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is, that the general progress of knowledge and decline of superstition among the people of Europe and the United States, will speedily effect a great change for the better, in their condition. Men cannot proceed much farther in the acquisition of real knowledge, without discovering what things are necessary for human happiness, and what is the shortest and best method to obtain them permanently; without being, as at present, dependent for them on the will of a few capricious wealthy individuals, who derive all their power and influence from the ignorance and industry of the many whom they oppress.

It is full time that these grievous evils should terminate. To hasten this period, I left Europe to come here, where the greater freedom of the constitution on the subject of religion, admitted experiments to be tried for the benefit of the human race, which could not be attempted, with any reasonable prospect of success, where superstition is the law of the land. I came here with a determination to try what could be effected in this new country to relieve my fellow men from superstition, and mental degradation; so that if successful, the experiment should be an example which all might follow, and by which all might benefit.

I tried here a new course for which I was induced to hope that fifty years of political liberty had prepared the American population: that is, to govern themselves advantageously. I supplied land, houses, and the use of much capital; and I tried, each in their own way, all the different parties who collected here; but experience proved that the attempt was premature to unite a number of strangers not previously educated for the purpose, who should carry on extensive operations for their common interest and live together as a common family. I afterwards tried, before my last departure hence, what could be done by those who associated through their own choice, and in small numbers; to these I gave leases of large tracts of land for ten thousand years upon a nominal rent, and for moral conditions only; and these I did expect would have made a progress during my absence; but now, upon my return, I find that the habits of the individual system were so powerful, that these leases have been, with a few exceptions, applied for individual purposes and individual gain; and in consequence they must return again into my hands.

This last experience has made it evident that families trained in the individual system, founded as it is upon superstition, have not acquired those moral qualities of forbearance and charity for each other which are necessary to promote full confidence and harmony among all the members, and without which communities cannot exist. Communities, to prosper permanently, must consist of persons devoid of prejudice, and possessed of moral feelings in unison with the laws of human nature.

All systems of religion train men to be prejudiced, to be without charity, and to be opposed to each other. With these qualities they never can unite as brethren of one family, having one interest and sincere kind feelings for each other.

But is the population of the world to be left in this miserable and hopeless state? If all we desire cannot be effected for this generation, so as to produce honesty, industry, intelligence, independence and happiness, by reason of the habits and feelings that have arisen out of their superstitious training;

ought we to abandon them and their offspring to their errors and miseries ? Qught we not rather to redouble our exertions to stop that evil from proceeding any farther, and never be weary in well doing? If we cannot do all now, let us do whatever is practicable; and make as great an advance towards the right road as we can make with the means we possess.

From all I have seen since I left you, I am more than ever convinced of the necessity for the change from the individual to the social system; and through some difficulties with patience and perseverance unyielding, the present generation may yet obtain many of the benefits which their children may be prepared to enjoy in comparative perfection.

To effect this change, a course must be adopted different from what I originally intended. It was my wish not to engage again in any affairs of business, but to leave all pecuniary matters to the management of others, and to make arrangements to be always at liberty to go and spread the knowledge of the principles on which the Social System is founded, far and near, that vice and misery might upon an extensive scale be the more speedily reduced. I must, however, now make some modifications of my proceedings in consequence of many parties here, during my absence, having acted in opposition to my views, and to the principles of the Social System, instead of promoting them, as they were bound to do by their promises and engagements, and as I expected they would, because it was their interest to do so.

Some of you that remained here under the individual system have complained that during my absence a monopoly has existed in some departments, which has retarded your individual success; and the neighbouring communities have also complained since my return that they have been injured by it. I fear there has been some foundation for these complaints, but it is probable that these statements have been exaggerated by the over-excited feelings of the suffering parties.

It is necessary, however, now to declare distinctly, that hereafter there may be no mistake upon a subject of so much interest, that it was never my intention to establish any injurious monopoly, nor to grant such monopoly to any one: And every individual has always been, as now, at full liberty to dispose of the produce of his own labor in any way he may choose.

But, on the other hand, it was no part of my plan, by the introduction of petty stores and whiskey shops, to encourage competition which produces as many evils as monopoly, and is equally contrary to the social system. The party permitted to sell foreign produce, promised on making the engagement for the premises in which the monopoly is said to have existed, that the business should be conducted, as it had been previously managed, as much for the benefit of the town as for the proprietors.

