,,letters ,,to ,,eugenia2  or1 ,a       
,,preservative ,,against ,,religious    
,,prejudices4  ,by ,baron ,d'holbach    
7,paul ,henri ,thiry ,holbach 7baron d'7
 ,nicolas ,freret7  ,author ,of ,the    
,system ,of ,nature1 ,the ,social       
,system1 ,good ,sense1 ,christianity    
,unveiled1 ,ecce ,homo1 ,universal      
,morality1 ,religious ,cruelty c4       
,translated ,from ,the ,french1 ,by     
,anthony ,c4 ,middleton1 ,m4,d4         
444,arctis ,religionum animos nodis     
exsolvere pergo4      ,lucretii ,de     
,rerum ,natura1 lib4 iv4 v4 #f1g4  #ahgj
     ,,naigeon',s ,,preface4  #agfh4    
,for many years this work has been known
 under the title of ,letters to         
,eugenia4 ,the secretive character of   
those1 however1 into whose hands the    
manuscript at first fell2 the singular  
and yet actual pleasure that is caused  
generally enough in the minds of all men
 by the exclusive possession of any     
object whatever2 that kind of torpor1   
servitude1 and terror in which the      

tyrannical power of the priests then    
held all minds--even those who by the   
superiority of their talents ought      
naturally to be the least disposed to   
bend under the odious yoke of the       
clergy1--all these circumstances united 
contributed so much to stifle in its    
birth1 if ,i may so express myself1 this
 important manuscript1 that for a long  
time it was supposed to be lost2 so much
 did those who possessed it keep it     
carefully concealed1 and so constantly  
did they refuse to allow a copy to be   
taken4 ,the manuscripts1 indeed1 were so
 scarce1 even in the libraries of the   
curious1 that the late ,m4 ,de ,boze1   
whose pleasure it was to collect the    
rarest works belonging to every species 
of literature1 could never succeed in   
acquiring a copy of the ,letters to     
,eugenia1 and in his time there were    
only three in ,paris2 it may have been  
from design1 propter metum ,judaeorum299
 it may have been there were actually no
 more known4       99 ,on account of    

fear of the ,jews1 or1 in other words1  
the      intolerant clergy of the       
despotic government4  ,it is not till   
within five or six years that ,,mss4 of 
these letters have become more common2  
and there is reason to believe that they
 are now considerably multiplied1 since 
the copy from which this edition is     
printed has been revised and corrected  
by collation with six others1 that have 
been collected without any great        
difficulty4 ,unhappily1 all these copies
 swarm with faults1 which corrupt the   
sense1 and comprehend many variations1  
but which also1 to use the language of  
the ,biblical critics1 have served      
sometimes to discover and to fix the    
true reading6 ,more often1 however1 they
 have rendered it more uncertain than it
 was before what one ought to be        
followed--a new proof of the            
multiplicity of copies1 because the more
 numerous are the manuscripts of a work1
 the more they differ from each other1  
as any one may be fully convinced by    

consulting those of the ,letter of      
,thrasybulus to ,leucippus1 and the     
various readings of the ,new ,testament 
collected by the learned ,mill1 and     
which amount to more than thirty        
thousand4  ,however this may be1 we have
 spared no pains to reestablish the text
 in all its purity2 and we venture to   
say1 that1 with the exception of four or
 five passages1 which we found corrupted
 in all the manuscripts that we had an  
opportunity to collate1 and which we    
have amended to the best of our ability1
 the edition of these letters that we   
now offer to the reader will probably   
conform almost exactly with the original
 manuscript of the author4  ,with regard
 to the author's name and quality we can
 offer nothing but conjectures4 ,the    
only particulars of his life upon which 
there is a general agreement are1 that  
he lived upon terms of great intimacy   
with the ,marquis de la ,fare1 the ,abbe
 de ,chaulieu1 the ,abbe ,terrasson1    
,fontenelle1 ,m4 de ,lassere1 c4 ,the   

late ,,mm4 ,du ,marsais and ,falconnet  
have often been heard to declare that   
these letters were composed by some one 
belonging to the school of ,seaux4 ,all 
that we can pronounce with certainty is 
the fact1 that it is only necessary to  
read the work to be entirely convinced  
the author was a man of extensive       
knowledge1 and one who had meditated    
profoundly concerning the matters upon  
which he has treated4 ,his style is     
clear1 simple1 easy1 and in which we may
 remark a certain urbanity1 that leads  
us to be sure that he was not an obscure
 individual1 nor one to whom good       
company and polished society were       
unfamiliar4 ,but what especially        
distinguishes this work1 and which      
should endear it to all good and        
virtuous people1 is the signal honesty  
which pervades and characterizes it from
 the very beginning to the end4 ,it is  
impossible to read it without conceiving
 the highest idea of the author's       
probity1 whoever he may have            

been--without desiring to have had him  
for a friend1 to have lived with him1   
and1 in a word1 without rendering       
justice to the rectitude of his         
intentions1 even when we do not approve 
of his sentiments4 ,the love of virtue1 
universal benevolence1 respect to the   
laws1 an inviolable attachment to the   
duties of morality1 and1 in fine1 all   
that can contribute to render men       
better1 is strongly recommended in these
 ,letters4 ,if1 on the one hand he      
completely overthrows the ruinous       
edifice of ,christianity1 it is to      
erect1 on the other hand1 the immovable 
foundations of a system of morality     
legitimately established upon the nature
 of man1 upon his physical wants1 and   
upon his social relations--a base       
infinitely better and more solid than   
that of religion1 because sooner or     
later the lie is discovered1 rejected1  
and necessarily drags with it what      
served to sustain it4 ,on the contrary1 
the truth subsists eternally1 and       

consolidates itself as it grows old3    
,opinionum commenta delet dies1 naturae 
judicia confirmat499  ,the motto affixed
 to many of the manuscript copies of    
these ,letters proves that the worthy   
man to whom we owe them did not desire  
to be known as their author1 and that it
 was neither the love of reputation1 nor
 the thirst of glory1 nor the ambition  
of being distinguished by bold opinions1
 which the priests1 and the satellites  
subjected to them by ignorance1         
denominate impieties1 which guided his  
pen4 ,it was only the desire of doing   
good to his fellow-beings by            
enlightening them1 which actuated him1  
and the wish to uproot1 so to speak1    
religion itself1 as being the source of 
all the woes which have afflicted       
mankind for so many ages4 ,this is the  
motto of which we spoke3--       ,si    
j'ai raison1 qu'importe a qui je suis8  
7,if reason's mine1 no matter who ,i    
am47       99 ,time effaces the comments
 of opinion1 but it confirms the        

judgments of nature4--,cicero4  ,it is a
 verse of ,corneille1 whose application 
is exceedingly appropriate1 and which   
should be upon the frontispiece of all  
books of this nature4  ,we are unable to
 say any thing more certain concerning  
the person to whom our author has       
addressed his work4 ,it appears1        
however1 from many circumstances in     
these ,letters1 that she was not a      
supposititious marchioness1 like her of 
the ,worlds of ,m4 de ,fontenelle1 and  
that they have really been written to a 
woman as distinguished by her rank as by
 her manners4 ,perhaps she was a lady of
 the school of the ,temple1 or of       
,seaux4 ,but these details1 in reality1 
as well as those which concern the name 
and the life of our author1 the date of 
his birth1 that of his death1 c41 are of
 little importance1 and could only serve
 to satisfy the vain curiosity of some  
idle readers1 who avidiously collect    
these kind of anecdotes1 who receive    
from them a kind of existence in the    

world1 and who feel more satisfaction   
from being instructed in them than from 
the discovery of a truth4 ,i know that  
they endeavor to justify their curiosity
 by saying that when a person reads a   
book which creates a public sensation1  
and with which he is himself much       
pleased1 it is natural he should desire 
to know to whom a grateful homage should
 be addressed4 ,in this case the desire 
is so much the more unreasonable because
 it cannot be satisfied2 first1 because 
when death and proscription is the      
penalty1 there has never been and there 
never will be a man of letters so       
imprudent1 and1 to speak plainly1 so    
strangely daring1 as to publish1 or     
during his life to allow a book to be   
printed1 in which he tramples under foot
 temples1 altars1 and the statues of the
 gods1 and where he attacks without any 
disguise the most consecrated religious 
opinions2 secondly1 because it is a     
matter of public notoriety that all the 
works of this character which have      

appeared for many years are the secret  
testaments of numbers of great men1     
obliged during their lives to conceal   
their light under a bushel1 whose heads 
death has withdrawn from the fury of    
persecutors1 and whose cold ashes1      
consequently1 do not hear in the tomb   
either the importunate and denunciatory 
cries of the superstitious1 or the just 
eulogiums of the friends of truth2      
thirdly and lastly1 because this        
curiosity1 so unfortunately entertained1
 may compromise in the most cruel manner
 the repose1 the fortune1 and the       
liberty of the relatives and friends of 
the authors of these bold books6 ,this  
single consideration ought1 then1 to    
determine those hazarders of            
conjectures1 if they have really good   
intentions1 to wrap in the inmost folds 
of their hearts whatever suspicions they
 may entertain concerning the author1   
however true or false they may be1 and  
to turn their inquiring spirits to a use
 more beneficial for both themselves and

 others4  ,,translator',s ,,preface4    
,in #ahai an anonymous translation of   
the ,letters to ,eugenia was published  
in ,london by ,richard ,carlile4 ,this  
translation in some of its parts was    
sufficiently complete and correct1 but  
in others it was at absolute variance   
with the original work2 in other parts1 
also1 it was interlarded with matter not
 written by d',holbach2 and in others1  
large portions of the original ,letters 
were entirely omitted1 as were likewise 
a number of notes and the whole of the  
preliminary observations1 with which the
 volume was introduced to the public by 
,naigeon1 so long the intimate friend of
 both d',holbach and ,diderot4 ,in again
 presenting the work in an ,english     
dress1 the ,london translation has been 
made the foundation of this1 but the    
whole has been thoroughly revised and   
collated with the original4 ,the omitted
 portions have been translated and      
inserted in their proper places1 and    
though some passages of the ,london     

work1 not entirely faithful to the      
original1 have been allowed to stand1   
yet the book1 as it now appears1 is     
essentially a new one1 and is the most  
accurate and complete translation of the
 ,letters to ,eugenia which has ever    
been made into the ,english language4   
,the work at first came anonymously from
 the press1 and the mystery of its      
authorship was sedulously maintained in 
the introductory observations of        
,naigeon1 in consequence of the danger  
which then attended the issue of        
,infidel productions1 not only in       
,france but throughout ,christendom4    
,the book was printed in ,amsterdam1 at 
d',holbach's own expense1 by            
,marc-,michael ,rey1 a noble printer1 to
 whom the world is greatly indebted for 
the inestimable aid he rendered the     
philosophers4 ,but bold as he was1 and  
then living in a country the most free  
of any in the world1 he dared not openly
 send these ,letters from his own press4
 ,they were issued in #agfh1 in two     

duodecimo volumes1 without any          
publisher's name1 and with the imprint  
of ,london on the title page1 in order  
to set those persecutors at bay who were
 prowling for victims1 and who sought to
 burn author1 printer1 and book at the  
same pile4 ,the prudence of the author  
and printer saved them from this fate2  
but the book had hardly reached ,france 
before its sale was forbidden under     
penalty of fines and imprisonment1 and  
it was condemned by an act of           
,parliament to be burnt by the public   
executioner in the streets of ,paris1   
all of which particulars will be        
narrated in the ,biographical ,memoir of
 ,baron d',holbach1 which ,i am now     
preparing for the press4  ,of the       
excellence of the ,letters to ,eugenia1 
nothing need here be said4 ,the work    
speaks for itself1 and abounds in that  
eloquence peculiar to its author1 and   
overflows with kindly sentiments of     
humanity1 benevolence and virtue4 ,like 
d',holbach's other works1 it is         

distinguished by an ardent love of      
liberty1 and an invincible hatred of    
despotism2 by an unanswerable logic1 by 
deep thought1 and by profound ideas4    
,the tyrant and the priest are both     
displayed in their true colors2 but     
while the author shows himself          
inexorable as fate towards oppressive   
hierarchies and false ideas1 he is      
tender as an infant to the unfortunate1 
to those overburdened with unreasonable 
impositions1 to those who need          
consolation and guidance1 and to those  
searching after truth4 ,addressed1 as   
the ,letters were1 to a lady suffering  
from religious falsehoods and terrors1  
the object of the writer is set forth in
 the motto from ,lucretius which he     
placed on the title page1 and which may 
thus be expressed in ,english3--        
,reason's pure light ,i seek to give the
 mind1      ,and from ,religion's       
fetters free mankind4                   
,a4 ,c4 ,m4  ,the name of the lady was  
designedly kept in secrecy1 and was     

unknown1 except to a very few1 till some
 years after d',holbach's death4 ,we now
 know from the ,feuilles ,posthumes of  
,lequinio1 who had it from ,naigeon1    
that the ,letters were written several  
years before their publication1 for the 
instruction of a lady formerly          
distinguished at the ,french ,court for 
her graces and virtues4 ,they were      
addressed to the charming ,marguerite1  
,marchioness de ,vermandois4 ,her       
husband held the lucrative post of      
farmer-general to the king1 and besides 
inherited large estates4 ,he possessed  
excellent natural abilities1 and his    
mind was strengthened and adorned by    
culture and letters4 ,had his modesty   
permitted him1 to appear as such1 he    
would now be known as a poet of genius  
and merit1 for he wrote some poems and  
plays that were much admired by all who 
were allowed to peruse them4 ,he was    
married in #agfc1 on the day he         
completed his twenty-first year1 to     
,marguerite ,justine d',estrades1 then  

only nineteen years of age1 and whom he 
saw for the first time in his life only 
six weeks before they became husband and
 wife4 ,like most of the matches then   
made among the higher classes in        
,france1 this was one of a purely       
mercenary character4 ,the father of the 
,marquis de ,vermandois1 and the father 
of ,marguerite1 as a means of joining   
their estates1 contracted their children
 without deigning to consult the wishes 
of the parties1 and obedience or        
disinheritance was the only alternative4
 ,when the compact was concluded1       
,marguerite was taken from the convent  
where for five years she had lived as a 
boarder and scholar1 and commenced her  
married life and her course in the      
fashionable world at the same time4 ,the
 match was far more fortunate than such 
matches then generally proved to be4    
,marguerite's husband was passionately  
attached to her1 and that attachment was
 returned4 ,the ,marquis was a friend of
 ,baron d',holbach1 and soon after his  

marriage introduced his wife to him4    
,among all the beauties of ,paris the   
,marchioness was one of the most lovely 
and fascinating4 ,her features were     
remarkably beautiful1 and the bloom and 
clearness of her complexion were such as
 absolutely to render necessary the old 
comparison of the rose and the lily to  
do them justice4 ,to these were added a 
voluptuous figure1 agreeable manners1   
the graces and vivacity of wit1 and the 
still more enduring attractions of good 
humor1 purity1 and benevolence6 ,a      
female like her could not but be dear to
 all who enjoyed her intimacy1 and a    
strong friendship sprang up between her 
and ,baron d',holbach4 ,greatly pleased 
with him at first1 ,marguerite was      
afterwards as greatly shocked4 ,when    
their intercourse had become so familiar
 as to permit that frankness and freedom
 of conversation which prevails among   
intimate friends1 she discovered that   
the ,baron was an unbeliever in the     
,christian dogmas which she had learned 

at the convent1 where1 in consequence of
 her mother's death1 she had been       
educated4 ,she had been taught that an  
,infidel was a monster in all respects1 
and she was astounded to find           
unbelievers in men so agreeable in      
manners and person1 and so profound in  
learning1 as d',holbach1 ,diderot1      
d',alembert1 and others4 ,she could deny
 neither their goodness nor their       
intellectual qualities1 and while she   
admired the individuals she shuddered at
 their incredulity4 ,especially did she 
mourn over ,baron d',holbach4 ,he had a 
wife as charming as herself1 formerly   
the lovely ,mademoiselle d',aine1 whose 
beautiful features and seductive figure 
presented ,a combination1 and a form1   
indeed1 ,where every god did seem to set
 his seal4  ,nothing was more natural   
than that two such women should imbibe  
the deepest tenderness for each other4  
,but alas6 the ,baron's wife was tainted
 with her husband's heresies2 and yet in
 their home did the ,marchioness see all

 the domestic virtues exemplified1 and  
beheld that sweet harmony and           
unchangeable affection for which the    
d',holbachs were eminently distinguished
 among their acquaintances1 and which   
was remarkable from its striking        
contrast with the courtly and ,christian
 habits of the day4 ,at a loss what to  
do1 the ,marchioness consulted her      
confessor1 and was advised to withdraw  
entirely from the society of the ,baron 
and his wife1 unless she was willing to 
sacrifice all her hopes of heaven1 and  
to plunge headlong down to hell4 ,her   
natural good sense and love of her      
friends struggled with her monastic     
education and reverence for the priests4
 ,the conflict rendered her miserable2  
and unable to enjoy happiness1 she      
retired to her husband's country seat1  
where she brooded over her wishes and   
her terrors4 ,in this state of mind she 
at length wrote a touching letter to the
 ,baron1 and laid open her situation1   
requesting him to comfort1 console1 and 

enlighten her4 ,such was the origin of  
the book now presented in an ,english   
dress to the reader4 ,it accomplished   
its purpose with the ,marchioness de    
,vermandois1 and afterwards its author  
concluded to publish the work1 in hopes 
it might be equally useful to others4   
,the ,letters were written in #agfd1    
when d',holbach was in the forty-second 
year of his age4 ,twelve different works
 he had before written and published1   
and all without the affix of his name4  
,eleven were upon mineralogy1 the arts  
and the sciences1 and one only upon     
theology4 ,that one had been secretly   
printed in #agfa1 at ,nancy1 with the   
imprint of ,london1 and was honored with
 a parliamentary statute condemning its 
publication and forbidding its sale or  
circulation4 ,christian hatred bestowed 
upon it the additional honor of causing 
it to be burned in the streets of ,paris
 by the public executioner4 ,but the    
prudence of the author protected his    
life4 ,he attributed the book to a dead 

man1 who had been known to entertain    
sceptical views4 ,it was entitled       
,christianity ,unveiled1 and bore on its
 title page the name of ,boulanger4     
,this was d',holbach's first            
contribution to ,infidel literature1 and
 the second similar work written by him 
was the ,letters to ,eugenia4 ,these    
were the preludes to more than a quarter
 of a hundred different productions     
numbering among them such books as ,good
 ,sense1 ,the ,system of ,nature1 ,ecce 
,homo1 ,priests ,unmasked1 c1 c41 all   
printed anonymously or pseudonymously at
 his own expense1 without a possibility 
of pecuniary advantage1 and with such   
extraordinary secrecy as to show that he
 was actuated by no desire of literary  
fame4 ,it was love of truth alone that  
impelled d',holbach to write4           
,brilliant1 profound1 eloquent and      
excellent as were his writings1         
attracting notice as they did from the  
civil and religious powers1 commented   
upon as they were by such men as        

,voltaire and ,frederick the ,great1    
admired as they were by that class who  
felt and combated the evils of tyranny  
as well as of religion1 of kings as well
 as of priests1--that class who almost  
drew their life from the books of him   
and his compeers1--he was never seduced 
from the rule he originally laid down   
for his literary conduct4  ,a very few  
persons he was obliged to trust in order
 to get his writings printed1 and but   
for that fact ,baron d',holbach would   
now only be known as a gentleman of     
great wealth1 extensive benevolence1 and
 uncommon liberality1 as a man of       
profound learning and agreeable         
colloquial powers1 as the bountiful     
friend of men of letters1 as the soother
 of the distressed1 as the protector of 
the miserable1 and as the affectionate  
husband and father4 ,so much of him we  
should have known2 but that he was the  
author of those books which roused      
intolerant priests and corrupt          
magistrates1 consistories and           

parliaments1 monarchs and philosophers1 
the people and their oppressors1--that  
he was the ,archimedes that thus moved  
the world1--would not have been known   
had he not employed another philosopher1
 by the name of ,naigeon1 to carry his  
manuscripts to ,amsterdam1 and to direct
 their printing by ,marc-,michel ,rey4  
,it was ,naigeon who carried the        
manuscript of the ,letters to ,eugenia  
to ,holland1 together with a number of  
others by the same author1 which also   
appeared during the year #agfh1--;an    
eventful year in the history of ,infidel
 progress4 ,the ,letters were carefully 
revised by d',holbach before they were  
sent to press4 ,all the passages of a   
purely personal character were omitted1 
some new matter was incorporated1 and   
some sentences were added purposely to  
keep the author and the lady he         
addressed in impenetrable obscurity4 ,to
 raise the veil from a man of so much   
worth and genius1 as well as to carry   
out his idea of doing good1 is one of   

the reasons which have led to the       
present preparation and publication of  
this book4  ,a4 ,c4 ,m4     ,,letters   
,,to ,,eugenia     ,,letter ,i4 ,of the 
,sources of ,credulity1 and of the      
,motives which should lead to an        
examination of religion4  ,i am unable1 
,madam1 to express the grievous         
sentiments that the perusal of your     
letter produced in my bosom4 ,did not a 
rigorous duty retain me where ,i am1 you
 would see me flying to your succor4 ,is
 it1 then1 true that ,eugenia is        
miserable8 ,is even she tormented with  
chagrin1 scruples1 and inquietudes8 ,in 
the midst of opulence and grandeur2     
assured of the tenderness and esteem of 
a husband who adores you2 enjoying at   
court the advantage1 so rare1 of being  
sincerely beloved by every one2         
surrounded by friends who render sincere
 homage to your talents1 your knowledge1
 and your tastes1--how can you suffer   
the pains of melancholy and sorrow8     
,your pure and virtuous soul can surely 

know neither shame nor remorse4 ,always 
so far removed from the weaknesses of   
your sex1 on what account can you blush8
 ,agreeably occupied with your duties1  
refreshed with useful reading and       
entertaining conversation1 and having   
within your reach every diversity of    
virtuous pleasures1 how happens it that 
fears1 distastes1 and cares come to     
assail a heart for which every thing    
should procure contentment and peace8   
,alas6 even if your letter had not      
confirmed it but too much1 from the     
trouble which agitates you ,i should    
have recognized without difficulty the  
work of superstition4 ,this fiend alone 
possesses the power of disturbing honest
 souls1 without calming the passions of 
the corrupt2 and when once she gains    
possession of a heart1 she has the      
ability to annihilate its repose        
forever4  ,yes1 ,madam1 for a long time 
,i have known the dangerous effects of  
religious prejudices4 ,i was myself     
formerly troubled with them4 ,like you  

,i have trembled under the yoke of      
religion2 and if a careful and          
deliberate examination had not fully    
undeceived me1 instead of now being in a
 state to console you and to reassure   
you against yourself1 you would see me  
at the present moment partaking your    
inquietudes1 and augmenting in your mind
 the lugubrious ideas with which ,i     
perceive you to be tormented4 ,thanks to
 ,reason and ,philosophy1 an unruffled  
serenity long ago irradiated my         
understanding1 and banished the terrors 
with which ,i was formerly agitated4    
,what happiness for me if the peace     
which ,i enjoy should put it in my power
 to break the charm which yet binds you 
with the chains of prejudice8           
,nevertheless1 without your express     
orders1 ,i should never have dared to   
point out to you a mode of thinking     
widely different from your own1 nor to  
combat the dangerous opinions to which  
you have been persuaded your happiness  
is attached4 ,but for your request ,i   

should have continued to enclose in my  
own breast opinions odious to the most  
part of men accustomed to see nothing   
except by the eyes of judges visibly    
interested in deceiving them4 ,now1     
however1 a sacred duty obliges me to    
speak4 ,eugenia1 unquiet and alarmed1   
wishes me to explore her heart2 she     
needs assistance2 she wishes to fix her 
ideas upon an object which interests her
 repose and her felicity4 ,i owe her the
 truth4 ,it would be a crime longer to  
preserve silence4 ,although my          
attachment for her did not impose the   
necessity of responding to her          
confidence1 the love of truth would     
oblige me to make efforts to dissipate  
the chimeras which render her unhappy4  
,i shall proceed then1 ,madam1 to       
address you with the most complete      
frankness4 ,perhaps at the first glance 
my ideas may appear strange2 but on     
examining them with still further care  
and attention1 they will cease to shock 
you4 ,reason1 good faith1 and truth     

cannot do otherwise than exert great    
influence over such an intellect as     
yours4 ,i appeal1 therefore1 from your  
alarmed imagination to your more        
tranquil judgment2 ,i appeal from custom
 and prejudice to reflection and reason4
 ,nature has given you a gentle and     
sensible soul1 and has imparted an      
exquisitely lively imagination1 and a   
certain admixture of melancholy which   
disposes to despondent revery4 ,it is   
from this peculiar mental constitution  
that arise the woes that now afflict    
you4 ,your goodness1 candor1 and        
sincerity preclude your suspecting in   
others either fraud or malignity4 ,the  
gentleness of your character prevents   
your contradicting notions that would   
appear revolting if you deigned to      
examine them4 ,you have chosen rather to
 defer to the judgment of others1 and to
 subscribe to their ideas1 than to      
consult your own reason and rely upon   
your own understanding4 ,the vivacity of
 your imagination causes you to embrace 

with avidity the dismal delineations    
which are presented to you2 certain men1
 interested in agitating your mind1     
abuse your sensibility in order to      
produce alarm2 they cause you to shudder
 at the terrible words1 death1 judgment1
 hell1 punishment1 and eternity2 they   
lead you to turn pale at the very name  
of an inflexible judge1 whose absolute  
decrees nothing can change2 you fancy   
that you see around you those demons    
whom he has made the ministers of his   
vengeance upon his weak creatures2 thus 
is your heart filled with affright2 you 
fear that at every instant you may      
offend1 without being aware of it1 a    
capricious ,god1 always threatening and 
always enraged4 ,in consequence of such 
a state of mind1 all those moments of   
your life which should only be          
productive of contentment and peace1 are
 constantly poisoned by inquietudes1    
scruples1 and panic terrors1 from which 
a soul as pure as yours ought to be     
forever exempt4 ,the agitation into     

which you are thrown by these fatal     
ideas suspends the exercise of your     
faculties2 your reason is misled by a   
bewildered imagination1 and you are     
afflicted with perplexities1 with       
despondency1 and with suspicion of      
yourself4 ,in this manner you become the
 dupe of those men who1 addressing the  
imagination and stifling reason1 long   
since subjugated the universe1 and have 
actually persuaded reasonable beings    
that their reason is either useless or  
dangerous4  ,such is1 ,madam1 the       
constant language of the apostles of    
superstition1 whose design has always   
been1 and will always continue to be1 to
 destroy human reason in order to       
exercise their power with impunity over 
mankind44 ,throughout the globe the     
perfidious ministers of religion have   
been either the concealed or the        
declared enemies of reason1 because they
 always see reason opposed to their     
views4 ,every where do they decry it1   
because they truly fear that it will    

destroy their empire by discovering     
their conspiracies and the futility of  
their fables4 ,every where upon its     
ruins they struggle to erect the empire 
of fanaticism and imagination4 ,to      
attain this end with more certainty1    
they have unceasingly terrified mortals 
with hideous paintings1 have astonished 
and seduced them by marvels and         
mysteries1 embarrassed them by enigmas  
and uncertainties1 surcharged them with 
observances and ceremonies1 filled their
 minds with terrors and scruples1 and   
fixed their eyes upon a future1 which1  
far from rendering them more virtuous   
and happy here below1 has only turned   
them from the path of true happiness1   
and destroyed it completely and forever 
in their bosoms4  ,such are the         
artifices which the ministers of        
religion every where employ to enslave  
the earth and to retain it under the    
yoke4 ,the human race1 in all countries1
 has become the prey of the priests4    
,the priests have given the name of     

religion to systems invented by them to 
subjugate men1 whose imagination they   
had seduced1 whose understanding they   
had confounded1 and whose reason they   
had endeavored to extinguish4  ,it is   
especially in infancy that the human    
mind is disposed to receive whatever    
impression is made upon it4 ,thus our   
priests have prudently seized upon the  
youth to inspire them with ideas that   
they could never impose upon adults4 ,it
 is during the most tender and          
susceptible age of men that the priests 
have familiarized the understanding of  
our race with monstrous fables1 with    
extravagant and disjointed fancies1 and 
with ridiculous chimeras1 which1 by     
degrees1 become objects that are        
respected and that are feared during    
life4  ,we need only open our eyes to   
see the unworthy means employed by      
sacerdotal policy to stifle the dawning 
reason of men4 ,during their infancy    
they are taught tales which are         
ridiculous1 impertinent1 contradictory1 

and criminal1 and to these they are     
enjoined to pay respect4 ,they are      
gradually impregnated with inconceivable
 mysteries that are announced as sacred 
truths1 and they are accustomed to      
contemplate phantoms before which they  
habitually tremble4 ,in a word1 measures
 are taken which are the best calculated
 to render those blind who do not       
consult their reason1 and to render     
those base who constantly shudder       
whenever they recall the ideas with     
which their priests infected their minds
 at an age when they were unable to     
guard against such snares4  ,recall to  
mind1 ,madam1 the dangerous cares which 
were taken in the convent where you were
 educated1 to sow in your mind the germs
 of those inquietudes that now afflict  
you4 ,it was there that they began to   
speak to you of fables1 prodigies1      
mysteries1 and doctrines that you       
actually revere1 while1 if these things 
were announced today for the first time1
 you would regard them as ridiculous1   

and as entirely unworthy of attention4  
,i have often witnessed your laughter at
 the simplicity with which you formerly 
credited those tales of sorcerers and   
ghosts1 that1 during your childhood1    
were related by the nuns who had charge 
of your education4 ,when you entered    
society where for a long time such      
chimeras have been disbelieved1 you were
 insensibly undeceived1 and at present  
you blush at your former credulity4 ,why
 have you not the courage to laugh1 in a
 similar manner1 at an infinity of other
 chimeras with no better foundation1    
which torment you even yet1 and which   
only appear more respectable1 because   
you have not dared to examine them with 
your own eyes1 or because you see them  
respected by a public who have never    
explored them8 ,if my ,eugenia is       
enlightened and reasonable upon all     
other topics1 why does she renounce her 
understanding and her judgment whenever 
religion is in question8 ,in the mean   
time1 at this redoubtable word her soul 

is disturbed1 her strength abandons her1
 her ordinary penetration is at fault1  
her imagination wanders1 she only sees  
through a cloud1 she is unquiet and     
afflicted4 ,on the watch against reason1
 she dares not call that to her         
assistance4 ,she persuades herself that 
the best course for her to take is to   
allow herself to follow the opinions of 
a multitude who never examine1 and who  
always suffer themselves to be conducted
 by blind or deceitful guides4  ,to     
reestablish peace in your mind1 dear    
,madam1 cease to despise yourself2      
entertain a just confidence in your own 
powers of mind1 and feel no chagrin at  
finding yourself infected with a general
 and involuntary epidemic from which it 
did not depend on you to escape4 ,the   
good ,abbe de ,st4 ,pierre had reason   
when he said that devotion was the      
smallpox of the soul4 ,i will add that  
it is rare the disease does not leave   
its pits for life4 ,indeed1 see how     
often the most enlightened persons      

persist forever in the prejudices of    
their infancy6 ,these notions are so    
early inculcated1 and so many           
precautions are continually taken to    
render them durable1 that if any thing  
may reasonably surprise us1 it is to see
 any one have the ability to rise       
superior to such influences4 ,the most  
sublime geniuses are often the          
playthings of superstition4 ,the heat of
 their imagination sometimes only serves
 to lead them the farther astray1 and to
 attach them to opinions which would    
cause them to blush did they but consult
 their reason4 ,pascal constantly       
imagined that he saw hell yawning under 
his feet2 ,mallebranche was             
extravagantly credulous2 ,hobbes had a  
great terror of phantoms and demons299  
and the immortal ,newton wrote a        
ridiculous commentary on the vials and  
visions of the ,apocalypse4 ,in a word1 
every thing proves that there is nothing
 more difficult than to efface the      
notions with which we are imbued during 

our infancy4 ,the most sensible persons1
 and those who reason with the most     
correctness upon every other matter1    
relapse into their infancy whenever     
religion is in question4  ,thus1 ,madam1
 you need not blush for a weakness which
 you hold in common with almost all the 
world1 and from which the greatest men  
are not always exempt4 ,let your courage
 then revive1 and fear not to examine   
with perfect composure the phantoms     
which alarm you4 ,in a matter which so  
greatly interests your repose1 consult  
that enlightened reason which places you
 as much above the vulgar1 as it        
elevates the human species above the    
other animals4 ,far from being          
suspicious of your own understanding and
 intellectual faculties1 turn your just 
suspicion against those men1 far less   
enlightened and honest than you1 who1 to
 vanquish you1 only address themselves  
to your lively imagination2 who have the
 cruelty to disturb the serenity of your
 soul2 who1 under the pretext of        

attaching you only to heaven1 insist    
that you must sunder the most tender and
 endearing ties2 and in fine1 who oblige
 you to proscribe the use of that       
beneficent reason whose light guides1   
your conduct so judiciously and so      
safely4       99 ,on this subject see   
,bayle's ,diet4 ,critt art4 ,hobbes1    
,rem4 ,n4  ,leave inquietude and remorse
 to those corrupt women who have cause  
to reproach themselves1 or who have     
crimes to expiate4 ,leave superstition  
to those silly and ignorant females     
whose narrow minds are incapable of     
reasoning or reflection4 ,abandon the   
futile and trivial ceremonies of an     
objectionable devotion to those idle and
 peevish women1 for whom1 as soon as the
 transient reign of their personal      
charms is finished1 there remains no    
rational relaxation to fill the void of 
their days1 and who seek by slander and 
treachery to console themselves for the 
loss of pleasures which they can no     
longer enjoy4 ,resist that inclination  

which seems to impel you to gloomy      
meditation1 solitude1 and melancholy4   
,devotion is only suited to inert and   
listless souls1 while yours is formed   
for action4 ,you should pursue the      
course ,i recommend for the sake of your
 husband1 whose happiness depends upon  
you2 you owe it to the children1 who    
will soon1 undoubtedly1 need all your   
care and all your instructions for the  
guidance of their hearts and            
understandings2 you owe it to the       
friends who honor you1 and who will     
value your society when the beauty1     
which now adorns your person and the    
voluptuousness which graces your figure 
have yielded to the inroads of time2 you
 owe it to the circle in which you move1
 and to the world which has a right to  
your example1 possessing as you do      
virtues that are far more rare to       
persons of your rank than devotion4 ,in 
fine1 you owe happiness to yourself2    
for1 notwithstanding the promises of    
religion1 you will never find happiness 

in those agitations into which ,i       
perceive you cast by the lurid ideas3 of
 superstition4 ,in this path you will   
only encounter doleful chimeras1        
frightful phantoms1 embarrassments      
without end1 crushing uncertainties1    
inexplicable enigmas1 and dangerous     
reveries1 which are only calculated to  
disturb your repose1 to deprive you of  
happiness1 and to render you incapable  
of occupying yourself with that of      
others4 ,it is very difficult to make   
those around us happy when we are       
ourselves miserable and deprived of     
peace4  ,if you will even slightly make 
observations upon those about you1 you  
will find abundant proofs of what ,i    
advance4 ,the most religious persons are
 rarely the most amiable or the most    
social4 ,even the most sincere devotion1
 by subjecting those who embrace it to  
wearisome and crippling ceremonies1 by  
occupying their imaginations with       
lugubrious and afflicting objects1 by   
exciting their zeal1 is but little      

calculated to give to devotees that     
equality of temper1 that sweetness of an
 indulgent disposition1 and that amenity
 of character1 which constitute the     
greatest charms of personal intimacy4 ,a
 thousand examples might be adduced to  
convince you that devotees who are the  
most involved in superstitious          
observances to please ,god ,digitized by
 by those women who succeed best in     
pleasing those by whom they are         
surrounded4 ,if there seems to be       
occasionally an exception to this rule1 
it is on the part of those who have not 
all the zeal and fervor which is exacted
 by their religion4 ,devotion is either 
a morose and melancholy passion1 or it  
is a violent and obstinate enthusiasm4  
,religion imposes an exclusive and      
entire regard upon its slaves4 ,all that
 an acceptable ,christian gives to a    
fellow-creature is a robbery from the   
,creator4 ,a soul filled with religious 
fervor fears to attach itself to things 
of the earth1 lest it should lose sight 

of its jealous ,god1 who wishes to      
engross constant attention1 who lays it 
down as a duty to his creatures that    
they should sacrifice to him their most 
agreeable and most innocent             
inclinations1 and who orders that they  
should render themselves miserable here 
below1 under the idea of pleasing him4  
,in accordance with such principles1 we 
generally see devotees executing with   
much fidelity the duty of tormenting    
themselves and disturbing the repose of 
others4 ,they actually believe they     
acquire great merit with the ,sovereign 
of heaven by rendering themselves       
perfectly useless1 or even a scourge to 
the inhabitants of the earth4  ,i am    
aware1 ,madam1 that devotion in you does
 not produce effects injurious to       
others2 but ,i fear that it is only more
 injurious to yourself4 ,the goodness of
 your heart1 the sweetness of your      
disposition1 and the beneficence which  
displays itself in all your conduct1 are
 all so great that even religion does   

not impel you to any dangerous excesses4
 ,nevertheless1 devotion often causes   
strange metamorphoses1 ,unquiet1        
agitated1 miserable within yourself1 it 
is to be feared that your temperament   
will change1 that your disposition will 
become acrimonious1 and that the        
vexatious ideas over which you have so  
long brooded will sooner or later       
produce a disastrous influence upon     
those who approach you4 ,does not       
experience constantly show us that      
religion effects changes of this kind8  
,what are called conversions1 what      
devotees regard as special acts of      
divine grace1 are very often only       
lamentable revolutions by which real    
vices and odious qualities are          
substituted for amiable and useful      
characteristics4 ,by a deplorable       
consequence of these pretended miracles 
of grace we frequently see sorrow       
succeed to enjoyment1 a gloomy and      
unhappy state to one of innocent gayety1
 lassitude and chagrin to activity and  

hilarity1 and slander1 intolerance1 and 
zeal to indulgence and gentleness2 nay1 
what do ,i say8 cruelty itself to       
humanity4 ,in a word1 superstition is a 
dangerous leaven1 that is fitted to     
corrupt even the most honest hearts4    
,do you not see1 in fact1 the excesses  
to which fanaticism and zeal drive the  
wisest and best meaning men8 ,princes1  
magistrates1 and judges become inhuman  
and pitiless as soon as there is a      
question of the interests of religion4  
,men of the gentlest disposition1 the   
most indulgent1 and the most equitable1 
upon every other matter1 religion       
transforms to ferocious beasts4 ,the    
most feeling and compassionate persons  
believe themselves in conscience obliged
 to harden their hearts1 to do violence 
to their better instincts1 and to stifle
 nature1 in order to show themselves    
cruel to those who are denounced as     
enemies to their own manner of thinking4
 ,recall to your mind1 ,madam1 the      
cruelties of nations and governments in 

alternate persecutions of ,catholics or 
,protestants1 as either happened to be  
in the ascendant4 ,can you find reason1 
equity1 or humanity in the vexations1   
imprisonments1 and exiles that in our   
days are inflicted upon the ,jansenists8
 ,and these last1 if ever they should   
attain in their turn the power requisite
 for persecution1 would not probably    
treat their adversaries with more       
moderation or justice4 ,do you not daily
 see individuals who pique themselves   
upon their sensibility un-blushingly    
express the joy they would feel at the  
extermination of persons to whom they   
believe they owe neither benevolence nor
 indulgence1 and whose only crime is a  
disdain for prejudices that the vulgar  
regard as sacred1 or that an erroneous  
and false policy considers useful to the
 state8 ,superstition has so greatly    
stifled all sense of humanity in many   
persons otherwise truly estimable1 that 
they have no compunctions at sacrificing
 the most enlightened men of the nation 

because they could not be the most      
credulous or the most submissive to the 
authority of the priests4  ,in a word1  
devotion is only calculated to fill the 
heart with a bitter rancor1 that        
banishes peace and harmony from society4
 ,in the matter of religion1 every one  
believes himself obliged to show more or
 less ardor and zeal4 ,have ,i not often
 seen you uncertain yourself whether you
 ought to sigh or smile at the          
self-depreciation of devotees           
ridiculously inflamed by that religious 
vanity which grows out of sectarian     
conventionalities8 ,you also see them   
participating in theological quarrels1  
in which1 without comprehending their   
nature or purport1 they believe         
themselves conscientiously obliged to   
mingle4 ,i have a hundred times seen you
 astounded with their clamors1 indignant
 at their animosity1 scandalized at     
their cabals1 and filled with disdain at
 their obstinate ignorance4 ,yet nothing
 is more natural than these outbreaks2  

