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be commenced the open sale of all the publications, similar to that for which he had been imprisoned, and of those which had been prosecuted in particular. He was menaced with new prosecutions, but nobly defied them, and is now proceeding in his business unmolested. SO POWERFUL IS TRUTH AND HONESTY!

The following is the list of monies he received as subscriptions from strangers, during his imprisonment:

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A Leicester Republican

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Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 84, Fleet-street.

GIFT OF IRVING LEVY

THE

TRIAL OF JOHN BARKLEY,

(ONE OF THE SHOP-MEN OF RICHARD CARLILE, )

PROSECUTED BY

The Constitutional Association

FOR PUBLISHING

A SEDITIOUS AND BLASPHEMOUS LIBEL.

But some are ready to cry out, What shall there be done to blasphemie? Them I would first exhort, not thus to terrifie and pose the people with a Greek word; but to teach them better what it is. MILTON.

SECOND EDITION,

WITH AN APPENDIX

Containing an AccOUNT of the PROCEEDINGS in the HOUSE of COMMONS on the PETITION of the DEFENDANT.

London:

PRINTED BY R. AND A. TAYLOR, SHOE-LANE;

AND PUBLISHED BY EFFINGHAM WILSON, ROYAL EXCHANGE.

1822.
Price One Shilling.

Testimonies of several Eminent Advocates of Christianity against the Prosecution of Deistical Writers.

BISHOP LOWTH.

"Christianity itself was published to the world in the most enlightened age; it invited and challenged the examination of the ablest judges, and stood the test of the severest scrutiny: the more it is brought to the light, to the greater advantage will it appear. When, on the other hand, the dark ages of barbarism came on, as every art and science was almost extinguished, so was Christianity in proportion oppressed and overwhelmed by error and superstition. It hath always flourished or decayed together with learning It is therefore of the utand liberty: it will ever stand or fall with them.

most importance to the cause of true religion, that it be submitted to an open and impartial examination, that every disquisition concerning it be allowed its free course; that even the malice of its enemies should have its full scope, and try its utmost strength of argument against it. Let no man be alarmed at the attempts of atheists or infidels; let them produce their cause, let them bring forth their strong reasons to their own confusion; afford them not the advantage of restraint, the only advantage their cause admits of: let them not boast the false credit of supposed arguments and pretended demonstrations which they are forced to suppress.' Sermon, 1758.

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BISHOP WARBURTON.

"Mistake me not," says Bishop Warburton, addressing the Freethinkers, "here are no insinuations intended against liberty. For surely whatever be the cause of this folly (free-thinking), it would be unjust to ascribe it to the freedom of the press, which wise men will ever hold one of the most precious branches of civil liberty....... Nor less friendly is this liberty to the generous advocate of religion: for how could such a one, when in earnest convinced of the strength of evidence in his cause, desire an adversary whom the laws had before disarmed; or value a victory, where the magistrate must triumph with him? Even I, the meanest in this controversy, should have been ashamed of projecting the defence of the great Jewish legislator, did not I know that his assailants and defenders skirmished all under one equal law of liberty.-This liberty then may you long possess !"' Dedication to the Freethinkers of The Divine Legation of Moses.

BISHOP WATSON.

"The freedom of inquiry, which has subsisted in this country during the present century, has eventually been of great service to the cause of Christianity. It must be acknowledged that the works of our deistical writers have made some converts to infidelity;......but at the same time we must needs allow, that these works have stimulated some distinguished characters amongst the laity, and many amongst the clergy, to exert their talents in removing such difficulties in the Christian system, as would otherwise be likely to perplex the unlearned, to shipwreck the faith of the unstable, and to induce a reluctant scepticism into the minds of the most serious and best intentioned...... The Christian religion has nothing to fear from the strictest investigation of the most learned of its adversaries." Tracts, p. 12, preface.

DR. LARDNER.

