GOD’S GIFT’S AND MAN’S DUTIES. 
 
 being the substance of 
 
 A LECTURE, 
 
 DELIVERED BY 
 
 EMMA MARTIN, 
 
 HALL OF SCIENCE, MANCHESTER, 
 
 Oct. 9, 1843, 
 
 IN REPLY TO TWO SERMONS, 
 
 PREACHED BY THE 
 
 REV, J . W . MASSTE, 
 
 CHAPEL STREET CHAPEL, SALFORD, 
 
 Oct. 1, 1843, 
 
 AN ADDRESS TO THE MINISTER, MEMBERS, AND 
 CONGREGATION OF THAT CHAPEL ; 
 
 AND A LETTER 
 
 tcknowledging the Receipt of “The Sinner’s Friend,” 
 which had been presented to her by that Gentleman. 
 
 third edition. 
 
 j Sonirmt t 
 
 ETHERINGTON, 40, HOLYWELL ST., STRAND. 
 
GOD’S GIFTS AND MAN’S DOTIES, 
 
 I have seized the opportunity which the Rev. J. W. 
 Massie’s announcement offered me of attracting your attention 
 to questions which you and I consider of great imporlance: I 
 have sent to that gentleman a most respectful invitation to 
 attend this evening, I hope that he is present, I do not wish 
 to be informed until the conclusion of my lecture, whether 
 that be the case, or hot, since otherwise it may be supposed 
 that a knowledge of the fact may bias me in what I shall say, 
 
 I would have it distinctly understood that I am no enemy 
 to Mr. Massie, or to the sect to which he is attached; nor even 
 to Christianity itself, except in that proportion in which false¬ 
 hood shall proceed from either; for I esteem truth to be of so 
 much value to mankind as to be well worth any sacrifice which 
 can be made for its purchase. 
 
 1 am sincere, when I tell you that I am not seeking present 
 triumph in this matter, but the discovering of the pure truth 
 on whichsoever side it may be found. Depend upon it, you 
 have no interest in the propagation of falsehood, neither have 
 1; let us then earnestly, but calmly proceed in its investiga- 
 b 2 
 
tion, and I shall be as glad to be disabused of error, as any one 
 of you can be. 
 
 The subject of my present lecture, will include an answer 
 to both the sermons preached by Mr. Massie, not successively, 
 but by a classification of the substance of both his discourses; 
 and I shall now regard him only as an expounder of Chris¬ 
 tianity, who, in the propositions he has sought to elucidate, 
 would be confirmed by the great majority of the Christian 
 world. We are told then that “ God is the giver of harvest. It 
 5s he who crowneth the year with his goodness, the labour of 
 man is indeed necessary, in order that the grain may be sown, 
 and the various processes of husbandry perfected; but useless 
 •were man’s labour, and skill, if God did not send the dew, and 
 the rain, to moisten, and the sun to mature.” 
 
 Now, my friends, fhe Rationalist never doubted the neces¬ 
 sity of these operations of nature, for the perfection of the 
 harvest; and were it not for his knowledge of nature’s powers, 
 and the expected recurrence of the seasons, which experience 
 has shown him will in all probability ensue, he would not have 
 gone forth to sow the grain; you say that the sunshine and 
 ..the storm happen according lt> the will of God. I say Ihey 
 "'happen according to the laws of nature; do you then perceive 
 that a name is all the difference between us ? 
 
 . And what are these names ?—Goi and Nature. What do you 
 mean by one? What by the other? I will tell you whati 
 mean when I use the word nature, andl think that the.mean- 
 ing you will attach to it will be the same, i include in the 
 idea 1 express hy this term, all organic beings; and all in¬ 
 organic substance. All that, is in the universe, is nature. 
 What is there besides this? Sou say God. Then what is 
 God ? Something leyond nature, above it, supernatural; or, in 
 a shorter word, unnatural You do not like that term. I 
 cannot help, it; ftis very expressive of the idea it represents; 
 and words are only valuable, when they are accurate in this 
 respect. 
 
 Now 1 know nothing of any unnatural being, and therefore 
 will not venture an opinion. What do you know of it? 
 
Nothing! Your bible tells you that you can know nothing: 
 “ none by searching can find out God,” he is incomprehensible 
 in his nature, and in his attributes. Then why do you try to 
 comprehend him ? How do you dare to tell us to know that 
 which you admit cannot be known ? 
 