ignorance has always been the mother of 
devotion4 ,to be a devotee has always   
been synonymous to having an imbecile   
confidence in priests4 ,it is to receive
 all impulsions from them2 it is to     
think and act only according to them2 it
 is blindly to adopt their passions and 
prejudices2 it is faithfully to fulfil  
practices which their caprice imposes4  
,eugenia is not formed to follow such   
guides4 ,they would terminate by leading
 her widely astray1 by dazzling her     
vivid imagination1 by infecting her     
gentle and amiable disposition with a   
deadly poison4 ,to master with more     
certainty her understanding1 they would 
render her austere1 intolerant1 and     
vindictive4 ,in a word1 by the magical  
power of superstition and supernatural  
notions1 they would succeed1 perhaps1 in
 transforming to vices those happy      
dispositions that nature has given you4 
,believe me1 ,madam1 you would gain     
nothing by such a metamorphosis4 ,rather
 be what you really are4 ,extricate     

yourself as soon as possible from that  
state of incertitude and languor1 from  
that alternative of despondency and     
trouble1 in which you are immersed4 ,if 
you will only take your reason and      
virtue for guides1 you will soon break  
the fetters whose dangerous effects you 
have begun to feel4  ,assume the        
courage1 then1 ,i repeat it1 to examine 
for yourself this religion1 which1 far  
from procuring you the happiness it     
promised1 will only prove an            
inexhaustible source of inquietudes and 
alarms1 and which will deprive you1     
sooner or later1 of those rare qualities
 which render you so dear to society4   
,your interest exacts that you should   
render peace to your mind4 ,it is your  
duty carefully to preserve that         
sweetness of temper1 that indulgence1   
and that cheerfulness1 by which you are 
so much endeared to all those who       
approach you4 ,you owe happiness to     
yourself1 and you owe it to those who   
surround you4 ,do not1 then1 abandon    

yourself to superstitious reveries1 but 
collect all the strength of your        
judgment to combat the chimeras which   
torment your imagination4 ,they will    
disappear as soon as you have considered
 them with your ordinary sagacity4  ,do 
not tell me1 ,madam1 that your          
understanding is too weak to sound the  
depths of theology4 ,do not tell me1 in 
the language of our priests1 that the   
truths of religion are mysteries that we
 must adopt without comprehending them1 
and that it is necessary to adore in    
silence4 ,by expressing themselves in   
this manner1 do you not see they really 
proscribe and condemn the very religion 
to which they are so solicitous you     
should adhere8 ,whatever is supernatural
 is unsuited to man1 and whatever is    
beyond his comprehension ought not to   
occupy his attention4 ,to adore what we 
are not able to know1 is to adore       
nothing4 ,to believe in what we cannot  
conceive1 is to believe in nothing4 ,to 
admit without examination every thing we

 are directed to admit1 is to be basely 
and stupidly credulous4 ,to say that    
religion is above reason1 is to         
recognize the fact that it was not made 
for reasonable beings2 it is to avow    
that those who teach it have no more    
ability to fathom its depths than       
ourselves2 it is to confess that our    
reverend doctors do not themselves      
understand the marvels with which they  
daily entertain us4  ,if the truths of  
religion were1 as they assure us1       
necessary to all men1 they would be     
clear and intelligible to all men4 ,if  
the dogmas which this religion teaches  
were as important as it is asserted1    
they would not only be within the       
comprehension of the doctors who preach 
them1 but of all those who hear their   
lessons4 ,is it not strange that the    
very persons whose profession it is to  
furnish themselves with religious       
knowledge1 in order to impart it to     
others1 should recognize their own      
dogmas as beyond their own              

understanding1 and that they should     
obstinately inculcate to the people1    
what they acknowledge they do not       
comprehend themselves8 ,should we have  
much confidence in a physician1 who1    
after confessing that he was utterly    
ignorant of his art1 should nevertheless
 boast of the excellence of his         
remedies8 ,this1 however1 is the        
constant practice of our spiritual      
quacks4 ,by a strange fatality1 the most
 sensible people consent to be the dupes
 of those empirics who are perpetually  
obliged to avow their own profound      
ignorance4  ,but if the mysteries of    
religion are incomprehensible for even  
those who inculcate it1--if among those 
who profess it there is no one who knows
 precisely what he believes1 or who can 
give an account of either his conduct or
 belief1--this is not so in regard to   
the difficulties with which we oppose   
this religion4 ,these objections are    
simple1 within the comprehension of all 
persons of ordinary ability1 and capable

 of convincing every man who1 renouncing
 the prejudiced of his infancy1 will    
deign to consult the good sense1 that   
nature has bestowed upon all beings of  
the human race4  ,for a long period of  
time1 subtle theologians44 have1 without
 relaxation1 been occupied in warding   
off the attacks of the incredulous1 and 
in repairing the breaches made in the   
ruinous edifice of religion by          
adversaries who combated under the flag 
of reason4 ,in all times there have been
 people who felt the futility of the    
titles upon which the priests have      
arrogated the right of enslaving the    
understandings of men1 and of           
subjugating and despoiling nations4     
,notwithstanding all the efforts of the 
interested and frequently hypocritical  
men who have taken up the defence of    
religion1 from which they and their     
confederates alone are profited1 these  
apologists have never been able to      
vindicate successfully their divine     
system against the attacks of           

incredulity4 ,without cessation they    
have replied to the objections which    
have been made1 but never have they     
refuted or annihilated them4 ,almost in 
every instance the defenders of         
,christianity have been sustained by    
oppressive laws on the part of the      
government2 and it has only been by     
injuries1 by declamations1 by           
punishments and persecutions1 that they 
have replied to the allegations of      
reason4 ,it is in this manner that they 
have apparently remained masters of the 
field of battle which their adversaries 
could not openly contest4 ,yet1 in spite
 of the disadvantages of a combat so    
unequal1 and although the partisans of  
religion were accoutred with every      
possible weapon1 and could show         
themselves openly1 in accordance with   
law1 while their adversaries had no arms
 but those of reason1 and could not     
appear personally but at the peril of   
fines1 imprisonment1 torture1 and death1
 and were restricted from bringing all  

their arsenal into service1 yet they    
have inflicted profound1 immedicable1   
and incurable wounds upon superstition4 
,still1 if we believe the mercenaries of
 religion1 the excellence of their      
system makes it absolutely invulnerable 
to every blow which can be inflicted    
upon it2 and they pretend they have a   
thousand times in a victorious manner   
answered the objections which are       
continually renewed against them4 ,in   
spite of this great security1 we see    
them excessively alarmed every time a   
new combatant presents himself1 and the 
latter may well and successfully use the
 most common objections1 and those which
 have most frequently been urged1 since 
it is evident that up to the present    
moment the arguments have never been    
obviated or opposed with satisfactory   
replies4 ,to convince you1 ,madam1 of   
what ,i here advance1 you need only     
compare the most simple and ordinary    
difficulties which good sense opposes to
 religion1 with the pretended solutions 

that have been given4 ,you will perceive
 that the difficulties1 evident even to 
the capacities of a child1 have never   
been removed by divines the most        
practised in dialectics4 ,you will find 
in their replies only subtle            
distinctions1 metaphysical subterfuges1 
unintelligible verbiage1 which can never
 be the language of truth1 and which    
demonstrates the embarrassment1 the     
impotence1 and the bad faith of those   
who are interested by their position in 
sustaining a desperate cause4 ,in a     
word1 the difficulties which have been  
urged against religion are clear1 and   
within the comprehension of every one1  
while the answers1 which have been given
 are obscure1 entangled1 and far from   
satisfactory1 even to persons most      
versed in such jargon1 and plainly      
indicating that the authors of these    
replies do not themselves understand    
what they say4  ,if you consult the     
clergy1 they will not fail to set forth 
the antiquity of their doctrine1 which  

has always maintained itself1           
notwithstanding the continual attacks of
 the ,heretics1 the ,mecreans1 and the  
,impious generally1 and also in spite of
 the persecutions of the ,pagans4 ,you  
have1 ,madam1 too much good sense not to
 perceive at once that the antiquity of 
an opinion proves nothing in its favor4 
,if antiquity was a proof of truth1     
,christianity must yield to ,judaism1   
and that in its turn to the religion of 
the ,egyptians and ,chaldeans1 or1 in   
other words1 to the idolatry which was  
greatly anterior to ,moses4 ,for        
thousands of years it was universally   
believed that the sun revolved round the
 earth1 which remained immovable2 and   
yet it is not the less true that the sun
 is fixed1 and the earth moves around   
that4 ,besides1 it is evident--that the 
,christianity of to-day is not what it  
formerly was4 ,the continual attacks    
that this religion has suffered from    
heretics1 commencing with its earliest  
history1 proves that there never could  

have existed any harmony between the    
partisans of a pretended divine system1 
which offended all rules of consistency 
and logic in its very first principles4 
,some parts of this celestial system    
were always denied by devotees who      
admitted other parts4 ,if infidels have 
often attacked religion without apparent
 effect1 it is because the best reasons 
become useless against the blindness of 
a superstition sustained by the public  
authority1 or against the torrent of    
opinion and custom which sways the minds
 of most men4 ,with regard to the       
persecutions which the church suffered  
on the part of the pagans1 he is but    
slightly acquainted with the effects of 
fanaticism and religious obstinacy who  
does not perceive that tyranny is       
calculated to excite and extend what it 
persecutes most violently4  ,you are not
 formed to be the dupe of names and     
authorities4 ,the defenders of the      
popular superstition will endeavor to   
overwhelm you by the multiplied         

testimony of many illustrious and       
learned men1 who not only admitted the  
,christian religion1 but who were also  
its most zealous supporters4  ,they will
 adduce holy divines1 great             
philosophers1 powerful reasoners1       
fathers of the church1 and learned      
interpreters1 who have successively     
advocated the system4 ,i will not       
contest the understanding of the learned
 men who are cited1 which1 however1 was 
often faulty1 but will content myself   
with repeating that frequently the      
greatest geniuses are not more clear    
sighted in matters of religion than the 
people themselves4 ,they did not examine
 the religious opinions they taught2 it 
may be because they regarded them as    
sacred1 or it may be because they never 
went back to first principles1 which    
they would have found altogether        
unsound1 if they had considered them    
without prejudice4 ,it may also have    
happened because they1 were interested  
in defending a cause with which their   

own position was allied4 ,thus their    
testimony is exceptionable1 and their   
authority carries no great weight4      
,with regard to the interpreters and    
commentators1 who for so many ages have 
painfully toiled to elucidate the divine
 laws1 to explain the sacred books1 and 
to fix the dogmas of ,christianity1     
their very labors ought to inspire us   
with suspicion concerning a religion    
which is founded upon such books and    
which preaches such dogmas4 ,they prove 
that works emanating from the ,supreme  
,being1 are obscure1 unintelligible1 and
 need human assistance in order to be   
understood by those to whom the         
,divinity wished to reveal his will4    
,the laws of a wise ,god would be simple
 and clear4 ,defective laws alone need  
interpreters4  ,it is not1 then1 ,madam1
 upon these interpreters that you should
 rely2 it is upon yourself2 it is your  
own reason that you should consult4 ,it 
is your happiness1 it is your repose1   
that is in question2 and these objects  

are too serious to allow their decision 
to be delegated to any others than      
yourself4 ,if religion is as important  
as we are assured1 it undoubtedly merits
 the greatest attention4 ,if it is upon 
this religion that depends the happiness
 of men both in this world and in       
another1 there is no subject which      
interests us so strongly1 and which     
consequently demands a more thorough1   
careful1 and considerate examination4   
,can there be any thing1 then1 more     
strange than the conduct of the great   
majority of men8 ,entirely convinced of 
the necessity and importance of         
religion1 they still never give         
themselves the trouble to examine it    
thoroughly2 they follow it in a spirit  
of routine and from habit2 they never   
give any reason for its dogmas2 they    
revere it1 they submit to it1 and they  
groan under its weight1 without ever    
inquiring wherefore4 ,in fine1 they rely
 upon others to examine it2 and they    
whose judgment they so blindly receive  

are precisely those persons upon whose  
opinions they should look with the most 
suspicion4 ,the priests arrogate the    
possession of judging exclusively and   
without appeal of a system evidently    
invented for their own utility4 ,and    
what is the language of these priests8  
,visibly interested in maintaining the  
received opinions1 they exhibit them as 
necessary to the public good1 as useful 
and consoling for us all1 as intimately 
connected with morality1 as             
indispensable to society1 and1 in a     
word1 as of the very greatest           
importance4 ,after having thus          
prepossessed our minds1 they next       
prohibit our examining the things so    
important to be known4 ,what must be    
thought of such conduct8 ,you can only  
conclude that they desire to deceive    
you1 that they fear examination only    
because religion cannot sustain it1 and 
that they dread reason because it is    
able to unveil the incalculably         
dangerous projects of the priesthood    

against the human race4  ,for these     
reasons1 ,madam1 as ,i cannot too often 
repeat1 examine for yourself2 make use  
of your own understanding2 seek the     
truth in the sincerity of your heart2   
reduce prejudice to silence2 throw off  
the base servitude of custom2 be        
suspicious of imagination2 and with     
these precautions1 in good faith with   
yourself1 you can weigh with an         
impartial hand the various opinions     
concerning religion4 ,from whatever     
source an opinion may come1 acquiesce   
only in that which shall be convincing  
to your understanding1 satisfactory to  
your heart1 conformable to a healthy    
morality1 and approved by virtue4       
,reject with disdain whatever shocks    
your reason1 and repulse with horror    
those notions so criminal and injurious 
to morality which religion endeavors to 
palm off for supernatural and divine    
virtues4  ,what do ,i say8 ,amiable and 
wise ,eugenia1 examine rigorously the   
ideas that1 by your own desire1 ,i shall

 hereafter present you4 ,let not your   
confidence in me1 or your deference to  
my weak understanding1 blind you in     
regard to my opinions4 ,i submit them to
 your judgment4 ,discuss them1 combat   
them1 and never give them your assent   
until you are convinced that in them you
 recognize the truth4 ,my sentiments are
 neither divine oracles nor theological 
opinions which it is not permitted to   
canvass4 ,if what ,i say is true1 adopt 
my ideas4 ,if ,i am deceived1 point out 
my errors1 and ,i am ready to recognize 
them and to subscribe my own            
condemnation4 ,it will be very pleasant1
 ,madam1 to learn truths of you which1  
up to the present time1 ,i have vainly  
sought in the writings of our divines4  
,if ,i have at this moment any advantage
 over you1 it is due entirely to that   
tranquillity which ,i enjoy1 and of     
which at present you are unhappily      
deprived4 ,the agitations of your mind1 
the inquietudes of your body1 and the   
attacks of an exacting and ceremonious  

devotion1 with which your soul is       
perplexed1 prevent you1 for the moment1 
from seeing things coolly1 and hinder   
you from making use of your own         
understanding2 but ,i have no doubt that
 soon your intellect1 strengthened by   
reason against vain chimeras1 will      
regain its natural vigor and the        
superiority which belongs to it4 ,in    
awaiting this moment that ,i foresee and
 so much desire1 ,i shall esteem myself 
extremely happy if my reflections shall 
contribute to render you that           
tranquillity of spirit so necessary to  
judge wisely of things1 and without     
which there can be no true happiness4   
,i perceive1 ,madam1 though rather      
tardily1 the length of this letter2 but 
,i hope you will pardon it1 as well as  
my frankness4 ,they will at least prove 
the lively interest ,i take in your     
painful situation1 the sincere desire ,i
 feel to bring it to a termination1 and 
the strong inclination which actuates me
 to restore you to your accustomed      

serenity4 ,less pressing motives would  
never have been sufficient to make me   
break silence4 ,your own positive orders
 were necessary to lead me to speak of  
objects which1 once thoroughly examined1
 give no uneasiness to a healthy mind4  
,it has been a law with me never to     
explain myself upon the subject of      
religion4 ,experience has often         
convinced me that the most useless of   
enterprises is to seek to undeceive a   
prejudiced mind4 ,i was very far from   
believing that ,i ought ever to write   
upon these subjects4 ,you alone1 ,madam1
 had the power to conquer my indolence1 
and to impel me to change my resolution4
 ,eugenia afflicted1 tormented with     
scruples1 and ready to plunge herself   
into gloomy austerities and             
superstitions1 calculated to render her 
unamiable to others1 without            
contributing happiness to herself1      
honored me with her confidence1 and     
requested counsel of her friend4 ,she   
exacted that ,i should speak4 ,it is    

enough1 ,i said2 let me write for       
,eugenia2 let me endeavor to restore the
 repose she has lost2 let me labor with 
ardor for her upon whose happiness that 
of so many others is dependent4  ,such1 
,madam1 are the motives which induce me 
to take my pen in hand4 ,in looking     
forward to the time when you will be    
undeceived1 ,i shall dare at least to   
flatter myself that you will not regard 
me with the same eyes with which priests
 and devotees look upon every one who   
has the temerity to contradict their    
ideas4 ,to believe them1 every man who  
declares himself against religion is a  
bad citizen1 a madman armed to justify  
his passions1 a perturbator of the      
public repose1 and an enemy of his      
fellow-citizens1 that cannot be punished
 with too much rigor4 ,my conduct is    
known to you2 and the confidence with   
which you honor me is sufficient for my 
apology4 ,it is for you alone that ,i   
write4 ,it is to dissipate the clouds   
that obscure your mental horizon that ,i

 communicate reflections which1 but for 
reasons so pressing1 ,i should have     
always enclosed in my own bosom4 ,if by 
chance they shall hereafter fall into   
other hands than yours1 and be found of 
some utility1 ,i shall felicitate myself
 for having contributed to the          
establishment of happiness by leading   
back to reason minds which had wandered 
from it1 by making truth to be felt and 
known1 and by unmasking impostures which
 have caused so many misfortune8 upon   
the earth4  ,in a word1 ,i submit my    
reasoning to your judgment1 ,i confide  
fully in your discretion1 and ,i allow  
myself to conclude that my ideas1 after 
you are disabused of the vain terrors   
with which you are now oppressed1 will  
fully convince you that this religion1  
which is exhibited to men as a concern  
the most important1 the most true1 the  
most interesting1 and the most useful1  
is only a tissue of absurdities1 is     
calculated to confound reason1 to       
disturb the understanding1 and can be   

advantageous to none save those who make
 use of it to govern the human race4 ,i 
shall acknowledge myself in the wrong if
 ,i do not prove1 in the clearest       
manner1 that religion is false1 useless1
 and dangerous1 and that morality1 in   
its stead1 should occupy the spirits and
 animate the souls of all men4  ,i shall
 enter more particularly into the       
subject in my next letter4 ,i shall go  
back to first principles1 and in the    
course of this correspondence ,i flatter
 myself ,i shall completely demonstrate 
that these objects1 which theology      
endeavors to render intricate1 and to   
envelop with clouds1 in order to make   
them more respectable and sacred1 are   
not only entirely susceptible of being  
understood by you1 but that they are    
likewise within the comprehension of    
every one who possesses even an ordinary
 share of good sense4 ,if my frankness  
shall appear too undisguised1 ,i beg you
 to consider1 ,madam1 that it is        
necessary ,i should address you         

explicitly and clearly4 ,i now consider 
it my duty to administer an energetic   
and prompt remedy for the malady with   
which ,i perceive you to be attacked4   
,besides1 ,i venture to hope that in a  
short time you will feel gratified that 
,i have shown you the truth in all its  
integrity and brilliancy4 ,you will     
pardon me for having dissipated the     
unreal and yet harassing phantoms which 
infested your mind4 ,but let my success 
be what it may1 my efforts to confer    
tranquillity upon you will at least be  
evidences of the interest ,i take in    
your happiness1 of my zeal to serve you1
 and of the respect with which ,i am    
your sincere and attached friend4       
,,letter ,,ii4 ,of the ,ideas which     
,religion gives us of the ,divinity     
,every religion is a system of opinions 
and conduct founded upon the notions1   
true or false1 that we entertain of the 
,divinity4 ,to judge of the truth of any
 system1 it is requisite to examine its 
principles1 to see if they accord1 and  

to satisfy ourselves whether all its    
parts lend a mutual support to each     
other4 ,a religion1 to be true1 should  
give us true ideas of ,god2 and it is by
 our reason alone that we are able to   
decide whether what theology asserts    
concerning this being and his attributes
 is true or otherwise4 ,truth for men is
 only conformity to reason2 and thus the
 same reason which the clergy proscribe 
is1 in the last resort1 our only means  
of judging the system that religion     
proposes for our assent4 ,that ,god can 
only be the true ,god who is most       
conformable to our reason1 and the true 
worship can be no other than that which 
reason approves4  ,religion is only     
important in accordance with the        
advantages it bestows upon mankind4 ,the
 best religion must be that which       
procures its disciples the most real1   
the most extensive1 and the most durable
 advantages4 ,a false religion must     
necessarily bestow upon those who       
practise it only a false1 chimerical1   

and transient utility4 ,reason must be  
the judge whether the benefits derived  
are real or imaginary4 ,thus1 as we     
constantly see1 it belongs to reason to 
decide whether a religion1 a mode of    
worship1 or a system of conduct is      
advantageous or injurious to the human  
race4  ,it is in accordance with these  
incontestable principles that ,i shall  
examine the religion of the ,christians4
 ,i shall commence by analyzing the     
ideas which their system gives us of the
 ,divinity1 which it boasts of          
presenting to us in a more perfect      
manner than all other religions in the  
world4  ,i shall examine whether these  
ideas accord with each other1 whether   
the dogmas taught by this religion are  
conformable to those fundamental        
principles which are every where        
acknowledged1 whether they are consonant
 with them1 and whether the conduct     
which ,christianity prescribes answers  
to the notions which itself gives us of 
the ,divinity4 ,i shall conclude the    

inquiry by investigating the advantages 
that the ,christian religion procures   
the human race--advantages1 according to
 its partisans1 that infinitely surpass 
those which result from all the other   
religions of the earth4  ,the ,christian
 religion1 as the basis of its belief1  
sets forth an only ,god1 which it       
defines as a pure spirit1 as an eternal 
intelligence1 as independent and        
immutable1 who has infinite power1 who  
is the cause of all things1 who foresees
 all things1 who fills immensity1 who   
created from nothing the world and all  
it encloses1 and who preserves and      
governs it according to the laws of his 
infinite wisdom1 and the perfections of 
his infinite goodness and justice1 which
 are all so evident in his works4  ,such
 are the ideas that ,christianity gives 
us of the ,divinity4 ,let us now see    
whether they accord with the other      
notions presented to us by this         
religious system1 and which it pretends 
were revealed by ,god himself2 or1 in   

other words1 that these truths were     
received directly from the ,deity1 who  
concealed them from the remainder of    
mankind1 and deprived them of a         
knowledge of his essence4 ,thus the     
,christian religion is founded upon a   
special revelation4 ,and to whom was the
 revelation made8 ,at first to ,abraham1
 and then to his posterity4 ,the ,god of
 the universe1 then1 the ,father of all 
men1 was only willing to be known to the
 descendants of a ,chaldean1 who for a  
long series of years were the exclusive 
possessors of the knowledge of the true 
,god4 ,by an effect of his special      
kindness1 the ,jewish people was for a  
long time the only race favored with a  
revelation equally necessary for all    
men4 ,this was the only people which    
understood the relations between man and
 the ,supreme ,being4 ,all other nations
 wandered in darkness1 or possessed no  
ideas of the ,sovereign of nature but   
such as were crude1 ridiculous1 or      
criminal4  ,thus1 at the very first     

step1 do we not see that ,christianity  
impairs the goodness and justice of its 
,god8 ,a revelation to a particular     
people only announces a partial ,god1   
who favors a portion of his children1 to
 the prejudice of all the others2 who   
consults only his caprice1 and not real 
merit2 who1 incapable of conferring     
happiness upon all men1 shows his       
tenderness solely to some individuals1  
who have1 however1 no titles upon his   
consideration not possessed by the      
others4 ,what would you say of a father 
who1 placed at the head of a numerous   
family1 had no eyes but for a single one
 of his children1 and who never allowed 
himself to be seen by any of them except
 that favored one8 ,what would you say  
if he was displeased with the rest for  
not being acquainted with his features1 
notwithstanding he would never allow    
them to approach his person8 ,would you 
not accuse such a father of caprice1    
cruelty1 folly1 and a want of reason1 if
 he visited with his anger the children 

whom he had himself excluded from his   
presence8 ,would you not impute to him  
an injustice of which none but the most 
brutal of our species could be guilty if
 he actually punished them for not      
having executed orders which he was     
never pleased to give them8  ,conclude1 
then1 with me1 ,madam1 that the         
revelation of a religion to only a      
single tribe or nation sets forth a ,god
 neither good1 impartial1 nor equitable1
 but an unjust and capricious tyrant1   
who1 though he may show kindness and    
preference to some of his creatures1 at 
any rate acts with the greatest cruelty 
towards all the others4 ,this admitted1 
revelation does not prove the goodness1 
but the caprice and partiality of the   
,god that religion represents to us as  
full of sagacity1 benevolence1 and      
equity1 and that it describes as the    
common father of all the inhabitants of 
the earth4 ,if the interest and         
self-love of those whom he favors makes 
them admire the profound views of a ,god

 because he has loaded them with        
benefits to the prejudice of their      
brethren1 he must appear very unjust1 on
 the other hand1 to all those who are   
the victims of his partiality4 ,a       
hateful pride alone could induce a few  
persons to believe that they were1 to   
the exclusion of all others1 the        
cherished children of ,providence4      
,blinded by their vanity1 they do not   
perceive that it is to give the lie to  
universal and infinite goodness to      
suppose that ,god was capable of        
favoring with his preference some men or
 nations1 to the exclusion of others4   
,all ought to be equal in his eyes if it
 is true they are all equally the work  
of his hands4  ,it is nevertheless1 upon
 partial revelations that are founded   
all the religions of the world4 ,in the 
same manner that every individual       
believes himself the most important     
being in the universe1 every nation     
entertains the idea that it ought to    
enjoy the peculiar tenderness of the    

,sovereign of nature1 to the exclusion  
of all the others4 ,if the inhabitants  
of ,hindostan imagine that it was for   
them alone that ,brama spoke1 the ,jews 
and the ,christians have persuaded      
themselves that it was only for them    
that the world was created1 and that it 
is solely for them that ,god was        
revealed4  ,but let us suppose for a    
moment that ,god has really made himself
 known4 ,how could a pure spirit render 
himself sensible8 ,what form did he     
take8 ,of what material organs did he   
make use in order to speak8 ,how can an 
infinite ,being communicate with those  
which are finite8 ,i may be assured     
that1 to accommodate himself to the     
weakness of his creatures1 he made use  
of the agency of some chosen men to     
announce his wishes to all the rest1 and
 that he filled these agents with his   
spirit1 and spoke by their mouths4 ,but 
can we possibly conceive that an        
infinite ,being could unite himself with
 the finite nature of man8 ,how can ,i  

be certain that he who professes to be  
inspired by the ,divinity does not      
promulgate his own reveries or          
impostures as the oracles of heaven8    
,what means have ,i of recognizing      
whether ,god really speaks by his voice8
 ,the immediate reply will be1 that     
,god1 to give weight to the declarations
 of those whom he has chosen to be his  
interpreters1 endowed them with a       
portion of his own omnipotence1 and that
 they wrought miracles to prove their   
divine mission4  ,i therefore inquire1  
,what is a miracle8 ,i am told that it  
is an operation contrary to the laws of 
nature1 which ,god himself has fixed2 to
 which ,i reply1 that1 according to the 
ideas ,i have formed of the divine      
wisdom1 it appears to me impossible that
 an immutable ,god can change the wise  
laws which he himself has established4  
,i thence conclude that miracles are    
impossible1 seeing they are incompatible
 with our ideas of the wisdom and       
immutability of the ,creator of the     

universe4 ,besides1 these miracles would
 be useless to ,god4 ,if he be          
omnipotent1 can he not modify the minds 
of his creatures according to his own   
will8  ,to convince and to persuade     
them1 he has only to will that they     
shall be convinced and persuaded4 ,he   
has only to tell them things that are   
clear and sensible1 things that may be  
demonstrated2 and to evidence of such a 
kind they will not fail to give their   
assent4 ,to do this1 he will have no    
need either of miracles or interpreters2
 truth alone is sufficient to win       
mankind4  ,supposing1 nevertheless1 the 
utility and possibility of these        
miracles1 how shall ,i ascertain whether
 the wonderful operation which ,i see   
performed by the interpreter of the     
,deity be conformable or contrary to the
 laws of nature8 ,am ,i acquainted with 
all these laws8 ,may not he who speaks  
to me in the name of the ,lord execute  
by natural means1 though to me unknown1 
those works which appear altogether     

extraordinary8 ,how shall ,i assure     
myself that he does not deceive me8     
,does not my ignorance of the secrets   
and shifts of his art expose me to be   
the dupe of an able impostor1 who might 
make use of the name of ,god to inspire 
me with respect1 and to screen his      
deception8 ,thus his pretended miracles 
ought to make me suspect him1 even      
though ,i were a witness of them2 but   
how would the case stand1 were these    
miracles said to have been performed    
some thousands of years before my       
existence8 ,i shall be told that they   
were attested by a multitude of         
witnesses2 but if ,i cannot trust to    
myself when a miracle is performing1 how
 shall ,i have confidence in others1 who
 may be either more ignorant or more    
stupid than myself1 or who perhaps      
thought themselves interested in        
supporting by their testimony tales     
entirely destitute of reality8  ,if1 on 
the contrary1 ,i admit these miracles1  
what do they prove to me8 ,will they    

furnish me with a belief that ,god has  
made use of his omnipotence to convince 
me of things which are in direct        
opposition to the ideas ,i have formed  
of his essence1 his nature1 and his     
divine perfections8 ,if ,i be persuaded 
that ,god is immutable1 a miracle will  
not force me to believe that he is      
subject to change4 ,if ,i be convinced  
that ,god is just and good1 a miracle   
will never be sufficient to persuade me 
that he is unjust and wicked4 ,if ,i    
possess an idea of his wisdom1 all the  
miracles in the world would not persuade
 me that ,god would act like a madman4  
,shall ,i be told that he would consent 
to perform miracles that destroy his    
divinity1 or that are proper only to    
erase from the minds of men the ideas   
which they ought to entertain of his    
infinite perfections8 ,this1 however1 is
 what would happen were ,god himself to 
perform1 or to grant the power of       
performing1 miracles in favor of a      
particular revelation4 ,he would1 in    

that case1 derange the course of nature1
 to teach the world that he is          
capricious1 partial1 unjust1 and cruel2 
he would make use of his omnipotence    
purposely to convince us that his       
goodness was insufficient for the       
welfare of his creatures2 he would make 
a vain parade of his power1 to hide his 
inability to convince mankind by a      
single act of his will4 ,in short1 he   
would interfere with the eternal and    
immutable laws of nature1 to show us    
that he is subject to change1 and to    
announce to mankind some important news1
 which they had hitherto been destitute 
of1 notwithstanding all his goodness4   
,thus1 under whatever point of view we  
regard revelation1 by whatever miracles 
we may suppose it attested1 it will     
always be in contradiction to the ideas 
we have of the ,deity4 ,they will show  
us that he acts in an unjust and an     
arbitrary manner1 consulting only his   
own whims in the favors he bestows1 and 
continually changing his conduct2 that  

he was unable to communicate all at once
 to mankind the knowledge necessary to  
their existence1 and to give them that  
degree of perfection of which their     
natures were susceptible4 ,hence1       
,madam1 you may see that the supposition
 of a revelation can never be reconciled
 with the infinite goodness1 justice1   
omnipotence1 and immutability of the    
,sovereign of the universe4  ,they will 
not fail to tell you that the ,creator  
of all things1 the independent ,monarch 
of nature is the master of his favors2  
that he owes nothing to his creatures2  
that he can dispose of them as he       
pleases1 without any injustice1 and     
without their having any right of       
complaint2 that man is incapable of     
sounding the profundity of his decrees2 
and that his justice is not the justice 
of men4 ,but all these answers1 which   
divines have continually in their       
mouths1 serve only to accelerate the    
destruction of those sublime ideas which
 they have given us of the ,deity4 ,the 

result appears to be1 that ,god conducts
 himself according to the maxims of a   
fantastic sovereign1 who1 satisfied in  
having rewarded some of his favorites1  
thinks himself justified in neglecting  
the rest of his subjects1 and to leave  
them groaning in the most deplorable    
misery4  ,you must acknowledge1 ,madam1 
it is not on such a model that we can   
form a powerful1 equitable1 and         
beneficent ,god1 whose omnipotence ought
 to enable him to procure happiness to  
all his subjects1 without fear of       
exhausting the treasures of his         
goodness4  ,if we are told that divine  
justice bears no resemblance to the     
justice of men1 ,i reply1 that in this  
case we are not authorized to say that  
,god is just2 seeing that by justice it 
is not possible for us to conceive any  
thing except a similar quality to that  
called justice by the beings of our own 
species4 ,if divine justice bears no    
resemblance to human justice1--if1 on   
the contrary1 this justice resembles    

what we call injustice1--then all our   
ideas confound themselves1 and we know  
not either what we mean or what we say  
when we affirm that ,god is just        
,according to human ideas1 7which are1  
however1 the only ones that men are     
possessed of17 justice will always      
exclude caprice and partiality2 and     
never can we prevent ourselves from     
regarding as iniquitous and vicious a   
sovereign who1 being both able and      
willing to occupy himself with the      
happiness of his subjects1 should plunge
 the greatest number of them into       
misfortune1 and reserve his kindness for
 those to whom his whims have given the 
preference4  ,with respect to telling us
 that ,god owes nothing to his          
creatures1 such an atrocious principle  
is destructive of every idea of justice 
and goodness1 and tends visibly to sap  
the foundation of all religion4 ,a ,god 
that is just and good owes happiness to 
every being to whom he has given        
existence2 he ceases to be just and good

 if he produce them only to render them 
miserable2 and he would be destitute of 
both wisdom and reason were he to give  
them birth only to be the victims of his
 caprice4 ,what should we think of a    
father bringing children into the world 
for the sole purpose of putting their   
eyes out and tormenting them at his     
ease8  ,on the other hand1 all religions
 are entirely founded upon the          
reciprocal engagements which are        
supposed to exist between ,god and his  
creatures4 ,if ,god owes nothing to the 
latter1 if he is not under an obligation
 to fulfil his engagements to them when 
they have fulfilled theirs to him1 of   
what use is religion8 ,what motives can 
men have to offer their homage and      
worship to the ,divinity8 ,why should   
they feel much desire to love or serve a
 master who can absolve himself of all  
duty towards those1 who entered his     
service with an expectation of the      
recompense promised under such          
circumstances8  ,it is easy to see that 

the destructive ideas of divine justice 
which are inculcated are only founded   
upon a fatal prejudice prevalent among  
the generality of men1 leading them to  
suppose that unlimited power must       
inevitably exempt its possessor from an 
accordance with the laws of equity2 that
 force can confer the right of          
committing bad actions2 and that no one 
could properly demand an account of his 
conduct of a man sufficiently powerful  
to carry out all his caprices4 ,these   
ideas are evidently borrowed from the   
conduct of tyrants1 who no sooner find  
themselves possessed of absolute power  
than they cease to recognize any other  
rules than their own fantasies1 and     
imagine that justice has no claims upon 
potentates like them4  ,it is upon this 
frightful model that theologians have   
formed that ,god whom they1             
notwithstanding1 assert to be a just    
being1 while1 if the conduct they       
attribute to him was true1 we should be 
constrained to regard him as the most   

unjust of tyrants1 as the most partial  
of fathers1 as the most fantastic of    
princes1 and1 in a word1 as a being the 
most to be feared and the least worthy  
of love that the imagination could      
devise4 ,we are informed that the ,god  
who created all men has been unwilling  
to be known except to a very small      
number of them1 and that while this     
favored portion exclusively enjoyed the 
benefits of his kindness1 all the others
 were objects of his anger1 and were    
only created by him to be left in       
blindness for the very purpose of       
punishing them in the most cruel manner4
 ,we see these pernicious               
characteristics of the ,divinity        
penetrating the entire economy of the   
,christian religion2 we find them in the
 books which are pretended to be        
inspired1 and we discover them in the   
dogmas of predestination and grace4 ,in 
a word1 every thing in religion         
announces a despotic ,god1 whom his     
disciples vainly attempt to represent to

 us as just1 while all that they declare
 of him only proves his injustice1 his  
tyrannical caprices1 his extravagances1 
so frequently cruel1 and his partiality1
 so pernicious to the greater portion of
 the human race4  ,when we exclaim      
against conduct which1 in the eyes of   
all reasonable men1 must appear so      
excessively capricious1 it is expected  
that our mouths will be closed by the   
assertion that ,god is omnipotent1 that 
it is for him to determine how he will  
bestow benefits1 and that he is under no
 obligations to any of his creatures4   
,his apologists end by endeavoring to   
intimidate us with the frightful and    
iniquitous punishments that he reserves 
for those who are so audacious as to    
murmur4  ,it is easy to perceive the    
futility of these arguments4 ,power1 ,i 
do contend1 can never confer the right  
of violating equity4 ,let a sovereign be
 as powerful as he may1 he is not on    
that account less blamable when in      
rewards and punishments he follows only 

his caprice4 ,it is true1 we may fear   
him1 we may flatter him1 we may pay him 
servile homage2 but never shall we love 
him sincerely2 never shall we serve him 
faithfully2 never shall we look up to   
him as the model of justice and         
goodness4 ,if those who receive his     
kindness believe him to be just and     
good1 those who are the objects of his  
folly and rigor cannot prevent          
themselves from detesting his monstrous 
iniquity in their hearts4  ,if we be    
told that we are only as worms of earth 
relatively to ,god1 or that we are only 
like a vase in the hands of a potter1 ,i
 reply in this case1 that there can     
neither be connection nor moral duty    
between the creature and his ,creator2  
and ,i shall hence conclude that        
religion is useless1 seeing that a worm 
of earth can owe nothing to a man who   
crushes it1 and that the vase can owe   
nothing to the potter that has formed   
it4 ,in the ,supposition that man is    
only a worm or an earthen vessel in the 

eyes of the ,deity1 he would be         
incapable either of serving him1        
glorifying him1 honoring him1 or        
offending him4 ,we are1 however1        
continually told that man is capable of 
merit and demerit in the sight of his   
,god1 whom he is ordered to love1 serve1
 and worship4 ,we are likewise assured  
that it was man alone whom the ,deity   
had in view in all his works2 that it is
 for him alone the universe was created2
 for him alone that the course of nature
 was so often deranged2 and1 in short1  
it was with a view of being honored1    
cherished1 and glorified by man that    
,god has revealed himself to us4        
,according to the principles of the     
,christian religion1 ,god does not      
cease1 for a single instant1 his        
occupations for man1 this worm of earth1
 this earthen vessel1 which he has      
formed4 ,nay1 more3 man is sufficiently 
powerful to influence the honor1 the    
felicity1 and the glory of his ,god2 it 
rests with man to please him or to      

irritate him1 to deserve his favor or   
his hatred1 to appease him or to kindle 
his wrath4  ,do you not perceive1       
,madam1 the striking contradictions of  
those principles which1 nevertheless1   
form the basis of all revealed          
religions8 ,indeed1 we cannot find one  
of them that is not erected on the      
reciprocal influence between ,god and   
man1 and between man and ,god4 ,our own 
species1 which are annihilated 7if ,i   
may use the expression7 every time that 
it becomes necessary to whitewash the   
,deity from some reproachful stain of   
injustice and partiality1--these        
miserable beings1 to whom it is         
pretended that ,god owes nothing1 and   
who1 we are assured1 are unnecessary to 
him for his own felicity1--the human    
race1 which is nothing in his eyes1     
becomes all at once the principal       
performer on the stage of nature4 ,we   
find that mankind are necessary to      
support the glory of their ,creator2 we 
see them become the sole objects of his 

care2 we behold in them the power to    
gladden or afflict him2 we see them     
meriting his favor and provoking his    
wrath4 ,according to these contradictory
 notions concerning the ,god of the     
universe1 the source of all felicity1 is
 he not really the most wretched of     
beings8 ,we behold him perpetually      
exposed to the insults of men1 who      
offend him by their thoughts1 their     
words1 their actions1 and their neglect 
of duty4 ,they incommode him1 they      
irritate him1 by the capriciousnes of   
their minds1 by their actions1 their    
desires1 and even by their ignorance4   
,if we admit those ,christian principles
 which suppose that the greater portion 
of the human race excites the fury of   
the ,eternal1 and that very few of them 
live in a manner conformable to his     
views1 will it not necessarily result   
therefrom1 that in the immense crowd of 
beings whom ,god has created for his    
glory1 only a very small number of them 
glorify and please him2 while all the   

