you will say is different. The worship of Christ is the true reli gion; the worship of the Dalui Lama, or of Tien, is a false religion. Alas! Gentlemen, how difficult it is to discover truth from falsity, when religion is concerned! At the utmost boundaries of the East the disciples of Confucius preach a faith, that can scarcely be distinguished from pure Theism. If I journey westward, I come to a vast country, where the greatest nobles are glad to eat the foces of their God. Further on, I meet with Mohammedans and find it difficult to decide between the heretical Shü, and the orthodox Sonni. Penetrating into Europe, I discover a fourth religion consisting of the worship of Christ; and in my search after truth, I am surprised and grieved to find, that these learned religionists are divided into a thousand sects, each inveighing against its nine hundred and ninety nine opponents, and vainly proclaiming that the truth belongs to it alone. In this conflict of opinions, it were rash, it were presumptuous, to decide. I learn therefore to suspend my judgment; to look with calmness upon the angry disputants; to investigate how far each party may have participated in the enjoyment of intellectual superiority; and to cull from every sect (what appears more or less common to them all) the religion of nature.

Gentlemen, I do not say that, I am right; but only, that I believe that I am right-and in consequence of this belief, I have endeavoured to the best of my power to propagate the sale of those books which appeared to me to be the most likely to promote free enquiry. It has been again and again urged, that there is nothing indecent or immoral in Paine. It is written in a style of the most serious and philosophical argument, it raises not a blush on the cheek of the maiden, nor tempts the youth by the lascivious descriptions of fascinating poetry. All is here plain and evident. The author was a man of strict morality, mature age, sound intellect, and unimpeachable goodness. He has spoken the words of truth in the language of simplicity; and careless of worldly honour, and the praise of his cotemporaries, he was satisfied with the applause of his conscience and with the hope that his writings would not be condemned at the tribunal of posterity. But the age of darkness still continues; prejudice still breathes forth its malediction upon free enquiry; and even in the most civilized countries the voice of truth is still rarely heard, for she hardly dares to speak except in whispers. It is the duty therefore of every real patriot, of every well wisher to the liberty of mankind, to step forward, and spreading the works of the greatest philosophers, to hasten the day spring of reason, and to dissipate the shades of error. And for this shall we be prosecuted? For this shall we be imprisoned? I repeat, that I had thought the inutility of such prosecutions had already been sufficiently proved.

Gentlemen, when Christianity was feeble and young it was humble and abject; now, that it is exalted in the pride of its strength,

it disdains that tolerance, without which it never could have subsisted. The early fathers of the church deprecated the occasional attempts of the powerful, to crush their rising superstition; and maintained that brutal force was no proof of mental superiority. Arnobius, in his treatise against the Pagans, or against those professing what was in his time the established religion of the state, very properly said: "Prove such a one to be in error; for as to seizing upon books, and wishing to prohibit the reading of what has been published, this is not the defence of God, but the fear of the testimony of truth." Indeed, Gentlemen, those modern hypocrites, who take upon themselves the defence of God, seem to me not only the opponents of Truth, but the utterers of blasphemy. Does the omnipotent Lord of the universe stand in need of man to assist him? Can he that formed the world, the sun, and planets, and all the systems that blaze around us, can he stand in need of the insects that crawl upon this portion of the globe, for fear some other insect should insult him? Surely such men as my prosecutors, must have some degrading ideas of their Jehovah, and must imagine he is as impotent as themselves, and that he is a mere human being, fearful of his ill-gotten wealth, and careful lest any assertion of freedom should venture to open the eyes of our plundered fellow citizens.

The time was, though I grant that time was but of short duration, when the Christians, desirous of destroying the established faith, courted enquiry, and solicited investigation. They appealed to the exorcised Demons, and to the prophecies of David and of the Sybil. They laughed at the absurdities of the received doctrines; Jupiter converted into a bull, and Mars committing adultery with Venus. But now a days, if I were to hint of the Holy Ghost's descending like a dove, (a shape which Tertullian, very learnedly defends); or, if I were to reprobate the improbable intercourse between the omnipotent Lord of the creation and the wife of a carpenter in Galilee, you would perhaps subject me to punishment, which the early Christians very rarely met with. Origen indeed confesses, that the number of martyrs were very limited.