 You are then disputing about names, for patience sake, as 
 rational creatures, leave such trifling, and set yourselves to 
 work, that you may improve your own condition and that of 
 the world. Your opinion respecting any unnatural, or super¬ 
 natural being, would indeed be of no consequence, whether 
 true or false, except from any other ideas which may be 
 attached to it: let us then proceed in the examination of these. 
 —I was pleased to find that Mr. Massie had discarded one of 
 the errors into which the religious world had fallen. You will 
 remember that in Genesis we are told that a woman persuaded 
 her husband to partake with her of some forbidden fruit: I 
 know what that fruit was; Mr. Massie does not; or if he does, 
 he dare not tell you without forfeiting his present station: but 
 no matter now, whatever was the fruit, it is affirmed by theo¬ 
 logians, that the eating of it, condemned not only those who 
 sinned, but?all their posterity. To the two sexes different 
 penalties for this sin was awarded, that of the male was labour: 
 “ In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread,” this was 
 the curse, says the Bible. Mr. Massie says No, labour is no 
 curse,it is a blessing; so also does reason. "Overwrought 
 toil is indeed an evil, but it is only a mixed evil,” says he; 
 and even here I suspect that he is righui Ask the luxu¬ 
 rious and wealthy idler, who has no useful and honourable oc¬ 
 cupation, but who drags the heavy burden of palsied- pleasure, 
 whether I and Mr. Massie are right, and; if his understanding 
 is not as enervated as his body, he will affirm we are. 
 
 Labour, should it never produce any other harvest, will as- 
 suredly reward, us by the health of body, and of mind, which 
 it produces. 
 
 " God gives freely, not according to our desert; he makes the 
 suit to shine upon the just and upon the unjust also.” Is it so 
 
It is. “ Many a husbandman is there who rises up early, but 
 not to pray, yet the sunshine and the rain prepare his harvest as 
 well as it does that of his pious neighbour.” Well! we more 
 than suspected as much before; but if this is admitted, of what 
 value are your religious systems ? If it is God who gives the 
 harvests, and he gives to the rebellious also, it would appear 
 that the rebellious are as well off as the faithful; strange asser¬ 
 tions these to be made by believers in God’s special providence. 
 
 Does not the advocacy of such doctrines look something like 
 holding out a premium to immorality ? Go on, “ let him that 
 is unjust be unjust still, he that is filthy, let him be filthy 
 still.” (Rev. xxii. 11) for though God regards the circum¬ 
 stances of earth, and dispenses the favours of his providence, 
 the guilty and the innocent fare alike, if indeed the innocent 
 does not often fare the worst. 
 
 “ God gives freely, not only in answer to prayer, but whether 
 you pray or not.” Indeed! Some of you will recollect th at I 
 recently lectured on the inutility of Prayer; little did I then 
 think that I should have met with so orthodox an assistant in 
 my disputation, as the Rev. Mr. Massie; for it follows, if the 
 blessings of God are distributed without reference to the 
 prayer of the recipients, prayer is valueless; at least, it is so 
 as a medium of supplication, since the blessing, or the curse, 
 is neither hastened or retarded by its means. But we proceed. 
 
 “ God gives generously. He gives to man an abundant sup¬ 
 ply of all that’is necessary for his subsistence; nay, he gives a 
 thousand times more than man can consume 1” I know some men 
 get a thousand times more than they can consume, and they 
 consume much to their own injury, and waste or hoard the re¬ 
 mainder; but how is it with others? Go into some of the 
 lanes and alleys of this town, search out its squalid inmates, 
 address yourself to the pale mother of those starving children, 
 tell her, that God has given so generously, that man has a 
 thousand times more than he can consume; what mockery of. 
 her wretchedness will it not appear 1 With what feelings will 
 she hear of munificence which is not extended to her, althouga 
 
■she and they are perishing for want of it. I know that nature 
 has ample stores for all her children; but if an intelligent 
 God presided over the things of earth, he would surely have 
 enabled all men to avail themselves of these blessings. It is 
 moreover affirmed by our spiritual teacher, that 
 