rest are occupied in vexing him1        
exciting his wrath1 troubling his       
felicity1 deranging the order that he   
loves1 frustrating his designs1 and     
forcing him to change his immutable     
intentions8  ,you are1 undoubtedly1     
surprised at the contradictions to be   
encountered at the very first step we   
take in examining this religion2 and ,i 
take upon myself to predict that your   
embarrassment will increase as you      
proceed therein4 ,if you coolly examine 
the ideas presented to us in the        
revelation common both to ,jews and     
,christians1 and contained in the books 
which they tell us are sacred1 you will 
find that the ,deity who speaks is      
always in contradiction with himself2   
that he becomes his own destroyer1 and  
is perpetually occupied in undoing what 
he has just done1 and in repairing his  
own workmanship1 to which1 in the first 
instance1 he was incapable of giving    
that degree of perfection he wished it  
to possess4 ,he is never satisfied with 

his own works1 and cannot1 in spite of  
his omnipotence1 bring the human race to
 the point of perfection he intended4   
,the books containing the revelation1 on
 which ,christianity is founded1 every  
where display to us a ,god of goodness  
in the commission of wickedness2 an     
omnipotent ,god1 whose projects         
unceasingly miscarry2 an immutable ,god1
 changing his maxims and his conduct2 an
 omniscient ,god1 continually deceived  
unawares2 a resolute ,god1 yet repenting
 of his most important actions2 a ,god  
of wisdom1 whose arrangements never     
attain success4 ,he is a great ,god1 who
 occupies himself with the most puerile 
trifles2 an all-sufficient ,god1 yet    
subject to jealousy2 a powerful ,god1   
yet suspicious1 vindictive1 and cruel2  
and a just ,god1 yet permitting and     
prescribing the most atrocious          
iniquities4 ,in a word1 he is a perfect 
,god1 yet displaying at the same time   
such imperfections and vices that the   
most despicable of men would blush to   

resemble him4  ,behold1 ,madam1 the ,god
 whom this religion orders you to adore 
in spirit and in truth4 ,i reserve for  
another letter an analysis of the holy  
books which you are taught to respect as
 the oracles of heaven4 ,i now perceive 
for the first time that ,i have perhaps 
made too long a dissertation2 and ,i    
doubt not you have already perceived    
that a system built on a basis          
possessing so little solidity as that of
 the ,god whom his devotees raise with  
one hand and destroy with the other1 can
 have no stability attached to it1 and  
can only be regarded as a long tissue of
 errors and contradictions4 ,i am1 c4   
,,letter ,,iii4 ,an ,examination of the 
,holy ,scriptures1 of the ,nature of the
 ,christian ,religion1 and of the       
,proofs upon which ,christianity is     
founded  ,you have seen1 ,madam1 in my  
preceding letter1 the incompatible and  
contradictory ideas which this religion 
gives us of the ,deity4 ,you will have  
seen that the revelation which is       

announced to us1 instead of being the   
offspring of his goodness and tenderness
 for the human race1 is really only a   
proof of injustice and partiality1 of   
which a ,god who is equally just and    
good would be entirely incapable4 ,let  
us now examine whether the ideas        
suggested to us by these books1         
containing the divine oracles1 are more 
rational1 more consistent1 or more      
conformable to the divine perfections4  
,let us see whether the statements      
related in the ,bible1 whether the      
commands prescribed to us in the name of
 ,god himself1 are really worthy of     
,god1 and display to us the characters  
of infinite wisdom1 goodness1 power1 and
 justice4  ,these inspired books go back
 to the origin of the world4 ,moses1 the
 confidant1 the interpreter1 the        
historian of the ,deity1 makes us 7if we
 may use such an expression7 witnesses  
of the formation of the universe4 ,he   
tells us that the ,eternal1 tired of his
 inaction1 one fine day took it into his

 head to create a world that was        
necessary to his glory4 ,to effect this1
 he forms matter out of nothing2 a pure 
spirit produces a substance which has no
 affinity to himself2 although this ,god
 fills all space with his immensity1 yet
 still he found room enough in it to    
admit the universe1 as well as all the  
material bodies contained therein4      
,these1 at least1 are the ideas which   
divines wish us to form respecting the  
creation1 if such a thing were possible 
as that of possessing a clear idea of a 
pure spirit producing matter4 ,but this 
discussion is throwing us into          
metaphysical researches1 which ,i wish  
to avoid4 ,it will be sufficient to you 
that you may console yourself for not   
being able to comprehend it1 seeing that
 the most profound thinkers1 who talk   
about the creation or the eduction of   
the world from nothing1 have no ideas on
 the subject more precise than those    
which you form to yourself4 ,as soon1   
,madam1 as you take the trouble to      

reflect thereon1 you will find that     
divines1 instead of explaining things1  
have done nothing but invent words1 in  
order to render them dubious1 and to    
confound all our natural conceptions4   
,i will not1 however1 tire you by a     
fastidious display of the blunders which
 fill the narrative of ,moses1 which    
they announce to us as being dictated by
 the ,deity4 ,if we read it with a      
little attention1 we shall perceive in  
every page philosophical and            
astronomical errors1 unpardonable in an 
inspired author1 and such as we should  
consider ridiculous in any man1 who1 in 
the most superficial manner1 should have
 studied and contemplated nature4  ,you 
will find1 for example1 light created   
before the sun1 although this star is   
visibly the source of light which       
communicates itself to our globe4 ,you  
will find the evening and the morning   
established before the formation of this
 same sun1 whose presence alone produces
 day1 whose absence produces night1 and 

whose different aspects constitute      
morning and evening4 ,you will there    
find that the moon is spoken of as a    
body possessing its own light1 in a     
similar manner as the sun possesses it1 
although this planet is a dark body1 and
 receives its light from the sun4 ,these
 ignorant blunders are sufficient to    
show you that the ,deity who revealed   
himself to ,moses was quite unacquainted
 with the nature of those substances    
which he had created out of nothing1 and
 that you at present possess more       
information respecting them than was    
once possessed by the ,creator of the   
world4  ,i am not ignorant that our     
divines have an answer always ready to  
those difficulties which would attack   
their divine science1 and place their   
knowledge far below that of ,galileo1   
,descartes1 ,newton1 and even below that
 of young people who have scarcely      
studied the first elements of natural   
philosophy4 ,they will tell us that     
,god1 in order to render himself        

intelligible to the savage and ignorant 
,jews1 spoke in conformity to their     
imperfect notions1 in the false and     
incorrect language of the vulgar4 ,we   
must not be imposed upon by this        
solution1 which our doctors regard as   
triumphant1 and which they so frequently
 employ when it becomes necessary to    
justify the ,bible against the ignorance
 and vulgarities contained therein4 ,we 
answer them1 that a ,god who knows every
 thing1 and can perform every thing1    
might by a single word have rectified   
the false notions of the people he      
wished to enlighten1 and enabled them to
 know the nature of bodies more         
perfectly than the most able men who    
have since appeared4 ,if it be replied  
that revelation is not intended to      
render men learned1 but to make them    
pious1 ,i answer that revelation was not
 sent to establish false notions2 that  
it would be unworthy of ,god to borrow  
the language of falsehood and ignorance2
 that the knowledge of nature1 so far   

from being an injury to piety1 is1 by   
the avowal of divines1 the most proper  
study to display the greatness of ,god4 
,they tell us that religion would be    
unmovable1 were it conformable to true  
knowledge2 that we should have no       
objections to make to the recital of    
,moses1 nor to the philosophy of the    
,holy ,scriptures1 if we found nothing  
but what was continually confirmed by   
experience1 astronomy1 and the          
demonstrations of geometry4  ,to        
maintain a contrary opinion1 and to say 
that ,god is pleased in confounding the 
knowledge of men and in rendering it    
useless1 is to pretend that he is       
pleased with making us ignorant and     
changeable1 and that he condemns the    
progress of the human mind1 although we 
ought to suppose him the author of it4  
,to pretend that ,god was obliged in the
 ,scriptures to conform himself to the  
language of men1 is to pretend that he  
withdrew his assistance from those he   
wished to enlighten1 and that he was    

unable of rendering them susceptible of 
comprehending the language of truth4    
,this is an observation not to be lost  
sight of in the examination of          
revelation1 where we find in each page  
that ,god expresses himself in a manner 
quite unworthy of the ,deity4 ,could not
 an omnipotent ,god1 instead of         
degrading himself1 instead of           
condescending to speak the language of  
ignorance1 so far enlighten them as to  
make them understand a language more    
true1 more noble1 and more conformable  
to the ideas which are given us of the  
,deity8 ,an experienced master by       
degrees enables his scholars to         
understand what he wishes to teach them1
 and a ,god ought to be able to         
communicate to them immediately all the 
knowledge he intended to give them4     
,however1 according to ,genesis1 ,god1  
after creating the world1 produced man  
from the dust of the earth4 ,in the mean
 while we are assured that he created   
him in his own image2 but what was the  

image of ,god8 ,how could man1 who is at
 least partly material1 represent a pure
 spirit1 which excludes all matter8     
,how could his imperfect mind be formed 
on the model of a mind possessing all   
perfection1 like that which we suppose  
in the ,creator of the universe8 ,what  
resemblance1 what proportion1 what      
affinity could there be between a finite
 mind united to a body1 and the infinite
 spirit of the ,creator8 ,these1        
doubtless1 are great difficulties2      
hitherto it has been thought impossible 
to decide them2 and they will probably  
for a long time employ the minds of     
those who strive to understand the      
incomprehensible meaning of a book which
 ,god provided for our instruction4     
,but why did ,god create man8 ,because  
he wished to people the universe with   
intelligent beings1 who would render him
 homage1 who should witness his wonders1
 who should glorify him1 who should     
meditate and contemplate his works1 and 
merit his favors by their submission to 

his laws4  ,here we behold man becoming 
necessary to the dignity of his ,god1   
who without him would live without being
 glorified1 who would receive no homage1
 and who would be the melancholy        
,sovereign of an empire without         
subjects--a condition not suited to his 
vanity4 ,i think it useless to remark to
 you what little conformity we find     
between those ideas and such as are     
given us of a self-sufficient being1    
who1 without the assistance of any      
other1 is supremely happy4 ,all the     
characters in which the ,bible portrays 
the ,deity are always borrowed from man1
 or from a proud monarch2 and we every  
where find that instead of having made  
man after his own image1 it is man that 
has always made ,god after the image of 
himself1 that has conferred on him his  
own way of thinking1 his own virtues1   
and his own vices4  ,but did this man   
whom the ,deity has created for his     
glory faithfully fulfil the wishes of   
his ,creator8 ,this subject that he has 

just acquired--will he be obedient8 will
 he render homage to his power8 will he 
execute his will8 ,he has done nothing  
of the kind4 ,scarcely is he created    
when he becomes rebellious to the orders
 of his ,sovereign2 he eats a forbidden 
fruit which ,god has placed in his way  
in order to tempt him1 and by this act  
draws the divine wrath not only on      
himself1 but on all his posterity4 ,thus
 it is that he annihilates at one blow  
the great projects of the ,omnipotent1  
who had no sooner made man for his glory
 than he becomes offended with that     
conduct which he ought to have foreseen4
  ,here he finds himself obliged to     
change his projects with regard to      
mankind2 he becomes their enemy1 and    
condemns them and the whole of the race 
7who had not yet the power of sinning7  
to innumerable penalties1 to cruel      
calamities1 and to death6 ,what do ,i   
say8 ,to punishments which death itself 
shall not terminate6 ,thus ,god1 who    
wished to be glorified1 is not          

glorified2 he seems to have created man 
only to offend him1 that he might       
afterwards punish the offender4  ,in    
this recital1 which is founded on the   
,bible1 can you recognize1 ,madam1 an   
omnipotent ,god1 whose orders are always
 accomplished1 and whose projects are   
all necessarily executed8 ,in a ,god who
 tempts us1 or who permits us to be     
tempted1 do you behold a being of       
beneficence and sincerity8 ,in a ,god   
who punishes the being he has tempted1  
or subjected to temptation1 do you      
perceive any equity8 ,in a ,god who     
extends his vengeance even to those who 
have not sinned1 do you behold any      
shadow of justice8 ,in a ,god who is    
irritated at what he knew must          
necessarily happen1 can you imagine any 
foresight8 ,in the rigorous punishments 
by which this ,god is destined to avenge
 himself of his feeble creatures1 both  
in this world and the next1 can you     
perceive the least appearance of        
goodness8  ,it is1 however1 this        

history1 or rather this fable1 on which 
is founded the whole edifice of the     
,christian religion4  ,if the first man 
had not been disobedient1 the human race
 had not been the object of the divine  
wrath1 and would have had no need of a  
,redeemer4 ,if this ,god1 who knows all 
things1 foresees all things1 and        
possesses all power1 had prevented or   
foreseen the fault of ,adam1 it would   
not have been necessary for ,god to     
sacrifice his own innocent ,son to      
appease his fury4 ,mankind1 for whom he 
created the universe1 would then have   
been always happy2 they would not have  
incurred the displeasure of that ,deity 
who demanded their adoration4 ,in a     
word1 if this apple had not been        
imprudently eaten by ,adam and his      
spouse1 mankind would not have suffered 
so much misery1 man would have enjoyed  
without interruption the immortal       
happiness to which ,god had destined    
him1 and the views of ,providence       
towards his creatures would not have    

been frustrated4  ,it would be useless  
to make reflections on notions so       
whimsical1 so contrary to the wisdom1   
the power1 and the justice of the       
,deity4 ,it is doing quite enough to    
compare the different objects which the 
,bible presents to us1 to perceive their
 inutility1 absurdities1 and            
contradictions4 ,we there see1          
continually1 a wise ,god conducting     
himself like a madman4 ,he defeats ,his 
own projects that he may afterwards     
repair them1 repents of what he has     
done1 acts as if he had foreseen        
nothing1 and is forced to permit        
proceedings which his omnipotence could 
not prevent4 ,in the writings revealed  
by this ,god1 he appears occupied only  
in blackening his own character1        
degrading himself1 vilifying himself1   
even in the eyes of men whom he would   
excite to worship him and pay him       
homage2 overturning and confounding the 
minds of those whom he had designed to  
enlighten4 ,what has just been said     

might suffice to undeceive us with      
respect to a book which would pass      
better as being intended to destroy the 
idea of a ,deity1 than as one containing
 the oracles dictated and revealed by   
him4 ,nothing but a heap of absurdities 
could possibly result from principles so
 false and irrational2 nevertheless1 let
 us take another glance at the principal
 objects which this divine work         
continually offers to our consideration4
 ,let us pass on to the ,deluge4 ,the   
holy books tell us1 that in spite of the
 will of the ,almighty1 the whole human 
race1 who had already been punished by  
infirmities1 accidents1 and death1      
continued to give themselves up to the  
most unaccountable depravity4 ,god      
becomes irritated1 and repents having   
created them4 ,doubtless he could not   
have foreseen this depravity2 yet1      
rather than change the wicked           
disposition of their hearts1 which he   
holds in his own hands1 he performs the 
most surprising1 the most impossible of 

miracles4 ,he at once drowns all the    
inhabitants1 with the exception of some 
favorites1 whom he destines to re-people
 the earth with a chosen race1 that will
 render themselves more agreeable to    
their ,god4  ,but does the ,almighty    
succeed in this new project8 ,the chosen
 race1 saved from the waters of the     
deluge1 on the wreck of the earth's     
destruction1 begin again to offend the  
,sovereign of nature1 abandon themselves
 to new crimes1 give themselves up to   
idolatry1 and forgetting the recent     
effects of celestial vengeance1 seem    
intent only on provoking heaven by their
 wickedness4 ,in order to provide a     
remedy1 ,god chooses for his favorite   
the idolater ,abraham4 ,to him he       
discovers himself2 he orders him to     
renounce the worship of his fathers1 and
 embrace a new religion4 ,to guarantee  
this covenant1 the ,sovereign of nature 
prescribes a melancholy1 ridiculous1 and
 whimsical ceremony1 to the observance  
of which a ,god of wisdom attaches his  

favors4 ,the posterity of this chosen   
man are consequently to enjoy1 for      
everlasting1 the greatest advantages2   
they will always be the most partial    
objects of tenderness1 with the         
,almighty2 they will be happier than all
 other nations1 whom the ,deity will    
abandon to occupy himself only for them4
  ,these solemn promises1 however1 have 
not prevented the race of ,abraham from 
becoming the slaves of a vile nation1   
that was detested by the ,eternal2 his  
dear friends experienced the most cruel 
treatment on the part of the ,egyptians4
 ,god could not guarantee them from the 
misfortune that had befallen them2 but  
in order to free them again1 he raised  
up to them a liberator1 a chief1 who    
performed the most astonishing miracles4
 ,at the voice of ,moses all nature is  
confounded2 ,god employs him to declare 
his will2 yet he who could create and   
annihilate the world could not subdue   
,pharaoh4 ,the obstinacy of this prince 
defeats1 in ten successive trials1 the  

divine omnipotence1 of which ,moses is  
the depositary4 ,after having vainly    
attempted to overcome a monarch whose   
heart ,god had been pleased to harden1  
,god has recourse to the most ordinary  
method of rescuing his people2 he tells 
them to run off1 after having first     
counselled them to rob the ,egyptians4  
,the fugitives are pursued2 but ,god1   
who protects these robbers1 orders the  
sea to swallow up the miserable people  
who had the temerity to run after their 
property4  ,the ,deity would1 doubtless1
 have reason to be satisfied with the   
conduct of a people that he had just    
delivered by such a great number of     
miracles4 ,alas6 neither ,moses nor the 
,almighty could succeed in persuading   
this obstinate people to abandon the    
false gods of that country where they   
had been so miserable2 they preferred   
them to the living ,god who had just    
saved them4 ,all the miracles which the 
,eternal was daily performing in favor  
of ,israel could not overcome their     

stubbornness1 which was still more      
inconceivable and wonderful than the    
greatest miracles4 ,these wonders1 which
 are now extolled as convincing proofs  
of the divine mission of ,moses1 were by
 the confession of this same ,moses1 who
 has himself transmitted us the         
accounts1 incapable of convincing the   
people who were witnesses of them1 and  
never produced the good effects which   
the ,deity proposed to himself in       
performing them4  ,the credulity1 the   
obstinacy1 the continual depravity of   
the ,jews1 ,madam1 are the most         
indubitable proofs of the falsity of the
 miracles of ,moses1 as well as those of
 all his successors1 to whom the        
,scriptures attribute a supernatural    
power4 ,if1 in the face of these facts1 
it be pretended that these miracles are 
attested1 we shall be compelled1 at     
least1 to agree that1 according to the  
,bible account1 they have been entirely 
useless1 that the ,deity has been       
constantly baffled in all his projects1 

and that he could never make of the     
,hebrews a people submissive to his     
will4  ,we find1 however1 ,god continues
 obstinately employed to render his     
people worthy of him2 he does not lose  
sight of them for a moment2 he          
sacrifices whole nations to them1 and   
sanctions their rapine1 violence1       
treason1 murder1 and usurpation4 ,in a  
word1 he permits them to do any thing to
 obtain his ends4 ,he is continually    
sending them chiefs1 prophets1 and      
wonderful men1 who try in vain to bring 
them to their duty4 ,the whole history  
of the ,old ,testament displays nothing 
but the vain efforts of ,god to vanquish
 the obstinacy of his people4 ,to       
succeed in this1 he employs kindnesses1 
miracles1 and severity4 ,sometimes he   
delivers up to them whole nations1 to be
 hated1 pillaged1 and exterminated2 at  
other times he permits these same       
nations to exercise over his favorite   
people the greatest of cruelties4 ,he   
delivers them into the hands of their   

enemies1 who are likewise the enemies of
 ,god himself4 ,idolatrous nations      
become masters of the ,jews1 who are    
left to feel the insults1 the contempt1 
and the most unheard-of severities1 and 
are sometimes compelled to sacrifice to 
idols1 and to violate the law of their  
,god4 ,the race of ,abraham becomes the 
prey of impious nations4 ,the           
,assyrians1 ,persians1 ,greeks1 and     
,romans make them successively undergo  
the most cruel treatment and suffer the 
most bloody outrages1 and ,god even     
permits his temple to be polluted in    
order to punish the ,jews4  ,to         
terminate1 at length1 the troubles of   
his cherished people1 the pure ,spirit  
that created the universe sends his own 
,son4 ,it is said that he had already   
been announced by his prophets1 though  
this was certainly done in a manner     
admirably adapted to prevent his being  
known on his arrival4 ,this ,son of ,god
 becomes a man through his kindness for 
the ,jews1 whom he came to liberate1 to 

enlighten1 and to render the most happy 
of mortals4 ,being clothed with divine  
omnipotence1 he performs the most       
astonishing miracles1 which do not1     
however1 convince the ,jews4 ,he can do 
every thing but convert them4 ,instead  
of converting and liberating the ,jews1 
he is himself compelled1 notwithstanding
 all his miracles1 to undergo the most  
infamous of punishments1 and to         
terminate his life like a common        
malefactor4 ,god is condemned to death  
by the people he came to save4 ,the     
,eternal hardened and blinded those     
among whom he sent his own ,son2 he did 
not foresee that this ,son would be     
rejected4 ,what do ,i say8 ,he managed  
matters in such a way as not to be      
recognized1 and took such steps that his
 favorite people derived no benefit from
 the coming of the ,messiah4 ,in a word1
 the ,deity seems to have taken the     
greatest care that his projects1 so     
favorable to the ,jews1 should be       
nullified and rendered unprofitable6    

,when we expostulate against a conduct  
so strange and so unworthy of the       
,deity1 we are told it was necessary for
 every thing to take place in such a    
manner1 for the accomplishment of       
prophecies which had announced that the 
,messiah should be disowned1 rejected1  
and put to death4 ,but why did ,god1 who
 knows all1 and who foresaw the fate of 
his dear ,son1 form the project of      
sending him among the ,jews1 to whom he 
must have known that his mission would  
be useless8 ,would it not have been     
easier neither to announce him nor send 
him8 ,would it not have been more       
conformable to divine omnipotence to    
spare himself the trouble of so many    
miracles1 so many prophecies1 so much   
useless labor1 so much wrath1 and' so   
many sufferings to his own ,son1 by     
giving at once to the human race that   
degree of perfection he intended for    
them8  ,we are told it was necessary    
that the ,deity should have a victim2   
that to repair the fault of the first   

man1 no expedient would be sufficient   
but the death of another ,god2 that the 
only ,god of the universe could not be  
appeased but by the blood of his own    
,son4 ,i reply1 in the first place1 that
 ,god had only to prevent the first man 
from committing a fault2 that this would
 have spared him much chagrin and       
sorrow1 and saved the life of his dear  
,son4 ,i reply1 likewise1 that man is   
incapable of offending ,god unless ,god 
either permitted it or consented to it4 
,i shall not examine how it is possible 
for ,god to have a ,son1 who1 being as  
much a ,god as himself1 can be subject  
to death4 ,i reply1 also1 that it is    
impossible to perceive such a grave     
fault and sin in taking an apple1 and   
that we can find very little proportion 
between the crime committed against the 
,deity by eating an apple and his ,son's
 death4  ,i know well enough ,i shall be
 told that these are all mysteries2 but 
,i1 in my turn1 shall reply1 that       
mysteries are imposing words1 imagined  

by men who know not how to get          
themselves out of the labyrinth into    
which their false reasonings and        
senseless principles have once plunged  
them4  ,be this as it may1 we are       
assured that the ,messiah1 or the       
deliverer of the ,jews1 had been clearly
 predicted and described by the         
prophecies contained in the ,old        
,testament4 ,in this case1 ,i demand why
 the ,jews have disowned this wonderful 
man1 this ,god whom ,god sent to them4  
,they answer me1 that the incredulity of
 the ,jews was likewise predicted1 and  
that divers inspired writers had        
announced the death of the ,son of ,god4
 ,to which ,i reply1 that a sensible    
,god ought not to have sent him under   
such circumstances1 that an omnipotent  
,god ought to have adopted measures more
 efficacious and certain to bring his   
people into the way in which he wished  
them to go4 ,if he wished not to convert
 and liberate the ,jews1 it was quite   
useless to send his ,son among them1 and

 thereby expose him to a death that was 
both certain and foreseen4  ,they will  
not fail to tell me1 that in the end the
 divine1 patience became tired of the   
excesses of the ,jews2 that the         
immutable ,god1 who had sworn an eternal
 alliance with the race of ,abraham1    
wished at length to break the treaty1   
which he had1 however1 assured them     
should last forever4 ,it is pretended   
that ,god had determined to reject the  
,hebrew nation1 in order to adopt the   
,gentiles1 whom he had hated and        
despised nearly four thousand years4 ,i 
reply1 that this discourse is very      
little conformable to the ideas we ought
 to have of a ,god who changes not1     
whose mercy is infinite1 and whose      
goodness is inexhaustible4 ,i shall tell
 them1 that in this case the ,messiah   
announced by the ,jewish prophets was   
destined for the ,jews1 and that he     
ought to have been their liberator1     
instead of destroying their worship and 
their religion4 ,if it be possible to   

unravel any thing in these obscure1     
enigmatical1 and symbolical oracles of  
the prophets of ,judea1 as we find them 
in the ,bible1--if there be any means of
 guessing the meaning of the obscure    
riddles1 which have been decorated with 
the pompous name of prophecies1 we shall
 perceive that the inspired writers1    
when they are in a good humor1 always   
promised the ,jews a man that will      
redress their grievances1 restore the   
kingdom of ,judah1 and not one that     
should destroy the religion of ,moses4  
,if it were for the ,gentiles that the  
,messiah should come1 he is no longer   
the ,messiah promised to the ,jews and  
announced by their prophets4 ,if ,jesus 
be the ,messiah of the ,jews1 he could  
not be the destroyer of their nation4   
,should ,i be told that ,jesus himself  
declared that he came to fulfil the law 
of ,moses1 and not to abolish it1 ,i ask
 why ,christians do not observe the law 
of the ,jews8  ,thus1 in whatever light 
we regard ,jesus ,christ1 we perceive   

that he could not be the man whom the   
prophets have predicted1 since it is    
evident that he came only to destroy the
 religion of the ,jews1 which1 though   
instituted by ,god himself1 had         
nevertheless become disagreeable to him4
 ,if this inconstant ,god1 who was      
wearied with the worship of the ,jews1  
had at length repented of his injustice 
towards the ,gentiles1 it was to them   
that he ought to have sent his ,son4 ,by
 acting in this way he would at least   
have saved his old friends from a       
frightful deicide1 which he forced them 
to commit1 because they were not able to
 recognize the ,god he sent amongst     
them4 ,besides1 the ,jews were very     
pardonable in not acknowledging their   
expected ,messiah in an artisan of      
,galilee1 who was destitute of all the  
characteristics which the prophets had  
related1 and during whose lifetime his  
fellow-citizens were neither liberated  
nor happy4  ,we are told that he        
performed miracles4 ,he healed the sick1

 caused the lame to walk1 gave sight to 
the blind1 and raised the dead4 ,at     
length he accomplished his own          
resurrection4 ,it might be so believed2 
yet he has visibly failed in that       
miracle for which alone he came upon    
earth4 ,he was never able either to     
persuade or to convert the ,jews1 who   
witnessed all the daily wonders that he 
performed4 ,notwithstanding those       
prodigies1 they placed him ignominiously
 on the cross4 ,in spite of his divine  
power1 he was incapable of escaping     
punishment4 ,he wished to die1 to render
 the ,jews culpable1 and to have the    
pleasure of rising again the third day1 
in order to confound the ingratitude and
 obstinacy of his fellow-citizens4 ,what
 is the result8 ,did his fellow-citizens
 concede to this great miracle1 and have
 they at length acknowledged him8 ,far  
from it2 they never saw him4 ,the ,son  
of ,god1 who arose from the dead in     
secrecy1 showed himself only to his     
adherents4 ,they alone pretend to have  

conversed with him2 they alone have     
furnished us with the particulars of his
 life and miracles2 and yet by such     
suspicious testimony they wish to       
convince us of the divinity of his      
mission eighteen hundred years after the
 event1 although he could not convince  
his contemporaries1 the ,jews4  ,we are 
then told that many ,jews have been     
converted to ,jesus ,christ2 that after 
his death many others were converted2   
that the witnesses of the life and      
miracles of the ,son of ,god have sealed
 their testimony with their blood2 that 
men will not die to attest falsehood2   
that by a visible effect of the divine  
power1 the people of a great part of the
 earth have adopted ,christianity1 and  
still persist in the belief of this     
divine religion4  ,in all this ,i       
perceive nothing like a miracle4 ,i see 
nothing but what is conformable to the  
ordinary progress of the human mind4 ,an
 enthusiast1 a dexterous impostor1 a    
crafty juggler2 can easily find         

adherents in a stupid1 ignorant1 and    
superstitious populace4 ,these          
followers1 captivated by counsels1 or   
seduced by promises1 consent to quit a  
painful and laborious life1 to follow a 
man who gives them to understand that he
 will make them fishers of men2 that is 
to say1 he will enable them to subsist  
by his cunning tricks1 at the expense of
 the multitude who are always credulous4
 ,the juggler1 with the assistance of   
his remedies1 can perform cures which   
seem miraculous to ignorant spectators4 
,these simple creatures immediately     
regard him as a supernatural being4 ,he 
adopts this opinion himself1 and        
confirms the high notions which his     
partisans have formed respecting him4   
,he feels himself interested in         
maintaining this opinion among his      
sectaries1 and finds out the secret of  
exciting their enthusiasm4 ,to          
accomplish this point1 our empiric      
becomes a preacher2 he makes use of     
riddles1 obscure sentences1 and parables

 to the multitude1 that always admire   
what they do not understand4  ,to render
 himself more agreeable to the people1  
he declaims among poor1 ignorant1       
foolish men1 against the rich1 the      
great1 the learned2 but above all1      
against the priests1 who in all ages    
have been avaricious1 imperious1        
uncharitable1 and burdensome to the     
people4 ,if these discourses be eagerly 
received among the vulgar1 who are      
always morose1 envious1 and jealous1    
they displease all those who see        
themselves the objects of the invective 
and satire of the popular preacher4     
,they consequently wish to check his    
progress1 they lay snares for him1 they 
seek to surprise him in a fault1 in     
order that they may unmask him and have 
their revenge4 ,by dint of imposture1 he
 outwits them2 yet1 in consequence of   
his miracles and illusions1 he at length
 discovers himself4 ,he is then seized  
and punished1 and none of his adherents 
abide by him1 except a few idiots1 that 

nothing can undeceive2 none but         
partisans1 accustomed to lead with him a
 life of idleness2 none but dexterous   
knaves1 who wish to continue their      
impositions on the public1 by deceptions
 similar to those of their old master1  
by obscure1 unconnected1 confused1 and  
fanatical harangues1 and by declamations
 against magistrates and priests4       
,these1 who have the power in their own 
hands1 finish by persecuting them1      
imprisoning them1 flogging them1        
chastising them1 and putting them to    
death4 ,poor wretches1 habituated to    
poverty1 undergo all these sufferings   
with a fortitude which we frequently    
meet with in malefactors4 ,in some we   
find their courage fortified by the zeal
 of fanaticism4 ,this fortitude         
surprises1 agitates1 excites pity1 and  
irritates the spectators against those  
who torment men whose constancy makes   
them looked upon as being innocent1 who1
 it is supposed1 may possibly be right1 
and for whom compassion likewise        

interests itself4 ,it is thus that      
enthusiasm is propagated1 and that      
persecution always augments the number  
of the partisans of those who are       
persecuted4  ,i shall leave to you1     
,madam1 the trouble of applying the     
history of our juggler1 and his         
adherents1 to that of the founder1 the  
apostles1 and the martyrs of the        
,christian religion4  ,with whatever art
 they have written the life of ,jesus   
,christ1 which we hold only from his    
apostles1 or their disciples1 it        
furnishes a sufficiency of materials on 
which to found our conjectures4 ,i shall
 only observe to you1 that the ,jewish  
nation was remarkable for its credulity2
 that the companions of ,jesus were     
chosen from among the dregs of the      
people2 that ,jesus always gave a       
preference to the populace1 with whom he
 wished1 undoubtedly1 to form a rampart 
against the priests2 and that1 at last1 
,jesus was seized immediately after the 
most splendid of his miracles4 ,we see  

him put to death immediately after the  
resurrection of ,lazarus1 which1 even   
according to the gospel account1 bears  
the most evident characters of fraud1   
which are visible to every one who      
examines it without prejudice4  ,i      
imagine1 ,madam1 that what ,i have just 
stated will suffice to show you what    
opinion you ought to entertain          
respecting the founder of ,christianity 
and his first sectaries4 ,these have    
been either dupes or fanatics1 who      
permitted themselves to be seduced by   
deceptions1 and by discourses           
conformable to their desires1 or by     
dexterous impostors1 who knew how to    
make the best of the tricks of their old
 master1 to whom they have become such  
able successors4 ,in this way did they  
establish a religion which enabled them 
to live at the people's expense1 and    
which still maintains in abundance those
 we pay1 at such a high rate1 for       
transmitting from father to son the     
fables1 visions1 and wonders which were 

born and nursed in ,judea4 ,the         
propagation of the ,christian faith1 and
 the constancy of their martyrs1 have   
nothing surprising in them4 ,the people 
flock after all those that show them    
wonders1 and receive without reasoning  
on it every thing that is told them4    
,they transmit to their children the    
tales they have heard related1 and by   
degrees these opinions are adopted by   
kings1 by the great1 and even by the    
learned4  ,as for the martyrs1 their    
constancy has nothing supernatural in   
it4 ,the first ,christians1 as well as  
all new sectaries1 were treated1 by the 
,jews and pagans1 as disturbers of the  
public peace4 ,they were already        
sufficiently intoxicated with the       
fanaticism with which their religion    
inspired them1 and were persuaded that  
,god held himself in readiness to crown 
them1 and to receive them into his      
eternal dwelling4 ,in a word1 seeing the
 heavens opened1 and being convinced    
that the end of the world was           

approaching1 it is not surprising that  
they had courage to set punishment at   
defiance1 to endure it with constancy1  
and to despise death4 ,to these motives1
 founded on their religious opinions1   
many others were added1 which are always
 of such a nature as to operate strongly
 upon the minds of men4 ,those who1 as  
,christians1 were imprisoned and        
ill-treated on account of their faith1  
were visited1 consoled1 encouraged1     
honored1 and loaded with kindnesses by  
their brethren1 who took care of and    
succored them during their detention1   
and who almost adored them after their  
death4 ,those1 on the other hand1 who   
displayed weakness1 were despised and   
detested1 and when they gave way to     
repentance1 they were compelled to      
undergo a rigorous penitence1 which     
lasted as long as they lived4 ,thus were
 the most powerful motives united to    
inspire the martyrs with courage2 and   
this courage has nothing more           
supernatural about it than that which   

determines us daily to encounter the    
most perilous dangers1 through the fear 
of dishonoring ourselves in the eyes of 
our fellow-citizens4 ,cowardice would   
expose us to infamy all the rest of our 
days4 ,there is nothing miraculous in   
the constancy of a man to whom an offer 
is made1 on the one hand1 of eternal    
happiness and the highest honors1 and   
who1 on the other hand1 sees himself    
menaced with hatred1 contempt1 and the  
most lasting regret4  ,you perceive1    
then1 ,madam1 that nothing can be easier
 than to overthrow the proofs by which  
,christian doctors establish the        
revelation which they pretend is so well
 authenticated4 ,miracles1 martyrs1 and 
prophecies prove nothing4  ,were all the
 wonders true that are related in the   
,old and ,new ,testament1 they would    
afford no proof in favor of divine      
omnipotence1 but1 on the contrary1 would
 prove the inability under which the    
,deity has continually labored1 of      
convincing mankind of the truths he     

wished to announce to them4 ,on the     
other hand1 supposing these miracles to 
have produced all the effects which the 
,deity had a right to expect from them1 
we have no longer any reason to believe 
them1 except on the tradition and       
recitals of others1 which are often     
suspicious1 faulty1 and exaggerated4    
,the miracles of ,moses are attested    
only by ,moses1 or by ,jewish writers   
interested in making them believed by   
the people they wished to govern4 ,the  
miracles of ,jesus are attested only by 
his disciples1 who sought to obtain     
adherents1 in relating to a credulous   
people prodigies to which they pretended
 to have been witnesses1 or which some  
of them1 perhaps1 believed they had     
really seen4 ,all those who deceive     
mankind are not always cheats2 they are 
frequently deceived by those who are    
knaves in reality4 ,besides1 ,i believe 
,i have sufficiently proved1 that       
miracles are repugnant to the essence of
 an immutable ,god1 as well as to his   

wisdom1 which will not permit him to    
alter the wise laws he has himself      
established4 ,in short1 miracles are    
useless1 since those related in         
,scripture have not produced the effects
 which ,god expected from them4  ,the   
proof of the ,christian religion taken  
from prophecy has no better foundation4 
,whoever will examine without prejudice 
these oracles pretended to be divine    
will find only an ambiguous1            
unintelligible1 absurd1 and unconnected 
jargon1 entirely unworthy of a ,god who 
intended to display his prescience1 and 
to instruct his people with regard to   
future events4 ,there does not exist in 
the ,holy ,scriptures a single prophecy 
sufficiently precise to be literally    
applied to ,jesus ,christ4 ,to convince 
yourself of this truth1 ask the most    
learned of our doctors which are the    
formal prophecies wherein they have the 
happiness to discover the ,messiah4 ,you
 will then perceive that it is only by  
the aid of forced explanations1 figures1

 parables1 and mystical interpretations1
 by which they are enabled to bring     
forward any thing sensible and          
applicable to the god-made-man whom they
 tell us to adore4 ,it would seem as if 
the ,deity had made predictions only    
that we might understand nothing about  
them4  ,in these equivocal oracles1     
whose meaning it is impossible to       
penetrate1 we find nothing but the      
language of intoxication1 fanaticism1   
and delirium4 ,when we fancy we have    
found something intelligible1 it is easy
 to perceive that the prophets intended 
to speak of events that took place in   
their own age1 or of personages who had 
preceded them4 ,it is thus that our     
doctors apply gratuitously to ,christ   
prophecies or rather narratives of what 
happened respecting ,david1 ,solomon1   
,cyrus1 c4  ,we imagine we see the      
chastisement of the ,jewish people      
announced in recitals where it is       
evident the only matter in question was 
the ,babylonish captivity4 ,in this     

event1 so long prior to ,jesus ,christ1 
they have imagined finding a prediction 
of the dispersion of the ,jews1 supposed
 to be a visible punishment for their   
deicide1 and which they now wish to pass
 off' as an indubitable proof of the    
truth of ,christianity4  ,it is not1    
then1 astonishing that the ancient and  
modern ,jews do not see in the prophets 
what our doctors teach us1 and what they
 themselves imagine they have seen4     
,jesus himself has not been more happy  
in his predictions than his             
predecessors4 ,in the gospel he         
announces to his disciples in the most  
formal manner the destruction of the    
world and the last judgment1 as events  
that were at hand1 and which must take  
place before the existing generation had
 passed away4 ,yet the world still      
endures1 and appears in no danger of    
finishing4 ,it is true1 our doctors     
pretend that1 in the prediction of      
,jesus ,christ1 he spoke of the ruin of 
,jerusalem by ,vespasian and ,titus2 but

 none but those who have not read the   
gospel would submit to such a change1 or
 satisfy themselves with such an        
evasion4 ,besides1 in adopting it we    
must confess at least that the ,son of  
,god himself was unable to prophesy with
 greater precision than his obscure     
predecessors4  ,indeed1 at every page of
 these sacred books1 which we are       
assured were inspired by ,god himself1  
this ,god seems to have made a          
revelation only to conceal himself4 ,he 
does not speak but to be misunderstood4 
,he announces his oracles in such a way 
only that we can neither comprehend them
 nor make any application of them4 ,he  
performs miracles only to make          
unbelievers4 ,he manifests himself to   
mankind only to stupefy their judgment  
and bewilder the reason he has bestowed 
on them4 ,the ,bible continually        
represents ,god to us as a seducer1 an  
enticer1 a suspicious tyrant1 who knows 
not what kind of conduct to observe with
 respect to his subjects2 who amuses    

himself by laying snares for his        
creatures1 and who tries them that he   
may have the pleasure of inflicting a   
punishment for yielding to his          
temptations4 ,this ,god is occupied only
 in building to destroy1 in demolishing 
to rebuild4 ,like a child disgusted with
 its playthings1 he is continually      
undoing what he has done1 and breaking  
what was the object of his desires4 ,we 
find no foresight1 no constancy1 no     
consistency in his conduct2 no          
connection1 no clearness in his         
discourses4 ,when he performs any thing1
 he sometimes approves what he has done1
 and at other times repents of it4 ,he  
irritates and vexes himself with what he
 has permitted to be done1 and1 in spite
 of his infinite power1 he suffers man  
to offend him1 and consents to let      
,satan1 his creature1 derange all his   
projects4 ,in a word1 the revelations of
 the ,christians and ,jews seem to have 
been imagined only to render uncertain  
and to annihilate the qualities         

attributed to the ,deity1 and which are 
declared to constitute his essence4 ,the
 whole ,scripture1 the entire system of 
the ,christian religion1 appears to be  
founded only on the incapability of     
,god1 who was unable to render the human
 race as wise1 as good1 and as happy as 
he wished them4 ,the death of his       
innocent ,son1 who was immolated to his 
vengeance1 is entirely useless for the  
most numerous portion of the earth's    
inhabitants2 almost the whole human     
race1 in spite of the continued efforts 
of the ,deity1 continue to offend him1  
to frustrate his designs1 resist his    
will1 and to persevere in their         
wickedness4  ,it is on notions so fatal1
 so contradictory1 and so unworthy of a 
,god who is just1 wise1 and good1 of a  
,god that is rational1 independent1     
immutable1 and omnipotent1 on whom the  
,christian religion is founded1 and     
which religion is said to be established
 forever by ,god1 who1 nevertheless1    
became disgusted with the religion of   

the ,jews1 with whom he had made and    
sworn an eternal covenant4  ,time must  
prove whether ,god be more constant and 
faithful in fulfilling his engagements  
with the ,christians than he has been to
 fulfil those he made with ,abraham and 
his posterity4 ,i confess1 ,madam1 that 
his past conduct alarms me as to what he
 may finally perform4 ,if he himself    
acknowledged by the mouth of ,ezekiel   
that the laws he had given to the ,jews 
were not good1 he may very possibly1    
some day or other1 find fault with those
 which he has given to ,christians4     
,our priests themselves seem to partake 
of my suspicions1 and to fear that ,god 
will be wearied of that protection which
 he has so long granted to his church4  
,the inquietudes which they evince1 the 
efforts which they make to hinder the   
civilization of the world1 the          
persecutions which they raise against   
all those who contradict them1 seem to  
prove that they mistrust the promises of
 ,jesus ,christ1 and that they are not  

certainly convinced of the eternal      
durability of a religion which does not 
appear to them divine1 but because it   
gives them the right to command like    
gods over their fellow-citizens4 ,they  
would undoubtedly consider the          
destruction of their empire a very      
grievous thing2 but yet if the          
sovereigns of the earth and their people
 should once grow weary of the          
sacerdotal yoke1 we may be sure the     
,sovereign of heaven would not require a
 longer time to become equally          
disgusted4  ,however this may be1       
,madam1 ,i venture to hope the perusal  
of this letter will fully undeceive you 
of a blind veneration for books which   
are called divine1 although they appear 
as if invented to degrade and destroy   
the ,god who is asserted to be their    
author4 ,my first letter1 ,i feel       
confident1 enabled you to perceive that 
the dogmas established by these same    
books1 or subsequently fabricated to    
justify the ideas thus given of ,god1   

are not less contrary to all notions of 
a ,deity infinitely perfect4 ,a system  
which in the outset is based upon false 
principles can never become any thing   
else than a mass of falsehoods4 ,i am1  
c4     ,,letter ,,iv4 ,of the           
fundamental dogmas of the ,christian    
,religion  ,you are aware1 ,madam1 that 
our theological doctors pretend these   
revealed books1 which ,i summarily      
examined in my preceding letter1 do not 
include a single word that was not      
inspired by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,what  
,i have already said to you is          
sufficient to show that in setting out  
with this supposition1 the ,divinity has
 formed a work the most shapeless1      
imperfect1 contradictory1 and           
unintelligible which ever existed2 a    
work1 in a word1 of which any man of    
sense would blush with shame to be the  
author4 ,if any prophecy hath verified  
itself for the ,christians1 it is that  
of ,isaiah1 which saith1 ,hearing ye    
shall hear1 but shall not understand4   

