Mr. Carlile: The law in question allows me to proceed in this course, for it tolerates Deism.
The Attorney-General: One part of the statute of William and Mary is repealed, but the remainder is in force. It is there treated as a great offence for any persons to deny the Christian religion to be true, or the Scriptures, namely the Old and New Testament, to be of divine origin.
Mr. Carlile: I do not know on what the Christian religion is founded, except on the doctrine of the Trinity.
The Chief Justice: If you have any good legal defence, proceed with it.
Mr. Carlile: I do not know that I am wrong. If there be an allegation that I have published a work in which it is stated that there is an obscene story in the Bible, surely you would not prevent me from referring to the Bible to prove the truth of the assertion?
The Chief Justice: I cannot hear this. The Bible is the history of a sinful people, and of the vengeance of God on them.
Mr. Carlile: I do not think the Bible is true, as a history.
[Considerable agitation was created in Court by this declaration. Murmurs of dissatisfaction were heard from every quarter.]
Mr. Carlile was proceeding with another passage from Sir W. Drummond's book, when he was interrupted by The Solicitor-General, who objected that he was going on in the way which had already been deprecated by the Court.
The Chief Justice: I cannot allow it. If I am mistaken there are means of correcting my error; but I think I am not mistaken when I say, that I cannot and ought not sit in my place and suffer any person to revile the Holy Scriptures.