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The Maltotes, or the great imposts, are another calamity introduced upon France by its communion with the court of Rome. The Popes, the greatest tyrants of the world, furnished examples of it upon their own subjects in Italy; and the Romish religion and the confessors of princes, and of their ministers, have furnished them with lessons of the same.

Equivocations, perfidiousness in all treaties, ambiguous expressions in all transactions and public acts, have been consecrated bp the example of Popish councils, especially that of Trent, which formed a great number of decrees, capable of divers contrary senses, which have occasioned divisions among their different sects of monks, and many of their divines; whereof that infallible tribunal, as they call it, of the Pope and his cardinals, would never determine the sense, for fear of disobliging some one of the parties.

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Europe, in general, is obliged to the court of Rome for the false and cursed politics that reign in almost all its courts, and hath banished thence probity, sincerity, upright intentions, fidelity, justice, truth, generosity, and filled them with deceit and effeminacy.

The court of Rome is, moreover, become a grand pattern and teacher of irreligion and profanity, for several ages. sux blow sili ILA Amongst these direful effects which Popery perpetually and necessarily occasions in the dominions that are thereunto subject, I have not taken any notice of those which may be called passing and accidental, though they have also a determinate cause, and proceed from the same original, that is, the First Principles of Popery, which may be called the soul of it, and which constitute the essential form of the church of Rome, viz.-ambition, pride, and avarice; which have made, and do make, from time tỏ time, horrible ravages in Christian countries,-nay, through the whole world. I am certain that, if we should reckon up these accidental mischiefs, which Popery occasions from time to time in France, the sum would be much above two hundred millions per annum. How many unjust wars hath it kindled in France, both intestine and foreign? History tells us, that the ambition of the Popes was the cause of the Mahometans subduing part of Europe, and that the empire of the east, which was of the Christian religion, became Mahometan the ambition of the Popes hath also torn fu pieces the empire of the West, and spoiled its emperors of part of their dominions, even of Rome itself, and made them their vassals and slaves, in a manner, thus to tread upon them in person sometimes with impunity so that, by the anibition of the Roman clergy and their popes, the empire is no other than a mere shadow of what it formerly was.

It is very well known by the perfidiousness of the Pope, the Turks rendered themselves masters of Hungary; the court of Rome having obliged the unhappy King Uladislaus to violate his faith, and break the treaty he had made with them: which violation was followed by a total defeat of that King, at the battle of Varia, and the loss of the kingdom, which the infidels seized upon. vod vodi saur. ་ ས

For, above one thousand years, the Popes and their clergy have been constantly aspiring to universal monarchy, and have made it their constant business to sow divisions betwixt Christian princes and their subjects, and to kindle war amongst those princes, to weaken them by one another, thất so they might bring them all under their yokes

By this method, they make themselves arbitrators and masters of their differences, and always cast the balance on the side of their own interest, without any regard to honour or justice; and that not by armies or open force, but by the intrigues of confessors, monks, and prostitutes.

They now still foment, as formerly, and without censing, divisions and factions in all the countries of Europe, yea, even amongst Protestants,

by their secret emissaries, whom they employ in great numbers, in order to bring them gradually under their yoke, one way or other, by the enormous crimes. .

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No one can be ignorant of the invention formerly made use of by the Popes to bring part of Asia under their yoke, without putting themselves to any charge; and, at the same time, to increase their own authority and Conquests in Europe, at the expence of the Christian, princes whom they } despoiled. Their delusion was to persuade those ignorant princes to go in person to Asia, with great fleets and armies, to expel the Mahometans from that country; for which end, the Popes called it the Holy land. And, while those princes were in that country, with numerous armies of their subjects, by which they had depopulated their own dominions, the Popes endeavoured to make themselves masters of the same, or at least sucked their subjeets to the bone, and drained out all the riches of those countries by means of their clergy, France and England suffered very much by this means; and we have no reason to doubt but they would have been much more rich and populous, had it not been for that ridiculous crusade.stor; 1 0990 1970STOM