 “ Godgives justly, for the fruits ofthe earth are for all." Then 
 how is it that all did not possess them ? Did God design that 
 they should be for all, but had not power properly to distribute 
 them, in order to carry out his designs ? How did Mr. Massie 
 discover that God designed the fruits of the earth for all? Prom 
 the Bible ? it says that “ the poor shall never cease out of the 
 land,” and Christ, in the spirit of prophecy as it is thought, says 
 “ the poor ye have with ye always,” how can there be poor, if 
 the fruits ofthe earth are for all? No! the spirit of another set 
 of principles, very different from the superstitions of the world, 
 has, by its advocates, and its writings, persuaded men of 
 things, which they were formerly unwilling to acknowledge; 
 might it not have been from these that the conviction rvas forced 
 upon Mr. Massie’s mind, that the fruils of the earth are for 
 all ? But if he fully believes this, how is it that he does not 
 enjoin his hearers to institute as soon as possible a state of 
 society in which all the blessings of life may be equally be¬ 
 stowed upon all men ? And I remember, he spoke of landed 
 property as being the lest kind of property.—Where is the con¬ 
 sistency in talking of some men having a property in the soil, 
 and of the fruits of the earth being for all ? Mr. Massie isnot 
 alone however in his opinion, that the fruits of the earth are 
 for all; some of us saw to-day a procession, most of the indivi¬ 
 duals forming which, were I suppose, of the same way of 
 thinking. And those who looked upon the care-worn faces, and 
 ill-dressed persons, of the honest artisans, and labourers, who 
 formed the majority of that procession, were, or might have 
 been, if they had used their reflective powers, converts to the 
 same opinion. Alas for Christianity! It is any thing which 
 suits the notions of its advocates. It is powerless to force 
 them to the advocacy and practice of benevolence; yet when 
 be priest is compelled, by the common-sense of mankind, to 
 
discuss the principle of justice, in place of religious dogmas, he 
 immediately affirms that it "was the Bible which thus urged 
 him. We were told by Mr. Massie that 
 
 God gives opportunely, “ Man’s extremity is God’s opportu¬ 
 nity.’ By the seasonable interposition of his; providence, his 
 goodness is calculated to affect the heart of man.” I need not 
 ask you, how often you have been in extremity without meet¬ 
 ing with God’s opportunity ? How often you have seen the 
 pulse quickened by fever, and no relief arrived, except by 
 death. How often famine has withered away the frame, and 
 the opportunity of deliverance never been enjoyed. And sup¬ 
 pose that deliverance came at last, would you not much more 
 admire the divine providence which should prevent your need, 
 than that which looks coolly on, and sees the accumulation of 
 your distresses, the growth and concentration of human agonies, 
 the successive steps of misery ; and only appears for your re¬ 
 lease, just when the burden had grown so intolerable, that you 
 were sinking under the deadly weight ? 
 
 Was it necessary, in order to demonstrate the divine goodness, 
 that Hagar, with a fond mother’s pangs, should have to conduct 
 her son through the wilderness, whither the crimes of “ the father 
 of the faithful” had driven her, should see him fainting with 
 thirst under the scorching sun, and at last should be compelled 
 hopelessly to turn away from him, (whose gasping struggle with 
 death, her heart and eyes were too unnerved to witness) before 
 •the angel should be sent to lead her to the well-spring, from 
 which the life-draught could be drawn ? I think the idea of a 
 superintending providence would have been much better con¬ 
 firmed,by preventing their wrongs andsufferings, than in bring¬ 
 ing at last such tardy and snch partial relief. It is said that 
 
 “ God gives wisely, he supplies the defects of one department 
 by another.” The varied seasons each supply something which 
 is necessary, in order “ that the year may be crowned with its 
 harvest.” 1 know that'the cold and moisture of spring, and the 
 ■winter seasons, and the glowing sun of the summer, and the 
 autumn, are all means by which nature keeps up the balance of 
 production and waste. I know too,that the internal heat, or 
 
