we think that such a man as Dr. Adam Clarke, would not have studied and criticised it with the most intense application for forty or fifty years, without discovering such a fact.

However, we wish it to be distinctly understood, by our infidel friends, that we do not expect they should take for granted, as truth, all that we affirm, or all that any other man may say, however wise, or learned, or great. We simply wish them to read-to think-to study-and to investigate for themselves, especially the Bible and the various evidences by which its truth and Divine authority are authenticated and confirmed. But we sincerely desire, and affectionately advise them for their own sakes, to regulate and conduct their thinking, their studies, and their investigations, in accordance with common sense -sound reason-enlightened criticism-good logic-and true philosophy. We regard it as a matter of vast and solemn importance, that every man should employ his rational and intellectual powers in the most proper and noble manner, in order that he may come to right conclusions, and acquire just notions, and impressions, in regard to what he should believe and what he should reject, what he should love and what he should hate, what concerns him the most and what concerns him the least, in relation both to time and eternity. We would not have any man to take any important step before it has been made the subject of sedate and deep reflection. Nor would we have any one either to embrace or oppose any system before it has undergone a careful and thorough examination. We therefore say to every man, endeavour by all means to obtain correct and rational views concerning duty, conduct, and happinessconcerning what is true and what is false, what is good and what is bad, what is beneficial and what is injurious, what is important and what is frivolous, what is valuable and what is worthless. And before you adopt any principle, consider the consequences which are likely to result from it. Take great care by what motives your actions are regulated, what influences you yield to, what object you set your affections on, what course of faith and life you pursue, what

habits you form, what dispositions you adopt, what aspirations you cherish, and what connexions you choose. See to it that your present studies and employments, are so conducted, after their proper arrangement, as to be rendered subservient to your future interests and happiness. In every transaction, let the voice of wisdom and of conscience be heard and attended to. Let those things be attended to with the greatest earnestness, consistency, and uniformity, which reason, matter of fact, and intelligent investigation, declare to be of the greatest importance and concernment. We want every man carefully and logically to read and think, to examine and compare, to judge and reason for himself, especially in regard to the Bible and Christianity. Such, we think, would be the most proper and likely means to adopt in order to arrive at the conclusion, that it is the extreme of presumption and of folly to reject at a venture, such a grand and glorious system as Christianity, especially before it and its various evidences have been calmly, fairly, and fully examined. By conducting their investigations in this manner, (by really thinking for themselves) many of the greatest masters of reason and learning of which the world can boast, have ascertained the fact, that there is sufficient evidence that the Bible has been given to man by the authority and inspiration, and under the direction of Him who is the immutable and eternal source of all moral purity, truth, and goodness.

Such are some of the advices and considerations which we respectfully beg leave to offer to the notice of our infidel friends. They are in exact accordance with the language of the Bible where it says-Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.' If this maxim were adopted and heeded by all, there would be more peace and unity, and fewer contentions and schisms among professing Christians; and multitudes of our fellow men would discover, not only the weakness, the gloominess, and the worthlessness of infidelity, but the sublimity, the

importance, and the excellency of Christianity. It is false and absurd to think, as many infidels have thought, that in order to believe the Bible, they must lay aside their reason; and that in order that they may swallow the doctrines of Christianity, they must disregard the teachings and discoveries of nature and science. We admire nature, science, and the Bible too. We take and believe them all three; because they harmonize together, and enable us the better to explain the various phenomena and facts of the physical and moral universe. We admire and love the Bible because it is the book which man's moral condition and wants require; and because of the important history, the rich and valuable information, the sublime philosophy, the supremely interesting facts and doctrines, and the grand and glorious discoveries which it contains. Setting aside the Divine authority of the Bible, it is justly entitled to our serious regard and veneration, inasmuch as it abounds with the most worthy, glorious, and transcendent descriptions of the Deity we are able to conceive of. We can mention no class of men who have been ignorant of the Bible, who have ever formed such lofty and worthy notions, and have been able to give such noble and grand descriptions of the Supreme Being, as they who have been enlightened by it. But though we speak thus highly of the volume of Revelation, we do not and will not on any account exclude nature from our thoughts, our investigations, or our admiration.

We love nature most intensely. We delight to contemplate its arrangements, its beauties, and its harmonies; its sublimities, its wonders, and its mysteries; its order, its uniformity, and its variety. We love to read in her instructive and glorious book, and to study, wonder, and worship in her splendid temple. It is here we learn very much concerning the infinite wisdom, the glorious majesty, the inconceivable greatness, the omnipotent power, and the boundless goodness of the Divine Being, who is, from everlasting to everlasting.' We regard both nature and the Bible, as the work of one and the same Divine, infinitely intelligent, and omnipotent author.