,but in this case we reply that it was  
sufficiently useless to speak not to be 
comprehended2 to reveal that which      
cannot be comprehended is to reveal     
nothing4  ,we need not1 then1 be        
surprised if the ,christians1           
notwithstanding the revelation of which 
they assure us they have been the       
favorites1 have no precise ideas either 
of the ,divinity1 or of his will1 or the
 way in which his oracles are to be     
interpreted4 ,the book from which they  
should be able to do so serves only to  
confound the simplest notions1 to throw 
them into the greatest incertitude1 and 
create eternal disputations4 ,if it was 
the project of the ,divinity1 it would1 
without doubt1 be attended with perfect 
success4 ,the teachers of ,christianity 
never agree on the manner in which they 
are to understand the truths that ,god  
has given himself the trouble to reveal2
 all the efforts which they have        
employed to this time have not yet been 
capable of making any thing clear1 and  

the dogmas which they have successively 
invented have been insufficient to      
justify to the understanding of one man 
of good sense the conduct of ah         
infinitely perfect ,being4  ,hence1 many
 among them1 perceiving the             
inconveniences which would result from  
the reading of the holy books1 have     
carefully kept them out of the hands of 
the vulgar and illiterate2 for they     
plainly foresaw that if they were read  
by such they would necessarily bring on 
themselves reproach1 since it would     
never fail that every honest man of good
 sense would discover in those books    
only a crowd of absurdities4 ,thus the  
oracles of ,god are not even made for   
those for whom they are addressed2 it is
 requisite to be initiated in the       
mysteries of a priesthood1 to have the  
privilege of discerning in the holy     
writings the light which the ,divinity  
destined to all his dear children4 ,but 
are the theologians themselves able to  
make plain the difficulties which the   

sacred books present in every page8 ,by 
meditating on the mysteries which they  
contain1 have they given us ideas more  
plain of the intentions of the          
,divinity8 ,no2 without doubt they      
explain one mystery by citing another2  
they scatter ,in this case1 why did it  
not prevent that fall and its           
consequences8 ,was the reason of ,adam  
corrupted even beforehand by incurring  
the wrath of his ,god8 ,was it depraved 
before he had done any thing to deprave 
it8  ,to justify this strange conduct of
 ,providence1 to clear him from passing 
as the author of sin1 to save him the   
ridicule of being 'the cause or the     
accomplice of offences which he did     
against himself1 the theologians have   
imagined a being subordinate to the     
divine power4 ,it is the secondary being
 they make the author of all the evil   
which is committed in the universe4 ,in 
the impossibility of reconciling the    
continual disorders of which the world  
is the theatre with the purposes of a   

,deity replete with goodness1 the       
,creator and ,preserver of the universe1
 who delights in order1 and who seeks   
only the happiness of his creatures1    
they have trumped up a destructive      
genius1 imbued with wickedness1 who     
conspires to render men miserable1 and  
to overthrow the beneficent views of the
 ,eternal44 ,this bad and perverse being
 they call ,satan1 the ,devil1 the ,evil
 ,one2 and we see him play a great game 
in all the religions of the world1 the  
founders of which have found in the     
impotence of ,deity the sources of both 
good and evil4 ,by the aid of this      
imaginary being they have been enabled  
to resolve all their difficulties2 yet  
they could not foresee that this        
invention1 which went to annihilate or  
abridge the power of ,deity1 was a      
system filled with palpable             
contradictions1 and that if the ,devil  
were really the author of sin1 it be he1
 in all justice1 who ought to undergo   
punishment4  ,if ,god is the author of  

all1 it is he who created the ,devil2 if
 the ,devil is wicked1 if he strives to 
counteract the projects of the          
,divinity1 it is the ,divinity who has  
allowed the overthrow of his projects1  
or who has not had sufficient authority 
to prevent the ,devil from exercising   
his power4 ,if ,god had wished that the 
,devil should not have existed1 the     
,devil would not have existed4 ,god     
could annihilate him at one word1 or1 at
 least1 ,god could change his           
disposition if injurious to us1 and     
contrary to the projects of a beneficent
 ,providence4 ,since1 then1 the ,devil  
does exist1 and does such marvellous    
things as are attributed to him1 we are 
compelled to conclude that the ,divinity
 has found it good that he should exist 
and agitate1 as he does1 all his works  
by a perpetual interruption and         
perversion of his designs4  ,thus1      
,madam1 the invention of the ,devil does
 not remedy the evil2 on the contrary1  
it but entangles the priests more and   

more4 ,by placing to ,satan's account   
all the evil which he commits in the    
world1 they exculpate the ,deity1 of    
nothing2 all the power with which they  
have supposed the ,devil invested is    
taken from that assigned to the         
,divinity2 and you know very well that  
according to the notions of the         
,christian religion1 the ,devil has more
 adherents than ,god himself2 they are  
always stirring their fellow-creatures  
up to revolt against ,god2 without      
ceasing1 in despite of ,god1 ,satan     
leads them into perdition1 except one   
man only1 who refused to follow him1 and
 who found grace in the eyes of the     
,lord4 ,you are not ignorant that the   
millions that follow the standard of    
,beelzebub are to be plunged with him   
into eternal misery4  ,but then has     
,satan himself incurred the disgrace of 
the ,all-powerful8 ,by what forfeit has 
he merited becoming the eternal object  
of the anger of that ,god who created   
him8 ,the ,christian religion will      

explain all4 ,it informs us that the    
,devil was in his origin an angel2 that 
is to say1 a pure spirit1 full of       
perfections1 created by the ,divinity to
 occupy a distinguishing situation in   
the celestial court1 destined1 like the 
other ministers of the ,eternal1 to     
receive his orders1 and to enjoy        
perpetual blessedness4 ,but he lost     
himself through ambition2 his pride     
blinded him1 and he dared to revolt     
against his ,creator2 he engaged other  
spirits1 as pure as himself1 in the same
 senseless enterprise2 in consequence of
 his rashness1 he was hurled headlong   
out of heaven1 his miserable adherents  
were involved in his fall1 and1 having  
been hardened by the divine pleasure in 
their foolish dispositions1 they have no
 other occupation assigned them in the  
universe than to tempt mankind1 and     
endeavor to augment the number of the   
enemies of ,god1 and the victims of his 
wrath4  ,it is by the assistance of this
 fable that the ,christian doctors      

perceive the fall of ,adam1 prepared by 
the ,almighty himself anterior to the   
creation of the world4 ,was it necessary
 that the ,divinity should entertain a  
great desire that man might sin1 since  
he would thereby have an opportunity of 
providing the means of making him       
sinful8 ,in effect1 it was the ,devil   
who1 in process of time1 covered with   
the skin of a serpent1 solicited the    
mother of the human race to disobey     
,god1 and involve her husband in her    
rebellion4 ,but the difficulty is not   
removed by these inventions4 ,if ,satan1
 in the time he was an angel1 lived in  
innocence1 and merited the good will of 
his ,maker1 how came ,god to suffer him 
to entertain ideas of pride1 ambition1  
and rebellion8 ,how came this angel of  
light so blind as not to see the folly  
of such an enterprise8 ,did he not know 
that his ,creator was all-powerful8 ,who
 was it that tempted ,satan8 ,what      
reason had the ,divinity for selecting  
him to be the object of his fury1 the   

destroyer of his projects1 the enemy of 
his power8 ,if pride be a sin1 if the   
idea itself of rebellion is the greatest
 of crimes1 sin was1 then1 anterior to  
sin1 and ,lucifer offended ,god1 even in
 his state of purity2 for1 in fine1 a   
being pure1 innocent1 agreeable to his  
,god1 who had all the perfections of    
which a creature could be susceptible1  
ought to be exempt from ambition1 pride1
 and folly4 ,we ought1 also1 to say as  
much for our first parent1 who1         
notwithstanding his wisdom1 his         
innocence1 and the knowledge infused    
into him by ,god himself1 could not     
prevent himself from falling into the   
temptation of a demon4  ,hence1 in every
 shift1 the priests invariably make ,god
 the author of sin4 ,it was ,god who    
tempted ,lucifer before the creation of 
the world2 ,lucifer1 in his turn1 became
 the tempter of man and the cause of all
 the evil our race suffers4 ,it appears1
 therefore1 that ,god created both      
angels and men to give them an          

opportunity of sinning4  ,it is easy to 
perceive the absurdity of this system1  
to save which the theologians have      
invented another still more absurd1 that
 it might become the foundation of all  
their religious revelations1 and by     
means of which they idly imagine they   
can fully justify the divine providence4
 ,the system of truth supposes the free 
will of man--that he is his own master1 
capable of doing good or ill1 and of    
directing his own plans4 ,at the words  
free will1 ,i already perceive1 ,madam1 
that you tremble1 and doubtless         
anticipate a metaphysical dissertation4 
,rest assured of the contrary2 for ,i   
flatter myself that the question will be
 simplified and rendered clear1 ,i shall
 not merely say for you1 but for all    
your sex who are not resolved to be     
wilfully blind4  ,to say that man is a  
free agent is to detract from the power 
of the ,supreme ,being2 it is to pretend
 that ,god is not the master of his own 
will2 it is to advance that a weak      

creature can1 when it pleases him1      
revolt against his ,creator1 derange his
 projects1 disturb the order which he   
loves1 render his labors useless1       
afflict him with chagrin1 cause him     
sorrow1 act with effect against him1 and
 arouse his anger and his passions4     
,thus1 at the first glance1 you perceive
 that this principle gives rise to a    
crowd of absurdities4 ,if ,god is the   
friend of order1 every thing performed  
by his creatures would necessarily      
conduce to the maintenance of this      
order1 because otherwise the divine will
 would fail to have its effect ,if ,god 
has plans1 they must of necessity be    
always executed2 if man can afflict his 
,god1 man is the master of this ,god's  
happiness1 and the league he has formed 
with the ,devil is potent enough to     
thwart the plans of the ,divinity4 ,in a
 word1 if man is free to sin1 ,god is no
 longer ,omnipotent4  ,in reply1 we are 
told that ,god1 without detriment to his
 ,omnipotence1 might make man a free    

agent1 and that this liberty is a       
benefit by which ,god places man in a   
situation where he may merit the        
heavenly bounty2 but1 on the other hand1
 this liberty likewise exposes him to   
encounter ,god's hatred1 to offend him1 
and to be overwhelmed by infinite       
sufferings4 ,from this ,i conclude that 
this liberty is not a benefit1 and that 
it evidently is inconsistent with divine
 goodness4 ,this goodness would be more 
real if men had always sufficient       
resolution to do what is pleasing to    
,god1 conformably to order1 and         
conducive to the happiness of their     
fellow-creatures4 ,if men1 in virtue of 
their liberty1 do things contrary to the
 will of ,god1 ,god1 who is supposed to 
have the prescience of foreseeing all1  
ought to have taken measures to prevent 
men from abusing their liberty2 if he   
foresaw they would sin1 he ought to have
 given them the means of avoiding it2 if
 he could not prevent them from doing   
ill1 he has consented to the ill they   

have done2 if he has consented1 he      
should not be offended2 if he is        
offended1 or if he punish them for the  
evil they have done with his permission1
 he is unjust and cruel2 if he suffer   
them to rush on to their destruction1 he
 is bound afterwards to take them to    
himself2 and he cannot with reason find 
fault with them for the abuse of their  
liberty1 in being deceived or seduced by
 the objects which he himself had placed
 in their way to seduce them1 to tempt  
them1 and to determine their wills to do
 evil499       99 ,see what ,bayle says1
 ,diet4 ,crit41 art4 ,origene1 ,rem4    
,e4t      art4 ,pauliciens1 ,rem4 ,e41  
,f41 ,m41 and torn4 iii4 of the         
,reponses aux ,questions d'un           
,provincial4  ,what would you say of a  
father who should give to his children1 
in the infancy of age1 and when they    
were without experience1 the liberty of 
satisfying their disordered appetites1  
till they should convince themselves of 
their evil tendency8 ,would not such a  

parent be in the right to feel uneasy at
 the abuse which they should make of    
their liberty which he had given them8  
,would it not be accounted malice in    
this parent1 who should have foreseen   
what was to happen1 not to have         
furnished his children with the capacity
 of directing their own conduct so as to
 avoid the evils they might be assailed 
with8 ,would it not show in him the     
height of madness were he to punish them
 for the evil which he had done1 and the
 chagrin which they occasioned him8     
,would it not be to himself that we     
should ascribe the sottishness and      
wickedness of his children8  ,you see1  
then1 the points of view under which    
this system of men's free will shows us 
the ,deity4 ,this free will becomes a   
present the most dangerous1 since it    
puts man in the condition of doing evil 
that is truly frightful4 ,we may thence 
conclude that this system1 far from     
justifying ,god1 makes him capable of   
malice1 imprudence1 and injustice4 ,but 

this is to overturn all our ideas of a  
being perfectly1 nay1 infinitely wise   
and good1 consenting to punish his      
creatures for sins which he gave them   
the power of committing1 or1 which is   
the same1 suffering the ,devil to       
inspire them with evil4 ,all the        
subtilties of theology have really only 
a tendency to destroy the very notions  
itself inculcates concerning the        
,divinity4 ,this theology is evidently  
the tub of the ,danaides4  ,it is a     
fact1 however1 that our theologians have
 imagined expedients to support their   
ruinous suppositions4 ,you have often   
heard mention made of predestination and
 grace--terrible words1 which constantly
 excite disputes among us1 for which    
reason would be forced to blush if      
,christians did not make it a duty to   
renounce reason1 and which contests are 
attended with consequences very         
dangerous to society4 ,but let not this 
surprise you2 these false and obscure   
principles have even among the          

theologians produced dissensions2 and   
their quarrels would be indifferent if  
they did not attach more importance to  
them than they really deserve4  ,but to 
proceed4 ,the system of predestination  
supposes that ,god1 in his eternal      
secrets1 has resolved that some men     
should be elected1 and being thus his   
favorites1 receive special grace4 ,by   
this grace they are supposed to be made 
agreeable to ,god1 and meet for eternal 
happiness4 ,but then an infinite number 
of others are destined to perdition1 and
 receive not the grace necessary to     
eternal salvation4 ,these contradictory 
and opposite propositions make it pretty
 evident that the system is absurd4 ,it 
makes ,god1 a being infinitely perfect  
and good1 a partial tyrant1 who has     
created a vast number of human beings to
 be the sport of his caprice and the    
victims of his vengeance4 ,it supposes  
that ,god will punish his creatures for 
not having received that grace which he 
did not deign to give them2 it presents 

this ,god to us under traits so         
revolting that the theologians are      
forced to avow that the whole is a      
profound mystery1 into which the human  
mind cannot penetrate4 ,but if man is   
not made to lift his inquisitive eye on 
this frightful mystery1 that is to say1 
on this astonishing absurdity1 which our
 teachers have idly endeavored to square
 to their views of ,deity1 or to        
reconcile the atrocious injustice of    
their ,god with his infinite goodness1  
by what right do they wish us to adore  
this mystery which they would compel us 
to believe1 and to subscribe to an      
opinion that saps the divine goodness to
 its very foundation8  ,how do they     
reason upon a dogma1 and quarrel with   
acrimony about a system of which even   
themselves can comprehend nothing8  ,the
 more you examine religion1 the more    
occasion you will have to be convinced  
that those things which our divines call
 mysteries are nothing else but the     
difficulties with which they are        

themselves embarrassed1 when they are   
unable to avoid the absurdities into    
which their own false principles        
necessarily involve them4 ,nevertheless1
 this word is not enough to impose upon 
us2 the reverend doctors do not         
themselves understand the things about  
which they incessantly speak4 ,they     
invent words from an inability to       
explain things1 and they give the name  
of mysteries to what they comprehend no 
better than ourselves4  ,all the        
religions in the world are founded upon 
predestination1 and all the pretended   
revelations among men1 as has been      
already pointed out to you1 inculcate   
this odious dogma1 which makes          
,providence an unjust mother-in-law1 who
 shows a blind preference for some of   
her children to the prejudice of all the
 others4 ,they make ,god a tyrant1 who  
punishes the inevitable faults to which 
he has impelled them1 or into which he  
has allowed them to be seduced4 ,this   
dogma1 which served as the foundation of

 ,paganism1 is now the grand pivot of   
the ,christian religion1 whose ,god     
should excite no less hatred than the   
most wicked divinities of idolatrous    
people4 ,with such notions1 is it not   
astonishing that this ,god should       
appear1 to those who meditate on his    
attributes1 an object sufficiently      
terrible to agitate the imagination1 and
 to lead some to indulge in dangerous   
follies8  ,the dogma of another life    
serves also to exculpate the ,deity from
 these apparent injustices or           
aberrations1 with which he might        
naturally be accused4 ,it is pretended  
that it has pleased him to distinguish  
his friends on earth1 seeing he has     
amply provided for their future         
happiness in an abode prepared for their
 souls4 ,but1 as ,i believe ,i have     
already hinted1 these proofs that ,god  
makes some good1 and leaves others      
wicked1 either evince injustice on his  
part1 at least temporary1 or they       
contradict his omnipotence4 ,if ,god can

 do all things1 if he is privy to all   
the thoughts and actions of men1 what   
need has he of any proofs8 ,if he has   
resolved to give them grace necessary to
 save them1 has he not assured them they
 will not perish8 ,if he is unjust and  
cruel1 this ,god is not immutable1 and  
belies his character2 at least for a    
time he derogates from the perfections  
which we should expect to find in him4  
,what would you think of a king1 who1   
during a particular time1 would discover
 to his favorites traits the most       
frightful1 in order that they might     
incur his disgrace1 and who should      
afterwards insist on their believing him
 a very good and amiable man1 to obtain 
his favor again8 ,would not such a      
prince be pronounced wicked1 fanciful1  
and tyrannical8 ,nevertheless1 this     
supposed prince might be pardoned by    
some1 if for his own interest1 and the  
better to assure himself of the         
attachment of his friends1 he might give
 them some smiles of his favor4 ,it is  

not so with ,god1 who knows all1 who can
 do all1 who has nothing to fear from   
the dispositions of his creatures4 ,from
 all these reasonings1 we may see that  
the ,deity1 whom the priests have       
conjured up1 plays a great game1 very   
ridiculous1 very unjust1 on the         
supposition that he tries his servants1 
and that he allows them to suffer in    
this world1 to prepare them for another4
 ,the theologians have not failed to    
discover motives in this conduct of ,god
 which they can as readily justify2 but 
these pretended motives are borrowed    
from the omnipotence of this being1 by  
his absolute power over his creatures1  
to whom he is not obliged to render an  
account of his actions2 but especially  
in this theology1 which professes to    
justify ,god1 do we not see it make him 
a despot and tyrant more hateful than   
any of his creatures8 ,i am1 c4         
,,letter ,v4 ,of the ,immortality of the
 ,soul1 and of the ,dogma of another    
,life  ,we have now1 ,madam1 come to the

 examination of the dogma of a future   
life1 in which it is supposed that the  
,divinity1 after causing men to pass    
through the temptations1 the trials1 and
 the difficulties of this life1 for the 
purpose of satisfying himself whether   
they are worthy of his love or his      
hatred1 will bestow the recompenses or  
inflict the chastisements which they    
deserved4 ,this dogma1 which is one of  
the capital points of the ,christian    
religion1 is founded on a great many    
hypotheses or suppositions1 which we    
have already glanced at1 and which we   
have shown to be absurd and incompatible
 with the notions which the same        
religion gives us of the ,deity4 ,in    
effect1 it supposes us capable of       
offending or pleasing the ,author of    
,nature1 of influencing his humor1 or   
exciting his passions2 afflicting1      
tormenting1 resisting1 and thwarting the
 plans of ,deity4 ,it supposes1         
moreover1 the free-will of man--a system
 which we have seen incompatible with   

the goodness1 justice1 and omnipotence  
of the ,deity4 ,it supposes1 further1   
that ,god has occasion of proving his   
creatures1 and making them1 if ,i may so
 speak1 pass a novitiate to know what   
they are worth when he shall square     
accounts with them4 ,it supposes in     
,god1 who has created men for happiness 
only1 the inability to put1 by one grand
 effort1 all men in the road1 whence    
they may infallibly arrive at permanent 
felicity4 ,it supposes that man will    
survive himself1 or that the same being1
 after death1 will continue to think1 to
 feel1 and act as he did in this life4  
,in a word1 it supposes the immortality 
of the soul--an opinion unknown to the  
,jewish lawgiver1 who is totally silent 
on this topic to the people to whom ,god
 had manifested himself2 an opinion     
which even in the time of ,jesus ,christ
 one sect at ,jerusalem admitted1 while 
another sect rejected2 an opinion about 
which the ,messiah1 who came to instruct
 them1 deigned to fix the ideas of those

 who might deceive themselves in this   
respect2 an opinion which appears to    
have been engendered in ,egypt1 or in   
,india1 anterior to the ,jewish         
religion1 but which was unknown among   
the ,hebrews till they took occasion to 
instruct themselves in the ,pagan       
philosophy of the ,greeks1 and doctrines
 of ,plato4  ,whatever might be the     
origin of this doctrine1 it was eagerly 
adopted by the ,christians1 who judged  
it very convenient to their system of   
religion1 all the parts of which are    
founded on the marvellous1 and which    
made it a crime to admit any truths     
agreeable to reason and common sense4   
,thus1 without going back to the        
inventors of this inconceivable dogma1  
let us examine dispassionately what this
 opinion really is2 let us endeavor to  
penetrate to the principles on which it 
is supported2 let us adopt it1 if we    
shall find it an idea conformable to    
reason2 let us reject it1 if it shall   
appear destitute of proof1 and at       

variance with common sense1 even though 
it had been received as an established  
truth in all antiquity1 though it may   
have been adopted by many millions of   
mankind4  ,those who maintain the       
opinion of the soul's immortality1      
regard it--that is1 the soul--as a being
 distinct from the body1 as a substance1
 or essence1 totally different from the 
corporeal frame1 and they designate it  
by the name of spirit4 ,if we ask them  
what a spirit is1 they tell us it is not
 matter2 and if we ask them what they   
understand by that which is not matter1 
which is the only thing of which we     
cannot form an idea1 they tell us it is 
a spirit4 ,in general1 it is easy to see
 that men the most savage1 as well as   
the most subtle thinkers1 make use of   
the word spirit to designate all the    
causes of which they cannot form clear  
notions2 hence the word spirit hath been
 used to designate a being of which none
 can form any idea4  ,notwithstanding1  
the divines pretend that this unknown   

being1 entirely different from the body1
 of a substance which has nothing       
conformable with itself1 is1            
nevertheless1 capable of setting the    
body in motion2 and this1 doubtless1 is 
a mystery very inconceivable4 ,we have  
noticed the alliance between this       
spiritual substance and the material    
body1 whose functions it regulates4 ,as 
the divines have supposed that matter   
could neither think1 nor will1 nor      
perceive1 they have believed that it    
might conceive much better those        
operations attributed to a being of     
which they had ideas less clear than    
they can form of matter4 ,in            
consequence1 they have imagined many    
gratuitous suppositions to explain the  
union of the soul with the body4 ,in    
fine1 in the impossibility of overcoming
 the insurmountable barriers which      
oppose them1 the priests have made man  
twofold1 by supposing that he contains  
something distinct from himself2 they   
have cut through all difficulties by    

saying that this union is a great       
mystery1 which man cannot understand2   
and they have everlasting recourse to   
the omnipotence of ,god1 to his supreme 
will1 to the miracles which he has      
always wrought2 and those last are      
never-failing1 final resources1 which   
the theologians reserve for every case  
wherein they can find no other mode of  
escaping gracefully from the argument of
 their adversaries4  ,you see1 then1 to 
what we reduce all the jargon of the    
metaphysicians1 all the profound        
reveries which for so many ages have    
been so industriously hawked about in   
defence of the soul of man2 an          
immaterial substance1 of which no living
 being can form an idea2 a spirit1 that 
is to say1 a being totally different    
from any thing we know4 ,all the        
theological verbiage ends here1 by      
telling us1 in a round of pompous       
terms1--fooleries that impose on the    
ignorant1--that we do not know what     
essence the soul is of2 but we call it a

 spirit because of its nature1 and      
because we feel ourselves agitated by   
some unknown agent2 we cannot comprehend
 the mechanism of the soul2 yet can we  
feel ourselves moved1 as it were1 by an 
effect of the power of ,god1 whose      
essence is far removed from ours1 and   
more concealed from us than the human   
soul itself4 ,by the aid of this        
language1 from which you cannot possibly
 learn any thing1 you will be as wise1  
,madam1 as all the theologians in the   
world4  ,if you would desire to form    
ideas the most precise of yourself1     
banish from you the prejudices of a vain
 theology1 which only consists in       
repeating words without attaching any   
new ideas to them1 and which are        
insufficient to distinguish the soul    
from the body1 which appear only capable
 of multiplying beings without reason1  
of rendering more incomprehensible and  
more obscure1 notions less distinct than
 we already have of ourselves4 ,these   
notions should be at least the most     

simple and the most exact1 if we consult
 our nature1 experience1 and reason4    
,they prove that man knows nothing but  
by his material sensible organs1 that he
 sees only by his eyes1 that he feels by
 his touch1 that he hears by his ears2  
and that when either of these organs is 
actually deranged1 or has been          
previously wanting1 or imperfect1 man   
can have none of the ideas that organ is
 capable of furnishing him              
with1--neither thoughts1 memory1        
reflection1 judgment1 desire1 nor will4 
,experience shows us that corporeal and 
material beings are alone capable of    
being moved and acted upon1 and that    
without those organs we have enumerated 
the soul thinks not1 feels not1 wills   
not1 nor is moved4 ,every thing shows us
 that the soul undergoes always the same
 vicissitudes as the body2 it grows to  
maturity1 gains strength1 becomes weak1 
and puts on old age1 like the body2 in  
fine1 every thing we can understand of  
it goes to prove that it perishes with  

the body4 ,it is indeed folly to pretend
 that man will feel when he has no      
organs appropriate for that sentiment2  
that he will see and hear without eyes  
or ears2 that he will have ideas without
 having senses to receive impressions   
from physical objects1 or to give rise  
to perceptions in his understanding2 in 
fine1 that he will enjoy or suffer when 
he has no longer either nerves or       
sensibility4  ,thus every thing         
conspires to prove that the soul is the 
same thing as the body1 viewed          
relatively to some of its functions1    
which are more obscure than others4     
,every thing serves to convince us that 
without the body the soul is nothing1   
and that all the operations which are   
attributed to the soul cannot be        
exercised any longer when the body is   
destroyed4 ,our body is a machine1      
which1 so long as we live1 is           
susceptible of producing the effects    
which have been designated under        
different names1 one from another2      

sentiment is one of these effects1      
thought is another1 reflection a third4 
,this last passes sometimes by other    
names1 and our brain appears to be the  
seat of all our organs2 it is that which
 is the most susceptible4 ,this organic 
machine1 once destroyed or deranged1 is 
no longer capable of producing the same 
effects1 or of exercising the same      
functions4 ,it is with our body as it is
 with a watch which indicates the hours1
 and which goes not if the spring or a  
pinion be broken4 ,cease1 ,eugenia1     
cease to torment yourself about the fate
 which shall attend you when death will 
have separated you from all that is dear
 on earth4 ,after the dissolution of    
this life1 the soul shall cease to      
exist2 those devouring flames with which
 you have been threatened by the priests
 will have no effect upon the soul1     
which can neither be susceptible then of
 pleasures nor pains1 of agreeable or   
sorrowful ideas1 of lively or doleful   
reflections4  ,it is only by means of   

the bodily organs that we feel1 think1  
and are merry or sad1 happy or          
miserable2 this body once reduced to    
dust1 we will have neither perceptions  
nor sensations1 and1 by consequence1    
neither memory nor ideas2 the dispersed 
particles will no longer have the same  
qualities they possessed when united2   
nor will they any longer conspire to    
produce the same effects4 ,in a word1   
the body being destroyed1 the soul1     
which is merely a result of all the     
parts of the body in action1 will cease 
to be what it is2 it will be reduced to 
nothing with the life's breath4  ,our   
teachers pretend to understand the soul 
well2 they profess to be able to        
distinguish it from the body2 in short1 
they can do nothing without it2 and     
therefore1 to keep up the farce1 they   
have been compelled to admit the        
ridiculous dogma of the ,persians1 known
 by the name of the resurrection4  ,this
 system supposes that the particles of  
the body which have been scattered at   

death will be collected at the last day1
 to be replaced in their primitive      
condition4 ,but that this strange       
phenomenon may take place1 it is        
necessary that the particles of our     
destroyed bodies1 of which some have    
been converted into earth1 others have  
passed into plants1 others into animals1
 some of one species1 others of another1
 even of our own2 it is requisite1 ,i   
say1 that these particles1 of which some
 have been mixed with the waters of the 
deep1 others have been carried on the   
wings of the wind1 and which have       
successively belonged to many different 
men1 should be reunited to reproduce the
 individual to whom they formerly       
belonged4 ,if you cannot get over this  
impossibility1 the theologians will     
explain it to you by saying1 very       
briefly1 ,ah6 it is a profound mystery1 
which we cannot comprehend4 ,they will  
inform you that the resurrection is a   
miracle1 a supernatural effect1 which is
 to result from the divine power4 ,it is

 thus they overcome all the difficulties
 which the good sense of a few opposes  
to their rhapsodies4  ,if1 perchance1   
,madam1 you do not wish to remain       
content with these sublime reasons1     
against which your good sense will      
naturally revolt1 the clergy will       
endeavor to seduce your imagination by  
vague pictures of the ineffable delights
 which will be enjoyed in ,paradise by  
the souls and bodies of those who have  
adopted their reveries2 they will aver  
that you cannot refuse to believe them  
upon their mere word without            
encountering the eternal indignation of 
a ,god of pity2 and they will attempt to
 alarm your fancy by frightful          
delineations of the cruel torments which
 a ,god of goodness has prepared for the
 greater number of his creatures4  ,but 
if you consider the thing coolly1 you   
will perceive the futility of their     
flattering promises and of their puny   
threatenings1 which are uttered merely  
to catch the unwary4 ,you may easily    

discover that if it could be true that  
man shall survive himself1 ,god1 in     
recompensing him1 would only recompense 
himself for the grace which he had      
granted2 and when he punished him1 he   
punished him for not receiving the grace
 which he had hardened him against      
receiving4 ,this line of conduct1 so    
cruel and barbarous1 appears equally    
unworthy of a wise ,god as it is of a   
being perfectly good4  ,if your mind1   
proof against the terrors with which the
 ,christian religion penetrates its     
sectaries1 is capable of contemplating  
these frightful circumstances1 which it 
is imagined will accompany the          
carefully-invented punishments which    
,god has destined for the victims of his
 vengeance1 you will find that they are 
impossible1 and totally incompatible    
with the ideas which they themselves    
have put forth of the ,divinity4 ,in a  
word1 you will perceive that the        
chastisements of another life are but a 
crowd of chimeras1 invented to disturb  

human reason1 to subjugate it beneath   
the feet of imposture1 to annihilate    
forever the repose of slaves whom the   
priesthood would inthrall and retain    
under its yoke4  ,in short1 ,eugenia1   
the priests would make you believe that 
these torments will be horrible1--a     
thing which accords not with our ideas  
of ,god's goodness2 they tell you they  
will be eternal1--a thing which accords 
not with our ideas of the justice of    
,god1 who1 one would very naturally     
suppose1 will proportion chastisements  
to faults1 and who1 by consequence1 will
 not punish without end the beings whose
 actions are bounded by time4 ,they tell
 us that the offences against ,god are  
infinite1 and1 by consequence1 that the 
,divinity1 without doing violence to his
 justice1 may avenge himself as ,god1   
that is to say1 avenge himself to       
infinity4 ,in this case ,i shall say    
that this ,god is not good2 that he is  
vindictive1 a character which always    
announces fear and weakness4 ,in fine1  

,i shall say that among the imperfect   
beings who compose the human species1   
there is not1 perhaps1 a single one who1
 without some advantage to himself1     
without personal fear1 in a word1       
without folly1 would consent to punish  
everlastingly the wretch who might have 
the misfortune to offend him1 but who no
 longer had either the ability or the   
inclination to commit another offence4  
,caligula found1 at least1 some little  
amusement to forsake for a time the     
cares of government1 and enjoy the      
spectacle of punishment which he        
inflicted on those unfortunate men whom 
he had an interest in destroying4 ,but  
what advantage can it be to ,god to heap
 on the damned everlasting torments8    
,will this amuse him8 ,will their       
frightful punishments correct their     
faults8 ,can these examples of the      
divine severity be of any service to    
those on earth1 who witness not their   
friends in hell8 ,will it not be the    
most astonishing of all the miracles of 

,deity to make the bodies of the damned 
invulnerable1 to resist1 through the    
ceaseless ages of eternity1 the         
frightful torments destined for them8   
,you see1 then1 ,madam1 that the ideas  
which the priests give us of hell make  
of ,god a being infinitely more         
insensible1 more wicked and cruel than  
the most barbarous of men4 ,they add to 
all this that it will be the ,devil and 
the apostate angels1 that is to say1 the
 enemies of ,god1 whom he will employ as
 the ministers of his implacable        
vengeance4 ,these wicked spirits1 then1 
will execute the commands which this    
severe judge will pronounce against men 
at the last judgment4 ,for you must     
know1 ,madam1 that a ,god who knows all 
will at some future time take an account
 of what he already knows4 ,so1 then1   
not content with judging men at death1  
he will assemble the whole human race   
with great pomp at the last or general  
judgment1 in which he will confirm his  
sentence in the view of the whole human 

race1 assembled to receive their doom4  
,thus on the wreck of the world will he 
pronounce a definitive judgment1 from   
which there will be no appeal4  ,but1 in
 attending this memorable judgment1 what
 will become of the souls of men1       
separated from their bodies1 which have 
not yet been resuscitated8 ,the souls of
 the just will go directly to enjoy the 
blessings of ,paradise2 but what is to  
become of the immense crowd of souls    
imbued with faults or crimes1 and on    
whom the infallible parsons1 who are so 
well instructed in what is passing in   
another world1 cannot speak with        
certainty as to their fate8 ,according  
to some of these wiseacres1 ,god will   
place the souls of such as are not      
wholly displeasing to him in a place of 
punishment1 where1 by rigorous torments1
 they shall have the merit of expiating 
the faults with which they may stand    
chargeable at death4 ,according to this 
fine system1 so profitable to our       
spiritual guides1 ,god has found it the 

most simple method to build a fiery     
furnace for the special purpose of      
tormenting a certain proportion of souls
 who have not been sufficiently purified
 at death to enter ,paradise1 but who1  
after leaving them some years united    
with the body1 and giving them time     
necessary to arrive at that amendment of
 life by which they may become partakers
 of the supreme felicity of heaven1     
ordains that they shall expiate their   
offences in torment4 ,it is on this     
ridiculous notion that our priests have 
bottomed the doctrine of purgatory1     
which every good ,catholic is obliged to
 believe for the benefit of the priests1
 who reserve to themselves1 as is very  
reasonable1 the power of compelling by  
their prayers a just and immutable ,god 
to relax in his sternness1 and liberate 
the captive souls1 which he had only    
condemned to undergo this purgation in  
order that they might be made meet for  
the joys of ,paradise4  ,with respect to
 the ,protestants1 who are1 as every one

 knows1 heretics and impious1 you will  
observe that they pretend not to those  
lucrative views of the ,roman doctors4  
,on the contrary1 they think that1 at   
the instant of death1 every man is      
irrevocably judged2 that he goes        
directly to glory or into a place of    
punishment1 to suffer the award of evil 
by the enduring of punishments for which
 ,god had eternally prepared both the   
sufferer and his torments6 ,even before 
the reunion of soul and body at the     
final judgment1 they fancy that the soul
 of the wicked 7which1 on the principle 
of all souls being spirits1 must be the 
same in essence as the soul of the      
elect17 will1 though deprived of those  
organs by which it felt1 and thought1   
and acted1 be capable of undergoing the 
agency or action of a fire6 ,it is true 
that some ,protestant theologians tell  
us that the fire of hell is a spiritual 
fire1 and1 by consequence1 very         
different from the material fire vomited
 out of ,vesuvius1 and ,a,etna1 and     

,hecla4 ,nor ought we to doubt that     
these informed doctors of the           
,protestant faith know very well what   
they say1 and that they have as precise 
and clear ideas of a spiritual fire as  
they have of the ineffable joys of      
,paradise1 which may be as spiritual as 
the punishment of the damned in hell4   
,such are1 ,madam1 in a few words1 the  
absurdities1 not less revolting than    
ridiculous1 which the dogmas of a future
 life and of the immortality of the soul
 have engendered in the minds of men4   
,such are the phantoms which have been  
invented and propagated1 to seduce and  
alarm mortals1 to excite their hopes and
 their fears2 such the illusions that so
 powerfully operate on weak and feeling 
beings4 ,but as melancholy ideas have   
more effect upon the imagination than   
those which are agreeable1 the priests  
have always insisted more forcibly on   
what men have to fear on the part of a  
terrible ,god than on what they have to 
hope from the mercy of a forgiving      