motion of the Globe, is productive of the volcano, which pre¬ 
 vents other catastrophes. I know that nature, in a thousand 
 ways, struggles to keep a just equilibrium of her powers; and 
 ; to carry oif the excess of one of her operations by another, and 
 thus supply the wants of every department. But X do not think 
 that it can be truly said that there are defects in any department 
 of nature; for, since all these varied operations occur in a con¬ 
 tinual and necessary succession, and stand in the relation of 
 cause and effect, are not abberations from the laws of nature, 
 but portions of it,—I do not see how that which belongs to the 
 very constitution of anything, and which is necessary to its 
 existence, can be considered a defect. But however this may 
 be, I grant you that there is in the dispensations of divine 
 grace, if the Billc truly describes them, something which looks 
 very much like defects, and efforts to supply those of one depart¬ 
 ment by the provisions of another. It is said that one Moses 
 went up into a mountain called Sinai, and that he was there 
 forty days with God, and “ God gave to Moses, when he had 
 made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two 
 tables of testimony, (tables of stone) written upon by the fin¬ 
 gers of God.’’ (Ex. xxxi. 18.) I suppose there were no chisels 
 in Mount Sinai, and that may account for forty days being 
 spent over the matter. It was written with the fingers of God, 
 was it ? Moses knew better! for it it also told us that when 
 he came down from the mount, and found that the children of 
 Israel, who were always a “stiff-necked andrebellious nation,” 
 (not a very good reason why they should be “ God’s chosen and 
 peculiar people,”) had fallen into idolatry, and set up a golden 
 calf and worshipped it, then “ Moses’ anger waxed hot, and 
 he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the 
 mount.” (Ex. xxxii. 19.) Can you believe that Moses would 
 have dared to have broken the tables of the law, if God had 
 written them, and sent them by him to his people? Can you 
 believe that God would send a message to man, by means so 
 fragile as stone tablets, which an angry man could break and 
 destroy? I have too high an opinion of what must be the dis¬ 
 position of a supreme being if there be any such intelligence 
 
10 
 
 than to credit such an kcciint. But Moses, though he pet- 
 tishiy broke these tables'# the law, took care to spend forty 
 days more, in making, or getting, a second edition. Now this 
 law was full or defects, “ It was only a shadow of good things to 
 come.” The religion of Moses was not adapted for man’s con¬ 
 tinual obedience, and therefore Christ was sent to overthrow 
 it. God sent one dispensation, which was very explicit, and 
 established by the destruction of nations, and by very “ terri¬ 
 ble judgements;” but he found out afterwards that it was not 
 what was needed by man: so that, when the fulness of time 
 was come, he sent a new messenger, Christ, to give a new law, 
 to abrogate the old, and to be the mediator of a letter covenant. 
 Do you believe that there were defects in the Mosaic laws, and 
 also that they came from God? Do you not perceive that you 
 attribute to a perfect God the creation of imperfections ?—that 
 you attribute to a wise being the manufacture of such an ineffi¬ 
 cient religion, that nothing short of its complete annihilation, 
 and the substitution of another, would carry out its original 
 designs ? Oh what a tissue of inconsistencies are the dogmas 
 in which we have been reared! 
 
 “ God gives in his own time." Now if this time happened to 
 be our time, it might be very well; but if his time does not 
 come until “time with us is no longer,” it will not be of much 
 service to us. “ Though the wicked flourish like the green 
 bay tree,” the time shall come when “ the oppressor shall pe¬ 
 rish out of the way, and the oppressed go free.” Ay, but when? 
 In God’s time, to be sure! Do you not know that “ one day is 
 with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as 
 one day ?” Go, Christian, pour the balm of consolation into the 
 ears of the worn out mother, who wends her way to the factory 
 or washing tub,—tell her, as her neglected and half-nurtured 
 child strives to drag the scanty nutriment from her bosom, which 
 want and toil have shrivelled,—go tell her that her wrongs shall 
 be all redressed, that there shall be peace, and plenty, and hap¬ 
 piness for all, for “ God doeth as he will among the armies of 
 heaven and also among the inhabitants of the earth.” Then, 
 when she anxiously cries," When ?’’ tell her, Oh! “ one day is 
 

 with the Lord as a thousand yi 
 day.” Away with your folly! Talk thus when a thousand years 
 and a day are the same thing to 
 
 We were reminded by Mr. Massie of the occasional interpo¬ 
 sition of angelic influences; who, to give one instance out of 
 many, produced the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, and 
 thus effected the deliverance of the Israelites. If there are any 
 such beings in the universe as angels, (and I confess myself by 
 no means credulous on the subject), they surely might be more 
 happily employed than in deeds of murder. That armies have 
 been destroyed by plague, and pestilence, and famine, we of 
 course do not doubt; that many a fine army has been sacrificed 
 to the murderous ambition of their leaders, the history of past 
 and present times sufficiently confirms; but we more than ques¬ 
 tion whether human demons had not more hand in their death 
 than angels of life could have. Those of you who saw the pro¬ 
 cession of to-day, perhaps noticed one of the banners, which 
 I beheld with very great pleasure; the motto of which I would 
 have “ engraven with an iron pen upon the rock for ever,” that 
 all nations may read the truthful sentence,— 
 
 ‘Warisagame, wliicli, were their subjects wise, kings would not play at.’ 
 
