On

Majesty was again most enthusiastically cheered. this occasion, the almost countless thousands who filled the streets, doors, and windows, were gratified with a sight of her Majesty as she passed. Her Majesty's condescension in throwing open her carriage was gratefully acknowledged, and she bad thereby the additional gratification of observing more accurately the unaffected and enthusiastic joy which her presence every where inspired. She here enjoyed one of the greatest of all human consolations to a British Queen-a consolation for which Kings and Queens may sigh in vain, unless they deserve it-the proud consciousness of possessing, the love and affection of her people, and of never having done any act to forfeit their esteem. After the procession had passed, the assemblage then moved quietly away, as quickly as multitudes so condensed could get from their several places. Every individual appeared to derive personal distinction and gratification from the undisturbed order and complete effect with which the highest tribute of respect and attachment ever paid to a human being was paid to the calumniated and prosecuted, but acquitted and triumphant, Queen-Consort of George IV.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN,

SIR,

OUR wise rulers have, in a late Session of Parliament, passed an act for the building of more churches, although the present are almost deserted by the people. They say that more are necessary, and that the active and prompt exertions of the priests are much required, to check the ravid strides of infidelity and blasphemy. The true meaning of which is, that real knowledge is making rapid strides, which will endanger their present system unless a prompt and efficient check be given to it by the priests. Education is so expanding the mind, that false systems of government, religious delusions, and deceptions of all kind will vanish like dew before the sun, when the light of reason shines in all its splendour. To unlearn what we have learned is impossible. To stop the increase of knowledge by threats, persecutions, or force, is folly in the extreme. If it is to be done, it can only be by deception, and that can best be carried on under the title of Christianity. If they cau only succeed in making us good Christians, we shall become so tame, submissive, and ignorant of our rights, that they can prac

tice any sort of imposition on our weakness and credulity. Any man that exercises his reason, or who is uot a believer in Christ, is called an infidel; but if he do not believe in either the Prophets, Jesus, Mahomet, or something else as ridiculous, he is sure to be called an atheist, a demon, or a devil, or a something to cause him to be shunned, and hated by society. I need not waste time in endeavouring to expose the folly and impositions of the Church establishment. It is something like our government, it has so completely exposed itself, that every one sees and knows, that it is a disgrace to us as an enlightened nation, and a stumbling block to all improvement. The only thing we have now to look at is, how are we to get rid of it?

If we had none of what are called opposition members in the House of Lords aud Commons, the present system would have been buried in oblivion long before this time. It is the pretended oppositionists that have deluded the people, and kept them in suspense from year to year, expecting they would do something for the good of the nation. Without at all examining their conduct and motives; whether they are in unison with our own, whether they are the friends of the nation or only of the governors of it, we have not enquired, but have had implicit confidence in them. If any person has dared to express a doubt of the goodness of the system of our government, both parties, ministeralists and oppositionists would instantly create an alarm, that, there were jacobins, levellers, and demagogues, who wish to overturn every thing that is ancient, venerable and good. The opposition members have the same interest in the present system as the others. Therefore it is all a farce to suppose that they will ever advocate that change, which will be of real benefit to the nation. No change will be of any use that will allow them to hold such immense tracts of land, churchlivings at their disposal, and boroughs that send members to the House of Commons. They have all these things and are not prevented from reforming such abuses as belong to themselves if they were so disposed. As they do not do it, is it not a mockery for them to pretend to be the friends of the people, and advocates for reform. They do not say that it is unjust for any individual to have one hundred thousand a year, while the great mass of the people are in distress and wretchedness; they do not say that kingly and aristocratical power are destructive to good order and good government. Although they have had the experience, the cause and effect of their establishment, the result of which is universal ruin to the nation in which it exists. Yet they cling to it, and support it, in all its evil consequences, and condemn only the little trifling evils that naturally will spring from a corrupt source, which if all that they complain of was remedied, it would be only like a drop in the ocean, imperceptible and of no use.

Just the same sort of trickery is carried on in the established religion, the church is the original, the head, or the ministeralists, and the diesenters are the oppositionists to it. If there had not been