In these respects I have been disappointed, and the business through errors of judgment has been conducted, I fear, too often more with a view to pecuniary gain of the individual proprietors, than for the mutual benefit of the surrounding population.

[Robert Owen then adverted to other occurrences which took place in his absence; but, as these are of a more local nature, it appears unnecessary to detail them. He proceeded :]

Now as the foundation of all improvements in the condition of mankind

must be founded on principles of strict justice and honesty of purpose, and as I wish to improve the condition of my fellow-creatures, I early made these my principles of conduct, from which I have never knowingly deviated in a single instance.

I lament that any such occurrences should have taken place; had I anticipated any such, I would have adopted more restrictive measures.

They have, however, occurred, and what is now best to be done? Shall I be angry and irritated with my fellow beings, because they have been ignorant of their real interests: with the principles which I deem so true and valuable for the promotion of virtue and happiness; would this conduct be rational in me? I can only feel regret instead of anger; I will, if I can, turn these errors to the benefit of all. My time has been employed for this purpose, since my return. I have been collecting all the facts that may enable me to form a correct judgment of what is now best to be done. I have not yet obtained all the facts necessary for my purpose, and that is the reason why I have not sooner met you in public. I am still fully occupied in ascertaining what can be done under the existing circumstances to secure the great object which I came here to put into practice; and I have reason to believe that arrangements may now be formed that will promote it; that will prepare a solid foundation for the social system, and materially benefit all who honestly desire to support it. When these arrangements shall be fully determined upon, I will again meet you and explain them, in order that all shall understand what is intended to be done.

But this much is certain, that as far as my influence can extend, there shall be no injurious monopoly here; there shall be no attempt to take advantage of any one or to do any one an injustice. These are common vulgar evils which ought not to exist, where an honest attempt is made to improve the condition of mankind.

My intention now is to form such arrangements on the estate of Harmony as will enable those who desire to promote the practice of the Social System to live in separate families on the individual system, and yet to unite their general labor or to exchange labor for labor, on the most beneficial terms for all; or to do both or neither as their feelings or apparent interest may influence them. While other arrangements shall be formed to enable them to have their children trained from infancy in a knowledge of the principles of human nature and of the laws which govern it; and in consequence trained in such improved habits, mauners, and disposition, as will prepare them to adopt, with ease and pleasure, the co-operative and social system, and to enjoy its innumerable advantages.

By these measures I hope there will be brought around us, by degrees, an honest and industrious and also a well-educated population, with right feelings and views, who will earnestly endeavour to promote the happiness of each other and unite in bringing up their children as one family with simple manners, temperate habits, and useful knowledge, both in principles and practice.

Those who have a knowledge of human nature, who have been permitted to overcome the prejudices early forced into their minds, and who have a real affection for their fellow beings, will not be discouraged by any obstacles, but will persevere to the end. R. OWEN.

AN EXTENSION OF THE VIEW WHICH CELSUS THE PHILOSOPHER TOOK OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN THE SECOND CENTURY.

NOTE BY EDITOR.-We do not admire the following mode of attacking the Christian Religion, though there is a great deal of plausibility in the arguments and inferences. The more we enquire into the ancient Pagan Religion, the more we discover, as we do discover, its similarity to, and probable foundation for the Christian Religion, and the more we are convinced that such a person as the Jesus of the New Testament never existed. The following arguments in imitation of Celsus are, therefore, not our methods of attacking the Christian Religion: but we give them insertion; because, in part, we have been challenged to do it, as proof of the existence of Jesus.

To Mr. R. Carlile.

SIR,—I send you my written proofs of the invalidity of the Rev. Robert Taylor's arguments in favor of his Manifesto.