 “ God gives us our days, our times are in his hands.” “ It is 
 of the Lord’s mercy we are not consumed, and because his com 
 passion fails not.” “ It is by him that kings reign and princes 
 decree justice.” Nero, that “name familiar in our mouths as 
 household words,” whose “ days ” were the gift of God, used them 
 for the perpetration of innumerable crimes, enjoyed them.by 
 firing, and then gloating over the ashes of the metropolis of the 
 world; used faithful Christians for the torches which should 
 illuminate his horrid joys; and God looked down from his hea¬ 
 ven of purity, and saw the agonies and death of his faithful 
 wors -uppers, but, regardless of their wrongs, gave the tyran 
 •more days, to enahle him to perpetrate new villainies, Napo¬ 
 leon Bonaparte, and Wellington, each in his respective sphere 
 sought only power, and a name, no matter at what expense; 
 and Europe was drained of, drenched with blood. “Their days 
 
; 12 
 
 were in his hands!” Did lie approve their deeds, that he gave 
 them more days for added crimes ? 
 
 But these cases may perhaps be explained to suit your doc¬ 
 trines, so many are the cobweb sophistries which religion 
 weaves. I will cite a case shall puzzle you. My days are his 
 gift, I am using them to show men that “ the things which are 
 most surely believed among them are only cunningly devised 
 fables,” yet he gives me more days; not only is he not wearied 
 with the llasphemies, as you may perhaps aall them, which I so 
 unhesitatingly utter, but neither is he apprehensive of any 
 injury accruing to those who become converts to my proposi¬ 
 tions. Do you think that priests are more anxious about God’s 
 honour and glory than he is himself? God’s honour is the ex¬ 
 cuse, but their own interest is the moving principle,; either there 
 is no such being ; or he does not know what happens here; or 
 he is willing things should be so; or he cannot prevent it; 
 Which is it? 
 
 “ God gives us riches, we cannot command them by the utmost 
 diligence we may use.” When I look at the means by which 
 some men get gold I am inclined to think it comes from some¬ 
 thing very different to a God. But what if it be true that riches 
 are the gift of God: do you remember a passage in the New 
 Testament which says, how hardly shall they who have riches 
 enter the kingdom of God,” so that if he gives riches to men, it 
 would seem out of a sort of dread lest heaven should be over- 
 populated, and so they are bribed to stay out. 
 
 “ God also gives ns grace; gives us the grace which enables 
 us to enjoy his other gifts.” To whom does he give this ? Not 
 to those who desire it! No! “He giveth it to whomsoever 
 he mill, and whomsoever he will he hardeneth." “ We are the 
 clay, and he our potter,” who fashions us into beings “of honour 
 Or dishonour,” as he pleases. What would you think of an 
 earthly potter who formed an ill-shaped vessel, and then became 
 enraged with it because it was not better ? If there be an intel¬ 
 ligent ruler of the universe, he may undoubtedly bestow gifts 
 upon his creatures according to his own will or power; but it is 
 
13 
 
 a little absurd to talk of the justice of his being angry with those 
 whom he has left unprovided; thus inflicting on them a double 
 injury, first witholding his blessing, and then condemning them 
 because they have it not. Does he give charity as one of his 
 gifts ? if so, the adherents of the Christian religion seem but 
 scantily supplied, 
 
 “ God has given vs his son.” My friends it is not the Infidel 
 who blasphemously asserts, that God could not pardon, or im¬ 
 prove the condition of man, without causing his own son to be 
 born into the world, and offered up a sacrifice. A sacrifice! to 
 whom ? to himself? that were indeed a piece of gratuitous 
 cruelly! To the Devil then ? It would appear to have been to 
 him, if to any. 
 
