Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text any left the Infidel, and repaired to
an adjoining tree, where I read and expounded the Word of God with
them for about an hour."
In this first press notice of himself Mr Bradlaugh had an introductory
specimen of the accuracy, justice, and generosity, of which he was
later to receive so many striking examples from the English press
generally, and the London and Christian press in particular.
In attending Freethought meetings Charles Bradlaugh became acquainted
with Austin Holyoake, and a friendship sprang up between these two
which ended only with the death of Mr Holyoake in 1874. By Austin
Holyoake he was taken to the John Street Institution, and by him also
he was introduced to his elder and more widely-known brother, Mr George
Jacob Holyoake, who took the chair for him at a lecture on the "Past,
Present, and Future of Theology" at the Temperance Hall, Commercial
Road. Mr G. J. Holyoake, in a sketch of my father's life and career
written in 1891, says:--
"It will interest many to see what was the beginning of his splendid
career on the platform, to copy the only little handbill in existence.
Only a few weeks before his death, looking over an old diary, which
I had not opened for forty-one years, I found the bill, of which I
enclose you the facsimile. It is Bradlaugh's first placard:--
LECTURE HALL,
PHILPOT ST., (3 DOORS FROM COMMERCIAL ROAD).
A LECTURE
WILL BE DELIVERED BY
CHARLES BRADLAUGH, JUN.,
_On Friday, October the 10th, 1850_,
SUBJECT:
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THEOLOGY.
MR GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE,
_Editor of the "Reasoner,"_
WILL TAKE THE CHAIR AT EIGHT O'CLOCK PRECISELY.
A Collection will be made after the Lecture for the Benefit of
C. Bradlaugh, victim of the Rev. J. G. Packer, of St. Peter's,
Hackney Road.
"Being his first public friend, I was asked to take the chair for him.
Bradlaugh's subject was a pretty extensive one for the first lecture
of a youth of seventeen, who looked more like fourteen as he stood up
in a youth's round jacket; but he spoke with readiness, confidence,
and promise."
In May 1850, "at the age of 16 years 7-1/2 months," Mr Bradlaugh wrote
an "Examination of the four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, with remarks on the life and death of the meek and lowly
Jesus." This he "altered and amended" in June 1854, but it was never
published. In the preface, written in 1850, he says, "I think I can
prove that there did exist a man named Jesus [Greek: chrêstos] the
good man," but in 1854 he no longer adheres to this position, and
adds a note: "I would not defend the existence of Jesus as a man at
all, although I have not sufficient evidence to deny it." Through the
kindness of a friend I am in possession of the MS. volume containing
this "Examination," which, apart from its value to me personally, is
extremely interesting as showing how carefully my father went about
his work, even at an age when many lads are still at school. A month
or so after writing this critical examination, "C. Bradlaugh, jun.,"
published his first pamphlet, entitled, "A Few Words on the Christian's
Creed." To the Rev. J. G. Packer he dedicated his first printed attack
upon orthodox Christianity, addressing him in the following words:--
"SIR,--Had the misfortunes which I owe to your officious
interference been less than they are, and personal feeling left any
place in my mind for deliberation or for inquiry in selecting a
proper person to whom to dedicate these few remarks, I should have
found myself directed, by many considerations, to the person of the
Incumberer of St Peter's, Hackney Road. A life spent in division from
part of your flock, and in crushing those whom you could not answer,
may well entitle you to the respect of all true bigots.--Hoping that
you will be honoured as you deserve, I am, Reverend Sir, yours truly,
C. BRADLAUGH."
At the end of October in the same year he sent "a report of the
closing season's campaign in Bonner's Fields, Victoria Park," to the
_Reasoner_, from which I take an extract, not without interest for
the light it throws upon the manners and methods then common at these
out-door assemblies:--
"In May last, when I joined the fray, the state of affairs was as
follows: In front of us, near the park gates, were stationed some two
or three of the followers of the Victoria Park Mission, who managed
to get a moderate attendance of hearers; on our extreme left was the
Rev. Henry Robinson, who mustered followers to the amount of three or
four hundred; on our right, and close to our place of meeting, was
erected the tent of the Christian Instruction Society; sometimes,
also, in our midst we have had the Rev. Mr Worrall, V.D.M., who gives
out in his chapel one Sunday that infidelity is increasing, and that
there must be fresh subscriptions for more Sunday-school teachers (who
are never paid), and the next Sunday announces in the Fields that
infidelity is dying away. Besides these, we have had Dr Oxley, and
some dozens of tract distributors, who seemed to have no end to their
munificence--not forgetting Mr Harwood, and a few other irregular
preachers, who told us how wicked they had been in their youth, and
what a mercy it was the Lord had changed them.
"When I first came out I attracted a little extra attention on account
of my having been a Sunday-school teacher, and therefore had more
opposition than some of our other friends; and as the Freethinking
party did not muster quite so well as they do now, I met with some
very unpleasant occurrences. One Monday evening in particular I was
well stoned, and some friends both saw and heard several Christians
urging the boys to pelt me. As, however, the attendance of the
Freethinkers grew more regular, these minor difficulties vanished.
But more serious ones rose in their place. George Offer, Esq., of
Hackney, and Dr Oxley, intimated to the police that I ought not to
be allowed to speak; and a Christian gentleman whose real name and
address we could never get, but who passed by the name of Tucker,
after pretending that he was my friend to Mrs Carlile, and learning
all he could of me, appeared in the Park and made the most untrue
charges. When he found he was being answered, he used to beckon the
police and have me moved on.... I happened to walk up to the Fields
one evening, when I saw some of the bills announcing our lecture at
Warner Place pulled down from the tree on which they had been placed.
I immediately renewed them, and on the religious persons attempting to
pull the bills down again I defended them; and one gentleman having
broken a parasol over my arm in attempting to tear the bills, the
congregation, of which Mr Robinson was the leader, became furious.
The pencil of Cruikshank would have given an instructive and curious
picture of the scene. They were crying out, men and women too, 'Down
with him!' 'Have him down!' And here the scene would have been very
painful to my feelings, Previous Next |