"Nothing very material; nothing that can
prevent our both going to heaven, I hope. We believe in the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost." G. (interrupting me) "Oh those damned priests!
what liars they are! But (pausing) we can't do without them; we can't go to
heaven without them. But tell me, Signor, what _are_ the differences?" C.
"Why, for instance, we do not worship the Virgin." G. "And why not,
Signor?" C. "Because, though holy and pure, we think her still a woman,
and, therefore, do not pay her the honour due to God." G. "But do you not
worship Jesus, who sits on the right hand of God?" C. "We do." G. "Then why
not worship the Virgin, who sits on the left?" C. "I did not know she did.
If you can show it me in the Scriptures, I shall readily agree to worship
her." "Oh," said my man, with uncommon triumph, and cracking his fingers,
"sicuro, Signor! sicuro, Signor!""--ED.]
_July_ 30. 1831.
ASGILL.--THE FRENCH.
Asgill was an extraordinary man, and his pamphlet[1] is invaluable. He
undertook to prove that man is literally immortal; or, rather, that any
given living man might probably never die. He complains of the cowardly
practice of dying. He was expelled from two Houses of Commons for blasphemy
and atheism, as was pretended;--really I suspect because he was a staunch
Hanoverian.
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