 “ God has given us his word, as an exposition of his moral go¬ 
 vernment.” Let us glance a little at this word; “ God shall 
 send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lie—that they 
 all might be damned who believed not the truth,” &c.(2 Thess. 
 ii. 11—12.) This word, too, further informs me, that “ Israel- 
 hath not obtained that which he sceketh for ; but the election hath 
 obtained it, and the rest were Winded,’’(read the eleventh chapter 
 of Homans.) This is an exposition of God’s moral government, 
 “ the Lord hath made all things for himself; yea, even the wic¬ 
 ked for the day of evil.”(Prov.xvi.4.) This exposition of God’s 
 moral government tells us, that the effectual fervent prayer of 
 a righteous man availeth much,” (James v. IS), and then shows 
 you how it has mocked you with the promise, by telling you, 
 that “ there is none righteous, no not one,” (Bom. ill. 10.) 
 Paul, under divine inspiration, in order to instruct us in God,s 
 moral government, tells us, “that a man is justified by faith, 
 without the deeds of the law,” (Rom.iii. 23.) and James for the 
 same purpose, tells us, “that by works a man is justified, and 
 not by faith only, (James ii. 24.) No doubt these contradic¬ 
 tory assertions have illuminated your minds with the glorious 
 sun of Gospel Truth ! This exposition tells us, that “ God har¬ 
 dened Pharaoh’s heart, that he should not let the children of 
 Israel go,” and then drowned him in the red sea on account of 
 it. These are all God’s gifts! Believe it if you can! I cannot. 
 
14 
 
 I suppose I cannot, because he has not given me hisgrace. Then 
 why did he not? Because I was not willing to receive it? For 
 years I prayed most earnestly for it, nay more, believed that I 
 had receivedit. But even suppose unwillingness, “theLordma- 
 keth us willing in the day of his power.” that is, when he chooses. 
 
 Friend, what has God given thee, and what are thy duties in 
 consequence? Your first duty is thankfulness, “not only,’’says 
 Mr. Massie, “ when things prosper, but even when you have 
 not all you think you ought to have.” Honest, industrious 
 artizan! whose ill-requited or half-employed labour dooms thee 
 to hopeless misery!—who seest thy wife and little ones perish¬ 
 ing for want. Be thankful for God’s gifts! Poor houseless men¬ 
 dicant! wbat has God given to thee ?—The cold scanty charity 
 of thy fellows, or workhouse blessings ?—thank Him. 
 
 Scorned, miserable prostitute! what has God given to thee? 
 Thou art in utter hopelessness; man’s love or woman’s pity 
 awaits not thee! Thou hast no escape from starvation but by 
 the lowest—the most degrading vice! Thou hast lost all human 
 sympathies, all respect of men, all health and happiness! The 
 recollections of the past maddens,—the anticipations of the fu¬ 
 ture appals thee. Thou hast, last and worst of all, lost thy 
 own self-respect. Poor victim of a bad world! what hast thou 
 left? Life! only life! Be thankful! Thou can’st not! Life is the 
 bitterest of all gifts to thee, and tbou drainest the poisoned cup, 
 or plungest into the waters, to be rid of the offensive burden. 
 Why didst thou not thank God for it? Oh for Gad's sake!—for 
 man's sake!—for woman’s sake! leave such mockery of human 
 wrongs. Show us how to remove vice and misery, and to letter 
 the condition of man, before we ask him to be thankful. 
 
 “It is our Duty, secondly, to live in mutual dependance 
 upon each other and upon God.” The king and the peasant are 
 fed of the field. Is it so? We almost thought that kings requi¬ 
 red very different food from common mortals, since £700,000 
 a-year is awarded in this country to support the bauble, royally. 
 We might have thought sovereigns lived on ambrosia, and that 
 it was often necessary for men to send by a railway to heaven 
 for fresh supplies Let Mr. Massie,s proposition receive your 
 
15 
 
 assent and it will be necessary materially to alter the present 
 organization, of society, 
 
 Thirdly. “It is our duty rightly to enjoy his gifts; not 
 hoard, but procure if we have wealth, domestic comforts.” You 
 see toe have introduced rationality into Christian pulpits; and 
 self-denying tenets are no longer to be taught in them. The 
 comforts of home are no more to be considered vanity. I have 
 no objection to it, only I would have you seek to institute such 
 laws, as would provide these blessings for every human being. 
 
 You are told that, with your wealth which is the gift of God, 
 you must support his cause. What, God's cause want gold for 
 its support ? It does. “This gold must, however,” weareassu- 
 red, “ be given voluntarily; there must be no compulsory rates, 
 no exaction or distraint.” We breathe again!—church-rates 
 and tithes cause the “Inf del righteously to blaspheme.” Forget 
 not Christians, that there may be righteous blasphemy! and that 
 tithes, or other compulsory charges, are anti-christian; at least 
 so affirms MASSIE versus MOSES. 
 
