A FRIEND'S CORRECTIONS.

RICHARD CARLILE,-Thou wilt oblige me, to state, in a truer light, in thy "LION," of 5th month, 2nd day, the occurrence noticed in that of 4th month, 25th day, 1828. It would have been better thus:-A follower of George Fox visited you, not to contend, but to be a passive observer of your proceedings. Thou having argued against the operation of the spirit, the Quaker, though not prepared to dispute, rather than be culpably passive, requested a short silence, to recollect himself, and advance such observations as might occur to his mind. (The refreshments of the divine spirit, he did not then expect, nor did he receive them till the next day.) He acknowledged, that he found more candour and moderation among you, than among many professed Christians. His definition of the word Deity, was, "The Creator and Preserver of the Universe." That it was the object of his faith, and did not admit of positive proof from him, nor disproof from you. As there existed an irreconciliation in our thoughts, which we could not settle by the means of words, he forbore giving thee the right hand of fellowship; but desired the supreme being might guide us right, which could only be (according to him) by being guided by the inward monitor, the light of Christ in the conscience*.

Amen. R. C.

ETERNITY AND SPACE.

Eternity! vast thought, which mortal man,
Throughout his race, has left where he began.
Eager on fancy's wing, his flight he bore
Round nature's course, and vainly would explore
Nature's first birth, NOW rising from old night,
Innumerable worlds, JUST brought to light.
Thought baffles thought, and all your wisdom's mute;
Ye curious sages quit your vain pursuit.

As all IMPERVIOUS FATE perplext hath framed
Numerous worlds, replete with life unnamed,

Describe their ORBITS THROUGH THE VAST EXPANSE,

Swift comets join to grace this ENDLESS DANCE:
Proving ETERNITY, as space UNBOUNDED,

And all your knowledge is at once confounded.
Conception's lost, fancy can ne'er explore

Expansion's limits, NOR CONCEIVE A SHORE.

ERRATA IN THE PAPERS OF SIR R. PHILLIPS IN OUR LAST.

For "concentration of the focus" read, "concentration of the mass." And for, "are singular results" read, "are simple results."

Printed and Published by RICHard Carlile, 62, Fleet-street, where all Communicatious, post-paid, or free of expense, are requested to be left.

No. 19. VOL. 1.] LONDON, Friday, May 9, 1828.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

[PRICE 6d.

THE present has been a busy week for the sons of old mother church, who are in town. We have had the Bishop of Winchester creating a disturbance in Fleet Street, by coming to preach a sermon on Monday evening, at St. Bride's Church. On Tuesday, at the Freemason's Tavern, there was a meeting of the Church Missionary Society, at which the Senior Wilberforce, the black Christian manufacturer, the Bishop of Winchester, and several other bishops were present. The Bishop of Sodor and Man is reported to have said, that the church had more stability in such "societies as that, than in any junction it could make with the state. state.

There will be a speedy divorce between church and The state now wants a variety of religious wives, and old mother church, like all other old women, will become a cast off. The last wedding of the state will be with infidelity, and then away will go all the religious wives; or, if we may be at liberty to use a protestant figure, this family of harlots, the Church of Rome, being the mother of them all, and by themselves declared to be "the mother of harlots," will be barren, and finally extinct.

By the statement of the members, it appears, that the church sends out seventeen missionaries to the Hindoos and Africans; but not one can it find to send among the infidels at home. How is this? Is not the saving of a white soul at home, as good as that of a black soul abroad? And why not send missionaries to the monkeys of South America? Who is to say to what grade of animals the soul extends? or where the human species ends, and that of the monkey begins? Some beings, called human, are lower in character than a portion of the beings, called monkeys. When we look into the miserable faces of some of our Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62. Fleet Street. No. 19. Vol. I. 2 P

neighbours, we could burst into laughter or indignation, according to the mood of the body, at the idea of their immortal souls. We see an old woman, now and then, saturated with snuff and gin, and ponder over the figure or character that her immortal soul will make; when, most heartily, do we desire to keep out of the heaven that such wretches will reach. We see men swallowing, to the destruction of their health, a quantity of filthy and unwholesome liquor, with a tobacco-pipe constantly in their mouth, for the purpose of a due stenching of their bodies, and most filthily stuffing their nostrils with snuff; and this, too, with very high religious pretensions; but there can be no heaven for us, if it be not free from such nuisances as these. Had we absolute power over them, we would teach some of these filthy Christians how to begin their heaven upon earth. They have more need of a bath, and a dose of salts to cleanse their bodies, than of a sermon, or a missionary, to cleanse and purify their souls. In short, when we compare the pretensions with the real character of mankind, we do perceive them to be the most odious and most unnatural animals on the face of the earth,

The missionary passion of converting all sorts of animals to Christianity, is as absurd in its character as the system of Christianity itself is to philosophic ken. But from an absurd system, what but absurdity can proceed? Many a thousand pound is yearly sent out of this country on this missionary project, whilst many a thousand persons at home are in as great a state of barbarity and ignorance, as the heathen sought elsewhere. Three-fourths of the people of Ireland, and one fourth of the people of England, Wales, and Scotland, are scarcely a grade higher in knowledge, than the cattle among which they work. Now, where is there a more miserable labouring class than at home, and yet our bishops act as if there were nothing to do at home, as if Christianity were perfect here, and as if all that was necessary was to send that salvation abroad which is overflowing at home! Strange infatua tion! and more strange that there should be simpletons to support it with their purses.

