The Lion. No. 23. VOL. 3.] LONDON, Friday, June 5, 1829. [PRICE 6d. Head-quarters, Nottingham, FINDING Our business complete at Cambridge, as far as we could be active without opposition, and supposing, that our absence might restore the licence to the lodging-house-keeper, after addressing the following letter to the Vice-Chancellor, we left the town on the 26th ult. and proceeded to Wisbeach : "To the Rev. Gilbert Ainslie, D.D., Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. "The Rev. Robert Taylor, A.B., late of St. John's College, and Mr. Richard Carlile, of Fleet-street, London, present their compliments to the Rev. Dr. Ainslie, and beg to inform him, that, having affixed their challenge to discussion, on the pretended evidences of the Christian religion, in the Latin tongue, according to due form, upon the door of the University Library, an English version of which they have caused to be sent to himself, as Vice-Chancellor, to the several Heads of Houses, to the Regius and Norrisian Professors of Divinity, and to the Christian Advocate,-they, the Infidel Missionaries, will hold themselves in readiness, upon convenient notice sent to their London addresses, to return, at any time, to make good, before the University of Cambridge, the honourable challenge they have given, whenever the University shall feel itself competent to defend the pretensions of Christianity, on those grounds of free, fair, and liberal discussion, to which its professors have been thus respectfully invited. "The Infidel Missionaries, disclaiming all solicitation on their Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62. Fleet Street. No. 23.-Vol. 3. 2 Z own account, respectfully suggest to the Vice-Chancellor, and to all persons to whom the honour of the University should be matter of consideration, the expediency of revoking a measure that will so ill abide public animadversion, as that of taking away the licence of the lodging-house-keeper, who had let his apartments to them, as entire strangers. "Disclaiming, also, all emotions of resentment of this injustice, or of the affected contempt with which their challenge has been evaded, the Infidel Missionaries, in discharge of their duty to the public, in the event of a continuing refusal of their challenge, intend to apply to the High Court of Chancery, by petition, for a sequestration of the property bequeathed by Mr. Hulse's will, for the remuneration of the Christian Advocate, whose office and duty, in pursuance of the terms of that will, should be-" to answer the new and popular arguments, or rather cavils and objections, against the Christian' or revealed religion, but chiefly such as are most modern. Such, his written answers, to be in English, and only against notorious Infidels, whether Atheists or Deists, except," (as hereafter excepted,) on the ground of the conditions of that will not having been fulfilled. They also intend, in prosecution of their just and philanthropic purpose, to seek redress, by petition to Parliament, of the flagrant wrong done, in the perversion of the funds of the University so egregiously from the ends and designs of its institution, as that, in these days of general scepticism and widely extended disbelief in Christianity, there should be found no Professors of the University able or willing to undertake its defence, or to meet the most formidable and overt attack ever made upon it, with any better resistance than the convenient affectation of contempt for learning which they cannot surpass, and argumentation which they cannot equal: thus branding the religion which they profess with the apparent ignominy of shrinking from a challenge to free discussion, and the recreancy of appearing incompetent to conflict with the opposition which they affect to despise. "7, Crescent, Cambridge, May 26, 1829. To the Vice-Chancellor." The chief thing that is called learning in Cambridge consists of the proposing and solving of mathematical riddles. In point of utility, it deserves not to be called any thing more than a school for conundrums. We could perceive nothing taught there that was really knowledge. A young man may learn all the mathematics, all the divinity, and all the languages taught at Cambridge, and still know nothing, still be as ignorant as the uneducated ploughman, and all the less shrewd, sagacious, and discerning, as to men, manners, and things, in having the head filled with such learned lumber. The University of Cambridge is a school of ignorance, an impediment to the acquisition of knowledge, and is a check on the expansion of the human mind, which, without perversion, is naturally in a progressing state. A few clever young men break through the shackles there prepared for them and become Infidels; but these have a most painful conflict to endure, in having taken up knowledge for themselves, which the managers of the University do not allow to be acquired. We ascertained, that there were about fifty of the young collegians, who were somewhat bold in avowing Infidelity among each other; but the principle of the University calls for hypocrisy, and suppresses open and honestly avowed Infidelity; and this is a state of things in which the better part of the human character sustains persecution. We have great reason to be proud of our missionary visit to Cambridge, as it will make a tale to be lastingly told. Though we had no clamorous proceedings, we have agitated a subject that can never there subside into its former condition. The stagnant pool of fraud and hypocrisy is stirred up, and the ingredients infused that must produce a fermentation and purification. So, Cambridge, we mark thee as our own. We can say but little of Wisbeach. Perceiving no chance of speedily getting a proper place wherein to address the inhabitants, hearing of no preacher there that could be called popular, or that was worth a moment's notice, we did not stay above eighteen hours. We expected to find more boldness and forwardness, more influence in the town, among the Infidels, but whether our unapprised visit surprised them, or whether Infidelity has not yet there displayed an open and challenge-giving front, we cannot determine, but we found no encouragement to remain, and no early prospect of doing the good that is there necessary to be done. We would exhort the Infidels of that town to stand out and present, at least, as good a front as any sect of superstitionists presents. The present fault of Infidelity is, too much humility, too much cowardice, too much