 I now conclude this rapid survey with one observation, 
 which refers to the grand object which all religious teachers 
 have in view, the answer they give to all our proposals for hu¬ 
 man improvement by any other means than the book : 
 
 “ I cannot buy your bliss so dear, Nor part with beaven for vou.” 
 
 There is the pith of the whole. The gleanings of your im¬ 
 mortal souls takes their attention from the harvests of earth. 
 Friends, let us endeavour to provide for the to-day of this world, 
 and leave the to-morrow of eternity to provide for the things of 
 itself.” If God be good, wise and powerful, and needed our 
 worship, he would surely have taught all mankind his will. 
 
 Common sense, reason, and philosophy, forbid us to believe 
 that there is a being who requires man’s homage, or listens to 
 his prayers, or that this look can be a message from God. Mis¬ 
 take me not then: it is not Christian differences with which I 
 war, but the system itself; not translations or commentaries, 
 but the BOOK. Who will confront me? 
 
 Oh 1 disentangle yourself from the sophistries of religion! 
 
16 
 
 Then you will be able to use your understandings in the inves¬ 
 tigation of truth, which alone can make you wise and happy. 
 Go into the wide fields of nature, and by the process of an induc¬ 
 tive philosophy, collect data which will teach you how to banish 
 crime and poverty, and cause you no longer to be the victims of 
 kings and priests. 
 
 I have, perhaps, shocked some of you to-night: I cannothelp 
 it, I value the affection of my fellow-beings, but cannot sacri¬ 
 fice TRUTH to secure it. I have been myself shocked, or I 
 should now have been a Christian. If what I have said be true, 
 let the advocates of Christianity admit it:—if not, let them 
 point out my error, and I will acknowledge it. 
 
TO THE 
 
 REV. J. W. M4SSIE, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 Members and Congregation of the 
 CHAPEL STREET CHAPEL, SALFORD. 
 
 Fkjends, 
 
 Has God granted you an abundant harvest in answer to your 
 prayers? Or has human industry, directed by skill, aud knowledge 
 of nature’s powers, produced the fruitful stores? If you should 
 answer this question truly, you will pray less and work more. 
 
 Has the harvest been as abundant as it should have been? No! 
 for large tracts of land in this country lie uncultivated, yet the 
 willing and starving pauper must not put a spade into it, to call 
 forth its latent prolific powers; there is also an immense proportion 
 of this country devoted to forests, and preserves, and pleasure 
 grounds, which furnish no food save some scanty morsels for pam¬ 
 pered luxury; how will you dare to thank God for plenty, while yon 
 do so little to remove the laws which prevent the yellow corn-field 
 from waving over land now sacred to tyranny, luxury, and idleness? 
 
 Has the harvest been sufficiently abundant! No! for thousands 
 are now dying by the lingering process of famine, allhough, if justice 
 were done, all might be fed. If your Bible had not said that" The 
 poor shall never cease out of the land,” you would have perceived 
 at once how inconsistent it is that you should mock the idea of 
 divine goodness which you hold, by solemn thanks for benefits you 
 so improperly distribute. 
 
 Yet I should unjustly censure the masses of the people, if I 
 asserted that the apathy respecting tho present welfare originated 
 with them. The grand cause, my friends—hear it with patience— 
 is superstition. Priests amuse and fright, and in either case, in¬ 
 terest you so deeply with their so-called “Preparation to meet 
 your God,” that attention is drawn from the sorrows of your 
 brethren. They talk so much of the soul, that the body seems to be 
 forgotten. They point yon so often to the “ Fields of living green,’ 
 
important remarks which may be made in your eliape]; and on Mon- 
 , day evening, October 9tb, I sliall address as many of the public as 
 may attend the Hall of Science, on the subject of your present 
 services. On that occasion I shall invite discussion, your own 
 minister to have the preference of all others, for me are of opinion, 
 that, “Let truth and falsehood fairly grapple,’’ and there is no need 
 to fear that troth can ever be worsted in the encounter; and having 
 ' no object but the triumph of Troth, I may subscribe myself the 
 friend of the whole human race. 
 
 EMMA MARTIN-..’ 
 
 Hall (if. Science, Camp Field, Manchester, 
 
 October 1st., 18*3.