,deity1 full of goodness4 ,princes the  
most wicked are infinitely more         
respected than those who are famed for  
indulgence and humanity4 ,the priests   
have had the art to throw us into       
uncertainty and mistrust by the twofold 
character which they have given the     
,divinity4 ,if they promise us          
salvation1 they tell us that we must    
work it out for ourselves1 with fear and
 trembling4 ,it is thus that they have  
contrived to inspire the minds of the   
most honest men with dismay and doubt1  
repeating without ceasing that time only
 must disclose who are worthy of the    
divine love1 or who are to be the       
objects of the divine wrath4 ,terror has
 been and always will be the most       
certain means of corrupting and         
enslaving the mind of man4  ,they will  
tell us1 doubtless1 that the terrors    
which religion inspires are salutary    
terrors2 that the dogma of another life 
is a bridle sufficiently powerful to    
prevent the commission of crimes and    

restrain men within the path of duty4   
,to undeceive one's self of this maxim1 
so often thundered in our ears1 and so  
generally adopted on the authority of   
the priests1 we have only to open our   
eyes4 ,nevertheless1 we see some        
,christians thoroughly persuaded of     
another life1 who1 notwithstanding1     
conduct themselves as if they had       
nothing to fear on the part of a ,god of
 vengeance1 nor any thing to hope from a
 ,god of mercy4 ,when any of these are  
engaged in some great project1 at all   
times they are tempted by some strong   
passion or by some bad habit1 they shut 
their eyes on another life1 they see not
 the enraged judge1 they suffer         
themselves to sin1 and when it is       
committed1 they comfort themselves by   
saying1 that ,god is good4  ,besides1   
they console themselves by the same     
contradictory religion which shows them 
also this same ,god1 whom it represents 
so susceptible of wrath1 as full of     
mercy1 bestowing his grace on all those 

who are sensible of their evils and     
repent ,in a word1 ,i see none whom the 
fears of hell will restrain when passion
 or interest solicit obedience4 ,the    
very priests who make so many efforts to
 convince us of their dogmas too often  
evince more wickedness of conduct than  
we find in those who have never heard   
one word about another life4 ,those who 
from infancy have been taught these     
terrifying lessons are neither less     
debauched1 nor less proud1 nor less     
passionate1 nor less unjust1 nor less   
avaricious than others who have lived   
and died ignorant of ,christian         
purgatory and ,paradise4 ,in fine1 the  
dogma of another life has little or no  
influence on them2 it annihilates none  
of their passions2 it is a bridle merely
 with some few timid souls1 who1 without
 its knowledge1 would never have the    
hardihood to be guilty of any great     
excesses4 ,this dogma is very fit to    
disturb the quiet of some honest1       
timorous persons1 and the credulous1    

whose imagination it inflames1 without  
ever staying the hand of great rogues1  
without imposing on them more than the  
decency of civilization and a specious  
morality of life1 restrained chiefly by 
the coercion of public laws4  ,in short1
 to sum all up in one thought1 ,i behold
 a religion gloomy and formidable to    
make impressions very lively1 very deep1
 and very dangerous on a mind such as   
yours1 although it makes but very       
momentary impressions on the minds of   
such as are hardened in crime1 or whose 
dissipation destroys constantly the     
effects of its threats4 ,more lively    
affected than others by your principles1
 you have been but too often and too    
seriously occupied for your happiness by
 gloomy and harassing objects1 which    
have powerfully affected your sensible  
imagination1 though the same phantoms   
that have pursued you have been         
altogether banished from the mind of    
those who have had neither your virtues1
 your understanding1 nor your           

sensibility4  ,according to his         
principles1 a ,christian must always    
live in fear2 he can never know with    
certainty whether he pleases or         
displeases ,god2 the least movement of  
pride or of covetousness1 the least     
desire1 will suffice to merit the divine
 anger1 and lose in one moment the      
fruits of years of devotion4 ,it is not 
surprising that1 with these frightful   
principles before them1 many ,christians
 should endeavor to find in solitude    
employment for their lugubrious         
reflections1 where they may avoid the   
occasions that solicit them to do wrong1
 and embrace such means as are most     
likely1 according to their notions of   
the likelihood of the thing1 to expiate 
the faults which they fancy might incur 
the eternal vengeance of ,god4  ,thus   
the dark notions of a future life leave 
those only in peace who think slightly  
upon it2 and they are very disconsolate 
to all those whose temperament          
determines them to contemplate it4 ,they

 are but the atrocious ideas1 however1  
which the priests study to give us of   
the ,deity1 and by which they have      
compelled so many worthy people to throw
 themselves into the arms of            
incredulity4 ,if some libertines1       
incapable of reasoning1 abjure a        
religion troublesome to their passions1 
or which abridges their pleasures1 there
 are very many who have maturely        
examined it1 that have been disgusted   
with it1 because they could not consent 
to live in the fears it engendered1 nor 
to nourish the despair it created4 ,they
 have then abjured this religion1 fit   
only to fill the soul with inquietudes1 
that they might find in the bosom of    
reason the repose which it insures to   
good sense4  ,times of the greatest     
crimes are always times of the greatest 
ignorance4 ,it is in these times1 or    
usually so1 that the greatest noise is  
made about religion4 ,men then follow   
mechanically1 and without examination1  
the tenets which their priests impose on

 them1 without ever diving to the bottom
 of their doctrines4 ,in proportion as  
mankind become enlightened1 great crimes
 become more rare1 the manners of men   
are more polished1 the sciences are     
cultivated1 and the religion which they 
have coolly and carefully examined loses
 sensibly its credit4 ,it is thus that  
we see so many incredulous people in the
 bosom of society become more agreeable 
and complacent now than formerly1 when  
it depended on the caprice of a priest  
to involve them in troubles1 and to     
invite the people to crimes in the hope 
of thereby meriting heaven4  ,religion  
is consoling only to those who have no  
embarrassment about it2 the indefinite  
and vague recompense which it promises1 
without giving ideas of it1 is made to  
deceive those who make no reflections on
 the impatient1 variable1 false1 and    
cruel character which this religion     
gives of its ,god4 ,but how can it make 
any promises on the part of a ,god whom 
it represents as a tempter1 a           

seducer--who appears1 moreover1 to take 
pleasure in laying the most dangerous   
snares for his weak creatures8 ,how can 
it reckon on the favors of a ,god full  
of caprice1 who it alternately informs  
us is replete with tenderness or with   
hatred8 ,by what right does it hold out 
to us the rewards of a despotic and     
tyrannical ,god1 who does or does not   
choose men for happiness1 and who       
consults only his own fantasy to destine
 some of his creatures to bliss and     
others to perdition8 ,nothing1          
doubtless1 but the blindest enthusiasm  
could induce mortals to place confidence
 in such a ,god as the priests have     
feigned2 it is to folly alone we must   
attribute the love some well-meaning    
people profess to the ,god of the       
parsons2 it is matchless extravagance   
alone that could prevail on men to      
reckon on the unknown rewards which are 
promised them by this religion1 at the  
same time that it assures us that ,god  
is the author of grace1 but that we have

 no right to expect any thing from him4 
,in a word1 ,madam1 the notions of      
another life1 far from consoling1 are   
fit only to imbitter all the sweets of  
the present life4 ,after the sad and    
gloomy ideas which ,christianity1 always
 at variance with itself1 presents us   
with of its ,god1 it then affirms1 that 
we are much more likely to incur his    
terrible chastisements1 than possessed  
of power by which we may merit ineffable
 rewards2 and it proceeds to inform us1 
that ,god will give grace to whomsoever 
he pleases1 yet it remains with them99  
selves whether they escape damnation2   
and a life the most spotless cannot     
warrant them to presume that they are   
worthy of his favor4 ,in good truth1    
would not total annihilation be         
preferable to such beings1 rather than  
falling into the hands of a ,deity so   
hard-hearted8 ,would not every man of   
sense prefer the idea of complete       
annihilation to that of a future        
existence1 in order to be the sport of  

the eternal caprice of a ,deity1 so     
cruel as to damn and torment1 without   
end1 the unfortunate beings whom he     
created so weak1 that he might punish   
them for faults inseparable from their  
nature8 ,if ,god is good1 as we are     
assured1 notwithstanding the cruelties  
of which the priests suppose him        
capable1 is it not more consonant to all
 our ideas of a being perfectly good1 to
 believe that he did not create them to 
sport with them in a state of eternal   
damnation1 which they had not the power 
of choosing1 or of rejecting and        
shunning8 ,has not ,god treated the     
beasts of the field more favorably than 
he has treated man1 since he has        
exempted them from sin1 and by          
consequence has not exposed them to     
suffer an eternal unhappiness8  ,the    
dogma of the immortality of the soul1 or
 of a future life1 presents nothing     
consoling in the ,christian religion4   
,on the contrary1 it is calculated      
expressly to fill the heart of the      

,christian1 following out his           
principles1 with bitterness and         
continual alarm4 ,i appeal to yourself1 
,madam1 whether these sublime notions   
have-any thing consoling in them8       
,whenever this uncertain idea has       
presented itself to your mind1 has it   
not filled you with a cold and secret   
horror8 ,has the consciousness of a life
 so virtuous and so spotless as yours1  
secured you against those fears which   
are inspired by the idea of a being     
jealous1 severe1 capricious1 whose      
eternal disgrace the least fault is sure
 of incurring1 and in whose eyes the    
smallest weakness1 or freedom the most  
involuntary1 is sufficient to cancel    
years of strict observance of all the   
rules of religion8  ,i know very well   
what you will advance to support        
yourself in your prejudices4 ,the       
ministers of religion possess the secret
 of tempering the alarms which they have
 the art to excite4 ,they strive to     
inspire confidence in those minds which 

they discover accessible to fear4 ,they 
balance1 thus1 one passion against      
another4 ,they hold in suspense the     
minds of their slaves1 in the           
apprehension that too much confidence   
would only render them less pliable1 or 
that despair would force them to throw  
off the yoke4 ,to persons terribly      
frightened about their state after      
death1 they speak only of the hopes     
which we may entertain of the goodness  
of ,god4 ,to those who have too much    
confidence1 they preach up the terrors  
of the ,lord1 and the judgments of a    
severe ,god4 ,by this chicanery they    
contrive to subject or retain under     
their yoke all those who are weak enough
 to be led by the contradictory         
doctrines of these blind guides4  ,they 
tell you1 besides1 that the sentiment of
 the immortality of the soul is inherent
 in man2 that the soul is consumed by   
boundless desires1 and that since there 
is nothing on this earth capable of     
satisfying it1 these are indubitable    

proofs that it is destined to subsist   
eternally4 ,in a word1 that as we       
naturally desire to exist always1 we may
 naturally conclude that we shall always
 exist4 ,but what think you1 ,madam1 of 
such reasonings8 ,to what do they lead8 
,do we desire the continuation of this  
existence1 because it may be blessed and
 happy1 or because we know not what may 
become of us8 ,but we cannot desire a   
miserable existence1 or1 at least1 one  
in which it is more than probable we may
 be miserable rather than happy4 ,if1 as
 the ,christian religion so often       
repeats1 the number of the elect is very
 small1 and salvation very difficult1   
the number of the reprobate very great1 
and damnation very easily obtained1 who 
is he who would desire to exist always  
with so evident a risk of being         
eternally damned8 ,would it not have    
been better for us not to have been     
born1 than to have been compelled       
against our nature to play a game so    
fraught with peril8 ,does not           

annihilation itself present to us an    
idea preferable to that of an existence 
which may very easily lead us to eternal
 tortures8 ,suffer me1 ,madam1 to appeal
 to yourself4 ,if1 before you had come  
into this world1 you had had your choice
 of being born1 or of not seeing the    
light of this fair sun1 and you could   
have been made to comprehend1 but for   
one moment1 the hundred thousandth part 
of the risks you run to be eternally    
unhappy1 would you not have determined  
never to enjoy life8  ,it is an easy    
matter1 then1 to perceive the proofs on 
which the priests pretend to found this 
dogma of the immortality of the soul and
 'a future life4 ,the desire which we   
might have of it could only be founded  
on the hope of enjoying eternal         
happiness4 ,but does religion give us   
this assurance8 ,yes1 say the clergy1 if
 you submit faithfully to the rules it  
prescribes4 ,but to conform one's self  
to these rules1 is it not necessary to  
have grace from ,heaven8 ,and1 are we   

then sure we shall obtain that grace1 or
 if we do1 merit ,heaven8 ,do the       
priests not repeat to us1 without       
ceasing1 that ,god is the author of     
grace1 and that he only gives it to a   
small number of the elect8 ,do they not 
daily tell us that1 except one man1 who 
rendered himself worthy of this eternal 
happiness1 there are millions going the 
high road to damnation8 ,this being     
admitted1 every ,christian1 who reasons1
 would be a fool to desire a future     
existence which he has so many motives  
to fear1 or to reckon on a happiness    
which every thing conspires to show him 
is as uncertain1 as difficult to be     
obtained1 as it is unequivocally        
dependent on the fantasies of a         
capricious ,deity1 who sports with the  
misfortunes of his creatures4  ,under   
every point of view in which we regard  
the dogma of the soul's immortality1 we 
are compelled to consider it as a       
chimera invented by men who have        
realized their wishes1 or who have not  

been able to justify ,providence from   
the transitory injustices of this world4
 ,this dogma was received with avidity1 
because it flattered the desires1 and   
especially the vanity of man1 who       
arrogated to himself a superiority above
 all the beings that enjoy existence1   
and which he would pass by and reduce to
 mere clay2 who believed himself the    
favorite of ,god1 without ever taxing   
his attention with this other fact--that
 ,god makes him every instant experience
 vicissitudes1 calamities1 and trials1  
as all sentient natures experience2 that
 ,god made him1 in fine1 to undergo     
death1 or dissolution1 which is an      
invariable law that all that exists must
 find verified4 ,this haughty creature1 
who fancies himself a privileged being1 
alone agreeable to his ,maker1 does not 
perceive that there are stages in his   
life when his existence is more         
uncertain and much more weak than that  
of the other animals1 or even of some   
inanimate things4 ,man is unwilling to  

admit that he possesses not the strength
 of the lion1 nor the swiftness of the  
stag1 nor the durability of an oak1 nor 
the solidity of marble or metal4 ,he    
believes himself the greatest favorite1 
the most sublime1 the most noble2 he    
believes himself superior to all other  
animals because he possesses the        
faculties of thinking1 judging1 and     
reasoning4 ,but his thoughts only render
 him more wretched than all the animals 
whom he supposes deprived of this       
faculty1 or who1 at least1 he believes1 
do not enjoy it in the same degree with 
himself4 ,do not the faculties of       
thinking1 of remembering1 of foresight1 
too often render him unhappy by the very
 idea of the past1 the present1 and the 
future8 ,do not his passions drive him  
to excesses unknown to the other        
animals8 ,are his judgments always      
reasonable and wise8 ,is reason so      
largely developed in the great mass of  
men that the priests should interdict   
its use as dangerous8 ,are mankind      

sufficiently advanced in knowledge to be
 able to overcome the prejudices and    
chimeras which render them unhappy      
during the greatest part of their lives8
 ,in fine1 have the beasts some species 
of religious impressions1 which inspire 
continual terrors in their breast1      
making them look upon some awful event1 
which imbitters their softest pleasures1
 which enjoins them to torment          
themselves1 and which threatens them    
with eternal damnation8 ,no6  ,in truth1
 ,madam1 if you weigh in an equitable   
balance the pretended advantages of man 
above the other animals1 you will soon  
see how evanescent is this fictitious   
superiority which he has arrogated to   
himself4 ,we find that all the          
productions of nature are submitted to  
the same laws2 that all beings are only 
born to die2 they produce their like to 
destroy themselves2 that all sentient   
beings are compelled to undergo         
pleasures and pains2 they appear and    
they disappear2 they are and they cease 

to be2 they evince under one form that  
they will quit it to produce another4   
,such are the continual vicissitudes to 
which every thing that exists is        
evidently subjected1 and from which man 
is not exempt1 any more than the other  
beings and productions that he          
appropriates to his use as lord of the  
creation4 ,even our globe itself        
undergoes change2 the seas change their 
place2 the mountains are gathered in    
heaps or levelled into plains2 every    
thing that breathes is destroyed at     
last1 and man alone pretends to an      
eternal duration4  ,it is unnecessary to
 tell me that we degrade man when we    
compare him with the beasts1 deprived of
 souls and intelligence2 this is no     
levelling doctrine1 but one which places
 him exactly where nature places him1   
but from which his puerile vanity has   
unfortunately driven him4 ,all beings   
are equals2 under various and different 
forms they act differently2 they are    
governed in their appetites and passions

 by laws which are invariably the same  
for all of the same species2 every thing
 which is composed of parts will be     
dissolved2 every thing which has life   
must part with it at death2 all men are 
equally compelled to submit to this     
fate2 they are equal at death1 although 
during life their power1 their talents1 
and especially their virtues1 establish 
a marked difference1 which1 though real1
 is only momentary4 ,what will they be  
after death8 ,they will be exactly what 
they were ten years before they were    
born4  ,banish1 then1 ,eugenia1 from    
your mind forever the terrors which     
death has hitherto filled you with4 ,it 
is for the wretched a safe haven against
 the misfortunes of this life4 ,if it   
appears a cruel alternative to those who
 enjoy the good things of this world1   
why do they not console themselves with 
the idea of what they do actually enjoy8
 ,let them call reason to their aid2 it 
will calm the inquietudes of their      
imagination1 but too greatly alarmed2 it

 will disperse the clouds which religion
 spreads over their minds2 it will teach
 them that this death1 so terrible in   
apprehension1 is really nothing1 and    
that it will neither be accompanied with
 remembrance of past pleasures nor of   
sorrow now no more4  ,live1 then1 happy 
and tranquil1 amiable ,eugenia6         
,preserve carefully an existence so     
interesting and so necessary to all     
those with whom you live4 ,allow not    
your health to be injured1 nor trouble  
your quiet with melancholy ideas4       
,without being teased by the prospect of
 an event which has no right to disturb 
your repose1 cultivate virtue1 which has
 always been your favorite1 so necessary
 to your internal peace1 and which has  
rendered you so dear to all those who   
have the happiness of being your        
friends4 ,let your rank1 your credit1   
your riches1 your talents be employed to
 make others happy1 to support the      
oppressed1 to succor the unfortunate1 to
 dry up the tears of those whom you may 

have an opportunity of comforting6 ,let 
your mind be occupied about such        
agreeable and profitable employments as 
are likely to please you6 ,call in the  
aid of your reason to dissipate the     
phantoms which alarm you1 to efface the 
prejudices which you have imbibed in    
early life6 ,in a word1 comfort         
yourself1 and remember that in          
practising virtue1 as you do1 you cannot
 become an object of hatred to ,god1    
who1 if he has reserved in eternity     
rigorous punishments for the social     
virtues1 will be the strangest1 the most
 cruel1 and the most insensible of      
beings6  ,you demand of me1 perhaps1 ,in
 destroying the idea of another world1  
what is to become of the remorse1 those 
chastisements so useful to mankind1 and 
so well calculated to restrain them     
within the bounds of propriety8 ,i      
reply1 that remorse will always subsist 
as long as we shall be capable of       
feeling its pangs1 even when we cease to
 fear the distant and uncertain         

vengeance of the ,divinity4 ,in the     
commission of crimes1 in allowing one's 
self to be the sport of passion1 in     
injuring our species1 in refusing to do 
them good1 in stifling pity1 every man  
whose reason is not totally deranged    
perceives clearly that he will render   
himself odious to others1 that he ought 
to fear their enmity4 ,he will blush1   
then1 if he thinks he has rendered      
himself hateful and detestable in their 
eyes4 ,he knows the continual need he   
has of their esteem and assistance4     
,experience proves to him that vices the
 moat concealed are injurious to        
himself4 ,he lives in perpetual fear    
lest some mishap should unfold his      
weaknesses and secret faults4 ,it is    
from all these ideas that we are to look
 for regret and remorse1 even in those  
who do not believe in the chimeras of   
another world4 ,with regard to those    
whose reason is deranged1 those who are 
enervated by their passions1 or perhaps 
linked to vice by the chains of habit1  

even with the prospect of hell open     
before them1 they will neither live less
 vicious nor less wicked4 ,an avenging  
,god will never inflict on any man such 
a total want of reason as may make him  
regardless of public opinion1 trample   
decency under foot1 brave the laws1 and 
expose himself to derision and human    
chastisements4 ,every man of sense      
easily understands that in this world   
the esteem and affection of others are  
necessary for his happiness1 and that   
life is but a burden to those who by    
their vices injure themselves1 and      
render themselves reprehensible in the  
eyes of society4  ,the true means1      
,madam1 of living happy in this world is
 to do good to your fellow-creatures2 to
 labor for the happiness of your species
 is to have virtue1 and with virtue we  
can peaceably and without remorse       
approach the term which nature has fixed
 equally for all beings--a term that    
your youth causes you now to see only at
 a distance--a term that you ought not  

to accelerate by your fears--a term1 in 
fine1 that the cares and desires of all 
those who know you will seek to put off 
till8 full of days and contented with   
the part you have played in the scene of
 the world1 you shall yourself desire to
 gently reenter the bosom of nature4  ,i
 am1 c4     ,,letter ,,vi4 ,of the      
,mysteries1 ,sacraments1 and ,religious 
,ceremonies of ,christianity  ,the      
reflections1 ,madam1 which ,i have      
already offered you in these letters    
ought1 ,i conceive1 to have sufficed to 
undeceive you1 in a great measure1 of   
the lugubrious and afflicting notions   
with which you have been inspired by    
religious prejudices4 ,however1 to      
fulfil the task which you have imposed  
on me1 and to assist you in freeing     
yourself from the unfavorable ideas you 
may have imbibed from a system replete  
with irrelevancies and contradictions1  
,i shall continue to examine the strange
 mysteries with which ,christianity is  
garnished4 ,they are founded on ideas so

 odd and so contrary to reason1 that if 
from infancy we had not been            
familiarized with them1 we should blush 
at our species in having for one instant
 believed and adopted them4  ,the       
,christians1 scarcely content with the  
crowd of enigmas with which the books of
 the ,jews are filled1 have besides     
fancied they must add to them a great   
many incomprehensible mysteries1 for    
which they have the most profound       
veneration4 ,their impenetrable         
obscurity appears to be a sufficient    
motive among them for adding these4     
,their priests1 encouraged by their     
credulity1 which nothing can outdo1 seem
 to be studious to multiply the articles
 of their faith1 and the number of      
inconceivable objects which they have   
said must be received with submission1  
and adored even if not understood4  ,the
 first of these mysteries is the        
,trinity1 which supposes that one ,god1 
self-existent1 who is a pure spirit1 is1
 nevertheless1 composed of three        

,divinities1 which have obtained the    
names of persons4 ,these three ,gods1   
who are designated under the respective 
names of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the 
,holy ,ghost1 are1 nevertheless1 but one
 ,god only1 ,these three persons are    
equal in power1 in wisdom1 in           
perfections2 yet the second is          
subordinate to the first1 in consequence
 of which he was compelled to become a  
man1 and be the victim of the wrath of  
his ,father4 ,this is what the priests  
call the mystery of the incarnation4    
,notwithstanding his innocence1 his     
perfection1 his purity1 the ,son of ,god
 became the object of the vengeance of a
 just ,god1 who is the same as the ,son 
in question1 but who would not consent  
to appease himself but by the death of  
his own ,son1 who is a portion of       
himself4 ,the ,son of ,god1 not content 
with becoming man1 died without having  
sinned1 for the salvation of men who had
 sinned4 ,god preferred to the          
punishment of imperfect beings1 whom he 

did not choose to amend1 the punishment 
of his only ,son1 full of divine        
perfections4 ,the death of ,god became  
necessary to reclaim the human kind from
 the slavery of ,satan1 who without that
 would not have quitted his prey1 and   
who has been found sufficiently powerful
 against the ,omnipotent to oblige him  
to sacrifice his ,son4 ,this is what the
 priests designate by the name of the   
mystery of redemption4  ,it is assuredly
 sufficient to expose such opinions to  
demonstrate their absurdity4 ,it is     
evident1 if there exists only a single  
,god1 there cannot be three4 ,we may1 it
 is true1 contemplate the ,deity after  
the manner of ,plato1 who1 before the   
birth of ,christianity1 exhibited him   
under three different points of view1   
that is to say1 as all-wise1 as         
all-powerful1 as full of reason1 and as 
infinite in goodness2 but it was verily 
the excess of delirium to personify     
these three divine qualities1 or        
transform them into real beings4 ,we can

 readily imagine these moral attributes 
to be united in the same ,god1 but it is
 egregious folly to fashion them into   
three different ,gods2 nor will it      
remedy this metaphysical polytheism to  
assert that these three are one4        
,besides1 this revery never entered the 
head of the ,hebrew legislator4 ,the    
,eternal1 in revealing himself to       
,moses1 did not announce himself as     
triple4 ,there is not one syllable in   
the ,old ,testament about this ,trinity1
 although a notion so bizarre1 so       
marvellous1 and so little consonant with
 our ideas of a divine being1 deserved  
to have been formally announced1        
especially as it is the foundation and  
corner stone of the ,christian religion1
 which was from all eternity an object  
of the divine solicitude1 and on the    
establishment of which1 if we may credit
 our sapient priests1 ,god seems to have
 entertained serious thoughts long      
before1 the creation of the world4      
,nevertheless1 the second person1 or the

 second ,god of the ,trinity1 is        
revealed in flesh2 the ,son of ,god is  
made man4 ,but how could the pure       
,spirit who presides over the universe  
beget a son8 ,how could this son1 who   
before his incarnation was only a pure  
spirit1 combine that ethereal essence   
with a material body1 and envelop       
himself with it8 ,how could the divine  
nature amalgamate itself with the       
imperfect nature of man1 and how could  
an immense and infinite being1 as the   
,deity is represented1 be formed in the 
womb of a virgin8 ,after what manner    
could a pure spirit fecundate this      
favorite virgin8 ,did the ,son of ,god  
enjoy in the womb of his mother the     
faculties of omnipotence1 or was he like
 other children during his              
infancy1--weak1 liable to infirmities1  
sickness1 and intellectual imbecility1  
so conspicuous in the years of          
childhood2 and if so1 what1 during this 
period1 became of the divine wisdom and 
power8 ,in fine1 how could ,god suffer  

and die8 ,how could a just ,god consent 
that a ,god exempt from all sin should  
endure the chastisements which are due  
to sinners8 ,why did he not appease     
himself without immolating a victim so  
precious and so innocent8 ,what would   
you think of that sovereign who1 in the 
event of his subjects rebelling against 
him1 should forgive them all1 or a      
select number of them1 by putting to    
death his only and beloved son1 who had 
not rebelled8  ,the priests tell us that
 it was out of tenderness for the human 
kind that ,god wished to accomplish this
 sacrifice4 ,but ,i still ask if it     
would not have been more simple1 more   
conformable to all our ideas of ,deity1 
for ,god to pardon the iniquities of the
 human race1 or to have prevented them  
committing transgressions1 by placing   
them in a condition in which1 by their  
own will1 they should never have sinned8
 ,according to the entire system of the 
,christian religion1 it is evident that 
,god did only create the world to have  

an opportunity of immolating his ,son   
for the rebellious beings he might have 
formed and preserved immaculate4 ,the   
fall of the rebellious angels had no    
visible end to serve but to effect and  
hasten the fall of ,adam4 ,it appears   
from this system that ,god permitted the
 first man to sin that he might have the
 pleasure of showing his goodness in    
sacrificing his only begotten ,son to   
reclaim men from the thraldom of ,satan4
 ,he intrusted to ,satan as much power  
as might enable him to work the ruin of 
our race1 with the view of afterwards   
changing the projects of the great mass 
of mankind1 by making one ,god to die1  
and thereby destroy the power of the    
,devil on the earth4  ,but has ,god     
succeeded in these projects to the end  
he proposed8 ,are men entirely rescued  
from the dominion of ,satan8 ,are they  
not still the slaves of sin8 ,do they   
find themselves in the happy            
impossibility of kindling the divine    
wrath8 ,has the blood of the ,son of    

,god washed away the sins of the whole  
world8 ,do those who are reclaimed1     
those to whom he has made himself known1
 those who believe1 offend not against  
heaven8 ,has the ,deity1 who ought1     
without doubt1 to be perfectly satisfied
 with so memorable a sacrifice1 remitted
 to them the punishment of sin8 ,is it  
not necessary to do something more for  
them8 ,and since the death of his ,son1 
do we find the ,christians exempt from  
disease and from death8 ,nothing of all 
this has happened4 ,the measures taken  
from all eternity by the wisdom and     
prescience of a ,god who should find    
against his plans no obstacles have been
 overthrown4 ,the death of ,god himself 
has been of no utility to the world4    
,all the divine projects have militated 
against the free-will of man1 but they  
have not destroyed the power of ,satan4 
,man continues to sin and to die2 the   
,devil keeps possession of the field of 
battle2 and it is for a very small      
number of the elect that the ,deity     

consented to die4  ,you do indeed smile1
 ,madam1 at my being obliged seriously  
to combat such chimeras4 ,if they have  
something of the marvellous in them1 it 
is quite adapted to the heads of        
children1 not of men1 and ought not to  
be admitted by reasonable beings4 ,all  
the notions we can form of those things 
must be mysterious2 yet there is no     
subject more demonstrable1 according to 
those whose interest it is to have it   
believed1 though they are as incapable  
as ourselves to comprehend the matter4  
,for the priests to say that they       
believe such absurdities1 is to be      
guilty of manifest falsehood2 because a 
proposition to be believed must         
necessarily be understood4 ,to believe  
what they do not comprehend is to adhere
 sottishly to the absurdities of others2
 to believe things which are not        
comprehended by those who gossip about  
them is the height of folly2 to believe 
blindly the mysteries of the ,christian 
religion is to admit contradictions of  

which they who declare them are not     
convinced4 ,in fine1 is it necessary to 
abandon one's reason among absurdities  
that have been received without         
examination from ancient priests1 who   
were either the dupes of more knowing   
men1 or themselves the impostors who    
fabricated the tales in question8  ,if  
you ask of me how men have not long ago 
been shocked by such absurd and         
unintelligible reveries1 ,i shall       
proceed1 in my turn1 to explain to you  
this secret of the church1 this mystery 
of our priests4 ,it is not necessary1 in
 doing this1 to pay any attention to    
those general dispositions of man1      
especially when he is ignorant and      
incapable of reasoning4 ,all men are    
curious1 inquisitive2 their curiosity   
spurs them on to inquiry1'and their     
imagination busies itself to clothe with
 mystery every thing the fancy conjures 
up as important to happiness4 ,the      
vulgar mistake even what they have the  
means of knowing1 or1 which is the same 

thing1 what they are least practised in 
they are dazzled with2 they proclaim it1
 accordingly1 marvellous1 prodigious1   
extraordinary2 it is a phenomenon4 ,they
 neither admire nor respect much what is
 always visible to their eyes2 but      
whatever strikes their imagination1     
whatever gives scope to the mind1       
becomes itself the fruitful source of   
other ideas far more extravagant4 ,the  
priests have had the art to prevail on  
the people to believe in their secret   
correspondence with the ,deity2 they    
have been thence much respected1 and in 
all countries their professed           
intercourse with an unseen ,divinity has
 given room for their announcement of   
things the most marvellous and          
mysterious4  ,besides1 the ,divinity    
being a being whose impenetrable essence
 is veiled from mortal sight1 it has    
been commonly admitted by the ignorant1 
that what could not be seen by mortal   
eye must necessarily be divine4 ,hence  
sacred1 mysterious1 and divine1 are     

synonymous terms2 and these imposing    
words have sufficed to place the human  
race on their knees to adore what seeks 
not their inflated devotion4  ,the three
 mysteries which ,i have examined are   
received unanimously by all sects of    
,christians2 but there are others on    
which the theologians are not agreed4   
,in fine1 we see men1 who1 after they   
have admitted1 without repugnance1 a    
certain number of absurdities1 stop all 
of a sudden in the way1 and refuse to   
admit more4 ,the ,christian ,protestants
 are in this case4 ,they reject1 with   
disdain1 the mysteries for which the    
,church of ,rome shows the greatest     
respect2 and yet1 in the matter of      
mysteries1 it is indeed difficult to    
designate the point where the mind ought
 to stop4  ,seeing1 then1 that our      
doctors1 better advised1 undoubtedly1   
than those of the ,protestants1 have    
adroitly multiplied mysteries1 one is   
naturally led to conclude1 they         
despaired of governing the mind of man1 

if there was any thing in their religion
 that was clear1 intelligible1 and      
natural4 ,more mysterious than the      
priests of ,egypt itself1 they have     
found means to change every thing into  
mystery2 the very movements of the body1
 usages the most indifferent1 ceremonies
 the most frivolous1 have become1 in the
 powerful hands of the priests1 sublime 
and divine mysteries4 ,in the ,roman    
religion all is magic1 all is prodigy1  
all is supernatural4 ,in the decisions  
of our theologians1 the side which they 
espouse is almost always that which is  
the most abhorrent to reason1 the most  
calculated to confound and overthrow    
common sense4 ,in consequence1 our      
priests are by far the most rich1       
powerful1 and considerable4 ,the        
continual want which we have of their   
aid to obtain from ,heaven that grace   
which it is their province to bring down
 for us1 places us in continual         
dependence on those marvellous men who  
have received their commission to treat 

with the ,deity1 and become the         
ambassadors between ,heaven and us4     
,each of our sacraments envelops a great
 mystery4 ,they are ceremonies to which 
the ,divinity1 they say1 attaches some  
secret virtue1 by unseen views1 of which
 we can form no ideas4 ,in baptism1     
without which no man can be saved1 the  
water sprinkled on the head of the child
 washes his spiritual soul1 and carries 
away the defilement which is a          
consequence of the sin committed in the 
person of ,adam1 who sinned for all men4
 ,by the mysterious virtue of this      
water1 and of some words equally        
unintelligible1 the infant finds itself 
reconciled to ,god1 as his first father 
had made him guilty without his         
knowledge and consent4 ,in all this1    
,madam1 you cannot1 by possibility1     
comprehend the complication of these    
mysteries1 with which no ,christian can 
dispense1 though1 assuredly1 there is   
not one believer who knows what the     
virtue of the marvellous water consists 

in1 which is necessary for his          
regeneration4 ,nor can you conceive how 
the supreme and equitable ,governor of  
the universe could impute faults to     
those who have never been guilty of     
transgressions4 ,nor can you comprehend 
how a wise ,deity can attach his favor  
to a futile ceremony1 which1 without    
changing the nature of the being who has
 derived an existence it neither        
commenced nor was consulted in1 must1 if
 administered in winter1 be attended    
with serious consequences to the health 
of the child4  ,in ,confirmation1 a     
sacrament or ceremony1 which1 to have   
any value1 ought to be administered by a
 bishop1 the laying of the hands on the 
head of the young confirmant makes the  
,holy ,spirit descend upon him1 and     
procures the grace of ,god to uphold him
 in the faith4 ,you see1 ,madam1 that   
the efficacy of this sacrament is       
unfortunately lost in my person2 for1   
although in my youth ,i had been duly   
confirmed1 ,i have not been preserved   

against smiling at this faith1 nor have 
,i been kept invulnerable in the        
credence of my priests and forefathers4 
,in the sacrament of ,penitence1 or     
confession1 a ceremony which consists in
 putting a priest in possession of all  
one's faults1 public or private1 you    
will discover mysteries equally         
marvellous4 ,in favor of this           
submission1 to which every good         
,catholic is necessarily obliged to     
submit1 a priest1 himself a sinner1     
charged with full powers by the ,deity1 
pardons and remits1 in ,his name1 the   
sins against which ,god is enraged4 ,god
 reconciles himself with every man who  
humbles himself before the priest1 and  
in accordance with the orders of the    
latter1 he opens heaven to the wretch   
whom he had before determined to        
exclude4 ,if this sacrament doth not    
always procure grace1 very              
distinguishing to those who use it1 it  
has1 at all events1 the advantage of    
rendering them pliable to the clergy1   

who1 by its means1 find an easy sway in 
their spiritual empire over the human   
mind1 an empire that enables them1 not  
unfrequently1 to disturb society1 and   
more often the repose of families1 and  
the very conscience of the person       
confessing4  ,there is among the        
,catholics another sacrament1 which     
contains the most strange mysteries4 ,it
 is that of the ,eucharist4 ,our        
teachers1 under pain of being damned1   
enjoin us to believe that the ,son of   
,god is compelled by a priest to quit   
the abodes of glory1 and to come and    
mask himself under the appearance of    
bread6 ,this bread becomes forthwith the
 body of ,god--this ,god multiplies     
himself in all places1 and at all times1
 when and where the priests1 scattered  
over the face of the earth1 find it     
necessary to command his presence in the
 shape of bread--yet we see only one and
 the same ,god1 who receives the homage 
and adoration of all those good people  
who find it very ridiculous in the      

,egyptians to adore lupines and onions4 
,but the ,catholics are not simply      
content with worshipping a bit of bread1
 which they consider by the conjurations
 of a priest as divine2 they eat this   
bread1 and then persuade themselves that
 they are nourished by the body or      
substance of ,god himself4 ,the         
,protestants1 it is true1 do not admit a
 mystery so very odd1 and regard those  
who do as real idolaters4 ,what then8   
,this marvellous dogma is1 without      
doubt1 of the greatest utility to the   
priests4 ,in the eyes of those who admit
 it1 they become very important         
gentlemen1 who have the power of        
disposing of the ,deity1 whom they make 
to descend between their hands2 and thus
 a ,catholic priest is1 in fact1 the    
creator of his ,god6  ,there is1 also1  
,extreme ,unction1 a sacrament which    
consists in anointing with oil those    
sick persons who are about to depart    
into the other world1 and which not only
 soothes their bodily pains1 but also   

takes away the sins of their souls4 ,if 
it produces these good effects1 it is an
 invisible and mysterious method of     
manifesting obvious results2 for we     
frequently behold sick persons have     
their fears of death allayed1 though the
 operation may but too often accelerate 
their dissolution4 ,but our priests are 
so full of charity1 and they interest   
themselves so greatly in the salvation  
of souls1 that they like rather to risk 
their own health beside the sick bed of 
persons afflicted with the most         
contagious diseases1 than lose the      
opportunity of administering their      
salutary ointment4  ,ordination is      
another very mysterious ceremony1 by    
which the ,deity secretly bestows his   
invisible grace on those whom he has    
selected to fill the office of the holy 
priesthood4 ,according to the ,catholic 
religion1 ,god gives to the priests the 
power of making ,god himself1 as we have
 shown above2 a privilege which without 
doubt cannot be sufficiently admired4   

