As my Lord at the very first stage this morning pointed out, it is no question with me, Are the matters indicted blasphemous, or are they not blasphemous?
Are they defensible, or are they not defensible?
That is not my duty here.

On this I make no comment.

I have no duty here of even discussing the policy of the blasphemy laws, although I cannot help thinking that, if I were here making my defence against them, I might say that they were bad laws unfairly revived, doing more mischief to those who revive them than to those whom they are revived against.

But it is not for anything I have said myself; it is not for anything I have written myself; it is not for anything I have published myself.

It is an endeavour to make me technically liable for a publication with which I have nothing whatever to do, and I will ask you to defeat that here.