• I will now conclude my remarks, by merely adding, that notwithstanding all that has been written and said in favour of the Bible, if infidels can demonstrate that it has no claims to Divine authority, they may of course set it aside as unworthy of their regard, but if they cannot do this, it is perilous for them to reject it at a venture as a human production.

"Thou sacred treasure, dearer to me far
Than earth's delusive, fading glories are;
I'd give them all, could I possess them now,
For one blest moment at thy truths to bow;
To taste the heavenly sweets thy word unfolds,

And view those scenes which faith's bright eye beholds;
Beyond the veil of perishable things,

Where joy for ever in the bosom springs;

Where waves of bliss in rich profusion roll,
To pour immortal raptures o'er the soul;
From that great deep-unfathomable sea
Of God's pure essence-vast eternity.

This book, how full, how bright its pages shine,
Its high behest is stamped on every line;
By God's eternal son the truths are sealed,
And through the word to fallen man revealed;
Design'd to cheer his dark benighted mind,
Weary and anxious some retreat to find
Of calm repose, free from perplexing care,
Some higher good, some holier joys to share;
Where hopes bright vision calms the troubled breast,
Where faith points upward to a world of rest.

Thou art my friend, companion of my youth;
The star which led me in the search of truth,
To break the spell which kept my wand'ring mind
Long in delusive snares of earth confined;
Thou art my solace in this vale of tears,
My counsellor, and trust in riper years;
Imparting gladness when my aching heart,
Feels anguish deep, as earthly hopes depart.
Thou art my wealth, with thee content I'll live,
And ask no more than thy rich pages give
Of promised blessings briefly written there,
Obtained by faith in holy ardent prayer.
Thou art my pole-star through life's trackless way,
My fragile bark to guide me to eternal day.
When the white surges dash the sounding shore,
And howling winds, and gath'ring tempests roar,
With thee I'll fear no ill, but watch thy light,
For ever beaming with effulgence bright;

My pharos to direct me to that shore,

The port of bliss where life's dull scenes are o'er."
Yours respectfully,

Gee Cross.

PETER SYKES.

SIR,

DEFENCE OF INFIDEL ADVOCATES.

1.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DÉFENDER.

I will be obliged, if I may avail myself of your Open Page' to reply, to the remarks of your correspondent Observer in relation to the return of Mr. Joseph Barker, to England, and his general remarks on Infidels and their doings.

He insinuates, that Mr. Barker has taken away lots of money,' and, that it is the magnetic attraction, which induces the advocates of infidelity, to maintain their principles and oppose Christianity.

I will thank him to inform me, how many Public Christian Advocates, never receive money, and if he goes to their Church? If the Rev. J. H. Rutherford is a Tent-maker, and how many Preachers of the 'Word' their are in Liverpool, who receive no salaries? I ask him, what seems to be the 'one thing needful' to the Bishops of the Country, who think it absolutely needful to have the snug livings' which are dotted over this Christian land? How it is that among all denominations of Christians, some preachers are better paid than others? Is it necessary for Peter to have more than Paul? If they despised the one thing needful, would the preaching of God's word, be more valuable in price in one place, and by one man than another? Do not the GREAT GUNS' go to the various chapels, at certain times and seasons, especially 'to draw full houses, and obtain plenty of the one thing needful?

I would ask if it has been proved, Infidels have no stomachs to be fed, or bodies to be clothed, or rent to pay for their habitations, or printing presses to be bought, and printers to hire; if they have free passes' on all the railways, &c., &c.; and if not, after these things have been paid for, they live at home at ease,' with the surplus of their receipts arising from their lectures. If Christian ministers were as energetic as Mr. Joseph Barker or Mr. Holyoake, and endeavoured to get the talent of those men, the better to advocate their cause, would it not be a proof, that the love of the truth was more the cause of their Labours, than the possession of wealth?

He speaks of the failure of certain Infidels to maintain a foundation in Liverpool. In answer to this, I call his attention to a similar fact, Christ told his disciples, that, if in the course of their travels, any city refused to receive them, they should shake the dust from their feet, and that it would be more tolerable for Sodom, than for that city.

I suppose a Christian would not reject Christianity because his party could not make converts in a certain place. Neither will an Infidel think the worse of his opinions, because his party were unable to make a permanent stand in Liverpool.

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Not wishing to occupy too much of your paper, I conclude, with a few remarks on Observers' exhortation to all those who profess to call themselves Christians, to do battle for the Cross. I would not like to join the ranks if my right hand man were like many I know, who profess to call themselves Christians,' among whom there are liars, evil speakers, adulterers, drunkards, despoilers of widow's houses, instance the bankers of London, who have lately failed. I sometimes work on Sundays for people who profess to call themselves Christians.'

However, I will willingly be exiled with 'Infidelity and Seeptism,' if all who profess to call themselves Christians, and are not such, will go with r.e. There would be a splendid echo in England.