The first necessary institutions for mankind, are those for the improvement and salvation of their bodies. Take care of the bodies, and we will warrant that each well instructed body will take care of its own soul; but to talk to miserable people about a care for their souls, when no care is offered to their bodies, is as great an outrage as can be offered to sensation. Let us find the means to improve the bodies of our own neighbours, to free them from disease; to keep them clean and well clothed; to house them well; to let them cultivate all the land that can be made productive; to teach them to read, to write, to think correctly, let us endeavour to remove that frightful pauperism that now pervades the empire of George the Fourth, and let us not say another word about souls, until the bodies are saved, and worthy of life.

To teach man that his body is a sink of iniquity, and his soul an immortal gem that may be purified to everlasting happiness, is to do what hath been done by Christianity, to debase him to a degree lower than any other animal. The living body is the all in all of man, the only possession that he has to improve, and if the tax upon his labour that is wasted upon his nonentity of a soul were expended upon the real entity of his body, he would be a very superior being to that which he now is.

On Wednesday, a meeting of the Foreign Bible Society, took place at the Freemason's Tavern. There were present nearly the same persons as attended the Church Missionary Society, It was stated, that the Society had circulated five millions of Bibles. What an enormous waste of paper, ink, and human labour! And knowing well the character and tendency of the Bible, we undertake to say, that these five million Bibles have not improved the moral character or social condition of one human being. The Bible is every where in Great Britain and Ireland, every person can read it, who may wish to read it; it is very extensively read; and wh the real character of these Bible-readers? As immoral, as odious, as offensive to the well formed mind, to the mind that soars above Bible-reading, as human nature, in its most depraved form, can present itself. The very bishops themselves, they who thrive so richly on this circulation of the Bible, are in every relation to truth, honesty, and morality, a most despicable class of beings. The Bible may make men of their own class, men who have no love of truth, and who are filled with trick and imposition; but it never yet improved the moral character of one human being that might not have been similarly improved by other books and other means. It is a monstrous imposition upon mankind, to say, that this book, the Bible is essential to their moral and physical welfare here, and their spiritual welfare hereafter. It has no effect whatever upon them, other than to cheat and rob them here, of which there can be no account taken hereafter. We will stake the good effect of this declaration upon mankind against all the Bibles that the Bible Society can circulate; and we pronounce these right reverend managers of these Bible Societies to be a set of depraved jugglers; and though they do not appear to see it, we would hint to them, that to circulate the Bible, is, after all, but to expose their craft; and if it have any effect at all, this is its only effect; so God speed their own destruction. We are sorry to see Mr. Henry Drummond still numbering among these Bible distributors. We had hoped, that the lesson which we gave him, on his attendance at the Guildford, Meeting, during his shrievalty for the county of Surrey, would have effectually shown him the absurdity of the pursuit. To turn a bishop from the tenour of his ways, is not a change to be expected; but there is some hope, with a private gentleman like Mr. Drummond, whose hand must be constantly in his purse for the support of the

absurdity, when the case is so clearly laid before him, and when he is known to be scrupulously careful in all his political criticisms and discriminations, and in his moral perceptions. But this gentleman, we presume, must have the organs of veneration and marvellousness very large; for he really seems to have a passion for something that shall be new and excellent in religion. The history of his life indicates this disposition; and hence we may assure ourselves, that, if there be any hope of a cure, the process will be long and arduous.

One thing is certain, however the cause of the Bible may prosper among the red, brown and black savage animals abroad, it decays among the dirty white-brown ones at home: and if this distribution and teaching of the Bible be a charity, like other charities, it should begin at home. Let the experiment be first made at home; let every human being born, at home, be allowed to read the Bible and all the commentaries that have been made upon it, and if then it be found to improve his or her condition, beyond the point at which it may be improved by any other reading; then, in the name of all that is good to man, let it be extended to every human being on the face of the earth. But a knowledge of the Bible has not yet been allowed a fair trial at home.

LETTER XIII.—FROM THE REV. ROBERT TAYLOR.

Oakham Gaol, May 1, 1828. DEAR MR. CARLILE,-I have sent a letter to the Rev. Daniel Wilson, Vicar of Islington, which I can tell you before hand, will never be answered, though it be as respectfully and courteously worded, as my best wit could mean it to be.

This reverend gentleman has ventured to enter upon, what 1 consider to be our GROUND, i. e. the evidences of the Christian religion. He has been preaching lectures upon this subject, in Islington church; and, as I learn from an advertisement in the Times of the 26th ult. has published these lectures, in the form of a 66 neat volume." I am most delighted to find, that however neat it may be, it can hardly surpass the specimen of the work you are bringing out for me; I have, therefore, respectfully offered the reverend gentleman to exchange volumes with him; and might do so, I presume, upon all acknowledged principles of etiquette and politeness among gentlemen, in consideration of my having been, for several years, the known and acknowledged friend of his acknowledged friend and quondam curate, the Rev. Samuel Arnott, the Makarite;* having sometimes preached in his own pulpit, and been the guest of his hospitality.

"the blessed!"- 66

* The Makarite, i. e. the high church classical epithet for departed saints now with God." I'll answer for it, that your com positor will set this up as Mackarel!