vineyard." He who knows no other difference between himself and his dog than their drefs," wishes to " die on a heap of Chriftians immolated at his feet." "The fecret watchword of the confpirators was, "Ecrafez l'Infame" (" Crufh Chrift"), while the "cri de guerre" (" call to arms") was "toleration, humanity, reafon." When Voltaire gives his reasons for tolerating the Socinians during this war with Christ, he says, it is, "because Julian would have favoured them; and that he hates what Julian would have hated, and defpifes what Julian would have defpifed." Voltaire at firft" did not pretend "did to enlighten houfemaids and fhoemakers," equally contemning the rabble, whether for or against them." But we shall find, that in the progrefs of their work, the rabble become an object of the greatest importance. The cautious D'Alembert complains that Voltaire" fhews his fangs too much in the Encyclopedia," and represents that

this is the time for ftepping back to make the better leap:" he fays however, "without doubt we have feveral wretched articles in our divinity and metaphyfics; but with divines for cenfors, and a privilege (permiffion from the King to publish), I defy

defy you to make them better. There are articles lefs expofed where all is fet to rights again." In 1762 Voltaire urges more direct measures: "You have now a fair opportunity of filling the Encyclopedia with those truths that we should not have dared to utter twenty years ago." But finding it neceffary on fome occafion to write in favour of the Christian religion, he bitterly laments " being obliged to write directly

contrary to what he thinks.'

gave

The liberty he enjoyed in Holland to print his blafphemous and licentious productions, first Voltaire a bias in favour of republics; for he had defended monarchy till he found himself thwarted in his great design upon Christianity by the prefs of France. Of this press however he afterwards took poffeffion, having by his intrigues gained all the academicians, and all the minifters of ftate except one (M. de Muy), to be partizans in the cause of reafon and liberty, according to his definition of these terms. But when he had tried the strength of his principles upon Geneva, which was conveniently fituated in his neighbourhood, we find him writing thus upon govern"The moft tolerable, without doubt,

ment.

VOL. II.

M

is

is the republican, becaufe under that form men approach the nearest to the equality of nature."

Let us now look into fome of the books exprefsly written for general circulation: and there we shall find the following doctrines, fome of them ftanding alone in all their naked horrors, others furrounded by sophistry and meretricious ornament, to entice the mind into their net before it

perceives their nature. The univerfal Caufe, that God of the Philofophers, of the Jews, and of the Chriftians, is but a chimera, and a phantom." "The phenomena of nature only prove the existence of God to a few prepossessed men; fo far from bespeaking a God, they are but the neceffary effects of matter prodigioufly diverfified." It is more reasonable to admit with Manes, of a twofold God, than of the God of Christianity.' "We cannot know

whether a God really exifts, or whether there is the smallest difference between good and evil, or vice and virtue." "Nothing can be more abfurd than to believe the foul a fpiritual being." "The immortality of the foul, fo far from stimulating man to the practice of virtue, is nothing

but

but a barbarous, defperate, fatal tenet, and contrary to all legislation." "All ideas of juftice and injuftice, of virtue and vice, of glory and infamy, are purely arbitrary, and dependent on cuftom." "Confcience and remorse are nothing but the forefight of those physical penalties to which crimes expofe us. The man who is above the law can commit without remorfe the difhoneft act that may serve his purpose." k. The fear of God, fo far from being the beginning of wisdom, would be the beginning of folly." The command to love one's parents is more the work of education than of nature. Modefty is only an invention of refined voluptuousness. The law which condemns married people to live together, becomes barbarous and cruel on the day they cease to love one another." These extracts from the fecret correfpondence and the public writings of these men, will furely fuffice to prove that their fyftem "fpeaks as the dragon." Their end was univerfal demolition; their means deceit, fraud, and falfehood.

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་་

When time had ripened the plot fo far as almost to ensure impunity, if not fuccefs, they instituted a club at the house of Baron

M 2

Baron Holbach in Paris, about the year 1764, of which Voltaire was elected honorary and perpetual prefident. To conceal their real design, which was the diffusion of this new philosophy, they called themselves Economists. From this club was iffued an inundation of books and pamphlets, calculated to impair and overturn religion, morals, and government; and which spreading over all Europe imperceptibly took poffeffion of Public Opinion. "As foon as the fale was fufficient to pay the expences, inferior editions were printed and given away, or fold at a very low price, circulating libraries of them formed, and reading focieties inftituted. While they conftantly denied thefe productions to the world, they contrived to give them a false celebrity, through their confidential agents and correfpondents, who were not themfelves always trufted with the entire fecret." By degrees they got poffeffion of nearly all the reviews and periodical publications, established a general intercourse, by means of hawkers and pedlars, with the distant provinces, and inftituted an office to supply all schools with teachers; and

⚫ Annual Register.

thus