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All the world knows that the Romish clergy, or church, has destroyed, or caused to be destroyed by their orders, more people, under pretence of religion, than all the heathen emperors, and more than all the nations of the habitable world have done, upon that same account since the creation of the world. France and England can testify this from sad experience. 9 to 8 med sen¶ odIt is well enough known that the councils, of Popery, have established it as a maxim or rule; that they are not obliged to keep faith with heretics; and that princes are obliged, on pain of eternal damnation and loss of their dominions, to destroy them. Whence it comes to pass, that not only all the murders, robberies, perjuries, rapes, and all crimes in general, are permitted, but commanded, against all those Christians who oppose themselves ever so little to the interests, tyranny, or ambition of the pope and clergy; which sentence doth include also Jews, Pagans and Mahometans, when the church of Rome shall think meet, these principles have proceeded so many massacres, persecutions violations of faith, religious wars, crusades, and leagues to extirpate those who were called heretics. Hence also proceeded many ussassinations of princes and attempts upon their lives, which France hath often had sad experience of. Hence came the civil wars in England and Ireland, the burning of towns, and conpsiracies against the state. One of the kings of France was, by the Pope's order, formerly whipped at Rome, in the person of his ambassador, which is the highest ignominy that can be done to a nation or a prince; and, if we have not fresh and daily instances, from their church, of such decrees as those of the councils of Constance and Lateran, or such remarkable demonstrations of their pride andaruelty, it is not because they have changed their principles, but because they have no longer any power to do it with safety, and for the advantage of the Pope. It is not want of good will.

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may be clearly seen, by all those proofs which we have produced of the natural and necessary opposition there is betwixt the church and religion of Rome, and the happiness and prosperity of princes, states, and people, that the church and its religion in the world are so contrary to the good and liberty of mankind. It hath no shadow of old Christianity, but it persecutes all nations with the height of rage, and fills the universe with blood and confusion. It tramples under foot, ruins, and devours, princes and their subjects; and all in the name of Jesus Christ!!!

God inust, if the religion of the church of Rome be true, be opposed to

the propagation of mankind, 'which appears to be one of the favourite de signs of Providence. He must also, according to them, approve of deceit, imposture, and fraud, in the ministers of his religion, and in his worship: the must likewise love injustice, impiety, perfidiousness, tyranny, laziness, eidleness, cruelty, incontinence, robbery, profanity, perjury, hypocrisy, murder, and calumny, which are so essential to the Popish religion and the Romish clergy as they now exist.

The Pope and his clergg are more anti-Christian by the tyranny they exercise over the souls and bodies, the estates, honour, life, and repose, of princes and people, than in regard of their speculative impieties and worship. But the one cannot be without the other. Where there is 9such an horrible tyranny, religion cannot long remaiu pure in doctrine; and where the opinions are so monstrous, their morality and church-goovernment must needs become detestable, and tend to the ruin of states.

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I hope, by this way of writing, to deliver the world from abundance of bdisputes and vain questions about the Pope's supremacy, whether he be -the centre of unity, the source and fountain of ecclesiastical ministry,―― that is, of the mission of all bishops and ministers; to which pretensions The has no more right than the mufti: as also about the infallibility of the Pope and his church, transubstantiation, invocation and adoration of saints and angels, and a thousand inanimate creatures: in which vain and -foolish disputes the Protestants lost abundance of time, in endeavouring -to convince the Popish clergy of the folly and falsehood of those opinions, which they themselves know to be false as well as we, and without foupdation, and laugh at us in their sleeve, that we should think them so - simple as to believe those nonsensical and ridiculous opinions.

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If they believed their own doctrines and pretended mysteries, they would not profane them as they do, forcing people, by a thousand torments, to go to their mass, and to swallow down their pretended god of bread. ›

It is a folly in Protestants to dispute seriously with the Roman clergy, sand quote Scripture. or bring reason against them; for they know very -well that the scripture is against them, otherwise they would not prohibit the reading of it, nor speak with that disrespect of the same as they do it dis just the same as if yon would endeavour to reason highwaymen or prastitutes, out of their way of living, which they have chosen before all others, with a resolution never to abandon the same.

It is a maxime in logic, that one ought not to dispute with those who - deny principles, nor with those who impudently controvert certain truths. Andican any society be more guilty of this than the church of Rome, who orders those of her communion to violate all the commandments of God, all the maxims of Christianity, and all the laws of nature and society, to <convert men (as she calls it) to her religion?

