fiends have lived upon the bible from the fabled day of Christ; and as it was with the old woman who had drank thirteen cups of tea for ninety years, and thought tea would kill her at last, so is it with the evils the Jew-book is to annihilate. When intelligence and morality have banished them from among manwhen some other cause has taken them off, the Jew-book will effect their removal, but not till then.

G. J. H.

THE SPIDER GOD OF HINDOSTAN. THE very learned and ingenious Dr. Burnet, in an appendix to his Archilogia Philosophicæ, tells a very pleasant story concerning the modern Brachmins, to this effect. They (the Brachmins or priests of Hindostan) not only write and conceal their divinity, but also their opinions in philosophy of all kinds. They philosophise after the manner of the ancients upon the creation of the universe, together with its end and destruction; for they explain these things by the efflux or emanation of all things from god, and by their reflux or restoration into him again; but this they propound in a cabalistical mythological way. For they feign a certain immense spider to be the first cause of all things, and that she, with the matter she exhausted out of her own bowels, spun the web of this whole universe, and then disposed it with most wonderful art; whilst she herself, in the mean time, sitting on the top of the work, feels, rules, and governs the motion of each part. At last, when she has sufficiently pleased and diverted herself in adorning and contemplating her own web, she retracts the threads she has unfolded, and swallows them up again into herself; whereby the whole nature of things created vanishes into nothing.

well considered, is only wearing out our threads of life, in order to our deaths," with more to the same purpose, that I have all the will but not room to quote. Enough has been given to show that others far more learned and more competent to judge than I can ever hope to be, have much admired this wonderful, all creating, and all-swallowing spider. As to the impossibility of a spider performing such marvellous facts, that is an objection which though it may have weight with people scouted by the pious spider-worshippers of in this part of the world, would be indignantly India, who might perhaps retort upon us Jew god worshippers, that it is no less impossible for an omnipotent nothing, called spirit to produce by his will all that we call something, than for a very big spider to let out from its extraordinary bowels the unmeasurable, and therefore to us boundless universe. It cannot but be allowed, I think, that the spider worshippers would be fully justified in thus retorting upon the spirit worshippers, for a big creating spider is no more an impossibility than a big creating spirit. Besides, there are impossibles to be believed in all countries, and this very impossibility gives fall play to faith, for it is incontestable that if religious dogmas were plain and reasonable there could' be no merit in believing or receiving them. Those who can believe utter impossibilities, and by dint of faith defy the evidence of their own senses, are the lucky folks who lay up the richest stock of religious merit. A Christian who can easily credit that the whale swallowed Jonah will do well, but he who could take in that the whale not only swallowed Jonah but himself afterwards, would do better. I think therefore that no good Christian at all events can laugh at the credulity of spider worshippers, on the impossible Now I freely confess, though it may be to score. I think, that in general it is good my shame, that the brachminical account of for all folks, Christian or Turk, Jew of Gencreation pleased me mightily, as being upon too to look at home and see if nothing can be the whole by far the most satisfactory I had patched up there, before they set out on the met with. The idea of a huge spider-god fool's errand of mending other fools abroad.' letting, or rather spinning the universe out of The poor Hindoos are perhaps no less happy its own bowels, and in some mysterious man- nor less wise, in the worship of an omnipotent ner sucking it all in again, or, as the doctor spider, than were the ferociously cruel Jews, writes, swallowing it up into herself—is cer- with their bloody sacrifices to an omnipotent tainly novel and startling. I may also say Jehovah. The worst spider that ever crawled of this omnipotent spider that it is decidedly was certainly quite as respectable a character the best sort of god, the most KNOWABLE as the Greek Jupiter, or Jehovah the Jew, kind of deity that I have either read or heard A good big, merciful kind of spider might, I of. The noted Charles Blount held a like think, safely challenge competition with all opinion, for he says, in a letter to his friend the other gods that ever did or ever were supMr. Gildon, "I must confess his (Dr. Bur- posed to exist. All other gods either formed de's) notion of their (the Brachmins) omni- men after their own image, or men formed the potent spider, was no less grateful to me gods after their own image-the effect is pre(though what I have read many years since) cisely the same either way. It has often oc than the return of a friend after a long voyage,curred to me that had gods given an account That thought of resolving all things into him. self, an estate for life that falls into the landlord's hands; sure no good tenant need fear a good new lease; the state of man, if rightly

of themselves, or so to speak, painted their own portraits, they (the portraits) would have been less frightful and odious than we now find them. Some writer, whose name I have

impudence they affirm their god is TRUTH! Do they not institute vexatious criminal proceedings against a fellow-man for insulting their god, for blaspheming his holy name, for saying that which was not true of and concerning him? And what can be a greater crime against the majesty of truth than lying?

to suit by-gone ages.