,with respect to the sensible effects of
 this sacrament1 and of the visible     
grace which it confers1 they are        
enabled1 by the help of some words and  
certain ceremonies1 to change a profane 
man into one that is sacred2 that is to 
say1 who is not profane any longer4 ,by 
this spiritual metamorphosis1 this man  
becomes capable of enjoying considerable
 revenues without being obliged to do   
any thing useful for society4 ,on the   
contrary1 heaven itself confers on him  
the right of deceiving1 of annoying1 and
 of pillaging the profane citizens1 who 
labor for his ease and luxury4          
,finally1 ,marriage is a sacrament that 
confers mysterious and invisible graces1
 of which we in truth have no very      
precise ideas4 ,protestants and         
,infidels1 who look upon marriage as a  
civil contract1 and not as a sacrament1 
receive neither more nor less of its    
visible grace than the good ,catholics4 
,the former see not that those who are  
married enjoy by this sacrament any     

secret virtue1 whence they may become   
more constant and faithful to the       
engagements they have contracted4 ,and  
,i believe both you and ,i1 ,madam1 have
 known many people on whom it has only  
conferred the grace of cordially        
detesting each other4  ,i will not now  
enter upon the consideration of a       
multitude of other magic ceremonies1    
admitted by some ,christian sectaries   
and rejected by others1 but to which the
 devotees who embrace them1 attach the  
most lofty ideas1 in the firm           
persuasion1 that ,god will1 on that     
account1 visit them with his invisible  
grace4 ,all these ceremonies1 doubtless1
 contain great mysteries1 and the method
 of handling or speaking of them is     
exceedingly mysterious4 ,it is thus that
 the water on which a priest has        
pronounced a few words1 contained in his
 conjuring book1 acquires the invisible 
virtue of chasing away wicked spirits1  
who are invisible by their nature4 ,it  
is thus that the oil1 on which a bishop 

has muttered some certain formula1      
becomes capable of communicating to men1
 and even to some inanimate substances1 
such as wood1 stone1 metals1 and walls1 
those invisible virtues which they did  
not previously possess4 ,in fine1 in all
 the ceremonies of the church1 we       
discover mysteries1 and the vulgar1 who 
comprehend nothing of them1 are not the 
less disposed to admire1 to be          
fascinated with1 and to respect with a  
blind devotion4 ,but soon would they    
cease to have this veneration for these 
fooleries1 if they comprehended the     
design and end the priests have in view 
by enforcing their observance4  ,the    
priests of all nations have begun by    
being charlatans1 castle builders1      
divines1 and sorcerers4  ,we find men of
 these characters in nations the most   
ignorant and savage1 where they live by 
the ignorance and credulity of others4  
,they are regarded by their ignorant    
countrymen as superior beings1 endowed  
with supernatural gifts1 favorites of   

the very ,gods1 because the uninquiring 
multitude see them perform things which 
they take to be mighty marvellous1 or   
which the ignorant have always          
considered marvellous4 ,in nations the  
most polished1 the people are always the
 same2 persons the most sensible are not
 often of the same ideas1 especially on 
the subject of religion2 and the        
priests1 authorized by the ancient folly
 of the multitude1 continue their old   
tricks1 and receive universal applause4 
,you are not1 then1 to be surprised1    
,madam1 if you still behold our pontiffs
 and our priests exercise their magical 
rites1 or rear castles before the eyes  
of people prejudiced in favor of their  
ancient illusions1 and who attach to    
these mysteries a degree of consequence1
 seeing they are not in a condition to  
comprehend the motives of the           
fabricators4 ,every thing that is       
mysterious has charms for the ignorant2 
the marvellous captivates all men2      
persons the most enlightened find it    

difficult to defend themselves against  
these illusions4 ,hence you may discover
 that the priests are always            
opinionatively attached to these rites  
and ceremonies of their worship2 and it 
has never been without some violent     
revolution that they have been          
diminished or abrogated4 ,the           
annihilation of a trifling ceremony has 
often caused rivers of blood to flow4   
,the people have believed themselves    
lost and undone when one bolder than the
 rest wished to innovate in matters of  
religion2 they have fancied that they   
were to be deprived of inestimable      
advantages and invisible but saving     
grace1 which they have supposed to be   
attached by the ,divinity himself to    
some movements of the body4 ,priests the
 most adroit have overcharged religion  
with ceremonies1 and practices1 and     
mysteries4 ,they fancied that all these 
were so many cords to bind the people to
 their interest1 to allure them by      
enthusiasm1 and render them necessary to

 their idle and luxurious existence1    
which is not spent without much money   
extracted from the hard earnings of the 
people1 and much of that respect which  
is but the homage of slaves to spiritual
 tyrants4  ,you cannot any longer1 ,i   
persuade myself1 ,madam1 be made the    
dupe of these holy jugglers1 who impose 
on the vulgar by their marvellous tales4
 ,you must now be convinced that the    
things which ,i have touched upon as    
mysteries are profound absurdities1 of  
which their inventors can render no     
reasonable account either to themselves 
or to others4 ,you must now be certified
 that the movements of the body and     
other religious ceremonies must be      
matters perfectly indifferent to the    
wise ,being whom they describe to us as 
the great mover of all things4 ,you     
conclude1 then1 that all these          
marvellous rites1 in which our priests  
announce so much mystery1 and in which  
the people are taught to consider the   
whole of religion as consisting1 are    

nothing more than puerilities1 to which 
people of understanding ought never to  
submit4 ,that they are usages calculated
 principally to alarm the minds of the  
weak1 and keep in bondage those who have
 not the courage to throw off the yoke  
of priests4 ,i am1 c4     ,,letter      
,,vii4 ,of the pious ,rites1 ,prayers1  
and ,austerities of ,christianity  ,you 
now know1 ,madam1 what you ought to     
attach to the mysteries and ceremonies  
of that religion you propose to meditate
 on1 and adore in silence4 ,i proceed   
how to examine some of those practices  
to which the priests tell us the ,deity 
attaches his complaisance and his       
favors4 ,in consequence of the false1   
sinister1 contradictory1 and            
incompatible ideas1 which all revealed  
religions give us of the ,deity1 the    
priests have invented a crowd of        
unreasonable usages1 but which are      
conformable to these erroneous notions  
that they have framed of this ,being4   
,god is always regarded as a man full of

 passion1 sensible to presents1 to      
flatteries1 and marks of submission2 or 
rather as a fantastic and punctilious   
sovereign1 who is very seriously angry  
when we neglect to show him that respect
 and obeisance which the vanity of      
earthly potentates exacts from their    
vassals4  ,it is after these notions so 
little agreeable to the ,deity1 that the
 priests have conjured up a crowd of    
practices and strange inventions1       
ridiculous1 inconvenient1 and often     
cruel2 but by which they inform us we   
shall merit the good favor of ,god1 or  
disarm the wrath of the ,universal      
,lord4 ,with some1 all consists in      
prayers1 offerings1 and sacrifices1 with
 which they fancy ,god is well pleased4 
,they forget that a ,god who is good1   
who knows all things1 has no need to be 
solicited2 that a ,god who is the author
 of all things has no need to be        
presented with any part of his          
workmanship2 that a ,god who knows his  
power has no need of either flatteries  

or submissions1 to remind him of his    
grandeur1 his power1 or his rights2 that
 a ,god who is ,lord of all has no need 
of offerings which belong to himself2   
that a ,god who has no need of any thing
 cannot be won by presents1 nor grudge  
to his creatures the goods which they   
have received from his divine bounty4   
,for the want of making these           
reflections1 simple as they are1 all the
 religions in the world are filled with 
an infinite number of frivolous         
practices1 by which men have long strove
 to render themselves acceptable to the 
,deity4 ,the priests who are always     
declared to be the ministers1 the       
favorites1 the interpreters of ,god's   
will1 have discovered how they might    
most easily profit by the errors of     
mankind1 and the presents which they    
offer to the ,deity4 ,they are thence   
interested to enter into the false ideas
 of the people1 and even to redouble the
 darkness of their minds4 ,they have    
invented means to please unknown powers 

who dispose of their fate--to excite    
their devotion and their zeal for those 
invisible beings of whom they were      
themselves the visible representatives4 
,these priests soon perceived that in   
laboring for the ,gods they labored for 
themselves1 and that they could         
appropriate the major part of the       
presents1 sacrifices1 and offerings1    
which were made to beings who never     
showed themselves in order to claim what
 their devotees intended for them4  ,you
 thus perceive1 ,madam1 how the priests 
have made common cause with the         
,divinity4 ,their policy thence obliged 
them to favor and increase the errors of
 the human kind4 ,they talk of this     
ineffable ,being as of an interested    
monarch1 jealous1 full of vanity1 who   
gives that it may be restored to him    
again2 who exacts continual signs of    
submission and respect2 who desires1    
without ceasing1 that men may reiterate 
their marks of respect for him2 who     
wishes to be solicited2 who bestows no  

grace unless it be accorded to          
importunity for the purpose of making it
 more valuable2 and1 above all1 who     
allows himself to be appeased and       
propitiated by gifts from which his     
ministers derive the greatest advantage4
  ,it is evident that it is upon these  
ideas borrowed from monarchical courts  
here below that are founded all the     
practices1 ceremonies1 and rites that we
 see established in all the religions of
 the earth4 ,each sect has endeavored to
 make its ,god a monarch the most       
redoubtable1 the greatest1 the most     
despotic1 and the most selfish4 ,the    
people acquainted simply with human     
opinions1 and lull of debasement1 have  
adopted without examination the         
inventions which the ,deity has shown   
them as the fittest to obtain his favor 
and soften his wrath4 ,the priests fail 
not to adapt these practices1 which they
 have invented1 to their own system of  
religion and personal interest2 and the 
ignorant and vulgar have allowed        

themselves to be blindly led by these   
guides4 ,habit has familiarized them    
with things upon which they never       
reason1 and they make a duty of the     
routine which has been transmitted to   
them from age to age1 and from father to
 child4  ,the infant1 as soon as it can 
be made to understand any thing1 is     
taught mechanically to join its little  
hands in prayer4 ,his tongue is forced  
to lisp a formula which it does not     
comprehend1 addressed to a ,god which   
its understanding can never conceive4   
,in the arms of its nurse it is carried 
into the temple or church1 where its    
eyes are habituated to contemplate      
spectacles1 ceremonies1 and pretended   
mysteries1 of which1 even when it shall 
have arrived at mature age1 it will     
still understand nothing4 ,if at this   
latter period any one should ask the    
reason of his conduct1 or desire to know
 why he made this conduct a sacred and  
important duty1 he could give no        
explanation1 except that he was         

instructed in his tender years to       
respectfully observe certain usages1    
which he must regard as sacred1 as they 
were unintelligible to him4 ,if an      
attempt was made to undeceive him in    
regard to these habitual futilities1    
either he would not listen1 or he would 
be irritated against whoever denied the 
notions rooted in his brain4 ,any man   
who wished to lead him to good sense1   
and who reasoned against the habits he  
had contracted1 would be regarded by him
 as ridiculous and extravagant1 or he   
would repulse him as an infidel and     
blasphemer1 because his instructions    
lead him thus to designate every man who
 fails to pursue the same routine as    
himself1 or who does not attach the same
 ideas as the devotee to things which   
the latter has never examined4  ,what   
horror does it not fill the ,christian  
devotee with if you tell him that his   
priest is unnecessary6 ,what would be   
his surprise if you were to prove to    
him1 even on the principles of his      

religion1 that the prayers which in his 
infancy he had been taught to consider  
as the most agreeable to his ,god1 are  
unworthy and unnecessary to this ,deity6
 ,for if ,god knows all1 what need is   
there to remind him of the wants of his 
creatures whom he loves8 ,if ,god is a  
father full of tenderness and goodness1 
is it necessary to ask him to give us   
day by day our daily bread8 ,if this    
,god1 so good1 foresaw the wants of his 
children1 and knew much better than they
 what they could not know of themselves1
 whence is it he bids them importune him
 to grant them their requests8 ,if this 
,god is immutable and wise1 how can his 
creatures change the fixed resolution of
 the ,deity8 ,if this ,god is just and  
good1 how can he injure us1 or place us 
in a situation to require the use of    
that prayer which entreats the ,deity   
not to lead us into temptation8  ,you   
see by this1 ,madam1 that there is but a
 very small portion of what the         
,christians pretend they understand and 

consider absolutely necessary that      
accords at all with what they tell us   
has been dictated by ,god himself4 ,you 
see that the ,lord's prayer itself      
contains many absurdities and ideas     
totally contrary to those which every   
,christian ought to have of his ,god4   
,if you ask a ,christian why he repeats 
without ceasing this vain formula1 on   
which he never reflects1 he can assign  
little other reason than that he was    
taught in his infancy to clasp his      
hands1 repeat words the meaning of which
 his priest1 not himself1 is alone bound
 to understand4 ,he may probably add    
that he has ever been taught to consider
 this formula requisite1 as it was the  
most sacred and the most proper to merit
 the favor of ,heaven4  ,we should1     
without doubt1 form the same judgment of
 that multitude of prayers which our    
teachers recommend to us daily4 ,and if 
we believe them1 man1 to please ,god1   
ought to pass a large portion of his    
existence in supplicating ,heaven to    

pour down its blessings on him4 ,but if 
,god is good1 if he cherishes his       
creatures1 if he knows their wants1 it  
seems superfluous to pray to him4 ,if   
,god changes not1 he has never promised 
to alter his secret decrees1 or1 if he  
has1 he is variable in his fancies1 like
 man2 to what purpose are all our       
petitions to him8 ,if ,god is offended  
with us1 will he not reject prayers     
which insult his goodness1 his justice1 
and infinite wisdom8  ,what motives1    
then1 have our priests to inculcate     
constantly the necessity of prayer8 ,it 
is that they may thereby hold the minds 
of mankind in opinions more advantageous
 to themselves4 ,they represent ,god to 
us under the traits of a monarch        
difficult of access1 who cannot be      
easily pacified1 but of whom they are   
the ministers1 the favorites1 and       
servants4 ,they become intercessors     
between this invisible ,sovereign and   
his subjects of this nether world4 ,they
 sell to the ignorant their intercession

 with the ,all-powerful2 they pray for  
the people1 and by society they are     
recompensed with real advantages1 with  
riches1 honors1 and ease4 ,it is on the 
necessity of prayer that our priests1   
our monks1 and all religious men        
establish their lazy existence2 that    
they profess to win a place in heaven   
for their followers and paymasters1 who1
 without this intercession1 could       
neither obtain the favor of ,god1 nor   
avert his chastisements and the         
calamities the world is so often visited
 with4 ,the prayers of the priests are  
regarded as a universal remedy for all  
evils4 ,all the misfortunes of nations  
are laid before these spiritual guides1 
who generally find public calamities a  
source of profit to themselves1 as it is
 then they are amply paid for their     
supposed mediation between the ,deity   
and his suffering creatures4 ,they never
 teach the people that these things     
spring from the course of nature and of 
laws they cannot control4 ,o1 no4 ,they 

make the world believe they are the     
judgments of an angry ,god4 ,the evils  
for which they can find no remedy are   
pronounced marks of the divine wrath2   
they are supernatural1 and the priests  
must be applied to4 ,god1 whom they call
 so good1 appears sometimes obstinately 
deaf to their entreaties4 ,their common 
,parent1 so tender1 appears to derange  
the order of nature to manifest his     
anger4 ,the ,god who is so just1        
sometimes punishes men who cannot divine
 the cause of his vengeance4 ,then1 in  
their distress1 they flee to the        
priests1 who never fail to find motives 
for the divine wrath4 ,they tell them   
that ,god has been offended2 that he has
 been neglected2 that he exacts prayers1
 offerings1 and sacrifices2 that he     
requires1 in order to be appeased1 that 
his ministers should receive more       
consideration1 should be heard more     
attentively1 and should be more         
enriched4 ,without this1 they announce  
to the vulgar that their harvests will  

fail1 that their fields will be         
inundated1 that pestilence1 famine1 war1
 and contagion will visit the earth2 and
 when these misfortunes have arrived1   
they declare they may be removed by     
means of prayers4  ,if fear and terror  
permitted men to reason1 they would     
discover that all the evils1 as well as 
the good things of this life1 are       
necessary consequences of the order of  
nature4 ,they would perceive that a wise
 ,god1 immutable in his conduct1 cannot 
allow any thing to transpire but        
according to those laws of which he is  
regarded as the author4 ,they would     
discover that the calamities1 sterility1
 maladies1 contagions1 and even death   
itself are effects as necessary as      
happiness1 abundance1 health1 and life  
itself4 ,they would find that wars1     
wants1 and famine are often the effects 
of human imprudence2 that they would    
submit to accidents which they could not
 prevent1 and guard against those they  
could foresee2 they would remedy by     

simple and natural means those against  
which they possessed resources2 and they
 would undeceive themselves in regard to
 those supernatural means and those     
useless prayers of which the experience 
of so many ages ought to have disabused 
men1 if they were capable of correcting 
their religious prejudices4  ,this would
 not1 indeed1 redound to the advantage  
of the priests1 since they would become 
useless if men perceived the inefficacy 
of their prayers1 the futility of their 
practices1 and the absence of all       
rational foundation for those exercises 
of piety which place the human race upon
 their knees4 ,they compel their        
votaries always to run down those who   
discredit their pretensions4 ,they      
terrify the weak minded by frightful    
ideas which they hold out to them of the
 ,deity4 ,they forbid them to reason2   
they make them deaf to reason1 by       
conforming them to ordinances the most  
out of the way1 the most unreasonable1  
and the most contradictory to the very  

principles on which they pretend to     
establish them4 ,they change practices1 
arbitrary in themselves1 or1 at most1   
indifferent and useless1 into important 
duties1 which they proclaim the most    
essential of all duties1 and the most   
sacred and moral4 ,they know that man   
ceases to reason in proportion as he    
suffers or is wretched4 ,hence1 if he   
experiences real misfortunes1 the       
priests make sure of him2 if he is not  
unfortunate they menace him2 they create
 imaginary fears and troubles4  ,in     
fine1 ,madam1 when you wish to examine  
with your own eyes1 and not by the help 
of the pretensions set up and imposed on
 you by the ministers of religion1 you  
will be compelled to acknowledge the    
things we have been considering as      
useful to the priests alone2 they are   
useless to the ,deity1 and to society   
they are often very obviously           
pernicious4 ,of what utility can it be  
in any family to behold an excess of    
devotion in the mother of that family8  

,one would suppose it is not necessary  
for a lady to pass all her time in      
prayers and in meditations1 to the      
neglect of other duties4 ,much less is  
it the part of a ,catholic mother to be 
closeted in mystic conversation with her
 priest4 ,will her husband1 her         
children1 and her friends applaud her   
who loses most of her time in prayers1  
and meditations1 and practices1 which   
can tend only to render her sour1       
unhappy1 and discontented8 ,would it not
 be much better that a father or a      
mother of a family should be occupied   
with what belonged to their domestic    
affairs than to spend their time in     
masses1 in hearing sermons1 in          
meditating on mysterious and            
unintelligible dogmas1 or boasting about
 exercises of piety that tend to        
nothing8  ,madam1 do you not find in the
 country you inhabit a great many       
devotees who are sunk in debt1 whose    
fortune is squandered away on priests1  
and who are incapable of retrieving it8 

,content to put their conscience to     
rights on religious matters1 they       
neither trouble themselves about the    
education of their children1 nor the    
arrangement of their fortune1 nor the   
discharge of their debts4 ,such men as  
would be thrown into despair did they   
omit one mass1 will consent to leave    
their creditors without their money1    
ruined by their negligence as much as by
 their principles4 ,in truth1 ,madam1 on
 what side soever you survey this       
religion1 you will find it good for     
nothing4  ,what shall we say of those   
fetes which are so multiplied amongst   
us8 ,are they not evidently pernicious  
to society8 ,are not all days the same  
to the ,eternal8 ,are there gala days in
 heaven8 ,can ,god be honored by the    
business of an artisan or a merchant1   
who1 in place of earning bread on which 
his family may subsist1 squanders away  
his time in the church1 and afterwards  
goes to spend his money in the public   
house8 ,it is necessary1 the priests    

will tell you1 for man to have repose4  
,but will he not seek repose when he is 
fatigued by the labor of his hands8 ,is 
it not more necessary that every man    
should labor in his vocation than go to 
a temple to chant over a service which  
benefits only the priests1 or hear a    
sermon of which he can understand       
nothing8 ,and do not such as find great 
scruple in doing a necessary labor on   
,sunday frequently sit down and get     
drunk on that day1 consuming in a few   
hours the receipts of their week's      
labor8 ,but it is for the interest of   
the clergy that all other shops should  
be shut when theirs are open4 ,we may   
thence easily discover why fetes are    
necessary4  ,is it not contrary to all  
the notions which we can form of the    
goodness and wisdom of the ,divinity1   
that religion should form into duties   
both abstinence and privations1 or that 
penitences and austerities should be the
 sole proofs of virtue8 ,what should be 
said of a father who should place his   

children at a table loaded with the     
fruits of the earth1 but who1           
nevertheless1 should debar them from    
touching certain of them1 though both   
nature and reason dictated their use and
 nutriment8 ,can we1 then1 suppose that 
a ,deity wise and good interdicts to his
 creatures the enjoyment of innocent    
pleasures1 which may contribute to      
render life agreeable1 or that a ,god   
who has created all things1 every object
 the most desirable to the nourishment  
and health of man1 should nevertheless  
forbid him their use8 ,the ,christian   
religion appears to doom its votaries to
 the punishment of ,tantalus4 ,the most 
part of the superstitions in the world  
have made of ,god a capricious and      
jealous sovereign1 who amuses himself by
 tempting the passions and exciting the 
desires of his slaves1 without          
permitting them the gratification of the
 one or the enjoyment of the other4 ,we 
see among all sects the portraiture of a
 chagrined ,deity1 the enemy of innocent

 amusements1 and offended at the well   
being of his creatures4 ,we see in all  
countries many men so foolish as to     
imagine they will merit heaven by       
fighting against their nature1 refusing 
the goods of fortune1 and tormenting    
themselves under an idea that they will 
thereby render themselves agreeable to  
,god4 ,especially do they believe that  
they will by these means disarm the fury
 of ,god1 and prevent the inflictions of
 his chastisements1 if they immolate    
themselves to a being who always        
requires victims4  ,we find these       
atrocious1 fanatical1 and senseless     
ideas in the ,christian religion1 which 
supposes its ,god as cruel to exact     
sufferings from men as death from his   
only ,son4 ,if a ,god exempt from all   
sin is himself also the sufferer for the
 sins of all1 which is the doctrine of  
those who maintain universal redemption1
 it is not surprising to see men that   
are sinners making it a duty to assemble
 in large meetings1 and invent the means

 of rendering themselves miserable4     
,these gloomy notions have banished men 
to the desert ,they have fanatically    
renounced society and the pleasures of  
life1 to be buried alive1 believing they
 would merit heaven if they afflicted   
themselves with stripes and passed their
 existence in mummical ceremonies1 as   
injurious to their health as useless to 
then-country4 ,and these are the false  
ideas by which the ,divinity is         
transformed into a tyrant as barbarous  
as insensible1 who1 agreeably to        
priestcraft1 has prescribed how both men
 and women might live in ennui1         
penitence1 sorrow1 and tears2 for the   
perfection of monastic institutions     
consists in the ingenious art of        
self-torture4 ,but sacerdotal pride     
finds its account in these austerities4 
,rigid monks glory in barbarous rules1  
the observance of which attracts the    
respect of the credulous1 who imagine   
that men who torment themselves are     
indeed the favorites of heaven4 ,but    

these monks1 who follow these austere   
rules1 are fanatics1 who sacrifice      
themselves to the pride of the clergy   
who live in luxury and in wealth1       
although their duped1 imbecile brethren 
have been known to make it a point of   
honor to die of famine4  ,how often1    
,madam1 has your attention not been     
aroused when you recalled to mind the   
fate of the poor religious men of the   
desert1 whom an unnecessary vow has     
condemned1 as it were voluntarily1 to a 
life as rigorous as if spent in a       
prison6 ,seduced by the enthusiasm of   
youth1 or forced by the orders of       
inhuman parents1 they have been obliged 
to carry to the tomb the chains of their
 captivity4 ,they have been obliged to  
submit without appeal to a stern        
superior1 who finds no consolation in   
the discharge of his slavish task but in
 making his empire more hard to those   
beneath him4 ,you have seen unfortunate 
young ladies obliged to renounce their  
rank in society1 the innocent pleasures 

of youth1 the joys of their sex1 to     
groan forever under a rigorous          
despotism1 to which indiscreet vows had 
bound them4 ,all monasteries present to 
us an odious group of fanatics1 who have
 separated themselves from society to   
pass the remainder of their lives in    
unhappiness4 ,the society of these      
devotees is calculated solely to render 
their lives mutually more unsupportable4
 ,but it seems strange that men should  
expect to merit heaven by suffering the 
torments of hell on earth2 yet so it is1
 and reason has too often proved        
insufficient to convince them of the    
contrary4  ,if this religion does not   
call all ,christians to these sublime   
perfections1 it nevertheless enjoins on 
all its votaries suffering and          
mortifying of the body4 ,the church     
prescribes privations to all her        
children1 and abstinences and fasts2    
these things they practise among us as  
duties2 and the devotees imagine they   
render themselves very agreeable to the 

,divinity when they have scrupulously   
fulfilled those minute and puerile      
practices1 by which they tell us that   
the priests have proof whether their    
patience and obedience be such as are   
dictated by and acceptable to ,heaven4  
,what a ridiculous idea is it1 for      
example1 to make of the ,deity a trio of
 persons2 to teach the faithful that    
this ,deity takes notice of what kinds  
of food his people eat2 that he is      
displeased if they eat beef or mutton1  
but that he is delighted if they eat    
beans and fish6 ,in good sooth1 ,madam1 
our priests1 who sometimes give us very 
lofty ideas of ,god1 please themselves  
but too often with making him strangely 
contemptible6  ,the life of a good      
,christian or of a devotee is crowded   
with a host of useless practices1 which 
would be at least pardonable if they    
procured any good for society4 ,but it  
is not for that purpose that our priests
 make so much ado about them2 they only 
wish to have submissive slaves1         

sufficiently blind to respect their     
caprices as the orders of a wise ,god2  
sufficiently stupid to regard all their 
practices as divine duties1 and they who
 scrupulously observe them as the real  
favorites of the ,omnipotent4 ,what good
 can there result to the world from the 
abstinence of meats1 so much enjoined on
 some ,christians1 especially when other
 ,christians judge this injunction a    
very ridiculous law1 and contrary to    
reason and the order of things          
established in nature8 ,it is not       
difficult to perceive amongst us that   
this injunction1 openly violated by the 
rich1 is an oppression on the poor1 who 
are compelled to pay dearly for an      
indifferent1 often an unwholesome diet1 
that injures rather than repairs the    
natural strength of their constitution4 
,besides1 do not the priests sell this  
permission to the rich1 to transgress an
 injunction the poor must not violate   
with impunity8 ,in fine1 they seem to   
have multiplied our practices1 our      

duties1 and our tortures1 to have the   
advantage of multiplying our faults1 and
 making a good bargain out of our       
pretended crimes4  ,the more we examine 
religion the more reason shall we have  
to be convinced that it is beneficial to
 the priests alone4 ,every part of this 
religion conspires to render us         
submissive to the fantasies of our      
spiritual guides1 to labor for their    
grandeur1 to contribute to their riches4
 ,they appoint us to perform            
disadvantageous duties2 they prescribe  
impossible perfections1 purposely that  
we may transgress2 they have thereby    
engendered in pious minds scruples and  
difficulties which they condescendingly 
appease for money4 ,a devotee is obliged
 to observe1 without ceasing1 the       
useless and frivolous rules of his      
priest1 and even then he is subject to  
continual reproaches2 he is perpetually 
in want of his priest to expiate his    
pretended faults with which he charges  
himself1 and the omission of duties that

 he regards as the most important acts  
of his life1 but which are rarely such  
as interest society or benefit it by    
their performance4 ,by a train of       
religious prejudices with which the     
priests infect the mind of their weak   
devotees1 these believe themselves      
infinitely more culpable when they have 
omitted some useless practice1 than if  
they had committed some great injustice 
or atrocious sin against humanity4 ,it  
is commonly sufficient for the devotees 
to be on good terms with ,god1 whether  
they be consistent in their actions with
 man1 or in the practice of those duties
 they owe to their fellow beings4       
,besides1 ,madam1 what real advantage   
does society derive from repeated       
prayers1 abstinences1 privations1       
seclusions1 meditations1 and            
austerities1 to which religion attaches 
so much value8 ,do all the mysterious   
practices of the priests produce any    
real good8 ,are they capable of calming 
the passions1 of correcting vices1 and  

of giving virtue to those who most      
scrupulously observe them8 ,do we not   
daily see persons who believe themselves
 damned if they forget a mass1 if they  
eat a fowl on ,friday1 if they neglect a
 confession1 though they are guilty at  
the same time of great dereliction to   
society8 ,do they not hold the conduct  
of those very unjust1 and very cruel1   
who happen to have the misfortune of not
 thinking and doing as they think and   
act8 ,these practices1 out of which a   
great number of men have created        
essential duties1 but too commonly      
absorb all moral duties2 for if the     
devotees are over-religious1 it is rare 
to find them virtuous4 ,content with    
doing what religion requires1 they      
trouble themselves very little about    
other matters4 ,they believe themselves 
the favored of ,god1 and that it is a   
proof of this if they are detested by   
men1 whose good opinion they are seldom 
anxious to deserve4 ,the whole life of a
 devotee is spent in fulfilling1 with   

scrupulous exactitude1 duties           
indifferent to ,god1 unnecessary to     
himself1 and useless to others4 ,he     
fancies he is virtuous when he has      
performed the rites which his religion  
prescribes2 when he has meditated on    
mysteries of which he understands       
nothing2 when he has struggled with     
sadness to do things in which a man of  
sense can perceive no advantage2 in     
fine1 when he has endeavored to         
practise1 as much as in him lies1 the   
,evangelical or ,christian virtues1 in  
which he thinks all morality essentially
 consists4  ,i shall proceed in my next 
letter to examine these virtues1 and to 
prove to you that they are contrary to  
the ideas we ought to form of ,god1     
useless to ourselves1 and often         
dangerous to others4 ,in the mean time1 
,i am1 c4     ,,letter ,,viii4 ,of      
,evangelical ,virtues and ,christian    
,perfection  ,if we believe the priests1
 we shall be persuaded1 that the        
,christian religion1 by the beauty of   

its morals1 excels philosophy and all   
the other religious systems in the      
world4 ,according to them1 the          
unassisted reason of the human mind     
could never have conceived sounder      
doctrines of morality1 more heroical    
virtues1 or precepts more beneficial to 
society4 ,but this is not all2 the      
virtues known or practised among the    
heathens are considered as false        
virtues2 far from deserving our esteem1 
and the favor of the ,almighty1 they are
 entitled to nothing but contempt2 and1 
indeed1 are flagrant sins in the sight  
of ,god4 ,in short1 the priests labor to
 convince us1 that the ,christian ethics
 are purely divine1 and the lessons     
inculcated so sublime1 that they could  
proceed from nothing less than the      
,deity4  ,if1 indeed1 we call that      
divine which men can neither conceive   
nor perform2 if by divine virtues we are
 to understand virtues to which the mind
 of man cannot possibly attach the least
 idea of utility2 if by divine          

perfections are meant those qualities   
which are not only foreign to the nature
 of man1 but which are irreconcilably   
repugnant to it1--then1 indeed1 we shall
 be compelled to acknowledge that the   
morals of ,christianity are divine2 at  
least we shall be assured that they have
 nothing in common with that system of  
morality which arises out of the nature 
and relations of men1 but on the        
contrary1 that they1 in many instances1 
confound the best conceptions we are    
able to form of virtue4  ,guided by the 
light of reason1 we comprehend under the
 name of virtue those habitual          
dispositions of the heart which tend to 
the happiness and the real advantage of 
those with whom we associate1 and by the
 exercise of which our fellow-creatures 
are induced to feel a reciprocal        
interest in our welfare4 ,under the     
,christian system the name of virtues is
 bestowed upon dispositions which it is 
impossible to possess without           
supernatural grace2 and which1 when     

possessed1 are useless1 if not          
injurious1 both to ourselves and others4
 ,the morality of ,christians is1 in    
good truth1 the morality of another     
world4 ,like the philosopher of         
antiquity1 they keep their eyes fixed   
upon the stars till they fall into a    
well1 unperceived1 at their feet4 ,the  
only object which their scheme of morals
 proposes to itself is1 to disgust their
 minds with the things of this world1 in
 order that they may place their entire 
affections upon things above1 of which  
they have no knowledge whatever2 their  
happiness here below forms no part of   
their consideration2 this life1 in the  
view of a ,christian1 is nothing but a  
pilgrimage1 leading to another          
existence1 infinitely more interesting  
to his hopes1 because infinitely beyond 
the reach of his understanding4         
,besides1 before we can deserve to be   
happy in the world which we do not know1
 we are informed that we must be        
miserable in the world which we do know2

 and1 above all things1 in order to     
secure to ourselves happiness hereafter1
 it is especially necessary that we     
altogether resign the use of our own    
reason2 that is to say1 we must seal up 
our eyes in utter darkness1 and         
surrender ourselves to the guidance of  
our priests4 ,these are the principles  
upon which the fabric of ,christian     
morals is evidently constructed4  ,let  
us now proceed1 ,madam1 to a more       
detailed examination of the virtues upon
 which the ,christian religion is built4
 ,these virtues are ,evangelical1 c4 ,if
 destitute of them1 we are assured that 
it is in vain for us to seek the favor  
of the ,deity4 ,of these virtues the    
first is ,faith4 ,according to the      
doctrine of the church1 faith is the    
gift of ,god1 a supernatural virtue1 by 
means of which we are inspired with a   
firm belief in ,god1 and in all that he 
has vouchsafed to reveal to man1        
although our reason is utterly unable to
 comprehend it4 ,faith is1 says the     

church1 founded upon the word of ,god1  
who can neither deceive nor be deceived4
 ,thus faith supposes1 that ,god has    
spoken to man--but what evidence have we
 that ,god has spoken to man8 ,the ,holy
 ,scriptures4 ,who is it that assures us
 the ,holy ,scriptures contain the word 
of ,god8 ,it is the church4 ,but who is 
it that assures us the church cannot and
 will not deceive us8 ,the ,holy        
,scriptures4 ,thus the ,scriptures bear 
witness to the infallibility of the     
church--and the church1 in return1      
testifies the truth of the ,scriptures4 
,from this statement of the case1 you   
must perceive1 that faith is nothing    
more than an implicit belief in the     
priests1 whose assurances we adopt as   
the foundation of opinions in themselves
 incomprehensible4 ,it is true1 that as 
a confirmation of the truth of          
,scripture1 we are referred to          
miracles--but it is these identical     
,scriptures which report to us and      
testify of those very miracles4 ,of the 

absolute impossibility of any miracles1 
,i flatter myself that ,i have already  
convinced you4  ,besides1 ,i cannot but 
think1 ,madam1 that you must be1 by this
 time1 thoroughly satisfied how absurd  
it is to say that the understanding is  
convinced of any thing which it does not
 comprehend2 the insight ,i have given  
you into the books which the ,christians
 call sacred1 must have left upon your  
mind a firm persuasion1 that they never 
could have proceeded from a wise1 a     
good1 an omniscient1 a just1 and        
all-powerful ,god4 ,if1 then1 we cannot 
yield them a real belief1 what we call  
faith can be nothing more than a blind  
and irrational adherence to a system    
devised by priests1 whose crafty        
selfishness has made them careful from  
the earliest infancy to fill our tender 
minds with prepossessions in favor of   
doctrines which they judged favorable to
 their own interests4 ,interested1      
however1 as they are in the opinions    
which they endeavor to force upon us as 

truth1 is it possible for these priests 
to believe them themselves8             
,unquestionably not--the thing is out of
 nature4 ,they are men like ourselves1  
furnished with the same faculties1 and  
neither they nor we can be convinced of 
any thing which lies equally beyond the 
scope of us all4 ,if they possessed an  
additional sense1 we should perhaps     
allow that they might comprehend what is
 unintelligible to us2 but as we clearly
 see that they have no intellectual     
privileges above the rest of the        
species1 we are compelled to conclude1  
that their faith1 like the faith of     
other ,christians1 is a blind           
acquiescence in opinions derived1       
without examination1 from their         
predecessors2 and that they must be     
hypocrites when they pretend to believe 
in doctrines of the truth of which they 
cannot be convinced1 since these        
doctrines have been shown to be         
destitute of that degree of evidence    
which is necessary to impress the mind  

with a feeling of their probability1    
much less of their certainty4  ,it will 
be said that faith1 or the faculty of   
believing things incredible1 is the gift
 of ,god1 and can only be known to those
 upon whom ,god has bestowed the favor4 
,my answer is1 that1 if that be the     
case1 we have no alternative but to wait
 till the grace of ,god shall be shed   
upon us--and that in the mean time we   
may be allowed to doubt whether         
credulity1 stupidity1 and the perversion
 of reason can proceed1 as favors1 from 
a rational ,deity who has endowed us    
with the power of thinking4 ,if ,god be 
infinitely wise1 how can folly and      
imbecility be pleasing to him8 ,if there
 were such a thing as faith1 proceeding 
from grace1 it would be the privilege of
 seeing things otherwise than as ,god   
has made them2 and if that were so1 it  
follows1 that the whole creation would  
be a mere cheat4 ,no man can believe the
 ,bible to be the production of ,god    
without doing violence to every         

consistent notion that he is able to    
form of ,deity6 ,no man can believe that
 one ,god is three ,gods1 and that those
 three ,gods are one ,god1 without      
renouncing all pretension to common     
sense1 and persuading himself that there
 is no such thing as certainty in the   
world4  ,thus1 ,madam1 we are bound to  
suspect that what the church calls a    
gift from above1 a supernatural grace1  
is1 in fact1 a perfect blindness1 an    
irrational credulity1 a brutish         
submission1 a vague uncertainty1 a      
stupid ignorance1 by which we are led to
 acquiesce1 without investigation1 in   
every dogma that our priests think fit  
to impose upon us--by which we are led  
to adopt1 without knowing why1 the      
pretended opinions of men who can have  
no better means of arriving at the truth
 than we have4 ,in short1 we are        
authorized in suspecting that no motive 
but that of blinding us1 in order more  
effectually to deceive us1 can actuate  
those men who are eternally preaching to

 us about a virtue which1 if it could   
exist1 would throw into utter confusion 
the simplest and clearest perceptions of
 the human mind4  ,this supposition is  
amply confirmed by the conduct of our   
ecclesiastics--forgetting what they have
 told us1 that grace is the gratuitous  
present of ,god1 bestowed or withheld at
 his sovereign pleasure1 they           
nevertheless indulge their wrath against
 all those who have not received the    
gift of faith2 they keep up one         
incessant anathema against all          
unbelievers1 and nothing less than      
absolute extermination of heresy can    
appease their anger wherever they have  
the strength to accomplish it4 ,so that 
heretics and unbelievers are made       
accountable for the grace of ,god1      
although they never received it2 they   
are punished in this world for those    
advantages which ,god has not been      
pleased to extend to them in their      
journey to the next4 ,in the estimation 
of priests and devotees1 the want of    

faith is the most unpardonable of all   
offences--it is precisely that offence  
which1 in the cruelty of their absurd   
injustice1 they visit with the last     
rigors of punishment1 for you cannot be 
ignorant1 ,madam1 that in all countries 
where the clergy possess sufficient     
influence1 the flames of priestly       
charity are lighted up to consume all   
those who are deficient in the          
prescribed allowance of faith4  ,when we
 inquire the motive for their unjust and
 senseless proceedings1 we are told that
 faith is the most necessary of all     
things1 that faith is of the most       
essential service to morals1 that       
without faith a man is a dangerous and  
wicked wretch1 a pest to--society4 ,and1
 after all1 is it our own choice to have
 faith8 ,can we believe just what we    
please8 ,does it depend upon ourselves  
not to think a proposition absurd which 
our understanding shows us to be absurd8
 ,how could we avoid receiving1 in our  
infancy1 whatever impressions and       

opinions our teachers and relations     
chose to implant in us8 ,and where is   
the man who can boast that he has       
faith--that he is fully convinced of    
mysteries which he cannot conceive1 and 
wonders which he cannot comprehend8     
,under these circumstances how can faith
 be serviceable to morals8 ,if no one   
can have faith but upon the assurance of
 another1 and consequently cannot       
entertain a real conviction1 what       
becomes of the social virtues8          
,admitting that faith were possible1    
what connection can exist between such  
occult speculations and the manifest    
duties of mankind1 duties which are     
palpable to every one who1 in the least1
 consults his reason1 his interest1 or  
the welfare of the society to which he  
belongs8 ,before ,i can be satisfied of 
the advantages of justice1 temperance1  
and benevolence1 must ,i first believe  
in the ,trinity1 the ,incarnation1 the  
,eucharist1 and all the fables of the   
,old ,testament8 ,if ,i believe in all  

the atrocious murders attributed by the 
,bible to that ,god whom ,i am bound to 
consider as the fountain of justice1    
wisdom1 and goodness1 is it not likely  
that ,i shall feel encouraged to the    
commission of crimes when ,i find them  
sanctioned by such an example8 ,although
 unable to discover the value of so many
 mysteries which ,i cannot understand1  
or of so many fanciful and cumbersome   
ceremonies prescribed by the church1 am 
,i1 on that account1 to be denounced as 
a more dangerous citizen than those who 
persecute1 torment1 and destroy every   
one of their fellow-creatures who does  
not think and act at their dictation8   
,the evident result of all these        
considerations must be1 that he who has 
a lively faith and a blind zeal for     
opinions contradictory to common sense1 
is more irrational1 and consequently    
more wicked than the man whose mind is  
untainted by such detestable doctrines2 
for when once the priests have gained   
their fatal ascendency over his mind1   

and have persuaded him that1 by         
committing all sorts of enormities1 he  
is doing the work of the ,lord1 there   
can be no doubt that he will make       
greater havoc in the happiness of the   
world1 than the man whose reason tells  
him that such excesses cannot be        
acceptable in the sight of ,god4  ,the  
advocates of the church will here       
interrupt me1 by alleging that if       
divested of those sentiments which      
religion inspires1 men would no longer  
live under the influence of motives     
strong enough to induce an abstinence   
from vice1 or to urge them on in the    
career of virtue when obstructed by     
painful sacrifices4 ,in a word1 it will 
be affirmed that unless men are         
convinced of the existence of an        
avenging and remunerating ,god1 they are
 released from every motive to fulfil   
their duties to each other in the       
present life4  ,you are1 doubtless1     
,madam1 quite sensible of the futility  
of such pretences1 put forth by priests 

who1 in order to render themselves more 
necessary1 are indefatigable in         
endeavoring to persuade us that their   
system is indispensable to the          
maintenance of social order4 ,to        
annihilate their sophistries it is      
sufficient to reflect upon the nature of
 man1 his true interests1 and the end   
for which society is formed ,man is a   
feeble being1 whose necessities render  
him constantly dependent upon the       
support of others1 whether it be for the
 preservation or the pleasure of his    
existence2 he has no means of           
interesting others in his welfare except
 by his manner of conducting himself    
towards them2 that conduct which renders
 him an object of affection to others is
 called virtue--whatever is pernicious  
to society is called crime--and where   
the consequences are injurious only to  
the individual himself1 it is called    
vice4 ,thus every man must immediately  
perceive that he consults his own       
happiness by advancing that of others   