I begin with Mr.T.'s declaration in his 44th Oration, p. 6. "That there is no evidence that Christianity originated in Judæa, &c., results from the invalidity or detected interpolation, forgery, and falsehood of all the evidence that has ever been pretended to make it appear that it did." Thus Mr. Taylor rejects as forgeries,

1. The celebrated passage in Tacitus.

2. Paul's Epistles.

3. Luke's Acts of the Apostles; and

4. The fragment of Celsus in Origen.

Now, Mr. Taylor lays down no general rule by which to decide that the passage in Tacitus is spurious, and he can have no authority to reject it on the ground that he dislikes it. He quotes Gibbon, (44th Or.) p. 21, who speaks in favor of its genuineness; and says, "I call the concession of Gibbon in this passage ironical."

Bat, in an argument, an opponent, you may be sure, would not defer to his opinion; therefore, it does not signify what he pleases to call it: the opponent is not bound to admit that Gibbon is ironical. Irony at best is but an exceptionable figure of speech, and is not very decent in history: besides, who ever saw so long an irony, as that, any where? Irony is usually short and brief, and is obviously distinguishable by some circumstance, which is not the case here.

An invalid or even feeble argument, Mr. T. should consider, wastes the disbeliever's money, and we do not so much fear a few of Dr. Smith's hard words, as a destitution of hard cash. We have no bishopricks, nor even good livings on our side of the table, and therefore ought to economize our slender means.

Mr. T. says that "this passage of Tacitus is parenthetical." But history abounds in such passages as could be expunged without being missed.

No fault can be found with the Latinity of the passage; and there is nothing in it which a lettered Roman might not have said.

Mr. T. seems to think that the passage was forged to make it believed that Jesus did really exist.

No. 1.-VOL. 2.

C

But nobody doubted of his existence till of late years; therefore it was not worth while to forge a passage to obtain what would always have been readily conceded to them. The Jews have always had a tradition of his existence in common with the Jesuans. The Mahometans too admit his existence

Mr. T. says, that "the forgers of the passage would gladly succumb to this self-imposed reproach," to have Jesus's existence believed.

Now they might have brought reproach upon themselves, without having Jesus's existence believed; which it is not likely that they would desire.

And secondly, if Jesus's existence was only imaginary, it is not supposeable that they would choose to feign that he was crucified, in an age when crucifixion was held to be a very bitter reproach; and, on account of his non-existence, they could have feigned something more reputable with regard to him. For, though now that mode of punishment is disused, people may affect to glory in the cross of Jesus, yet it was impossible to glory in it at first, and Paul's pretence to do so was false; he felt it as a stigma, though he declared the contrary. The truth is, he preferred reproach to hard labour, which he disliked of all things, but was not insensible to the disgrace of Jesus's crucifixion. Crucifixion, in an age when the bodies were presented to the view in different stages of decomposition and dilaceration by birds, was not regarded as an honour to boast of, and Paul's is but a flimsy disguise of his real feelings, when he mentions the disgraceful punishment inflicted on Jesus.

Thus Mr. T. has failed in regard to this important passage, and it must be pronounced to be genuine, until proof be adduced to the contrary.

Mr. T. advances (Syntagma, p. 78.) that only four particulars can be collected from this passage, even if it be allowed to be genuine. Nine more however can be inferred from it:

1st. That a man was the author of the mentioned sect.

2nd. That, with some people, he bore the name of Christus.

3rd. That Christus was condemned to capital punishment in the reign of Tiberius.

4th. That the judge was Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea.

5th. That by the punishment of Christus, his superstition was checked for a time.

6th. That the superstition originated in Judea.

7th. That it broke out again.

8th. That it spread beyond Judea; and

9th. That it extended to Rome.

Mr. T. has run away with the strange idea, that the Jesuans have been all along endeavouring to prove the existence of Jesus, and have forged whole volumes for that purpose. There is not the least trace, that such a thought ever entered their heads. They would have told it in plain terms; but they never did. So far from that, some of their forgeries are to explain away and divert some unfavourable circumstances that really attended Jesus; as shall be shown by and bye.

They would not take such roundabout methods of proof; for their proofs were not so much addressed to the adversary, as meant to dispel the surmises of their own party. What is here remarked, will be better understood, when we come to enter into detail.

The Jesuan fathers might indeed maintain that Jesus was more than a man. But this is only their mistake respecting him; for they still admitted that he wore all the external appearance of a man. See Origen, b. 6. p. 327. This does not show the non existence of Jesus; but, that the Jesuans had too high an opinion of the man,

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