awful name of the Triune Deity as hallowed as it ought to be? Is it at all times spoken with reverence, and never but upon proper occasions? What would be said of the Deist were he to call a street or a set of men by the great name of ALMIGHTY GOD? Yet we have a TRINITY COLLEGE, a TRINITY CHURCH, a TRINITY HOUSE, a TRINITY CORPORATION, and à TRINITY LANE!!!

"Oh! judgment, thou art fled to brutish hearts,

And men have lost their reason."

Trusting, much injured and respected Sir, that the above will, stimulate those who differ from us to a candid examination of what is proposed for their belief, and that it may enable them to perceive that the epithets used towards you by your persecutors, may with more justice be retorted upon them, I subscribe myself Yours most devotedly T. WHITWORTH.

142, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street.

BIBLE ANECDOTE.

AT the time Bonaparte was at peace with all the great powers of Europe, and this country, consequently happily engaged in a just and necessary war with them all, one of the Christian Missionaries, (whether of the Parliamentary Established Church, or whether belonging to one of the more pious tribes of the hundred sects of seceders from that holy church I know net), having arrived at China, and obtained an audience of one of the chief Mandarins, requested (after a suitable preface) his acceptance of a very elegantly bound Bible, assuring the Mandarin the study of this book, would not only promote peace and good will, but also produce friendship and brotherly love betwixt the two nations. The honest Mandarin, with a look of ineffable contempt, put back the book with a countenance that almost petrified this pious 'ambassador from the land of holiness, and with a dignified hue assured this pious vender of holiness, that such a book could be of no use to him or his countrymen, for although it was stated to produce peace and good will, the actual situation of our country, England proved it was of no efficacy or avail there, where war was eternally raging, and when at this moment all the peaceable nations of Europe trading hence were shut out from the ports of China by the British men of war. "No, no," says the Mandarin, " do not practise, what you say that book inculcates, I am, therefore, satisfied you are not to be believed, when you assure us you believe in such a book, and what ignorant blockheads you must take us Chinese to be, to suppose you can make us believe that which by the whole conduct of your lives gives the lie direct to your professions. Go back to your own country and tell them to stay at home, and cultivate the arts of peace as we do in China, instead of travelling

you

about conspiring against the peace and happiness of quiet inoffensive nations, who travel not from home as you do, to persuade us to abjure the faith of our forefathers, and instead of which you would inoculate us with the pious and holy principles of those chosen people of the Lord, who are eternally quarrelling, making war upon, and murdering each other." The poor crest-fallen missionary let fall his pious pate, and like Hamlet's ghost, suddenly disappeared with his Holy Bible.

SIR,

To the Editor of the REPUBLICAN.

On referring to the chapters of the Old and New Testament, stated in your REPUBLICAN of last Friday, I was astonished at the abominable and filthy stories contained in them. Although I have frequently read the Bible and Testament, I was not acquainted with half the indecent tales they contain; as a father, I shall consider it my duty to prevent my children reading a book so full of disgusting and immoral biography. You may, if you please, insert my name in your list as an admirer of your inflexible cou-. rage in the cause of Reason and Truth. Had my means been equal to my wishes, I would have accompanied this with a more useful acknowledgment of my approbation of your conduct. I remain your well-wisher, WILLIAM AINGER.

56, Banner, Square, Oct, 25, 1819.

A HYMN.

WHILE others sing a Triune God,
Of three in one, and one in three,
In Reason's temple we have trod,
And sing alone a Deity.

We sing the Great Creator's praise,

Who hung the starry worlds on high,
Whose wisdom shines through all his ways,
Whose goodness is for ever nigh.

While others sing a changing God.

And make his love and wrath their theme,

In Reason's temple we have trod,

And sing a God that's e'er the same.

E'en let them sing a dying God,
And to his blood for shelter fly;
In Reason's temple we have trød,
And say, a God could never die.

Yet, when they sing the atoning blood
Of him who knew himself no sin,

We ask, (though long their faith has stood)
Could Reason e'er such faith begin?
Though bold fanatics sing aloud

Of love from God to them alone, And deal damnation to the crowd; A God so partial we disown.

Then list, ye sad unhappy souls,

With hopes of Heaven-and fears of Hell,

The knell of superstition tolls,

'Tis Reason tolls her passing knell.

ODE TO REASON.