PLAIN SPEAKER.

APPROPRIATION AND REFUTATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DEFENDER.

Sir,

Under the title of Appropriation not Refutation,' J. M. sends a communication, to my last, in reply to which he labours hard to make the worst appear the better reason.

In answer to J. M's former note, I said, 'If a man is not necessitated to be what he is, he can be different from what he is, without being necessitated, but man cannot be different from what he is without some cause for his difference, and the fact of requiring a cause, proves he is necessitated to be what he is,' this is a fact clear and convincing. But how does J. M. attempt to answer it ?

Admitting that man would not change from a present state to a different one without some cause, it would not by any means follow that man was necessitated inasmuch as his will might and according to us would be the cause of that difference.' It is well J. M., tells us, the will might be the cause,' but might be,' will not do in debates of this kind, we want more proof and less 'might be's,' more logical demonstration, and less assumption.

'Of course, says J. M.,' the fact of requiring some external cause, to enable man to change would prove, that he was not an agent, but it is absolutely impossible to establish that fact.' That is a very easy way of answering. Think you not, readers, that the above extract savours very much of dogmatism, and but little of argument, it needs only to be re-penned to be refuted.

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'If the human will does not act independent of external causes it is not the efficient cause of its own volition,' 'this is evident enough, says J. M.,' and is just our definition of freedom, put into a negitive form,' to which I added, ‘and to act independent of any other cause,' here J. M. seems to say, by inuendo, that evidence is no cause.

What will your readers think of that, after being told in the preface, to Vol. 1, of the Defender, that many who were infidels but a few months ago, are now

earnest Christians, and what has been the cause of this change?

According to the above named preface, the circulation of the Defender, the evidence it has given in favour of Christianity, thus, evidence is proved to be a cause.

Let J. M. stand in one of the police courts, and he will soon discover the fact, (which he does not appear to have discovered) that evidence, is a very strong cause.-Mr. A.is called as witness against Mr. B.; Mr. A. declares upon oath, that he saw Mr. B. pick the pocket of Mr. C.; Mr. C. swears that he felt some one's hand in his pocket, he caught hold of B.'s hand and held it there; (for it was Mr. B.) B. knocked him down and ran away, he could positively swear Mr. B. was the man. A policeman in court stepped forward and declares Mr. B. was a notorious pick-pocket, the case is then adjourned for a week. What would be J. M.'s opinion upon such a case? Would he not conclude that the man B., was guilty of picking the pocket of Mr. C.? But let us suppose when the case is heard upon the following week, Mr. D., a very respectable man appears as witness for the prisoner, B., and states upon his sacred oath, that he, B., could not have committed the robbery, because he was in his company, at the time the robbery was committed, about 50 miles from where it took place, this was also corroborated by Messrs. E. & F. I contend, that J. M.'s former conviction would be materially shaken, if not entirely changed, any way, it matters not (to my argument) whether he believes or disbelieves, it would be the result of evidence he had heard, acting upon his organization, and thus it would prove evidence to be a cause.

After proceeding thus far J. M. appears to get himself into a metaphysical fog and remains in it throughout the remainder of his letter, notwithstanding he labours hard to make himself understood, and, in his endeavours to do so he says, it is much easier for Mr. C. to repeat my words than to refute them.' I would just refer your readers to pages 334 and 364 vol. 1, of the Defender, and they will discover I have not only 'repeated the words' of J. M. but that I have also refuted them.

SAMUEL COOMBES..

NORTHAMPTON.-On the 18th ult. Mr. John Bowes, of Cheltenham, lectured on the subject of Mr. Barker's Objections to the Bible at the Stockport Discussion.' Mr. J. S. Jones occupied the chair. The Hall was well filled by an attentive audience. The points dealt with were necessarily of the usual character, from the hackneyed nature of the objections to which they referred, but they were honestly and vigorously handled. The manner in which the palpable dishonesty of the criticism by which St. Paul is made to depreciate marriage was exposed was, perhaps, one of the happiest features of the lecture. A few such clumsy artifices as these thoroughly exposed furnish the hearer with keys by which he may unlock many a cavil he may afterwards meet with. Only one gentleman, Mr. Carey, offered observations in opposition, which were principally directed to the question of eternal punishments, which had not been matter of consideration in the lecture. Mr. Bowes expressed his opinion that they were deducible from the Scriptures,-which could not be said of one the following evening, where Mormonism was the subject. This meeting was unusually stormy, but the exposure was thorough, and the discomfiture of the Mormon Secularists complete.

TRUTH.

One truth is the seed of other truths. It is sown in us to bear fruit, not to lie torpid. The power of mind by which truth becomes prolific, is freedom. Our great duty is to encourage vigorous action of mind. The greater number of free and vigorous minds brought to bear upon a subject, the more truth is promoted.