that vices1 however cautiously disguised
 from public observation1 are1          
nevertheless1 fraught with ruin to him  
who practises them--and that crimes are 
sure to render the perpetrator odious or
 contemptible in the eyes of his        
associates1 who are necessary to his own
 happiness4 ,in short1 education1 public
 opinion1 and the laws point out to us  
our mutual duties much more clearly than
 the chimeras of an incomprehensible    
religion4  ,every man on consulting with
 himself will feel indubitably that he  
desires his own conservation2 experience
 will teach him both what he ought to do
 and what to avoid to arrive at this    
end2 in consequence he will shrink from 
those excesses which endanger his being2
 he will debar himself from those       
gratifications which in their course    
would render his existence miserable2   
and he would make sacrifices1 if it was 
necessary1 in the view of procuring     
himself advantages more real than those 
of which he momentarily deprived        

himself4 ,thus he would know what he    
owes to himself and what he owes to     
others4  ,here1 ,madam1 you have a short
 but perfect summary of all morals1     
derived1 as they must be1 from the      
nature of man1 the uniform experience   
and the universal reason of mankind4    
,these precepts are compulsory upon our 
minds1 for they show us that the        
consequences of our conduct flow from   
our actions with as natural and         
inevitable a certainty as the return of 
a stone to the earth after the impetus  
is exhausted which detained it in the   
air4 ,it is natural and inevitable that 
the man who employs himself in doing    
good must be preferred to the man who   
does mischief4 ,every thinking being    
must be penetrated with the truth of    
this incontrovertible maxim1 and all the
 ponderous volumes of theology that ever
 were composed can add nothing to the   
force of his conviction2 every thinking 
being will1 therefore1 avoid a conduct  
calculated to injure either himself or  

others2 he will feel himself under the  
necessity of doing good to others1 as   
the only method of obtaining solid      
happiness for himself1 and of           
conciliating to himself those sentiments
 on the part of others1 without which he
 could derive no charms from society4   
,you perceive1 then1 ,madam1 that faith 
cannot in any manner contribute to the  
correction of social conduct1 and you   
will feel that the popular super-natural
 notions cannot add any thing to the    
obligations that our nature imposes upon
 us4 ,in fact1 the more mysterious and  
incomprehensible are the dogmas of the  
church1 the more likely are they to draw
 us aside from the plain dictates of    
,nature and the straight-forward        
directions of ,reason1 whose voice is   
incapable of misleading us4 ,a candid   
survey of the causes which produce an   
infinity of evils that afflict society  
will quickly point out the speculative  
tenets of theology as their most        
fruitful source4 ,the intoxication of   

enthusiasm and the frenzy of fanaticism 
concur in overpowering reason1 and by   
rendering men blind and unreflecting1   
convert them into enemies both of       
themselves and the rest of the world4   
,it is impossible for the worshippers of
 a tyrannical1 partial1 and cruel ,god  
to practise the duties of justice and   
philanthropy4 ,as soon as the priests   
have succeeded in stifling within us the
 commands of ,reason1 they have already 
converted us into slaves1 in whom they  
can kindle whatever passions it may     
please them to inspire us with4  ,their 
interest1 indeed1 requires that we      
should be slaves4 ,they exact from us   
the surrender of our reason1 because our
 reason contradicts their impostures1   
and would ruin their plans of           
aggrandizement4 ,faith is the instrument
 by which they enslave us and make us   
subservient to their own ambition4      
,hence arises their zeal for the        
propagation of the faith2 hence arises  
their implacable hostility to science1  

and to all those who refuse submission  
to their yoke2 hence arises their       
incessant endeavor to establish the     
dominion of ,faith1 7that is to say1    
their own dominion17 even by fire and   
sword1 the only arguments they          
condescend to employ4  ,it must be      
confessed that society derives but      
little advantage from this supernatural 
faith which the church has exalted into 
the first of virtues4 ,as it regards    
,god1 it is perfectly useless to him1   
since if he wishes mankind to be        
convinced1 it is sufficient that he     
wills them to be so4 ,it is utterly     
unworthy of the supreme wisdom of ,god1 
who cannot exhibit himself to mortals in
 a manner contradictory to the reason   
with which he has endowed them4 ,it is  
unworthy of the divine justice1 which   
cannot require from mankind to be       
convinced of that which they cannot     
understand4 ,it denies the very         
existence of ,god himself1 by           
inculcating a belief totally subversive 

of the only rational idea we are able to
 form of the ,divinity4  ,as it regards 
morality1 faith is also useless4 ,faith 
cannot render it either more sacred or  
more necessary than it already is by its
 own inherent essence1 and by the nature
 of man4 ,faith is not only useless1 but
 injurious to society1 since1 under the 
plea of its pretended necessity1 it     
frequently fills the world with         
deplorable troubles and horrid crimes4  
,in short1 faith is self-contradictory1 
since by it we are required to believe  
in things inconsistent with each other1 
and even incompatible with the          
principles laid down in the books which 
we have already investigated1 and which 
contain what we are commanded to        
believe4  ,to whom1 then1 is faith fonnd
 to be advantageous8 ,to a few men1     
only1 who1 availing themselves of its   
influence to degrade the human mind1    
contrive to render the labor of the     
whole world tributary to their own      
luxury1 splendor1 and power4 ,are the   

nations of the earth any happier for    
their faith1 or their blind reliance on 
priests8 ,certainly not4 ,we do not     
there find more morality1 more virtue1  
more industry1 or more happiness2 but1  
on the contrary1 wherever the priests   
are powerful1 there the people are sure 
to be found abject in their minds and   
squalid in their condition4 ,but        
,hope--,hope1 the second in order of the
 ,christian perfections1 is ever at hand
 to console us for the evils inflicted  
by ,faith4 ,we are commanded to be      
firmly convinced that those who have    
faith1 that is to say1 those who believe
 in priests1 shall be amply rewarded in 
the other world for their meritorious   
submission in this4 ,thus hope is       
founded on faith1 in the same manner as 
faith is established upon hope2 faith   
enjoins us to entertain a devout hope   
that our faith will be rewarded4 ,and   
what is it we are told to hope for8 ,for
 unspeakable benefits2 that is1 benefits
 for which language contains no         

expression4 ,so that1 after all1 we know
 not what it is we are to hope for4 ,and
 how can we feel a hope or even a wish  
for any object that is undefinable8 ,how
 can priests incessantly speak to us of 
things of which they1 at the same time1 
acknowledge it is impossible for us to  
form any ideas8  ,it thus appears that  
hope and faith have one common          
foundation2 the same blow which         
overturns the one necessarily levels the
 other with the ground4 ,but let us     
pause a moment1 and endeavor to discover
 the advantages of ,christian hope      
amongst men4 ,it encourages to the      
practice of virtue2 it supports the     
unfortunate under the stroke of         
affliction2 and consoles the believer in
 the hour of adversity4 ,but what       
encouragement1 what support1 what       
consolation can be imparted to the mind 
from these undefined and undefinable    
shadows8 ,no one1 indeed1 will deny that
 hope is sufficiently useful to the     
priests1 who never fail to call in its  

assistance for the vindication of       
,providence1 whenever any of the elect  
have occasion to complain of the        
unmerited hardship or the transient     
injustice of his dispensations4         
,besides1 these priests1 notwithstanding
 their beautiful systems1 find          
themselves unable to fulfil the         
high-sounding promises they so liberally
 make to all the faithful1 and are      
frequently at a loss to explain the     
evils which they bring upon their flocks
 by means of the quarrels they engage   
in1 and the false notions of religion   
they entertain2 on these occasions the  
priests have a standing appeal to hope1 
telling their dupes that man was not    
created for this world1 that heaven is  
his home1 and that his sufferings here  
will be counterbalanced by indescribable
 bliss hereafter4 ,thus1 like quacks1   
whose nostrums have ruined the health of
 their patients1 they have still left to
 themselves the advantage of selling    
hopes to those whom they know themselves

 unable to cure4 ,our priests resemble  
some of our physicians1 who begin by    
frightening us into our complaints1 in  
order that they may make us customers   
for the hopes which they afterwards sell
 to us for their weight in gold4 ,this  
traffic constitutes1 in reality1 all    
that is called religion4 ,the third of  
the ,christian virtues is ,charity2 that
 is1 to love ,god above all things1 and 
our neighbors as ourselves4 ,but before 
we are required to love ,god above all  
things1 it seems reasonable that        
religion should condescend to represent 
him as worthy of our love4 ,in good     
faith1 ,madam1 is it possible to feel   
that the ,god of the ,christians is     
entitled to our love8 ,is it possible to
 feel any other sentiments than those of
 aversion towards a partial1 capricious1
 cruel1 revengeful1 jealous1 and        
sanguinary tyrant8 ,how can we sincerely
 love the most terrible of beings1--the 
living ,god1 into whose hands it is     
dreadful to think of falling1--the ,god 

who can consign to eternal damnation    
those very creatures who1 without his   
own consent1 would never have existed8  
,are our theologians aware of what they 
say1 when they tell us that the fear of 
,god is the fear of a child for its     
parent1 which is mingled with love8 ,are
 we not bound to hate1 can we by any    
means avoid detesting1 a barbarous      
father1 whose injustice is so boundless 
as to punish the whole human race1      
though innocent1 in order to revenge    
himself upon two individuals for the sin
 of the apple1 which sin he himself     
might have prevented if he had thought  
proper8 ,in short1 ,madam1 it is a      
physical impossibility to love above all
 things a ,god whose whole conduct1 as  
described in the ,bible1 fills us with a
 freezing horror4 ,if1 therefore1 the   
love of ,god1 as the ,jansenists assert1
 is indispensable to salvation1 we      
cannot wonder to find that the elect are
 so few4 ,indeed1 there are not many    
persons who can restrain themselves from

 hating this ,god2 and the doctrine of  
the ,jesuits is1 that to abstain from   
hating him is sufficient for salvation4 
,the power of loving a ,god whom        
religion paints as the most detestable  
of beings would1 doubtless1 be a proof  
of the most supernatural grace1 that is1
 a grace the most contrary to nature2 to
 love that which we do not know1 is1    
assuredly1 sufficiently difficult2 to   
love that which we fear1 is still more  
difficult2 but to love that which is    
exhibited to us in the most repulsive   
colors1 is manifestly impossible4  ,we  
must1 after all this1 be thoroughly     
convinced that1 except by means of an   
invisible grace never communicated to   
the profane1 no ,christian in his sober 
senses can love his ,god2 even those    
devotees who pretend to that happiness  
are apt to deceive themselves2 their    
conduct resembles that of hypocritical  
flatterers1 who1 in order to ingratiate 
themselves with an odious tyrant1 or to 
escape his resentment1 make every       

profession of attachment1 whilst1 at the
 bottom of their hearts1 they execrate  
him2 or1 on the other hand1 they must be
 condemned as enthusiasts1 who1 by means
 of a heated imagination1 become the    
dupes of their own illusions1 and only  
view the favorable side of a ,god       
declared to be the fountain of all good1
 yet1 nevertheless1 constantly          
delineated to us with every feature of  
wickedness4 ,devotees1 when sincere1 are
 like women given up to the infatuation 
of a blind passion by which they are    
enamoured with lovers rejected by the   
rest of the sex as unworthy of their    
affection4 ,it was said by ,madame de   
,sevigne that she loved ,god as a       
perfectly well-bred gentleman1 with whom
 she had never been acquainted4 ,but can
 the ,god of the ,christians be esteemed
 a well-bred gentleman8 ,unless her head
 was turned1 one would think that she   
must have been cured of her passion by  
the slightest reference to her imaginary
 lover's portrait as drawn in the       

,bible1 or as it is spread upon the     
canvas of our theological artists4 ,with
 regard to the love of our neighbor1    
where was the necessity of religion to  
teach us our duty1 which as men we      
cannot but feel1 of cherishing          
sentiments of good will towards each    
other8 ,it is only by showing in our    
conduct an affectionate disposition to  
others that we can produce in them      
correspondent feelings towards          
ourselves4 ,the simple circumstance of  
being men is quite sufficient to give us
 a claim upon the heart of every man who
 is susceptible of the sweet            
sensibilities of our nature4 ,who is    
better acquainted than yourself1 ,madam1
 with this truth8 ,does not your        
compassionate soul experience at every  
moment the delightful satisfaction of   
solacing the unhappy8 ,setting aside the
 superfluous precepts of religion1 think
 you that you could by any efforts steel
 your heart against the tears of the    
unfortunate8 ,is it not by rendering our

 fellow-creatures happy that we         
establish an empire in their hearts8    
,enjoy1 then1 ,madam1 this delightful   
sovereignty2 continue to bless with your
 beneficence all that surround you2 the 
consciousness of being the dispenser of 
so much good will always sustain your   
mind with the most gratifying           
self-applause2 those who have received  
your kindness will reward you with their
 blessings1 and afford you the tribute  
of affection which mankind are ever     
eager to lay at the feet of their       
benefactors4  ,christianity1 not        
satisfied with recommending the love of 
our neighbor1 superadds the injunction  
of loving our enemies4 ,this precept1   
attributed to the ,son of ,god himself1 
forms the ground on which our divines   
claim for their religion a superiority  
of moral doctrine over all that the     
philosophers of antiquity were known to 
teach4 ,let us1 therefore1 examine how  
far this precept admits of being reduced
 to practice4 ,true1 an elevated mind   

may easily place itself above a sense of
 injuries2 a noble spirit retains no    
resentful recollections2 a great soul   
revenges itself by a generous clemency2 
but it is an absurd contradiction to    
require that a man shall entertain      
feelings of tenderness and regard for   
those whom he knows to be bent on his   
destruction2 this love of our enemies1  
which ,christianity is so vain of having
 promulgated1 turns out1 then1 to be an 
impracticable commandment1 belied and   
denied by every ,christian at every     
moment of his life4 ,how preposterous to
 talk of loving that which annoys       
us6--of cherishing an attachment for    
that which gives us pain6--of receiving 
an outrage with joy6--of loving those   
who subject us to misery and suffering6 
,no2 in the midst of these trials our   
firmness may perhaps be strengthened by 
the hope of a reward hereafter2 but it  
is a mere fallacy to talk of our        
entertaining a sincere love for those   
whom we deem the authors of our         

afflictions2 the least that we can do is
 to avoid them1 which will not be looked
 upon as a very strong indication of our
 love4  ,notwithstanding the solemn     
formality with which the ,christian     
religion obtrudes upon us these vaunted 
precepts of love of our neighbor1 love  
of our enemies1 and forgiveness of      
injuries1 it cannot escape the          
observation of the weakest among us1    
that those very men who are the loudest 
in praising are also the first and most 
constant in violating them4 ,our priests
 especially seem to consider themselves 
exempt from the troublesome necessity of
 adopting for their own conduct a too   
literal interpretation of this divine   
law4 ,they have invented a most         
convenient salvo1 since they affect to  
exclude all those who do not profess to 
think as they dictate1 not only from the
 kindness of neighbors1 but even from   
the rights of fellow-creatures4 ,on this
 principle they defame1 persecute1 and  
destroy every one who displeases them4  

,when do you see a priest forgive8 ,when
 revenge is out of his reach6 ,but it is
 never their own injuries they punish2  
it is never their own enemies they seek 
to exterminate4 ,their disinterested    
indignation burns with resentment       
against the enemies of the ,most ,high1 
who1 without their assistance1 would be 
incapable of adjusting his own quarrels6
 ,by an unaccountable coincidence1      
however1 it is sure to happen that the  
enemies of the church are the enemies of
 the ,most ,high1 who never fails to    
make common cause with the ministers of 
the faith1 and who would take it        
extremely ill if his ministers should   
relax in the measure of punishment due  
to their common enemy4 ,thus our priests
 are cruel and revengeful from pure     
zeal2 they would ardently wish to       
forgive their own enemies1 but how could
 they justify themselves to the ,god of 
,mercies if they extended the least     
indulgence to his enemies8  ,a true     
,christian loves the ,creator above all 

things1 and consequently he must love   
him in preference to the creature4 ,we  
feel a lively interest in every thing   
that concerns the object of our love2   
from all which1 it follows that we must 
evince our zeal1 and even1 when         
necessary1 we must not hesitate to      
exterminate our neighbor1 if he says or 
does what is displeasing or injurious to
 ,god4 ,in such case1 indifference would
 be criminal2 a sincere love of ,god    
breaks out into a holy ardor in his     
cause1 and our merit rises in proportion
 to our violence4  ,these notions1      
absurd as they are1 have been sufficient
 in every age to produce in the world a 
multitude of crimes1 extravagances1 and 
follies1 the legitimate offspring of a  
religious zeal4 ,infatuated fanatics1   
exasperated by priests against each     
other1 have been driven into mutual     
hatred1 persecution1 and destruction2   
they have thought themselves called upon
 to avenge the ,almighty2 they have     
carried their insane delusions so far as

 to persuade themselves that the ,god of
 clemency and goodness could look on    
with pleasure while they murdered their 
brethren2 in the astonishing blindness  
of their stupidity1 they have imagined  
that in defending the temporalities of  
the church1 they were defending ,god    
himself4 ,in pursuance of these errors1 
contradicted even by the description    
which they themselves give us of the    
,divinity1 the priests of every age have
 found means to introduce confusion into
 the peaceful habitations of men1 and to
 destroy all who dared to resist their  
tyranny4 ,under the laughable idea of   
revenging the all-powerful ,creator1    
these priests have discovered the secret
 of revenging themselves1 and that1 too1
 without drawing down upon themselves   
the hatred and execration so justly due 
to their vindictive fury and unfeeling  
selfishness4 ,in the name of the ,god of
 nature1 they stifled the voice of      
nature in the breasts of men2 in the    
name of the ,god of goodness1 they      

incited men to the fury of wild beasts2 
in the name of the ,god of mercies1 they
 prohibited all forgiveness6 ,it is     
thus1 ,madam1 that the earth has never  
ceased to groan with the ravages        
committed by maniacs under the influence
 of that zeal which springs from the    
,christian doctrine of the love of ,god4
 ,the ,god of the ,christians1 like the 
,janus of ,roman mythology1 has two     
faces2 sometimes he is represented with 
the benign features of mercy and        
goodness2 sometimes murder1 revenge1 and
 fury issue from his nostrils4 ,and what
 is the consequence of this double      
aspect but that the ,christians are much
 more easily terrified at his frightful 
lineaments than they are recovered from 
their fears by his aspect of mercy6     
,having been taught to view him as a    
capricious being1 they are naturally    
mistrustful of him1 and imagine that the
 safest part they can act for themselves
 is to set about the work of vengeance  
with great zeal2 they conclude that a   

cruel master cannot find fault with     
cruel imitators1 and that his servants  
cannot render themselves more acceptable
 than by extirpating all his enemies4   
,the preceding remarks show very        
clearly1 ,madam1 the highly pernicious  
consequences which result from the zeal 
engendered by the love of ,god4 ,if this
 love is a virtue1 its benefits are     
confined to the priests1 who arrogate to
 themselves the exclusive privilege of  
declaring when ,god is offended2 who    
absorb all the offerings and monopolize 
all the homage of the devout2 who decide
 upon the opinions that please or       
displease him2 who undertake to inform  
mankind of the duties this virtue       
requires from them1 and of the proper   
time and manner of performing them2 who 
are interested in rendering those duties
 cruel and intimidating in order to     
frighten mankind into a profitable      
subjection2 who convert it into the     
instrument of gratifying their own      
malignant passions1 by inspiring men    

with a spirit of headlong and raging    
intolerance1 which1 in its furious      
course of indiscriminate destruction1   
holds nothing sacred1 and which has     
inflicted incredible ravages upon all   
,christian countries4  ,in conformity   
with such abominable principles1 a      
,christian is bound to detest and       
destroy all whom the church may point   
out as the enemies of ,god4 ,having     
admitted the paramount duty of yielding 
their entire affections to a rigorous   
master1 quick to resent1 and offended   
even with the involuntary thoughts and  
opinions of his creatures1 they of      
course feel themselves bound1 by        
entering with zeal into his quarrels1 to
 obtain for him a vengeance worthy of a 
,god--that is to say1 a vengeance that  
knows no bounds4 ,a conduct like this is
 the natural offspring of those         
revolting ideas which our priests give  
us of the ,deity4 ,a good ,christian is 
therefore necessarily intolerant4 ,it is
 true that ,christianity in the pulpit  

preaches nothing but mildness1 meekness1
 toleration1 peace1 and concord2 but    
,christianity in the world is a stranger
 to all these virtues2 nor does she ever
 exercise them except when she is       
deficient in the necessary power to give
 effect to her destructive zeal4 ,the   
real truth of the matter is1 that       
,christians think them selves absolved  
from every tie of humanity except with  
those who think as they do1 who profess 
to believe the same creed2 they have a  
repugnance1 more or less decided1       
against all those who disagree with     
their priests in theological            
speculation4 ,how common it is to see   
persons of the mildest character and    
most benevolent disposition regard with 
aversion the adherents of a different   
sect from their own6 ,the reigning      
religion--that is1 the religion of the  
sovereign1 or of the priests in whose   
favor the sovereign declares            
himself--crushes all rival sects1 or1 at
 least1 makes them fully sensible of its

 superiority and its hatred1 in a manner
 extremely insulting1 and calculated to 
raise their indignation4 ,by these means
 it frequently happens that the         
deference of the prince to the wishes of
 the priests has the effect of          
alienating the hearts of his most       
faithful subjects1 and brings him that  
execration which ought in justice to be 
heaped exclusively upon his             
sanctimonious instigators4  ,in short1  
,madam1 the private rights of conscience
 are nowhere sincerely respected2 the   
leaders of the various religious sects  
begin1 in the very cradle1 to teach all 
,christians to hate and despise each    
other about some theological point which
 nobody can understand4 ,the clergy1    
when vested with power1 never preach    
toleration2 on the contrary1 they       
consider every man as an enemy who is a 
friend to religious freedom1 accusing   
him of lukewarm-ness1 infidelity1 and   
secret hostility2 in short1 he is       
denominated a false brother4 ,the       

,sorbonne declared1 in the sixteenth    
century1 that it was heretical to say   
that heretics ought not to be burned4   
,the ferocious ,st4 ,austin preached    
toleration at one period1 but it was    
before he was duly initiated in the     
mysteries of the sacerdotal policy1     
which is ever repugnant to toleration4  
,persecution is necessary to our        
priests1 to deter mankind from opposing 
themselves to their avarice1 their      
ambition1 their vanity1 and their       
obstinacy4 ,the sole principle which    
holds the church together is that of a  
sleepless watchfulness on the part of   
all its members to extend its power1 to 
increase the multitude of its slaves1 to
 fix odium on all who hesitate to bend  
their necks to its yoke1 or who refuse  
their assent to its arbitrary decisions4
  ,our divines have1 therefore1 you see1
 very good reasons for raising humility 
into the rank of virtue4 ,an amiable    
modesty1 a diffident mildness of        
demeanor1 are unquestionably calculated 

to promote the pleasures and the        
advantages of society2 it is equally    
certain that insolence and arrogance are
 disgusting1 that they wound our        
self-love and excite our aversion by    
their repulsive conduct2 but that       
amiable modesty which charms all who    
come within its influence is a far      
different quality from that which is    
designated humility in the vocabulary of
 ,christians4 ,a truly humble ,christian
 despises his own unworthiness1 avoids  
the esteem of others1 mistrusts his own 
understanding1 submits with docility to 
the unerring guidance of his spiritual  
masters1 and piously resigns to his     
priest the clearest and most irrefutable
 conclusions of reason4  ,but to what   
advantage can this pretended virtue lead
 its followers8 ,how can a man of sense 
and integrity despise himself8 ,is not  
public opinion the guardian of private  
virtue8 ,if you deprive men of the love 
of glory1 and the desire of deserving   
the approbation of their                

fellow-citizens1 are you not divesting  
them of the noblest and most powerful   
incitements by which they can be        
impelled to benefit their country8 ,what
 recompense will remain to the          
benefactors of mankind1 if1 first of    
all1 we are unjust enough to refuse them
 the praise they merit1 and afterwards  
debar them from the satisfaction of     
self-applause1 and the happiness they   
would feel in the consciousness of      
having done good to an ungrateful world8
 ,what infatuation1 what amazing        
infatuation1 to require a man of upright
 character1 of talents1 intelligence1   
and learning1 to think himself on a     
level with a selfish priest1 or a stupid
 fanatic1 who deal out their absurd     
fables and incoherent1 dreams6  ,our    
priests are never weary of telling their
 flocks that pride leads on to          
infidelity1 and that a humble and       
submissive spirit is alone fitted to    
receive the truths of the gospel4 ,in   
good earnest1 should we not be utterly  

bereft of every claim to the name of    
rational beings1 if we consent to       
surrender our judgment and our knowledge
 at the command of a hierarchy1 who have
 nothing to give us in exchange but the 
most palpable absurdities8 ,with what   
face can a reverend ,doctor of ,nonsense
 dare to exact from my understanding a  
humble acquiescence in a bundle of      
mysterious opinions1 for which he is    
unable to offer me a single solid       
reason8 ,is it1 then1 presumptuous to   
think one's self superior to a class of 
pretenders1 whose systems are a mass of 
falsities1 absurdities1 and             
inconsistencies1 of which they contrive 
to make mankind at once the dupes and   
the victims8 ,can pride or vanity be1   
with justice1 imputed to you1 ,madam1 if
 you see reason to prefer the dictates  
of your own understanding to the        
authoritative decrees of ,mrs4 ,d------1
 whose senseless malignity is obvious to
 all her acquaintance8  ,if ,christian  
humility is a virtue at all1 it can be  

one only in the cloister2 society can   
derive no sort of benefit from it2 it   
enervates the mind2 it benefits nobody  
but priests1 who1 under the pretext of  
rendering men humble1 seek1 in reality1 
only to degrade them1 to stifle in their
 souls every spark of science and of    
courage1 that they may the more easily  
impose the yoke of faith1 that is to    
say1 their own yoke4 ,conclude1 then1   
with me1 that the ,christian virtues are
 chimerical1 always useless1 and        
sometimes pernicious to men1 and        
attended with advantage to none but     
priests4 ,conclude that this religion1  
with all the boasted beauty of its      
morality1 recommends to us a set of     
virtues1 and enjoins a line of conduct1 
at variance with good sense4 ,conclude  
that1 in order to be moral and virtuous1
 it is far from necessary to adopt the  
unintelligible creed of the priests1 or 
to pride ourselves upon the empty       
virtues they preach1 and still less to  
annihilate all sense of dignity in      

ourselves1 by a degrading subjection to 
the duties they require4 ,conclude1 in  
short1 that the friend of virtue is not1
 of necessity1 the friend of            
priestcraft1 and that a man may be      
adorned with every human perfection1    
without possessing one of the ,christian
 virtues4  ,all who examine this matter 
with a candid and intelligent eye1      
cannot fail to see that true            
morality--that is to say1 a morality    
really serviceable to mankind--is       
absolutely incompatible with the        
,christian religion1 or any other       
professed revelation4 ,whoever imagines 
himself the favored object of the       
,creator's love1 must look down with    
disdain upon his less fortunate         
fellow-creatures1 especially if he      
regards that ,creator as partial1       
choleric1 revengeful1 and fickle1 easily
 incensed against us1 even by our       
involuntary thoughts1 or our most       
innocent words and actions2 such a man  
naturally conducts himself with contempt

 and pride1 with harshness and barbarity
 towards all others whom he may deem    
obnoxious to the resentment of his      
,heavenly ,king4 ,those men1 whose folly
 leads them to view the ,deity in the   
light of a capricious1 irritable1 and   
unappeasable despot1 can be nothing but 
gloomy and trembling slaves1 ever eager 
to anticipate the vengeance of ,god upon
 all whose conduct or opinions they may 
conceive likely to provoke the celestial
 wrath4 ,as soon as the priests have    
succeeded in reducing men to a state of 
stupidity gross enough to make them     
believe that their ghostly fathers are  
the faithful organs of the divine will1 
they naturally commit every species of  
crime1 which their spiritual teachers   
may please to tell them is calculated to
 pacify the anger of their offended     
,god4 ,men1 silly enough to accept a    
system of morals from guides thus hollow
 in reasoning1 and thus discordant in   
opinion1 must necessarily be unstable in
 their principles1 and subject to every 

variation that the interest of their    
guides may suggest4 ,in short1 it is    
impossible to construct a solid         
morality1 if we take for our foundation 
the attributes of a deity so unjust1 so 
capricious1 and so changeable as the    
,god of the ,bible1 whom we are         
commanded to imitate and adore4         
,persevere1 then1 my dear ,madam1 in the
 practice of those virtues which your   
own unsophisticated heart approves2 they
 will insure you a rich harvest of      
happiness in the present existence2 they
 will insure you a rich return of       
gratitude1 respect1 and love from all   
who enjoy their benign influence2 they  
will insure you the solid satisfaction  
of a well-founded self-esteem1 and thus 
provide you with that unfailing source  
of inward gratification which arises    
from the consciousness of having        
contributed to the welfare of the human 
race4 ,i am1 c4     ,,letter ,,ix4 ,of  
the advantages contributed to           
,government by ,religion  ,having       

already shown you1 ,madam1 the          
feebleness of those succors which       
religion furnishes to morals1 ,i shall  
now proceed to examine whether it       
procure advantages in themselves really 
politic1 and whether it be true1 as has 
so often been urged by the priests1 that
 it is absolutely necessary to the      
existence of every government4 ,were we 
disposed to shut our eyes1 and deliver  
ourselves up to the language of our     
priests1 we should believe that their   
opinions are necessary to the public    
tranquillity1 and the repose and        
security of the ,state2 that princes    
could not1 without their aid1 govern the
 people1 and exert themselves for the   
prosperity of their empire4 ,nor is this
 all2 our spiritual pilots approach the 
throne1 and gaining the ear of the      
sovereign1 make him also believe that he
 has the greatest interest in conforming
 to their caprices1 in order to subject 
men to the divine yoke of royalty4      
,these priests mingle in all important  

political quarrels1 and they too often  
persuade the rulers of the earth that   
the enemies of the church are the       
enemies of all power1 and that in       
sapping the foundations of the altar1   
the foundations of the throne are       
likewise necessarily overthrown4  ,we   
have1 then1 only to open our eyes and   
consult history1 to be convinced of the 
falsity of these pretensions1 and to    
appreciate the important services which 
the ,christian priests have rendered to 
their sovereigns4 ,ever since the       
establishment of ,christianity1 we have 
seen1 in all the countries in which this
 religion has gained ground1 that two   
rival powers are perpetually at war one 
with the other4 ,we find a government   
within the government2 that is to say1  
we find the ,church1 a body of priests1 
continually opposed to the sovereign    
power1 and in virtue of their pretended 
divine mission and sacred office1       
pretending to give laws to all the      
sovereigns of the earth4 ,we find the   

clergy1 puffed up and besotted with the 
titles they have given themselves1      
laboring to exact the obedience due to  
the sovereign1 pretending to chimerical 
and dangerous prerogatives1 which none  
are suffered to question1 without       
risking the displeasure of the          
,almighty4 ,and so well have the        
priesthood managed this matter1 that in 
many countries we actually see the      
people more inclined to lean to the     
authority of the ,vicars of ,jesus      
,christ than to that of the civil       
government4 ,the priesthood claim the   
right of commanding monarchs themselves1
 and sustained by their emissaries and  
the credulity of the people1 their      
ridiculous pretensions have engaged     
princes in the most serious affairs1    
sown trouble and discord in kingdoms1   
and so shook thrones as to compel their 
occupants to make submission to an      
intolerant hierarchy4  ,such are the    
important services which religion has a 
thousand times rendered to kings4 ,the  

people1 blinded by superstition1 could  
hesitate but little between ,god and the
 princes of the earth4 ,the priests1    
being the visible organs of an invisible
 monarch1 have acquired an immense      
credit with prejudiced minds4 ,the      
ignorance of the people places them1 as 
well as their sovereigns1 at the mercy  
of the priests4 ,nations have           
continually been dragged into their     
futile though bloody quarrels2 princes1 
for a long series of years1 have either 
had to dispute their authority with the 
clergy1 or become their tools or dupes4 
,the continual attention which the      
princes of ,europe have been forced to  
pay to the clergy has prevented them    
from occupying their thoughts about the 
welfare of their subjects1 who1 in many 
instances the dupes of the priesthood1  
have opposed even the good their rulers 
desired to procure them4 ,in like       
manner1 the heads of the people1 their  
kings and governors1 too weak to resist 
the torrent of opinions propagated by   

the clergy1 have been forced to yield1  
to bow1 nay1 even to caress the         
priesthood1 and to consent to grant it  
all its demands4 ,whenever they have    
wished to resist the encroachments of   
the clergy1 they have encountered       
concealed snares or open opposition1 as 
the holy power was either too weak to   
act in the face of day1 or strong enough
 to contend in the sunshine4 ,when      
princes have wished to be listened to by
 the clergy1 these last have invariably 
contrived to make them cowardly1 and to 
sacrifice the happiness and respect of  
their people4 ,often have the hands of  
parricides and rebels been armed1 by a  
proud and vindictive priesthood1 against
 sovereigns the most worthy of reigning4
 ,the priests1 under pretext of avenging
 ,god1 inflict their anger upon monarchs
 themselves1 whenever the latter are    
found indisposed to bend under their    
yoke4 ,in a word1 in all countries we   
perceive that the ministers of religion 
have exercised in all ages the most     

unbridled license4 ,we every where see  
empires torn by their dissensions2      
thrones overturned by their             
machinations2 princes immolated to their
 power and revenge2 subjects animated to
 revolt against the prince that ought to
 give them more happiness than they     
actually enjoyed2 and when we take the  
retrospect of these1 we find that the   
ambition1 the cupidity1 and vanity of   
the clergy have been the true causes and
 motives of all these outrages on the   
peace of the universe4 ,and it is thus  
that their religion has so often        
produced anarchy1 and overturned the    
very empires they pretended to support  
by its influence4  ,sovereigns have     
never enjoyed peace but when1 shamefully
 devoted to priests1 they submitted to  
their caprices1 became enslaved to their
 opinions1 and allowed them to govern in
 place of themselves4 ,then was the     
sovereign power subordinate to the      
sacerdotal1 and the prince was only the 
first servant of the church2 she        

degraded him to such a degree as to make
 him her hangman2 she obliged him to    
execute her sanguinary decrees2 she     
forced him to dip his hands in the blood
 of his own subjects whom the clergy had
 proscribed2 she made him the visible   
instrument of her vengeance1 her fury1  
and her concealed passions4 ,instead of 
occupying himself with the happiness of 
his people1 the sovereign has had the   
complaisance to torment1 to persecute1  
and to immolate honest citizens1 thus   
exciting the just hatred of a portion of
 his people1 to whom he should have been
 a father1 to gratify the ambition and  
the selfish malevolence of some priests1
 always aliens in the state which       
nourishes them1 and who only style      
themselves members of the realm in order
 to domineer1 to distract1 to plunder1  
and to devour with impunity4  ,how      
little soever you are disposed to       
reflect1 you will be convinced1 ,madam1 
that ,i do not exaggerate these things4 
,recent examples prove to you that even 

in this age1 so ambitious of being      
considered enlightened1 nations are not 
secure from the shocks that the priests 
have ever caused nations to suffer4 ,you
 have a hundred times sighed at the     
sight of the sad follies which puerile  
questions have produced among us4 ,you  
have shuddered at the frightful         
consequences which have resulted from   
the unreasonable squabbles of the       
clergy4 ,you have trembled with all good
 citizens at the sight of the tragical  
effects which have been brought about by
 the furious wickedness of a fanaticism 
for which nothing is sacred4 ,in fine1  
you have seen the sovereign authority   
compelled to struggle incessantly       
against rebellious subjects1 who pretend
 that their conscience or the interests 
of religion have obliged them to resist 
opinions the most agreeable to common   
sense1 and the most equitable4  ,our    
fathers1 more religious and less        
enlightened than ourselves1 were        
witnesses of scenes yet more terrible4  