REASON divine! thou gift of Heaven,
The greatest gift that e'er was given,
In human hearts resume thy throne,
Let all to thee subjection own.
To search for wisdom, be our pride,
And thou! O thou! our only guide;
Aided by thee, our breasts shall burn
With indignation just, and spurn
At all the slavish fearful fools
Of priests, as well as priestly tools;
Nor dread the scepter'd tyrant's frown;
(For tyrants, Reason's sons disown.)
With perseverance strong we'll grow,
And like a river onward flow,
Whose steady course obstructions brave,
Until it meets great Ocean's wave.

For long have priests, devoid of shame,
Abused-nay, spurned thy sacred name,
Their triple Gods, these Gods but one,
Their married Virgin and her son;
How snakes could speak, and as es too,
What wond'rous feats some fish could do,
Could swallow prophets, and could bring
The cash for taxes to a King!
How Moses over Egypt's land,
Dispersed the frogs by his command;
How fleas and lice came at his call,
And plagued Egyptians one and all,
How coat and shoes, for forty year,
Though always worn-did never wear.

How General Joshua stopt the sun,
Until his men the battle won.

How gates and bulwarks kissed the ground,
When nought but horns and trumpets sound.
How Endor's witch could raise the dead,
And make heroic Saul afraid.

How Babylon's king, with pride so full,
Became at last a lusty bull!

And thus for seven long years remained
E'er he again his shape regained;
(What pity Kings of modern days
Could not be sent as long to graze.)
How God bid one go eat his bread,
Bespread with t-d in butter's stead,
But when at this his heart did spurn,
Cow's dung, God said, would serve the turn.
Such foolish, childish tales as these,
A barbarous race of men might please,
But sure such tales can never claim
From Reason's sons, of truth the name;
Nor can the philosophic eye
Discern in them aught but a lie.
Though raging priests aloud proclaim,
Damnation, Hell, and endless flame, -
To every son of man who dare
But doubt what they solemnly swear;
The God of Nature says not so,
He ne'er can doom a man to woe
For disbelieving, when he's told,
That silver is as yellow's gold;
And sure where common sense prevails,
As foolish are those Bible tales.

Fair Reason needs no aids like these,
Her simple rules are rules of ease.
To view the universe around,

That work of wisdom most profound!
The varying seasons as they go,

The summer's heat-the winter's snow,
These these the mighty God proclaim,
These cry aloud his mighty name;
These teach us equal love to shew
To wipe the tear of human woe;
To give misfortune quick relief,
To cheer the heart oppress'd with grief:
In short-do every good we can
To all our brethren-fellow-man.

R. Carlile, Printer, 55, Fleet Street, London.

No. 12. Vol. I.] LONDON, FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 1819. [Price 2d.

CRISIS.-No. IV.

THE preparatory din of war goes on-armed associaons are openly avowed-every countenance carries a hostile feature-the crisis must be near. Let us, then, enquire what is the duty at the present moment of those who have resolved to fight in defence of their liberty and laws, their lives and property. When an enemy is at hand, and likely to fall on us, when we know that we have not given that enemy any just cause for commencing hostilities against us, the first act of the honest and courageous mind, would be the means of defence; those prepared, he would say, "The cause for which I am attacked, is an unjust cause, the cause for which I am about to defend myself is just. I will therefore defend myself whilst I have strength, and if I am overpowered and must fall a victim, I will sell my life as dear as possible, and, die the death of the virtuous and the brave." I would anxiously impress this feeling on the minds of my oppressed countrymen, because I really believe that the time is near at hand when they must resolve to act on the defensive. Armed associations are every where entering into; for what? For the avowed purpose of defending things as they are and likely to be. Then a co-operation becomes necessary on the part of every free mind and lover of liberty, to whom I would say, "Go ye, take arms, and learn their use likewise; form yourselves into armed associations; let every meeting to practise be open and previously avowed; there is no law that you will offend by doing this, provided you do nothing in secret." When the volunteer associations took place in this country, in consequence of the threatened invasion, the seventh days, otherwise called Sundays, were well employed in training to the use of arms in bodies, as it is a day when the ordinary occupations are not generally fol lowed in this country; embrace that opportunity, you have no time to mis-spend, you must be on the alert, or your enemies will be beforehand with you; although they are not numerically equal to you, they will endeavour to terrify and disunite you. If you cannot conveniently join those bodies

R. Carlile, Printer, 55, Fleet Street, London.