Christianity is a part and parcel of the law of the land, say the "twelve," and the law, like the Jew-book, is valuable for its antiquity, or the circumstance of its having been written It is valuable from its being incongruous, contradictory, and worse than useless for the present day, and for the ease with which, by its aid, black may be shown to be white and white to be black-at one and the same time. The law is valuable for providing in one place for the punishment and prevention of murder, and in another place for making it legal and laudable, aye, and grateful to the god of mercy, to take life -by thousands too, if it suits law makers. Upon the occasion of a grand sacrifice of foreign Christian or other lives, by British Christian trained murderers, British Christian archbishops, bishops, and ministers return the omnipresent god of truth, justice, and MERCY thanks for the assistance he has lent them to overcome their enemies, although the latter were believers in the same book, in the same salvation, in the same god, though not perhaps worshippers at the same shrine.

The bible and the English law are alike in all the particulars I have mentioned, the former having evidently been studied with great assiduity by the framers of the latter. The third commandment, for instance, delares thou shalt do no murder," whilst a little further on it is ordered to do it.

The English law, of which Christianity is part and parcel, provides that certain forms of words shall be used upon criminal and civil cases, to prevent the escape of an of fender on the one hand or of cheating on the other. To make assurance doubly sure, in addition to those words necessary to explain the case, a multitude of others are used, frequently have no bearing upon it, and which declare in such cases the grossest falsehoods, but are of course right and proper, because Christianity is a part and parcel of the law -the lying part, I presume.

I shall now proceed to show reasons for my opinions, by some extracts from the indictment of GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE, charged at Gloucester with blaspheming the Christian's god-the god of truth. Upon the truly Christian proceeding referred to, a wilfully lying indictment was preferred against him, which was supported by an equally lying ad-paid with truth-loving Christians' gold! The indictment is not lengthy, and I give it entire. It is as follows:

vocate

Gloucester to wit.-The jurors for our lady thự Holyoake, late of the parish of Cheltenham, in the queen upon their oath, present that George Jacob county of Gloucester, labourer, being a wicked, ma licious, and evil-disposed person, and disregarding the laws and religion of the realm, and wickedly and profanely devising and intending to bring almighty god, the holy scriptures, and the Christian religion into disbelief and contempt among the people of this kingdom, on the 24th day of May, in the fifth year of the reign of our lady the queen, with FORCE and ARMS, at the parish aforesaid, in the county afore said, in the presence and hearing of divers liege subjects of our said lady the queen, maliciously, unlaw. fully, and wickedly did compose, speak, utter, pronounce, and publish with a loud voice, of and concerning almighty god, the holy scriptures, and the Christian religion, these words following, that is to do not believe there is such a thing as a god, say, "(meaning the said George Jacob Holyoaks) (meaning the said George Jocob Holyoake) would have the deity served as they (meaning the govern ment of this kingdom) serve the subalterns, place him (meaning almighty god) on half-pay"-to the high displeasure of almighty god, to the great scandal and reproach of the Christian religion, in open vioample of all others in like case offending, and against lation of the laws of this kingdom, to the evil exthe peace of our lady the queen her crown and dignity.

The first falsehood it contains charges Mr. Holyoake with "being a wicked, malicious, and evil-disposed person," to prove which no evidence was offered, for neither the prosecutors nor other persons possessed any by which it could be substantiated.

The second falsehood is a barefaced and palpable, as well as an absurd lie, stating that Mr. H. did "with FORCE and ARMS maliciously pronounce certain words, "to the high displeasure of almighty god "-who is a god without passions! An untutored savage would, upon hearing this, imagine the Christians' god was made of clay, and that the prisoner had with "force and arms,"say a policeman's bludgeon-broken his nose or cracked his skull, whereat the said almighty god was greatly enraged, as we might suppose a man would be who should be subject to such treatment. What a logical as well as sublime notion, that an all-mighty being could be injured by a creature of finite power, which power, moreover, is delegated or imparted to him by said all-mighty.