hypocrisy. No where in the country does it fully and properly assert its great moral superiority over all religion. The Infidels should be the lights of the town, and not hide their light. They should keep up a standing challenge for discussion with all who are opposed to them, and give their names and residences for that purpose. We, the Infidel Missionaries, will come or return any where, in preference, where a proper place for oration or discussion can be secured for us. will not preach or discuss in the streets, nor in common publichouses, we will not contend with physical force; but we will in the proper place, and at the proper time, assert and try our Infidelity before all the moral power that the country can bring against it. Infidelity should appear in its proper character, that of simplicity and honesty, seeking instruction and correction from all, but no where and when hiding itself from moral conflict; ever proving all things and holding fast that which is good; but We never taking any thing upon faith, conjecture, or project; dealing in physics; but not in metaphysics. Apologies may be made for the past shrinkings of Infidelity, on the score of the physical power and persecuting disposition of the religious world; but the balance is taking a turn, and it is now the time for Infidelity to stand forth and not to be content with self-correction, but to pursue the correction of others. If all the Infidelity of the country were to avow itself, the religion that remains would cower down before it, as it does before the challenge of the Infidel mission, and quickly retire from its Sion and other high places. We hope to send up something interesting for the third bulletin. We conclude the present with a copy of our petition to the House of Commons, respecting the University of Cambridge, and a list of the persons to whom we have sent our circular in and about Nottingham, To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled. The humble Petition of Robert Taylor, A. B. Clerk, and Richard Carlile, Bookseller, both of London. Sheweth, That the University of Cambridge, having been founded and being at present supported by public property, held under engagement, that the holders thereof should perform certain duties and offices, which duties and offices have grown into desuetude, and are in part or wholly neglected. Your petitioners humbly pray, that your Honourable House will take the matter of the misappropriation of such public property into your consideration, and either insist on the fulfilment of the condition under which it is held, or reclaim the same from the usurpation of private peculation, to the proper and only rightful dedication, the service of the state; that your petitioners more especially implore the animadversion of your Honourable House upon the flagrant abuse and perversion of the funds held by the University of Cambridge, under the will of the late Rev. John Hulse, dated July 21, 1777, to found and endow the office and duty of Christian Advocate, who, according to the express terms and obligations imposed by that will, as the conditions on which such funds should be held, should be "a learned and ingenious person, of the degree of Master of Arts, or of Bachelor or Doctor of Divinity, &c., &c., and resident in the University; who is to compose yearly whilst in office, some proper and judicious answer or answers every year, to all such new and popular (arguments) or rather cavils and objections against the Christian or revealed religion, as may, in the opinion of the trustees, or any two of them, seem besi, or most proper to deserve or require an answer, whether the same be ancient or modern objections, but chiefly such as are most modern, and especially such as have appeared in the English language of late years against Christianity-if any such there shall be unto the year preceding his election; as likewise to be ready to satisfy any real scruples or objections in a private way, that may be brought from time to time by any fair and candid inquirer, against the same such writer to be called the CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, and such his written answers to be in English, and only against notorious Infidels, whether Atheists or Deists, not descending to any particular controversies or sects among Christians themselves except, &c." That such office of Christian Advocate, has been rendered entirely nugatory, and the duties of that office, upon which the property bequeathed by Mr. Hulse is held by the University, have been totally and altogether omitted, neglected, and set at nought-inasmuch as, that, in these days of general scepticism and widely extended Infidelity, no answer has been given to the objections of notorious Infidels which have been advanced at any time within the last ten years: neither has the Christian Advocate or the University of Cambridge been found competent to answer the objections adduced in the DIEGESIS, a work of laborious learning and research, on the origin, history, and evidences of Christianity, or willing to meet your petitioners either publicly or privately in their own divinity schools, or elsewhere, to discuss the merits of the Christian religion, though respectfully challenged to do so by a protocol, which we as Infidel Missionaries caused to be affixed, according to due form, in the Latin tongue, upon the doors of the University Library, and sent in an English rendering of the same, to the Norrisian and Regins Professors of Divinity and to all the HEADS OF HOUSES. The DIEGESIS itself, a work replete with objections which have arisen from admissions made by Christian critics and divines themselves, and from researches and discoveries which none of the earlier writers on the evidences of Christianity, could possibly have treated or anticipated, has been returned wholly unnoticed by the Christian Advocate, or by the University, except in the vindictive and persecuting measure of taking away the licence of the house in which your petitioners had lodged while attending to maintain the challenge they had given. The Christian Advocate, in the literal terms of the will, by which he bolds his office and receives his salary, thus flagrantly "neglecting to discharge his office as he ought to do." Your petitioners therefore humbly pray, that your Honourable House will call for inquiry into the abuse complained of, and either cause the terms of the said will to be complied with, or take into your own hands the direction and occupancy of the |