Mr. Eaton.—Paine’s Age of Reason. [IV]

I perfectly agree with L. L. respecting the use of the Pillory, and especially in the case of Mr. Eaton for publishing arguments and opinions, relative to matters of general public concern; but his Letter it is not necessary to insert, seeing that the public have pretty clearly expressed that their view of the matter accords with that of L. L.—I have received nothing from the Rector of Botley, in answer to my last notification. I hope he does not mean to back out in the way there mentioned. I beg leave to remind him, that Mr. Eaton has been sentenced to 22 months imprisonment and to stand once in the pillory for publishing the book in question; that the Attorney General (Gibbs), in calling for punishment upon the head of this old man, asserted, that the principles contained in the book, if suffered to take root in the minds of those who read it, must produce “consequences DREADFUL in the EXTREME.” That many hundreds of the book have been published is certain; that these copies of the book have been read is also certain; how, then, are these extremely dreadful consequences to be prevented, except by an answer to the book? And, have we twenty thousand Clergymen, and will no one of them attempt to give us this answer? Do they not think it worth while to answer a work, the consequences of which, if suffered to go unanswered, must be dreadful in the extreme? Many of them are pretty constantly engaged in writing reviews / and political pamphlets. This may be very proper. It may also be proper for them to be the foremost in all court-addresses; but, surely, they ought, then, to look to this “dreadful” work of Paine.—They have been loud enough in their alarms about “popery.” They have cried out that the “Church is in danger” from that. But, what do they mean by the Church? Do they mean the tithes, the corn-rents, the life-holds, the glebes, the mansions, the woods, the manors, the cloisters, and the palaces? Do they call these “the Church?” If they mean the congregations; if they mean their morals and souls, we have the assertion of the Attorney General, the charge of the Judge, the verdict of the Special Jury, and the punishment of Mr. Eaton, to produce in proof of the Church being in real danger from the suffering of Mr. Paine’s book to go unanswered. Is it, therefore, to be believed, that twenty thousand Clergymen will leave it unanswered?—Since writing the above, I have received a letter from the Rector of Botley, in which he tells me that I gave, last week, wrong information to my readers, respecting his intention. I there said, that he had “informed me, that he would not write an answer, lest, by its being published at Mr. Eaton’s shop (as I had proposed), he, the Rector, should contribute to the MERCENARY views of the CONVICTED vender thereof.” — Whereupon, as the reader will recollect, I offered to have the answer published at my own expense, at any shop that the Rector might choose; to sustain the loss, if any, and, if any gain, to let the Rector himself choose a man amongst his poor parishioners on whom to bestow it. Even this, however, does not, it seems, meet the approbation of the Rector; who now tells me, that he, in his former note, did not say, that he would write no answer, but that, for the reason stated, “he refused accepting such a medium, and resolved to adopt that sort of publication, which he might deem most likely to answer his views: viz. the exposure of falsehood and refutation of blasphemy.”—It is very true, that, at the time of writing his former note, the Rector might have formed this resolution; but, it is equally true, that he did not let drop a word to me about it. He merely told me, that he would not publish through the medium that I had mentioned.—Let us, however, understand one another now, if we can. He says, he resolved to publish, though not from Mr. Eaton’s shop; / but, he does not now say, that he will, or that he will not, accept of my last offer, to publish from any shop that he may choose, and to apply the gain, if any, to the purpose of making a poor family happy.—To be sure I have no right to call upon him to put his work into my hands, or to apply the profits of it in any particular way; but, he accepted of my offer, and authorized me to promise, in his name, an answer to Paine’s work. However, a little matter shall not turn me from my point. He resolved, it seems, to publish an answer in some way or other. Very well, then, here we have his resolution, when or how he means to act upon it he does not say; but, that he shall not want reminding of this resolution the public may rest assured.—What I have further to say upon this subject will astonish the reader.—The truth is, that the Rector of Botley, whom, one would have thought, would have received with eagerness and delight an invitation to shew his zeal in defence of that religion, to be a supporter of which he had, at his ordination, declared that he felt himself called by the Holy Ghost; one would have thought, that he would have hastened to express his gratitude to me for having given him such an occasion to prove himself worthy of his calling, to show that he was sincere in his solemn declaration, and to prevent those “extremely dreadful consequences” for having attempted to produce which, Mr. Eaton was sentenced to a long imprisonment and to standing in the pillory; but, instead of expressions of kindness and of gratitude, I did, in fact, receive from my pastor expressions of anger and resentment. He has written me two letters since, still rising, I think, in acrimoniousness of style. In every letter, he calls upon me, in a most menacing tone, to publish, not only these letters, but others, which have passed between us a long while before a word was said about Mr. EATON or Paine’s Age of Reason.—I hereby inform him, that, at present, I do not see sufficient cause for my doing this; but, that, if he does see sufficient cause for his doing it, he has my full liberty to make the publication in any manner that he may think proper, provided he publish my letter as well as his own letters, and also the parts of the Register, to which the correspondence refers.—If he does this, / will never even publish a single work in the way of answer to his publication, but will leave the world to form its judgment / even upon his own statement.—After this I shall, I hope, receive no more menacing calls for publication.—The Rector manifestly has kept copies of his letters. If, however, it should happen to be otherwise, I shall readily furnish him with copies.