“The proper punishment of a low, mean, indecent scurrilous way of writing seems to be neglect, contempt, scorn, and general indignation....... This punishment he (Woolston) has already had in part, and will probably have more and more, if he should go on in his rude and brutal way of writing; and if we leave all further punishment to Him to whom vengeance belongs, I have thought it might be much for the honour of ourselves and of our religion. But if he should be punished farther, the stream of resentment and indignation will turn; especially if the punishment should be severe; and it is likely that a small punishment will not suffice to engage to silence nor to an alteration of the manner of writing." Letter to the Bishop of Chester, respecting the prosecution of Woolston, 1729.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

His

IN consequence of the interest excited by the proceedings detailed in this little publication, a new edition has been called for, which the Editor hastens to lay before the public. sole object is, to diffuse more generally the sentiments and reasoning contained in the address of the Defendant's Counse', by presenting them to the world in a form which is likely to attract attention. The Editor is only desirous of making converts to the doctrine, that to prosecute opinions is to confirm and circulate them; and that the chains of error are never so firmly riveted, as when the hand of power attempts to break them*. Much irreparable evil has arisen from the late prosecutions for Deistical publications. As an instance of this it is proper to state that two of the four persons, who have lately been prosecuted for selling the paltry pamphlet which was the subject of this trial, were, previously to the prosecutions of Carlile and his family, industrious mechanics in the north of England, respectably educated and connected. Their attention was first attracted by those prosecutions to an examination of the ol noxious doctrines: they naturally concluded, that such opinions were only opposed by force because they could not be answered by argument; and they felt that prejudice in favour of the promulgators, which always arises in the human mind in behalf of the supposed victims of oppression. They therefore studied the writings of the opponents of religion, under circumstances very unfavourable to the formation of a just and

"It is," says Bishop TAYLOR, " unnatural and unreasonable to persecute disagreeing opinions. Unnatural; for understanding, being a thing wholly spiritual, cannot be restrained, and, therefore, neither punished by corporal inflictions. It is in aliena republica, a matter of another world. You may as well cure the colic by brushing a man's clothes, or fill a man's belly with a syllogism....... For, is an opinion ever the more true or false for being persecuted? Some men have believed it the more, as being provoked into a confidence and vexed into a resolution. But the thing itself is not the truer: and though the hangman may confute a man with an inexplicable dilemma, yet not convince his understanding.......Force, in matters of opinion, can do no good; but is very apt to do hurt; for no man can change his opinion when he will, or be satisfied in his reason that his opinion is false because discountenanced. ......But if a man cannot change his opinion when he lists, nor ever does, heartily or resolutely, but when he cannot do otherwise; then, to use force may make him an hypocrite, but never to be a right believer and so, instead of erecting a trophy to God and true religion, we build a monument for the devil." Liberty of Prophesying, 13, § 10. See also the opinions of eminent Christian writers on this subject in the preceding page, and that of Professor Campbell, cited in page 12,

impartial judgement; and the consequence was, a resolute persuasion of the truth of the cause of Infidelity. They then, with an energy of purpose which would have done honour to a better acuse, forsook their former employments, and came to London in order to continue the publication of the proscribed pamphlet, without prospect of pecuniary emolument, and in the full expectation of suffering and disgrace.

Let those who institute these prosecutions, draw the proper inference from these facts. Let them pause before they strike, and consider that every prosecution may produce a similar effect; that they cannot crush even their immediate victim; that they may carry scepticism and infidelity into societies, which would otherwise have never been contaminated by them; and thus, as friends and advocates, produce more deadly mischief to the cause of Christianity, than its most malignant and inveterate enemies.

These observations are, of course, only intended for the candid consideration of those well-meaning but mistaken persons, who persuade themselves that they "do God service" by supporting prosecutions of this nature. If there be persons in this enlightened age, who institute and conduct such prosecutions to promote the paltry purposes of party, or from the baser motive of gain, to such persons it would be in vain to address the language of reason and liberality; they must be left to their own consciences, and to that disgrace in which the force of public opinion will sooner or later overwhelm them.

THE Editor has thought that the proceedings in the House of Commons on the petition of the Defendant, would be an acceptable Supplement to the second edition, and he has consequently done his best to exhibit an accurate report. As one who was present in Court, he thinks it his duty to add, that the Solicitor General is mistaken in stating that it was put to the Defendant's counsel to take his objection in the form of a challenge, and that he declined so doing. No such point of form was raised; the objection was considered by the Court as one made in the way of challenge, and it expressly decided that it was no ground of challenge.-The statement of Dr. Lushington was moreover perfectly correct, however inclined the Solicitor General might be to discredit it, that hard labour was actually inflicted on the Defendant, although not mentioned in his sentence, and notwithstanding the recommendation of the Jury, and the professions of clemency by which it was followed.

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