I ask each of you, Gentlemen, if you were brought before a Turkish Cadi for selling Bibles, would you not think the intolerance of your enemies, at least, blameable? Now, I am willing to grant that such a case is never likely to happen; because the Turks (at any rate till lately) not only tolerated certain Christians, but even permitted the Patriarch of the Greek church to live in splendour at their capital.

But at any rate, I am free to maintain, that the books for the sale of which I am prosecuted, are far more moral than the Bible. You can find nothing in the works of Paine that can raise a blush on the cheek of women or children. No obscene tales to pollute the ears of innocence, which is more than can be

said for that, upon which mine is but a candid criticism. The Jews very properly forbade their children the perusal of Ezekiel and the songs of Solomon, until they had obtained the mature age of thirty years. Why then do the modern adorers of Jehovah, put such books into the hands of their children, before they can possibly distinguish between the obscene, though literal interpretation, and that which is more moral though at the same time less intelligible? If we uphold our voices against such publications, we surely deserve the praise and not the blame of our fellow citizens. The Government should unite with us in decrying what cannot improve morality, and what many well meaning Christians must allow to be capable of investing impure ideas under the holy garb of religion. Yet we are told that these and all other books in the Christian scriptures were inspired by the Deity; that the great unknown cause of all things absolutely dictated, what some of the most depraved human beings would be ashamed of; and that if we do not believe in them, we shall be roasted alive for an infinite period in a place, which neither geologist, geographer or astronomer, has ever yet been able to point out. Gentlemen, we cannot believe what we are persuaded is impossible; and we have too great a reverence for the supreme power, to suppose him capable of that which would disgrace his creatures.

We have our religion, or system of morality, and you have yours. I seek not to persecute you for writing in defence of your faith, why then do you prosecute me for writing in defence of my faith? I adore a great unknown cause, and thank him for the blessings he has given me. But I cannot believe this eternal, immutable, incomparable deity can have a son as old as himself, who was whipped and killed to appease the wrath of his father. Could I find any human father guilty of such unnatural cruelty, I would denounce him to the laws of his country, as a villain; and shall I attribute such villainy, to a being who is the source of justice, and the fountain of kindheartedness? On my honour, I cannot conceive how men endowed with common sense, can for an instant credit such absurdities; the most devout Christian, notwithstanding the prejudices of his childhood, must feel some internal doubts, as to the probability, not to say the possibility, of his being in error, on some of the most important articles of his creed.

I am myself firmly persuaded, and I believe most liberal minded persons are so too, that no state can be well governed, unless the people have decreed the equality of all religions. My religion has as much right to the protection of a free Government as another man's hath. In Hindostan, the English tolerate the worship of the Indian Trinity, Brama, Vishnou, and Shiven. Here they uphold another Trinity, that of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In the South Sea Islands, I am told there is a third sort of Trinity; and if the Platoniceans still existed, we should have

a thousand other Trinities. We are willing to suffer all these Trinities to exist in peace, if they do not meddle with us; but when we are tithed, taxed, fined, and imprisoned for these Trinities, we cannot but regard them as pernicious to the public welfare.

I cannot but consider that the English Government practises a very strange system with regard to religion. At the Cape of Good Hope the Bosjesmen are allowed to be Atheists, as they are considered too stupid to be capable of becoming Christians. We are willing to be considered as stupid as the Bosjesmen, rather than be prosecuted for what we confess we do not comprehend. But recollect, Gentlemen, if you were before the inquisition, you would be exposed to still greater dangers than I am before this court, even if you were accused of the veriest shadow of a theological error. In Ireland, though seven-eights of the population are undoubtedly Catholics, the Catholics are subjected to the greatest deprivations: while in lower Canada, a conquered country, the Catholics are countenanced, encouraged, and supported. Let our fundamental principle be, to do as we would be done by; and not act towards others in a manner that would be disagreeable to ourselves. Jesus Christ, is said to have considered this such good morality, that he adopted it as part of his code; and it were to be wished, Gentlemen of the Jury, that Christians would not only repeat this law, but obey it.