any dissenters from the church, it would never have able to maintain the delusion it first started upon; its deceptions have become so exposed and so injurious to the general welfare, that it would long ago have lost all its power to oppress and persecute. It clearly foresaw the natural result that would befal it, if it had not some appearance of liberality, consequently it allowed, encouraged, and advantages were held out to oppositionists; if they would only adhere to the general maxims of it. That is, to preach for hire, to live in idleness, to fear God and honour the king, not to murmur at oppression, however cruel, for it is the will of the Lord; to be content with starvation, even if plenty be in the land, to submit themselves lowly and reverently to their temporal and spiritual masters, to love their enemies, to do good for evil, to believe that all great and national evils are only to be remedied by faith and prayer, to pray fervently, and wait with patience and forbearance for the Lord to change the hearts of evil-doers. This is the substance of the religion of the church, it is also what all the dissenters which are tolerated adhere to. Then where or in what do they dif fer? only in minor points, such as forms of worship, and things too trivial to need statement. Before any sect is tolerated to preach, they are questioned as to what doctrine they mean to adhere to, and if they will support and maintain all these leading points in Christianity, a licence will be granted them to deliver such opinions in any place they appoint so to do. Which licence shall protect them from any opposition-no persons dare oppose their creeds before their heares or followers. They are also allowed to take what money they can get of their followers for preaching such doctrines. Parsons made under such circumstances and with such great advantages, can never be the advocates of a reform in the church, for their interests are so interwoven that a downfal of the one would be that of the other. The impression on our minds is, that every person ought to enjoy his own religious opinions, and worship his Maker in that way which is the most pleasant to his own feelings, without any interruption by his neighbour. This is a right impres sion and just feeling. It is a principle we all think we act on but few really do so. No professed Christians do so but in words. They have fenced in their opinions by an act of parliament; they compel others to agree with them, or forfeit some privilege they would otherwise enjoy; they with a great deal of zeal and activity, impress on the minds of children a belief in their opinions before they are at a proper age to comprehend them; they condemn all others who differ from them; they imprison and persecute all who will not agree to their docrines; they will not open their doors to invite a fair discussion, that all parties may profit by it, but they eugender a spirit of hostility and an enthusiastic madness in their own obstinacy, and then in a pretended honest expression of words they say, every one has a right to enjoy his own opinion, but he has no right to endeavour to persuade others in it. "Nothing but the suppression of such works as the Age of Reason, and the forc

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ing of you into a prison, for republishing of them, has caused me to enquire, or doubt the genuineness of the established religion. I was brought up in it from a child, and but a short time back I was a member of the society of methodists. I was a constant attendant at their prayer-meetings, class-meetings, and love-feasts. But when I found that the religion I was professing, dare not stand the fair test of argument, when it was absolutely endangered by such men as Paine, and required the strong arm of the government to protect and support it. I was then convinced that it must be a rotten foundation laid by man and liable to decay; and not the works of the God of Nature which do not alter or decay, or fear the rude hands of meu, which require no act of parliament to support them, but are open to all, enjoyed by all, and the inore we search into them the more we see to admire.

Religion is a feeling in the mind, of adoration and gratitude to the God of Nature, for the wonderful and sublime order that governs the whole. It is a feeling that is implanted in our nature; it can only depart and decay with it. To make any improvement upon it, is as impossible as it would be to improve upon our natural construction. To believe that we ought to express this feeling on particular days, in particular places, and at particular times, with particular forms and ceremonies is a species of insanity; which has been created in the imagination of the mind when the judgment was sleeping. To believe that a religious feeling requires the work of man to establish and promote it is absurd. If we believe in the Creator of the Universe that we are the creatures of his creation, we must also believe that he has created in us a feeling of gratitude to him, and has not left it for man to do. Never will true religion reign freely in the mind so long as pretenders to it are allowed to receive money for preaching or for instructing others in their opinions; if they were truly religious, a feeling of sympathy and respect, or the luxury of doing good, would amply pay the generous heart. If the government of the country would prevent or make it punishable, as a crime in receiving money or emoluments of any kind, merely for delivering their religious opinions, then we should see who were the real good and truly religious. Our churches, chapels, and meetings, would soon all be shut up. Reason would again take its seat on the mind and direct its course. The infuriated storm of superstition, the spirit of persecution, and the convulsion of fear would subside, and men's minds would become calm and serene, and pursue the natural and steady course enjoying all the beauties of the creation as they flow. pleasing reflection on the past, and an affectionate feeling to all our brethren. THOMAS SINGLE.

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Nov. 21, 1820.

MR. DAVISON.

THE Vice Lords and Vice Gentry are determined not to let this captive slip through their hands, and have refused him a trial, for it cannot be said that he had a trial before, when the eager and impatient Best told the Jury with joy and an exulting countenance, that he had succeeded in cutting up the defence. This is a more infamous piece of business than has been practised yet. Judge Abbott certainly conducted himself with something like decency, on the mock trials of the Editor of this publication, when compared with Best, although, he too succeeded by his wiles in cutting up the defence, But whatever he felt he took care not to express satisfaction at it. Best seems to be a candidate under the auspices of Castlereagh for the Chief Justiceship. We shall then hear no more of the names of Scroggs and Jefferies, and, in fact, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Evans, two gentlemen at the bar, gave Mr. Best a pretty strong hint that he was trying to outstrip those worthies of old in his career on the Bench; and the blinking creature felt a conscious guilt of the propriety of the attack, for he wriggled under it, and could not sit easy and composed for an hour afterwards. Mr. Cooper in his statement of Mr. Davison's case has displayed much ability and honest boldness, and it is high time that some of the gentlemen at the bar, should obtain the ear of the Court by denouncing the corrupt and partial career of the Political Judges who preside in it. The following is Mr. Davison's sentence on which we shall offer a few remarks next week as it did not reach us in time for the present.

That the defendant should be imprisoned in Okeham gaol, in the county of Rutland, for a term of two years; at the expiration of that period to find securities, himself in £.200, and two other persons in 201. each, for his good behaviour, during a further term of five years; and to be imprisoned until such sureties should be found.

Mr. Davison gratefully acknowledges the receipt of five pounds, through the hands of Mrs. Carlile, from "An Enemy to Persecution."

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Q. R. S. T. will find a letter at Fleet-street, directed to him on Tuesday the 5th instant.