66

The third falsehood is, that what he did was against the peace," or that he commit. ted a breach of the peace. Its refutation is in the fact, that the lecturer and his bearers retired peaceably to their homes at the conclusion of the lecture. The only breach of the peace and infraction of the law, was per petrated by the authorities, the self-constituted god-defenders. They illegally seized the defendant several days afterwards, without a warrant, at near midnight, and subjected him to "unnecessary harsh treatment." This illegality they subsequently made legal by taking especial care a verdict of guilty should be recorded against him. The judicial leger demain which converts the illegal conduct of magistrates and blue-coated ruffians into legal acts was recently discovered by Sir James

Graham. He should lose no time in taking | is a rather harsh declaration, which I am

out a patent, backing it by an act of parliament, making it imperative upon all magis. trates and police inspectors to act upon it, by which means society would be morally and the patentee pecuniarily benefited.

really astonished any author should have made, for it is well known that David Hume was an Atheist, and, in his celebrated essays, more especially that one treating of the idea of power, endeavoured to prove that we The brazen-faced advocate, paid to defend have no idea whatever of power. I shall his god-the god of truth, declared himself quote from Hume presently, when it will be horrified at the blasphemies of the prisoner, seen that he, at all events, was not compelled and spoke of "the consequences of insulting to admit that power, is manifested in the that deity," whilst knowingly defending the operations of nature; and as I also am an lies in the indictment. How much he cared Atheist, who admits that power is the fun. for the consequences must be very evident to damental idea of a belief in god, but do all. Well done christianity! Should I be not admit that we have an idea of power; one of the jury to sit upon your "mortal re-it is quite clear all men are not agreed upon mains," I shall insist upon a verdict of feto the point. de se, with a verdict of a parson and a lawyer upon the Jew-book. W. C.

ON POWER.

In a review of "a dissertation on the being and attributes of god," no notice was taken, at least I think, no satisfactory reply was offered to Mr. Mackintosh's grand argument in proof of a god; decidedly the best, or as some may consider, the worst, in his book. I allude to the argument drawn from an hypothesis that there is POWER in matter. In page 26 of the "Dissertation," it is affirmed that power is the fundamental idea of a belief in god; "All other ideas (it is there said) of wisdom, goodness &c., rest upon this: and if we take away the idea of power all the rest vanish." It is therefore obvious that this idea of power is worth searching into, and the Atheist is bound to show, either that we have no idea whatever of power, or that though we have an idea of power, the idea is not "fundamental of belief in god." If he can succeed in show. ing that we have no idea of power, further trouble will be unnecessary; for no idea can be fundamental of anything. Now, as I conceive that this, by far the best part of Mr. Mackintosh's work, has not yet been grap pled with, I will, by your leave, attempt to show in this and succeeding papers, that this fundamental idea of power, is a fundamental mistake; in short, that we have no idea of power at all. Here I may remark that Mr. M. was rather hasty in his declaration; that "about the question of power there is no dispute, for even the Atheist admits, and is compelled to admit the existence of power; nay, although the Atheist may deny intelligence, he is compelled to admit that power is manifested in the operations of nature. Bere then (he continues) is a point where all men are agreed; so long as we live in a universe where everything is in motion men must continue agreed upon this point; and therefore this is the point from which all our reasonings upon this subject should begin to develope themselves." This, I repeat,

I am not a little pleased,

that in venturing to be sceptical about the existence of power, I am kept in countenance by so great a philosopher as David Hume, for Mr. Mackintosh thinks if it were possible any one could be found silly enough to deny the existence of power, no reasoning on earth could cure him. His words are "If there should be any Atheist so absurb as to maintain that matter and motion are enough, without any power to sustain that motion, we have only to say, that it would be waste of time to argue with such a person. He is too far gone, His care is hopeless." I, though as already said, being such a person, very far gone, and case perfectly hopeless, will nevertheless attempt a thorough sifting of the question, for I am not in love with error, and certainly no answer has yet been given to Mr. Mackintosh upon this really fuddamental point, and I think he should be answered fully and elearly, or the post of atheism be at once abandoned as untenable. It has been frankly acknowledged that power is the fundamental idea of a belief in a god; now let us see by what kind of argument this idea is supported. To guard against mistakes, I will give the very words of Mr. Mackintosh "Now the question is (says he), what is that which sustains this everlasting and unwearied motion of an infinite number of worlds distributed throughout infinite space. The answer is obvious, It is power. By whatever name or names we may desig nate this power, still we cannot divest ourselves of the idea that this eternal motion is referable to an eternal power; for the existence of motion demonstrates the exist ence of power." Such is the sum and substance of Mr. M.'s argument in proof of power. I hardly know whether I am justified in calling it argument, for it is literally as sertion; and a thousand assertions don't reach one argument. But let us be thankful for what we can catch, and do all possible good with it, such as it is. Well then, in the first place I deny that the existence of motion, demonstrates either more or less than the existence of motion. If the word power