This speech is a historic piece of American literature that challenges traditional religious beliefs and advocates for free thought. In it, Kneeland defends himself against charges of blasphemy and argues that all individuals have the right to form their own opinions about the divine. Though controversial at the time, Kneeland's ideas would go on to influence the development of secularism in the United States. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.