You may think that I am not to be treated as a believer in Christianity; but Justin, who, like myself, was a martyr for thereligion which contrary to law he professed and promulgated, has expressly said, that "every good man is a Christian;" now there is no one here who endeavours to impeach my honesty; and therefore I claim fellowship with the Christians, and I exhort them not to condemn a man who is only desirous of promoting universal happiness. I wish I could reverse the sentiment of St. Justin, and affirm, that "every Christian is a good man;" but alas! we find it too true, that morality and Christianity are by no means synonymous, and that faith and hope do not always conduct even the most firm believers to that greatest of virtues, charity.

Gentlemen, you would consider yourselves ill used, if you were obliged to pay tythes to the Catholics, and if they prevented you from publishing your opinions upon religion as often as you pleased. Yet, why have you a greater right than they? Or how is your religion superior to mine? Yours is founded upon miracles, and mine upon reason. If miracles are from God, is not reason also from God? We have no Bible but the book of nature; no hell but our own conscience. I could easily show you the superiority of our creed, and how much it surpasses in dignified simplicity, the complicated doctrines of the Indians, the Jews and Christians. But the subject has been repeatedly discussed: and

I have too much respect for the valuable time of those who are charged with the administration of justice, to delay them with useless repetitions of hackneyed arguments. But you must allow at the same time how much I have at stake. Who amongst you would wish in the prime of life, to be incarcerated amongst a set of men, confined for almost every description of crime, for months, perhaps years? I do not speak of loss of money, I have none to lose; and it is only by enduring additional imprisonment that I can hope to atone for the unpardonable crime of poverty. But a long and strict incarceration is of itself a sufficient misfortune; I might perhaps be disposed to wish, that those who speedily condemn a fellow citizen to be immured in a dungeon, were themselves obliged, for a few days, to suffer the same punishment.

Gentlemen of the Jury, you are little aware of what has to be endured in a prison. My aching bones will make me long remember my last night's lodging. I had nothing but a door mat to lie upon, and a block for my pillow; added to which, I had the pleasure of being crawled over by those delicate little creatures called black beetles.

If it can be said I have injured any men, it is the priests. Let then the priests stand forward; and let them say boldly: "thou hast wished to deprive us of our tythes; and therefore we wish to imprison thee.” Such conduct would be bold and manly; but instead of that it is hypocritically said, "that I have sold certain books to the high displeasure of Almighty God, and our Sovereign Lord the King." Now, in reply, I beg leave to observe, that if I have offended God, to God alone am I answerable: shall man take upon himself to avenge his Deity? or is Jehovah so impotent that he cannot be his own avenger?" Vengeance is mine," saith Jehovah. Let it be so. Then I say to you, oh men avaunt! God may plead his own cause with me, as heretofore he pleaded it with Job: or if God defereth my punishment, and if he be not desirous of revenge until I am, to all appearance, annihilated, it is surely enough that I should be burnt alive for ever and ever in another world, without being incarcerated in this.

If it is said I have spoken irreverently of the Deity, I indignantly repel the charge. The most sublime and animating descriptions of the Deity are to be found in the works of Paine, and such as I have never seen excelled in any Christian author. The sole object of the man, and of all Deists, has been to remove those degrading attributes which level him to the human being Had not all systems of religion rendered the Deity subservient to their own interest, such men as Paine never would have written; and instead of my being prosecuted for publishing his works, I ought to be supported for standing forth with a solitary band to proclaim the power and goodness of the creator. I will read you a few passages from his works, that you may be the better acquainted with the feelings and disposition of the author. I