d the large room at the Paul's Head, Cateaton street. Here
the magistracy interfered, but as they had taken the precaution to
license themselves under the toleration act, nothing could be done
legally to restrain them. Since then they have set up a periodical
publication under the title of the "Free-thinking Christian's Magazine,"
in which they profess to disseminate Christian, moral, and philosophical
truth, and they have erected a handsome meeting-house in the crescent
behind Jewin street, Cripplegate, where this weekly assembly, consisting
of members and strangers, is said to amount to between four and five
hundred persons.

The following appears to be the latest summary of their opinions: "The
Christian religion," they say, "consists in the worship of one God,
eternal, just, and good, and in an obedience to the commands of Jesus,
his messenger on earth, who taught the wicked to repent of the error of
their ways and that God was ever ready to receive them. Forms and
ordinances, parade and show, are no points of his system, but virtue and
purity of heart can alone prepare man for a blissful existence beyond
the grave, the wisdom and hope of which were furnished by the
resurrection of the teacher of their faith, _a member of earth and an
heir of immortality_."--Free-thinking Christians' Magazine; Hannah
Adams's Dictionary of all Religions, page 82.

REMARKS.

The above dictionary is in my possession. It was published in 1817 by
James Eastburn & Company at the literary rooms, corner of Broadway and
Pine streets, New York, and by Cummings and Hilliard, No. 1 Cornhill,
Boston. The author credits the above article to the above-named
magazine, so we may rely upon it as the freethinker's own presentation
of his theory in its early history. It will be of great interest to all
our readers, as it will enable them to see, at once, the origin of
so-called free-thought. It had its origin with Calvinistic errors upon
the subject of the Trinity, a vicarious atonement, and kindred ideas
concerning human redemption. It will be of interest also to mark the
improvements (?) of free-thinkers, who are always boasting of being in
the advance guard in warring with error and ignorance.

They had neither singing nor prayers when they started out, and in these
regards they have not apostatized from their first faith, for they are
up to this time a praiseless and prayerless people, never praying unless
it is when they have the cramp or so