If it were not for the riches of Popery and the princes, and the num>bers of people who follow it, it would appear to the judgment of the Papists themselves, the most execrable religion that ever was; and I hope there will come a time wheu all the world will be amazed to understand, by his history, that there hath ever been in the world such a monstrous religion as it is.

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"NOTE.-The miscaleulated length of the foregoing article has excluded, this week, a notice of the death of Mr. Thomas Davison, and the ent of the affairs of the Joint Stock. Book Company.

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62, Fleet Street.-All Correspondences for "The Republican," to be left at the place of publication.

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No. 25. Vol. 14.] LONDON, Friday, Dec. 29, 1826. [Price 6d.

TO THE READERS OF "THE REPUBLICAN."

As the Editor of "The Republican," I have now to take my leave of its readers. Our separation, I trust, is rather to be one of form than of reality; for I shall not fail to write and print, as far as I can do it usefully; and I would fain flatter myself, that I shall retain my old readers. Various circumstances induce me to stop "The Republican," that are momentary; but the predominant motive is a conviction that the work is complete, and an intention has existed, from the time of its commencement, not to exceed twelve or fourteen volumes. It is not with me, as with many other editors, the thing on which I depend for a livelihood. Upon the whole, it has rather been an expence than a profit. I now think that it should have been, and wish that it had been, stopped with the twelfth volume. Its triumph was then complete. Nothing remained to be, and rothing has since been, added to that triumph, if we except the silence imposed upon a scribbling bully by the chastisement which he merited and received in these pages.

It may be asked--What good has been done by the existence of such a periodical as "The Republican?" The question is proper, when put by any one who has not seen the good done, and an answer shall be attempted.

No profession is made of having added any thing to the soundness and utility of Mr. Paine's political principles, other than in the extended publicity given to them; but a profession is made of having added much to the soundness and utility of his theological principles. He made or defended a system and kept a god, we have ventured to ask-WHAT IS GOD? We find no one to answer the question with an intelligible sentence, and finding no one to answer the question, having no answer of our own, wè have found that an honest enquirer after truth can and should proceed without the use of the word god. I say it, alike in the spirit of pride and truth, that "The Republican" contains the

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 62, Fleet-street,

most pithy and convincing arguments for philosophical atheism that are found in any books. Every argument on the subject is reasoned to its end, and remaining opponents have no argument but perverseness whereupon to rest.

Toward the close of our volumes, we have discarded the use, in their common acceptation, of the words god, nature, mind, soul, and spirit. All use of these words arises from our ignorance and want of more knowledge. We say god and nature, when we want to explain something to which our knowledge does not extend, The words mind, soul, and spirit, are but variations of the word life, and express nothing more than the actions of the living bodg. We see nothing of mind, soul, or spirit, in death. And it is quite as reasonable to say, that life and death are the same states of body, as to say that mind, soul, or spirit, can exist after death, or distinct from body. The words mind, soul, and spirit, then, it is clear, express no other state of being than living body, and are not distinct states of being from living body. The Somatopsychonoologists, who contend that body, life, and mind, are distinct principles, lose sight of the fact, that mind is nothing but the experience of living body, its accumulated sensations, and that body without life is so soon dissolved as not to be worth a definition or distinct consideration. Life is the all of the human being-death the bursting of the bubble. The word life comprises mind, soul, and spirit, and the words mind, soul, and spirit, will define no thing or quality distinct from life. And what is life? What is light? What is heat? What is motion? What is the flame of a candle? What is combustion? What is electricity? What is matter? We know nothing definitively of these things. We only know them relatively and comparatively. We can say that life is a different state of being from death; that heat is a different sensation from cold; light from darkness; and so on: but we can define nothing as a fixed principle; we know nothing positively, and our greatest error lies in boasting of too much knowledge-of unattainable knowledge.

This doctrine is so far new in "The Republican," as never before to have been so plainly stated in any other publication. Locke reduced mind to sensations, and afterwards advocated the nonsense about soul or spirit being a something existing in and distinct from body; and also consented to use the word God and all the other idle words in religious use. He had not courage enough to brave the religious prejudices of his day, and I must confess, that the time was then hardly ripe for it. Many have thought me rash and premature in doing it now; but I soon saw the necessity of it, after I began to examine the word religion, and I rushed with joy to the accomplishment of so grand a purpose. I felt that I was fortunate to live at a moment when there was so much good open to be done which an individual could do

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