FEW WORDS shall he speak, "shake orthodoxy's rotten From one willing to have officiated as the bones, and make priests tremble." THIRD PRIEST OF THE ORACLE. THE spirit of the Oracle, i.e. the first spirit, though residing now in another world, is yet present with us, yet communicating to us, and if properly taken advantage of, his communications will be of value, for they contain truth, valuable truth, not to say all truth. According to the Jew-book there was a god in the early ages who had used to step down a ladder occasionally to visit the inhabitants of this nether world. He talked with our fathers face to face, walked with the first man in the garden, and even condescended to show him how to make breeches. It would appear however, that like family connexions from intermarriage, this intimacy was broken off, not altogether, but gradually. For many years after the garden tête-à-têtes he walked a highway to meet a gentleman, and stopped to refresh himself at a way-side inn. His visits however became less frequent, perhaps because he grew old and unable to undergo the fatigue. We don't assert this as as a fact, but as revelation says nothing upon the matter, we are left free to speculate. We had thought it was from a growing sense of modusty, but this would scarcely accord with the show made of the hinder parts to Moses. However, be this as it may, be at last disappared altogether, but that we might not be left without hope, to show that though far away he loved us still. he sent his son. But when he came he was not known, and though bis father shouted a time or two to tell us These things, as Paul says, are an allegory; which the initiated will understand, the saviour is entombed, but ere we shall have time to canonize his bones he will burst the sepulchre, he will rise again; he whese voice has called forth many Lazuruses from their sleep of superstitious bigotry will come again to judgment, the condemned will occupy the seat of justice, and the proud will bow before him. Meanwhile, we trust our readers and disciples will keep their lamps trimmed ready for his coming; all who have talents must use not bury them. We must work as they who have to give an account, so that in accordance with the ability possessed, interest may be made, usury obtained, and our work fulfilled. WHAT IS GOD? W. WHAT is all this splutter and clatter about god, in your publication ? None of you seem to know what you are writing about. God is as much the subject of science as any other thing. If not comprehensible it would be nonsense to talk about it. The god of the bible is purely substantial. The father-god is what man knows of the physical or natural world, the Elhoim in Hebrew. The son-god world, the Jehovah Elohim, or Jesus Christ. is what man knows of the mental or spiritual The holy ghost-god is the educated state of man in wisdom, virtue, and love. These gods science. This is the worship of god as a are incarnateable in man by education in all that this was his well-beloved son, our fathers images of god in the clouds, or in the physi spirit in spirit and in truth. All mental wald not put up with his criticisms, and cal or natural world, are idols, mere false huinding him determined not to desist from eaching new doctrines and pulling down and be manifested as a spirit incarnated in man man imaginations. The truth of god can only Mucking up the old, they at last murdered him. by education. If you could read the Hebrew Provision had, however, been made; his books, there are no Jew-books, as I thus read ate had been anticipated, and his love was them, you would not display so much ignostrong, that he appointed a successor berance in abuse of what you evidently do not are his demise; and seeing that it would understand. The fault is in your past and lat do to send the folks a mark to shoot at, present teachers, not in the books. In the le resolved to do the good without giving ministers who read them by the letter as hem a chance to return evil for it; and be-nursery tale histories, not in reading them as absent in person, he sent a spirit, even he spirit of truth, a comforter to show the rople all things. The creator of the Oracle has disappeared, ot because of age or for modesty's sake for he had nothing to be ashamed of), but ecause the world was not fit for him, but he loved the world that he sent his son, that hoso believed on him should be brought out darkness into marvellous light; that son as been murdered, that lamb is slain, but has provided a comforter, a spirit of ruth, and the Oracle through him shall show all things, and bring all things to your nembrance, yes, though he be dead, yet 315 a treatise or doctrine of the spiritual world, QUALIFICATION FOR THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. T. S. Mackintosh, when addressing a Chartist meeting at Westbromwich a few days ago, said-He rejoiced to find that one of the qualifications for the suffrage was one which promised fair to place fanaticism at its proper discount. Every man claiming a vote must be of sound mind. He contended that no man who believed that a whale swallowed Jonah could ever be considered of sound mind, and could not be entitled to a vote when the charter was passed. |