,they saw civil wars1 leagues openly    
formed against their sovereign1 and the 
capital submerged in the blood of       
murdered citizens2 two monarchs         
successively immolated to the fury of   
the clergy1 who kindled in all parts the
 fire of sedition4 ,they afterwards saw 
kings at war with their own subjects2 a 
famous sovereign1 ,louis ,,xiv41        
tarnishing all his glory by persecuting1
 contrary to the faith of treaties1     
subjects who would have lived tranquil1 
if they had only been allowed to enjoy  
in peace the liberty of conscience2 and 
they saw1 in fine1 this same prince1 the
 dupe of a false policy1 dictated by    
intolerance1 banish1 along with the     
exiled ,protestants1 the industry of his
 states1 and forcing the arts and       
manufactures of our nation to take      
refuge in the dominions of our most     
implacable enemies4  ,we see religion   
throughout ,europe1 without cessation1  
exerting a baleful influence upon       
temporal affairs2 we see it direct the  

interests of princes2 we see it divide  
and make ,christian nations enemies of  
each other1 because their spiritual     
guides do not all entertain the same    
opinions4 ,germany is divided into two  
religious parties whose interests are   
perpetually at variance4 ,we every where
 perceive that ,protestants are born the
 enemies of the ,catholics1 and are     
always in antagonism to them2 while1 on 
the other hand1 the ,catholics are      
leagued with their priests against all  
those whose mode of thinking is less    
abject and less servile than their own4 
,behold1 ,madam1 the signal advantages  
that nations derive from religion6 ,but 
we are certain to be told that these    
terrible effects are due to the passions
 of men1 and not to the ,christian      
religion1 which incessantly inculcates  
charity1 concord1 indulgence1 and peace4
 ,if1 however1 we reflect even a moment 
on the principles of this religion1 we  
should immediately perceive that they   
are incompatible with the fine maxims   

that have never been practised by the   
,christian priests1 except when they    
lacked the power to persecute their     
enemies and inflict upon them the weight
 of their rage4 ,the adorers of a       
jealous ,god1 vindictive and sanguinary1
 as is obviously the character of the   
,god of the ,jews and ,christians1 could
 not evince in their conduct moderation1
 tranquillity1 and humanity4 ,the       
adorers of a ,god who takes offence at  
the opinions of his weak creatures1 who 
reprobates and glories in the           
extermination of all who do not worship 
him in a particular way1 for the which1 
by the by1 he gives them neither the    
means nor the inclination1 must         
necessarily be intolerant persecutors4  
,the adorers of a ,god who has not      
thought fit to illuminate with an equal 
portion of light the minds of all his   
creatures1 who reveals his favor and    
bestows his kindness on a few only of   
those creatures1 who leaves the         
remainder in blindness and uncertainty  

to follow their passions1 or adopt      
opinions against which the favored wage 
war1 must of necessity be eternally at  
odds with the rest of the world1 canting
 about their oracles and mysteries1     
supernatural precepts1 invented purely  
to torment the human mind1 to enthral   
it1 and leave man answerable for what he
 could not obey1 and punishable for what
 he was restrained from performing4 ,we 
need not then be astonished if1 since   
the origin of ,christianity1 our priests
 have never been a single moment without
 disputes4 ,it appears that ,god only   
sent his ,son upon earth that his       
marvellous doctrines might prove an     
apple of discord both for his priests   
and his adorers4 ,the ministers of a    
church founded by ,christ himself1 who  
promised to send them his ,holy ,spirit 
to lead them into all the truth1 have   
never been in unison with their dogmas4 
,we have seen this infallible church for
 whole ages enveloped in error4 ,you    
know1 ,madam1 that in the fourth        

century1 by the acknowledgment of the   
priests themselves1 the great body of   
the church followed the opinions of the 
,arians1 who disavowed even the divinity
 of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the spirit of ,god 
must then have abandoned his church2    
else why did its ministers fall into    
this error1 and dispute afterwards about
 so fundamental a dogma of the          
,christian religion8  ,notwithstanding  
these continual quarrels1 the church    
arrogates to itself the right of fixing 
the faith of the true believers1 and in 
this it pretends to infallibility2 and  
if the ,protestant parsons have         
renounced the lofty and ridiculous      
pretensions of their ,catholic brethren1
 they are not less certain in the       
infallibility of their decisions2 for   
they talk with the authority of oracles1
 and send to hell and damnation all who 
do not yield submission to their dogmas4
 ,thus on both sides of the cross they  
wish their assertions to be received by 
their adherents as if they came direct  

from heaven4 ,the priests have always   
been at discord among themselves1 and   
have perpetually cursed1 anathematized1 
and doomed each other to hell4 ,the     
vanity of each holy clique has caused it
 to adhere obstinately to its own       
peculiar opinions1 and to treat its     
adversaries as heretics4 ,violence alone
 has generally decided the discussions1 
terminated the disputes1 and fixed the  
standard of belief4 ,those pugnacious1  
brawling priests who were artful enough 
to enlist sovereigns on their side were 
orthodox1 or1 in other words1 boasted   
that they were the exclusive possessors 
of the true doctrine4 ,they made use of 
their credit to crush their adversaries1
 whom they always treated with the      
greatest barbarity4  ,but1 after all1   
whatever the clergy may say1 we shall   
find1 even with a small share of        
attention1 that it has ever been kings  
and emperors who1 in the last resort1   
fixed the faith of the disputatious     
,christians4 ,it has been by downright  

blows of the sword that those           
theological notions most pleasing to the
 ,deity have been sustained in all      
countries4 ,the true belief has         
invariably been that which had princes  
for its adherents4 ,the faithful were   
those who had strength sufficient to    
exterminate their enemies1 whom they    
never failed to treat as the enemies of 
,god4 ,in a word1 princes have been     
truly infallible2 we should regard them 
as the true founders of religious faith2
 they are the judges who have decided1  
in all ages1 what doctrines should be   
admitted or rejected2 and they are1 in  
fine1 the authorities which have always 
fixed the religion of their subjects4   
,ever since ,christianity has been      
adopted by some nations1 have we not    
seen that religion has almost entirely  
occupied the attention of sovereigns8   
,either the princes1 blinded by         
superstition1 were devoted to the       
priests1 or the rulers of nations       
believed that prudence exacted a        

concession on their part to the clergy1 
the true masters of their people1 who   
considered nothing more sacred or more  
great than the ministers of their ,god4 
,in neither case was the body politic   
ever consulted2 it was cowardly         
sacrificed to the interests of the      
court1 or the vanity and luxury of the  
priests4 ,it is by a continuation of    
superstition on the part of the princes 
that we behold the church so richly     
endowed in times of ignorance2 when men 
believed they would enrich ,deity by    
putting all their wealth into the hands 
of the priests of a good ,god the       
declared enemy of riches4 ,savage       
warriors1 destitute of the manners of   
men1 flattered themselves that they     
could expiate all their sins by founding
 monasteries and giving immense wealth  
to a set of men who had made vows of    
poverty4 ,it was believed that they     
would merit from the ,all-powerful a    
great advantage by recompensing         
laziness1 which1 in the priests1 was    

regarded as a great good1 and that the  
blessings procured by their prayers     
would be in proportion to the continual 
and pressing demands their poverty made 
on the wealthy4 ,it is thus that by the 
superstition of princes1 by that of the 
powerful classes1 and of the people     
themselves1 the clergy have become      
opulent and powerful2 that monachism was
 honored1 and citizens the most useless1
 the least submissive1 and the most     
dangerous1 were the best recompensed1   
the most considered1 and the best paid4 
,they were loaded with benefits1        
privileges1 and immunities2 they enjoyed
 independence1 and they had that great  
power which flowed from so great        
license4 ,thus were priests placed above
 sovereigns themselves by the imprudent 
devotion of the latter1 and the former  
were1 enabled to give the law and       
trouble the state with impunity4  ,the  
clergy1 arrived at this elevation of    
power and grandeur1 became redoubtable  
even to monarchs4 ,they were obliged to 

bend under the yoke or be at war with   
clerical power4 ,when the sovereigns    
yielded1 they became mere slaves to the 
priests1 the instruments of their       
passions1 and the vile adorers of their 
power4 ,when they refused to yield1 the 
priests involved them in the most cruel 
embarrassments2 they launched against   
them the anathemas of the church2 the   
people were incited against them in the 
name of heaven2 the nations divided     
themselves between the celestial and the
 terrestrial monarch1 and the latter was
 reduced to great extremities to sustain
 a throne which the priests could shake 
or even destroy at pleasure4 ,there was 
a time in ,europe when both the welfare 
of the prince and the repose of his     
kingdom depended solely upon the caprice
 of a priest4 ,in these times of        
ignorance1 of devotion1 and of          
commotions so favorable to the clergy1 a
 weak and poor monarch1 surrounded by a 
miserable nation1 was at the mercy of a 
,roman pontiff1 who could at any instant

 destroy his felicity1 excite his       
subjects against him1 and precipitate   
him into the abyss of misery4  ,in      
general1 ,madam1 we find that in        
countries where religion holds dominion1
 the sovereign is necessarily dependent 
upon the priests2 he has no power except
 by the consent of the clergy2 that     
power disappears as soon as he          
displeases the self-styled vicegerents  
of ,god1 who are very soon able to array
 his subjects against him4 ,the people1 
in accordance with the principles of    
their religion1 cannot hesitate between 
,god and their sovereign4 ,god never    
says any thing except what his priests  
say for him2 and the ignorance and folly
 in which they are kept by their        
spiritual guides prevent them from      
inquiring whether ,god's ambassadors    
faithfully render his decrees4          
,conclude1 then1 with me1 that the      
interests of a sovereign who would rule 
equitably are unable to accord with     
those of the ministers of the ,christian

 religion1 who in all ages have been the
 most turbulent citizens1 the most      
rebellious1 the most difficult to render
 subservient to law and order1 and whose
 resistance has extended to the very    
assassination of obnoxious rulers4 ,we  
shall be told that ,christianity is a   
firm support of government2 that it     
regards magistrates as the images of the
 ,deity2 and that it teaches that all   
power comes from on high4 ,these maxims 
of the clergy are1 however1 best        
calculated to lull kings on the couch of
 slumber2 they are calculated to flatter
 those on whom the clergy can rely1 and 
who will serve their ambition2 and their
 flatterers can soon change their tone  
when the princes have the temerity to   
question the pernicious tendency of     
priestly influence1 or when they do not 
blindly lend themselves to all their    
views4 ,then the sovereign is an impious
 wretch1 a heretic2 his destruction is  
laudable2 heaven rejoices in his        
overthrow4 ,and all this is the religion

 of the ,bible6  ,you know1 ,madam1 that
 these odious maxims have been a        
thousand times enforced by the priests1 
who say the prince has encroached upon  
the authority of the church2 and the    
people respond that it is better to obey
 ,god than man4 ,the priests are only   
devoted to the princes when the princes 
are blindly led by the priests4 ,these  
last preach arrogantly that the former  
ought to be exterminated1 when they     
refuse to obey the church1 that is to   
say1 the priests2 yet1 how terrible     
soever may be these maxims1 how         
dangerous soever their practice to the  
security of the sovereign and the       
tranquillity of the state1 they are the 
immediate consequences drawn from       
,judaism and ,christianity4 ,we find in 
the ,old ,testament that the regicide is
 applauded2 that treason and rebellion  
are approved4 ,as soon as it is supposed
 that ,god is offended with the thoughts
 of men1--as soon as it is supposed that
 heretics are displeasing to him1--it is

 very natural to conclude that an       
impious and heretical sovereign1 that is
 to say1 one who does not obey a        
clerical body that set themselves up as 
the directors of his belief1 who opposes
 the sacred views of an infallible      
church1 and who might occasion the loss 
and apostasy of a large part of the     
nation1--it is natural that the priests 
should conclude it to be legitimate for 
subjects to attack such a prince1       
alleging their religion to be the most  
important thing in the world1 and dearer
 than life itself4 ,actuated by such    
principles1 it is impossible that a     
,christian zealot should not think he   
rendered a service to heaven by         
punishing its enemy1 and a service to   
his country by disembarrassing it of a  
chief who might interpose an obstacle to
 his eternal happiness4  ,the obedience 
of the clergy is never otherwise than   
conditional4 ,the priests submit to a   
prince1 they flatter his power1 and they
 sustain his authority1 provided he     

submits to their orders1 makes no       
obstacles to their projects1 touches    
none of their interests1 and changes    
none of the dogmas upon which the       
ministers of the church have founded    
their own grandeur4 ,in fine1 provided a
 government recognizes1 as divine1      
clerical privileges that are plainly    
opposed to popular rights1 and tend to  
subvert them1 the hierarchy will submit 
to it ,these considerations prove how   
dangerous are the priesthood1 since the 
end they purpose by all their projects  
is dominion over the mind of mankind1   
and by subjugating it to enslave their  
persons1 and render them the creatures  
of despotism and tyranny4 ,and we shall 
find1 upon examination1 that1 with one  
or two exceptions1 the pious have been  
the enemies of the progress of science  
and the development of the human        
understanding2 for by brutalizing       
mankind they have invariably striven to 
bind them to their yoke4 ,their avarice1
 their thirst of power and wealth1 have 

led them to plunge their fellow-citizens
 in ignorance1 in misery1 and           
unhappiness4 ,they discourage the       
cultivation of the earth by their system
 of tithes1 their extortions1 and their 
secret projects2 they annihilate        
activity1 talents1 and industry2 their  
pride is to reign on the ruin of the    
rest of their species4 ,the finest      
countries in ,europe have1 when blindly 
submissive to the priests1 been the     
worst cultivated1 the thinnest peopled1 
and the most wretched4 ,the ,inquisition
 in ,spain1 ,italy1 and ,portugal has   
only tended to impoverish those         
countries1 to debase the mind1 and      
render their subjects the veriest slaves
 of superstition4 ,and in countries     
where we see heaven showering down      
abundance1 the people are poor and      
famished1 while the priests and monks   
are opulent and bloated4 ,their kings   
are without power and without glory2    
their subjects languish in indigence and
 wretchedness4  ,the priests boast of   

the utility of their office4            
,independently of their prayers1 from   
which the world has for so many ages    
derived neither instruction nor peace1  
prosperity nor happiness1 their         
pretensions to teach the rising         
generations are often frivolous1 and    
sometimes arrogant1 since we have found 
others equally well calculated to the   
discharge of those functions1 who have  
been good citizens1 that have not drawn 
from the pockets of their neighbors the 
tenth of their earnings4 ,thus1 in what 
light soever we view them1 the          
pretensions of the priests are reduced  
to a nonentity1 compared to the         
disservice they render the community by 
their exactions and dissolute lives4    
,in what consists1 in effect1 the       
education that our spiritual guides     
have1 unhappily for society1 assumed the
 vocation of imparting to youth8 ,does  
it tend to make reasonable1 courageous1 
and virtuous citizens8 ,no2 it is       
incontestable that it creates ignoble   

men1 whose entire lives are tormented   
with imaginary terrors2 it creates      
superstitious slaves1 who only possess  
monastic virtues1 and who1 if they      
follow faithfully the instructions of   
their masters1 must be perfectly useless
 to society2 it forms intolerant        
devotees1 ready to detest all those who 
do not think like themselves2 and it    
makes fanatics1 who are ready to rebel  
against any government as soon as they  
are persuaded it is rebellious to the   
church4 ,what do the priests teach their
 pupils8 ,they cause them to lose much  
precious time in reciting prayers1 in   
mechanically repeating theological      
dogmas1 of which1 even in mature life1  
they comprehend nothing4 ,they teach    
them the dead languages1 which1 at the  
best1 only serve for entertainment1     
being by no means necessary in the      
present form of society4 ,they terminate
 these fine studies by a philosophy     
which1 in clerical hands1 has become a  
mere play of words1 a jargon void of    

sense1 and which is exactly calculated  
to fit them for the unintelligible      
science called theology4 ,but is this   
theology itself useful to nations8 ,are 
the interminable disputes which arise   
between profound metaphysicians of such 
a character as to be interesting to the 
people who do not comprehend them8 ,are 
the people of ,paris and the provinces  
much advanced in heavenly knowledge when
 the priests dispute among themselves   
about what should really be thought of  
grace8  ,in regard to the instruction   
imparted by the clergy1 it is indeed    
necessary to have faith in order to     
discover its utility4 ,their boasted    
instruction consists in teaching        
ineffable mysteries1 marvellous dogmas1 
narrations and fables perfectly         
ridiculous1 panic terrors1 fanatical and
 lugubrious predictions1 frightful      
menaces1 and above all1 systems so      
profound that they who announce are not 
able to comprehend them4 ,in truth1     
,madam1 in all this ,i can see nothing  

useful4 ,should nations feel any        
extraordinary obligations to teachers   
who concoct doctrines that must always  
remain impenetrable for the whole human 
race8 ,it must be confessed that our    
priests1 who so painfully occupy        
themselves in arranging a pure creed for
 us1 must signally lose all their labor4
 ,at any rate1 the people are not much  
in the situation to profit by such      
sublime toils4 ,very frequently the     
pulpit becomes the theatre of discord2  
the sacred disclaimers launch injuries  
at each other1 infusing their own       
passions into the bosoms of their       
,christian auditors1 kindling their zeal
 against the enemies of the church1 and 
becoming themselves the trumpets of     
party spirit1 fury1 and sedition4 ,if   
these preachers teach morality1 it is a 
kind of supernatural morality1 little   
adapted to the nature of man4 ,if they  
inculcate virtue1 it is that theological
 virtue whose inutility we have         
sufficiently shown4 ,if by chance some  

one among them allows himself to preach 
that morality and virtue which is       
practical1 human1 and social1 you know1 
,madam1 that he is proscribed by his    
confederates1 and becomes an object of  
their acrimonious criticisms and their  
deadly hatred4 ,he is also disdained by 
devotees who are attached to evangelical
 virtues that they cannot comprehend1   
and who consider nothing as more        
important than mysterious forms and     
ceremonies1 in which zealots make       
morality to consist4  ,see1 then1 in    
what limits are entertained the         
important services that the ministers of
 the ,lord have for so many centuries   
rendered to nations6 ,they are not      
worth1 in all conscience1 the excessive 
price which is paid for them4 ,on the   
contrary1 if priests were treated       
according to their real merit1 if their 
functions were appreciated at their just
 value1 it would1 perhaps1 be found that
 they did not merit a larger salary than
 those empirics who1 at the corners of  

the streets1 vend remedies more         
dangerous than the evils they promise to
 cure4  ,it is by subjecting the immense
 revenues1 lands1 abbeys1 and estates1  
which clerical bodies have levied upon  
the credulity of men1 to just and equal 
taxation1 as with other property2 it is 
by rendering the church and state       
entirely distinct2 it is by stripping   
the hierarchy of immunities not         
possessed by other citizens1 and of     
privileges both chimerical and          
injurious2 it is by rigorously exacting 
the same civil obedience alike from     
priests and people1--that government can
 be rightly administered1 that justice  
can be impartially rendered1 and that   
the nation1 as a whole1 can be trained  
to courage1 activity1 industry1         
intelligence1 tranquillity1 and         
patriotism4 ,so long as there are two   
powers in a state1 they will necessarily
 be at variance1 and the one which      
arrogates the favor of the ,almighty    
will have immense advantages over that  

which claims no authority above the     
earth4 ,if both pretend to emanate from 
the same source1 the people would not   
know which to believe2 they would range 
themselves on each side2 the combat     
would be furious1 and the power of the  
government would be unable to maintain  
itself against the many heads of the    
ecclesiastical hydra4 ,the magicians of 
,pharaoh yielded to the ,jewish priests1
 and in conflicts between the church and
 state1 the immunities of the priests1  
,like ,aaron's serpent1 swallowed all   
the rest4  ,if such is the case1 you    
will inquire1 ,madam1 how can an        
enlightened civil power ever make       
obedient citizens of rebellious priests1
 who have so long possessed the         
confidence of the people1 and who can   
with impunity render themselves         
formidable to any government8 ,i reply1 
that in spite of the vigilant cares and 
the redoubled efforts of the priesthood1
 the people have begun to be more       
enlightened2 they are becoming weary of 

the heavy yoke1 which they would not    
have borne so long had they not believed
 it was imposed upon them by the ,most  
,high1 and that it was necessary to     
their happiness4 ,it is impossible for  
error to be eternal2 it must give way to
 the power of truth4 ,the priests1 who  
think1 know this well1 and the whole    
ecclesiastical body continually declaim 
against all those who wish to enlighten 
the human race and unveil the           
conspiracies of their spiritual guides4 
,they fear the piercing eyes of         
philosophy2 they fear the reign of      
reason1 which will never be that of     
tyranny or anarchy4 ,governments1 then1 
ought not to share the fears of the     
clergy1 nor render themselves the       
executors of their vengeance2 they      
injure themselves when they sustain the 
cause of their turbulent rivals1 who    
have ever been the enemies of civil     
polity and perturbera of the public     
repose4 ,the magistrates of a state     
league themselves with their enemies    

when they form an alliance with the     
priesthood1 or prevent the people from  
recognizing their errors4 ,governments  
are more interested than individuals in 
the destruction of errors that often    
lead to confusion1 anarchy1 and         
rebellion4 ,if men had not become       
gradually enlightened1 nations would    
now1 as formerly1 be under the yoke of  
the ,roman pontiff1 who could occasion  
revolution in their midst1 overturn the 
laws1 and subvert the government4 ,but  
for the insensible progress of reason1  
states would now be filled with a       
tumultuous crowd of devotees1 ready to  
revolt at the signal of an unquiet      
priest or a seditious monk4  ,you       
perceive1 then1 ,madam1 that men who    
think1 and who teach others to think1   
are more useful to governments than     
those who wish to stifle reason and to  
proscribe forever the liberty of        
thought4 ,you see that the true friends 
of a stable government are those who    
seek most sedulously to enlighten1      

educate1 and elevate the people4 ,you   
feel that by banishing knowledge and    
persecuting philosophy1 government      
sacrifices its dearest interests to a   
seditious clergy1 whose ambition and    
avarice push them to usurp boundless    
authority1 and whose pride always makes 
them indignant at being in subjection to
 a power which they contend should be   
subordinate to themselves4  ,there is no
 priest who does not consider himself   
superior to the highest ruler of any    
country4 ,we have often seen the        
priesthood avow pretensions of this     
character4 ,the clergy are always       
enraged when an attempt is made to      
subject them to the secular power4 ,such
 an attempt they regard as profane1 and 
they denounce it as tyranny whenever it 
is sought to be enforced4 ,they pretend 
that in all times the priesthood has    
been sacred1 that its rights come from  
,god himself1 and that no government    
can1 without sacrilege1 or without      
outraging the ,divinity1 touch the      

property1 the privileges1 or the        
immunities which have been snatched from
 ignorance and credulity4 ,whenever the 
civil authority would touch the objects 
considered inviolable and sacred in the 
hands of the priests1 their clamors     
cannot be appeased2 they make efforts to
 excite the people against the          
government2 they denounce all authority 
as tyrannical when it has the temerity  
to think of subjecting them to the laws1
 of reforming their abuses1 and         
neutralizing their power to injure4 ,but
 they consider authority legitimate when
 it crushes their enemies1 though it    
appears insupportable as soon as it is  
reasonable and favorable to the people4 
,the priests are essentially the most   
wicked of men1 and the worst citizens of
 a state4 ,a miracle would be necessary 
to render them otherwise4 ,in all       
countries they are the spoiled children 
of nations4 ,they are proud and haughty1
 since they pretend it is from ,god     
himself they received their mission and 

their power4 ,they are ingrates1 since  
they assume to owe only to ,god benefits
 which they visibly hold from the       
generosity of governments and the       
people4 ,they are audacious1 because for
 many ages they have enjoyed supremacy  
with impunity4 ,they are unquiet and    
turbulent1 because they are never       
without the desire of playing a great   
part4 ,they are quarrelsome and         
factious1 because they are never able to
 find out a method of enabling men to   
understand the pretended truths they    
teach4 ,they are suspicious1 defiant1   
and cruel1 because they sensibly feel   
that they may well dread the discovery  
of their impostures4 ,they are the      
spontaneous enemies of truth because    
they justly apprehend it will annihilate
 their pretensions4 ,they are implacable
 in their vengeance1 because it would be
 dangerous to pardon those who wish to  
crush their doctrines1 whose weakness   
they know4 ,they are hypocrites1 because
 most of them possess too much sense to 

believe the reveries they retail to     
others4 ,they are obstinate in their    
ideas1 because they are inflated with   
vanity1 and because they could not      
consistently deviate from a method of   
thinking of which they pretend ,god is  
the author4 ,we often see them unbridled
 and licentious in their manners1       
because it is impossible that idleness1 
effeminacy1 and luxury should not       
corrupt the heart ,we sometimes see them
 austere and rigid in their conduct in  
order to impose on the people and       
accomplish their ambitious views4 ,if   
they are hypocrites and rogues1 they are
 extremely dangerous2 and if they are   
fanatical in good faith1 or imbecile1   
they are not less to be feared4 ,in     
fine1 we almost always see them         
rebellious and seditious1 because an    
authority derived from ,god is not      
disposed to bend to authority derived   
from men4  ,you have here1 ,madam1 a    
faithful portrait of the members of a   
powerful body1 in whose favor           

governments1 for a long time1 have      
believed it their duty to sacrifice the 
other interests of the state4 ,you here 
see the citizens whom prejudice most    
richly recompenses1 whom princes honor  
in the eyes of the people1 to whom they 
give their confidence1 whom they regard 
as the support of their power1 and whom 
they consider as necessary to the       
happiness and security of their         
kingdoms4 ,you can judge yourself       
whether the likeness delineated is      
correct ,you are in a position to       
discover their intrigues1 their         
underplots1 their conduct1 and their    
discourse1 and you will always find that
 their constant object is to flatter    
princes for the purpose of governing    
them and keeping nations in slavery4    
,it is to please citizens so dangerous  
that sovereigns mingle in theological   
questions1 take the part of those who   
succeed in seducing them1 persecute all 
those who do not submit1 proscribe with 
fury the friends of reason1 and by      

repressing knowledge injure their own   
power4 ,because the priests1 who urge   
princes to sacrilege when they combat   
for them1 are indignant against the same
 princes when they refuse to destroy the
 enemies of their own particular        
clerical body4 ,they likewise denounce  
sovereigns as impious if the latter     
treat theological disputes with the     
indifference they merit4  ,when         
hereafter1 reclaimed from their         
prejudices1 princes wish to govern for  
the good of all1 let them cease to hear 
the interested and often sanguinary     
councils of these pretended divine men1 
who1 regarding themselves as the centre 
of all things1 wish to have sacrificed  
for this object the happiness1 the      
repose1 the riches1 and the honors of   
the state4 ,let the sovereign never     
enter into their dissensions1 let him   
never persecute for religious opinions1 
which1 among sectaries1 are commonly on 
both sides equally ridiculous and       
destitute of foundation4 ,they would    

never involve the government if the     
sovereign had not the weakness to mingle
 in them4 ,let him give unlimited       
freedom to the course of thinking1 while
 he directs by just laws the course of  
acting on the part of his subjects4 ,let
 him permit every one to dream or       
speculate as he pleases1 provided he    
conducts himself otherwise as an honest 
man and a good citizen4 ,at least let   
the prince not oppose the progress of   
knowledge1 which alone is capable of    
extricating his people from ignorance1  
barbarity1 and superstition1 which have 
made victims of so many ,christian      
rulers4 ,let him be assured that        
enlightened and instructed citizens are 
more law-abiding1 industrious1 and      
peaceable than stupid slaves without    
knowledge and without reason1 who will  
always be ready to take all the passions
 with which a fanatic wishes to inspire 
them4  ,let the sovereign especially    
occupy himself with the education of his
 subjects1 nor leave the clergy         

unobstructedly to impregnate his people 
with mystic notions1 foolish reveries1  
and superstitious practices1 which are  
only proper for fanatics4 ,let him at   
least counterbalance the inculcation of 
these follies by teaching a morality    
conformable to the good of the state1   
useful to the happiness of its members1 
and social and reasonable4 ,this        
morality would inform a man what he owed
 to himself1 to society1 to his         
fellow-citizens1 and to the magistrates 
who administered the laws4 ,this        
morality would not form men who would   
hate each other for speculative         
opinions1 nor dangerous enthusiasts1 nor
 devotees blindly submissive to the     
priests4 ,it would create a tranquil1   
intelligent1 and industrious community2 
a body of inhabitants submissive to     
reason and obedient to just and         
legitimate authority4 ,in a word1 from  
such morality would spring virtuous men 
and good citizens1 and it would be the  
surest antidote against superstition and

 fanaticism4 ,in this manner the empire 
of the clergy would be diminished1 and  
the sovereign would have a less         
portentous rival2 he would1 without     
opposition1 be assured of all rational  
and enlightened citizens2 the riches of 
the clergy would in part reenter        
society1 and be of use in benefiting the
 people2 institutions now useless would 
be put to advantageous uses2 a portion  
of the possessions of the church1       
originally destined for the poor1 and so
 long appropriated by avaricious        
priests1 would come into the hands of   
the suffering and the indigent1 their   
legitimate proprietors4 ,supported by a 
nation who were sensible of the         
advantages he had procured them1 the    
prince would no longer fear the cries of
 fanaticism1 and they would soon be no  
longer heard4 ,the priests1 the lazy    
monks1 and turbulent persons living in  
forced celibacy1 could no longer        
calculate on the future1 and1 aliens in 
the state which nourished them1 they    

would visibly diminish4 ,the government1
 more rich and powerful1 would be in a  
better situation to diffuse its         
benefits2 and enlightened1 virtuous1 and
 beneficent men would constitute the    
support1 the glory1 and the grandeur of 
the state4  ,such1 ,madam1 are the ends 
which all governments would propose who 
opened their eyes to their own true     
interests4 ,i flatter myself that these 
designs will not appear to you either   
impossible or chimerical4 ,knowledge and
 science1 which begin to be generally   
diffused1 are already advancing these   
results2 they are giving an impulse to  
the march of the human mind1 and in     
time1 governments and people1 without   
tumult or revolution1 will be freed from
 the yoke which has oppressed them so   
long4  ,do we see any thing useful in   
the pious endowments of our ancestors8  
,we find them to consist of institutions
 invented to continue a lazy1 monastic  
life2 costly temples elevated and       
enriched by indigent people to augment  

the pride of the priests1 and to erect  
altars and palaces4 ,from the foundation
 of ,christianity the whole object of   
religion has been to aggrandize the     
priesthood on the ruins of nations and  
governments4 ,a jealous religion has    
exclusively seized on the minds of men1 
and persuaded them that they live upon  
earth merely to occupy themselves with  
their future happiness in the unknown   
regions of the empyrean4 ,it is time    
that this prestige should cease2 it is  
time that the human race should occupy  
itself with its own true interests4 ,the
 interests of the people will always be 
incompatible with those of the guides   
who believe they have acquired an       
imprescriptible right to lead men       
astray4 ,the more you examine the       
,christian religion1 the more will you  
be convinced that it can be advantageous
 only to those whose object it is easily
 to guide mankind after having plunged  
them into darkness4 ,i am1 c4           
,,letter ,x4 ,on the ,advantages        

,religion confers on those who profess  
it  ,i dare flatter myself1 ,madam1 that
 ,i have clearly demonstrated to you1   
that the ,christian religion1 far from  
being the support of sovereign          
authority1 is its greatest enemy2 and of
 having plainly convinced you1 that its 
ministers are1 by the very nature of    
their functions1 the rivals of kings1   
and adversaries the most to be feared by
 all who value or exercise temporal     
power4 ,in a word1 ,i think ,i have     
persuaded you1 that society might1      
without damage1 dispense with the       
services they render1 or at least       
dispense with paying for them so        
extravagantly4  ,let us now examine the 
advantages which this religion procures 
to individuals1 who are most strongly   
convinced of its pretended truths1 and  
who conform the most rigidly to its     
precepts4 ,let us see if it is          
calculated to render its disciples more 
contented1 more happy1 and more virtuous
 than they would be without the burden  

of its ministers4  ,to decide the       
question1 it is sufficient to look      
around us1 and to consider the effects  
that religion produces on minds really  
penetrated with its pre99 tended truths4
 ,we shall generally find in those who  
the most sincerely profess and the most 
exactly practise them1 a joyless and    
melancholy disposition1 which announces 
no contentment1 nor that interior peace 
of which they speak so incessantly1     
without ever exhibiting any undoubted   
manifestations of it4  ,whoever is in   
the enjoyment of peace within1 shows    
some exterior marks of it2 but the      
internal satisfaction of devotees is    
commonly so concealed1 that we may well 
suspect it of being nothing but a mere  
chimera4 ,their interior peace1 which   
they allege gives them a good           
conscience1 is visible to others only by
 a bilious and petulant humor1 that is  
not usually much applauded by those who 
come under its influence4 ,if1 however1 
there are occasionally some devotees who

 actually display the serene countenance
 of satisfaction and enjoyment1 it is   
because the dismal ideas of religion are
 rendered inoperative by a happy        
temperament2 or that such persons have  
not fully become impregnated with their 
system of faith1 whose legitimate effect
 is to plunge its devotees into terrible
 inquietudes and sombre chagrins4       
,thus1 ,madam1 we are brought back to   
the contradictory discourses of those   
priests who1 after having caused terror 
by their desolating dogmas1 attempt to  
reassure us by vague hopes1 and exhort  
us to place confidence in a ,god whom   
they have themselves so repulsively     
delineated4 ,it is idle for them to tell
 us the yoke of ,jesus ,christ is light4
 ,it is insupportable to those who      
consider it properly4 ,it is only light 
for those who bear it without           
reflection1 or for those who assume it  
in order to impose it upon others1      
without intending to suffer its         
annoyances themselves4  ,suffer me1     

,madam1 to refer you to yourself4 ,were 
you happy1 contented1 or gay1 when you  
made me the depository of the secret    
inquietudes inflicted upon you by       
prejudices1 and which had commenced     
taking that fatal empire over your mind 
which ,i have endeavored to destroy8    
,was not your soul involved in woe in   
spite of your judgment8 ,were you not   
taking measures to wither all your      
happiness8 ,in favor of religion1 were  
you not ready to renounce the world1 and
 disregard all you owe to society8 ,if  
,i was afflicted1 ,i was not surprised4 
,the ,christian religion inevitably     
destroys the happiness and repose of    
those who are subjected by it2 alarms   
and terrors are the objects of its      
pleasures2 it cannot make those happy   
who fully receive it ,it would certainly
 have plunged you into distress4 ,all   
your faculties would have been injured1 
and your too susceptible imagination    
would have been carried to such         
dangerous extremes1 that many others    

would have grieved at the result ,a     
gentle and beneficent spirit1 like      
yours1 could never receive peace from   
,christianity4 ,the evils of religion   
are sure1 while its consolations are    
contradictory and vague4 ,they cannot   
give that temper and tranquillity to the
 mind which is necessary to enable men  
to labor for their own happiness and    
that of others4  ,in effect1 as ,i have 
already observed1 it is very difficult  
for an individual to occupy himself with
 the happiness of another when he is    
himself miserable4 ,the devotee1 who    
imposes penances on his own head1 who is
 suspicious of every thing1 who is full 
of self-reproaches1 and who is heated by
 visionary meditation1 by fasting and   
seclusion1 must naturally be irritated  
against all those who do not believe it 
their duty to make such absurd          
sacrifices4 ,he can scarcely avoid being
 enraged at those audacious persons who 
neglect practices or duties that are    
claimed as the exactions of ,god4 ,he   

will desire to be with those only who   
view things as he does himself2 he will 
keep himself apart from all others1 and 
will end by hating them4 ,he believes   
himself obliged to make a loud and      
public parade of his mode of thinking1  
and he signalizes his zeal even at the  
risk of appearing ridiculous4 ,if he    
showed indulgence1 he would doubtless   
fear he should render himself an        
accomplice in a neglect of his ,god4 ,he
 would reprehend such sinners1 and it   
would be with acrimony1 because his own 
soul was filled with it4 ,in fine1 if   
zealous1 he would always be under the   
dominion of anger1 and would only be    
indulgent in proportion as he was not   
bigoted4  ,religious devotion tends to  
arouse fierce sentiments1 that sooner or
 later manifest themselves in a manner  
disagreeable for others4 ,the mystical  
devotees clearly illustrate this4 ,they 
are vexed with the world1 and it could  
not exist if the extravagances required 
by religion were altogether carried out4

 ,the world cannot be united to ,jesus  
,christ4 ,god demands our entire heart1 
and nothing is allowed to remain for his
 weak creatures4 ,to produce the little 
zeal for heaven which ,christians have1 
it is requisite to torment them1 and    
thus lead them to the practice of those 
marvellous virtues in which they imagine
 is placed all their safety4 ,a strange 
religion1 which1 practised in all its   
rigor1 would drag society to ruin6 ,the 
sincere devotee proposes impossible     
attainments1 of which human nature is   
not capable2 and as1 in spite of all his
 endeavors1 he is unable to succeed in  
their acquisition1 he is always         
discontented with himself4 ,he regards  
himself as the object of ,god's anger2  
he reproaches himself with all that he  
does2 he suffers remorse for all the    
pleasures he experiences1 and fears that
 they may occasion a fall from grace4   
,for his greater security1 he often     
avoids society which may at any moment  
turn him from his pretended duties1     

excite him to sin1 and render him the   
witness or accomplice of what is        
offensive to zealots4 ,in fine1 if the  
devotee is very zealous1 he cannot      
prevent himself from avoiding or        
detesting beings1 who1 according to his 
gloomy notions of religion1 are         
perpetually occupied in irritating ,god4
 ,on the other hand1 you know1 ,madam1  
that it is chagrin and melancholy that  
lead to devotion4 ,it is usually not    
till the world abandons and displeases  
men that they have recourse to heaven2  
it is in the arms of religion that the  
ambitious seek to console themselves for
 their disgraces and disappointed       
projects2 dissolute and loose women turn
 devotees when the world discards them1 
and they offer to ,god hearts wasted1   
and charms that are no longer in repute4
 ,the ruin of their attractions         
admonishes them that their empire is no 
longer of this world2 filled with       
vexation1 consumed with chagrin1 and    
irritated against a society where they  

were deprived of enacting an agreeable  
part1 they yield themselves up to       
devotion1 and distinguish themselves by 
religious follies1 after having run the 
race of fashionable vices1 and been     
engaged in worldly scandals4 ,with      
rancor in their hearts1 they offer a    
gloomy adoration to a ,god who          
indemnifies them most miserably for     
their ascetic worship4 ,in a word1 it is
 passion1 affliction1 and despair to    
which most conversions must be          
attributed2 and they are persons of such
 character who deliver themselves to the
 priests1 and these mental aberrations  
and physical afflictions are the        
marvellous strokes of grace of which    
,god makes use to lead men to himself4  
,it is not1 then1 surprising if we see  
persons subject to this devotion most   
commonly ruled by sorrow and passion4   
,these mental moods are perpetually     
aggravated by religion1 which is exactly
 calculated to imbitter more and more   
the souls thus filled with vexations4   

,the conversation of a spiritual        
director is a weak consolation for the  
loss of a lover2 the remote and         
flattering hopes of another world rarely
 make up for the realities of this2 nor 
do the fictitious occupations of        
religion suffice to satisfy souls       
accustomed to intrigues1 dissipation1   
and scandalous pleasures4  ,thus1       
,madam1 we see that the effects of these
 brilliant conversions1 so well adapted 
to give pleasure to the ,omnipotent and 
to his court1 present nothing           
advantageous for the inhabitants of this
 lower world4 ,if the changes produced  
by grace do not render those more happy 
upon whom they are operated1 they cannot
 cause much admiration on the part of   
those who witness them4 ,indeed1 what   
advantages does society reap from the   
greater part of conversions8 ,do the    
persons so touched by grace become      
better8 ,do they make amends for the    
evil they have done1 or are they        
heartily and generously engaged in doing

 good to those by whom they are         
surrounded8 ,a mistress1 for example1   
who has been arrogant and proud1--does  
conversion render her humble and gentle8
 ,does the unjust and cruel man         
recompense those to whom he has done    
evil8 ,does the robber return to society
 the property of which he has plundered 
it8 ,does the dissipated and licentious 
woman repair by her vigilant cares the  
wrongs that her disorders and           
dissipations have occasioned8 ,no1 far  
from it ,these persons so touched and   
converted by ,god ordinarily content    
themselves with praying1 fasting1       
religious offerings1 frequenting        
churches1 clamoring in favor of their   
priests1 intriguing to sustain a sect1  
decrying all who disagree with their    
particular spiritual director1 and      
exhibiting an ardent and ridiculous zeal
 for questions that they do not         
understand4 ,in this manner they imagine
 they get absolution from ,god1 and give
 indemnification to men2 but society    

gains nothing from their miraculous     
conversion4 ,on the other hand1 devotion
 often exalts1 infuriates1 and          
strengthens the passions which formerly 
animated the converts4 ,it turns these  
passions to new objects1 and religion   
justifies the intolerant and cruel      
excesses into which they rush for the   
interest of their sect4 ,it is thus that
 an ambitious personage becomes a proud 
and turbulent fanatic1 and believes     
himself justified by his zeal2 it is    
thus that a disgraced courtier cabals in
 the name of heaven against his own     
enemies2 and it is thus that a malignant
 and vindictive man1 under the pretext  
of avenging ,god1 seeks the means of    
avenging himself4 ,thus1 also1 it       
happens that a woman1 to indemnify      
herself for having quitted rouge1       
considers she has the right to outrage  
with her acrid humor a husband whom she 
had previously1 in a different manner1  
outraged many times4 ,she piously       
denounces those who allow themselves the

 indulgence of the most innocent        
pleasures2 in the belief of manifesting 
religions earnestness1 she exhales      
downright passion1 envy1 jealousy1 and  
spite2 and in lending herself warmly to 
the interests of heaven she shows an    
excess of ignorance1 insanity1 and      
credulity4  ,but is it necessary1       
,madam1 to insist upon this8 ,you live  
in a country where you see many         
devotees1 and few virtuous people among 
them4 ,if you will but slightly examine 
the matter1 you will find that among    
these persons so persuaded of their     
religion1 so convinced of its importance
 and utility1 who speak incessantly of  
its consolations1 its sweets1 and its   
virtues1--you will find that among these
 persons there are very few who are     
tendered happier1 and yet fewer who are 
rendered better4 ,are they vividly      
penetrated with the sentiments of their 
afflicting and terrible religion8 ,you  
will find them atrabilious1 disobliging1
 and fierce4 ,are they more lightly     

affected by their creed8 ,you will then 
find them less bigoted1 more beneficent1
 social1 and kind4 ,the religion of the 
court1 as you know1 is a continual      
mixture of devotion and pleas-ore1 a    
circle of the exercises of piety and    
dissipation1 of momentary fervor and    
continuous irregularities4 ,this        
religion connects ,jesus ,christ with   
the pomps of ,satan4 ,we there see      
sumptuous display1 pride1 ambition1     
intrigue1 vengeance1 envy1 and          
libertinism all amalgamated with a      
religion whose maxims are austere4      
,pious casuists1 interested for the     
great1 approve this alliance1 and give  
the lie to their own religion in order  
to derive advantage from circumstances  
and from the passions and vices of men4 
,if these court divines were too rigid1 
they would affright their fashionable   
disciples seeking to reach heaven on    
flowery beds of ease1 and who embrace   
religion with the understanding that    
they are to be allowed no inconsiderable

 latitude4 ,this is doubtless the reason
 why ,jansenism1 which wished to renew  
the austere principles of primitive     
,christianity1 obtained no general      
influence at the ,parisian court4 ,the  
monkish precepts of early ,christianity 
could only suit men of the temper of    
those who first embraced it ,they were  
adapted for persons who were abject1    
bilious1 and discontented1 who1 deprived
 of luxury1 power1 and honors1 became   
the enemies of grandeurs from which they
 were excluded4 ,the devotees had the   
art of making a merit of their aversion 
and disdain for what they could not     
obtain4  ,nevertheless1 a ,christian1 in
 consonance with his principles1 should 
take no thought for the morrow2 should  
have no individual possessions2 should  
flee from the world and its pomps2      
should give his coat to the thief who   
stole his cloak2 and1 if smitten on one 
cheek1 should turn the other1 to the    
aggressor4 ,it is upon ,stoicism that   
religious fanatics built their gloomy   

philosophy4 ,the so-called perfections  
which ,christianity proposes place man  
in a perpetual war with himself1 and    
must render him miserable4 ,the true    
,christian is an enemy both of himself  
and the human race1 and for his own     
consistency should live secluded in     
darkness1 like an owl4 ,his religion    
renders him essentially unsocial1 and as
 useless to himself as he is            
disagreeable to others4 ,what advantage 
can society receive from a man who      
trembles without cessation1 who is in a 
state of superstitious penance1 who     
prays1 and who indulges in solitude8 ,or
 what better is the devotee who flies   
from the world and deprives himself even
 of innocent pleasures1 in the fear that
 ,god might damn him for participation  
in them8  ,what results1 from these     
maxims of a moral fanaticism8 ,it       
happens that laws so atrocious and cruel
 are enacted1 that bigots alone are     
willing to execute them4 ,yes1 ,madam1  
blameless as you know my whole life to  

have been1 consonant to integrity and   
honesty as you know my conduct to be1   
and free as ,i have ever been from      
intolerance1 my existence would be      
endangered were these letters ,i am now 
writing to you to appear in print1 or   
even be circulated in manuscript with my
 name attached to them as author4 ,yes1 
,christians have made laws1 now dominant
 here in ,france1 which would tie me to 
the stake1 consume my body with fire1   
bore my tongue with a red hot iron1     
deprive me of sepulture1 strip my family
 of my property1 and for no other cause 
than for my opinions concerning         
,christianity and the ,bible4 ,such is  
the horrid cruelty engendered by        
,christianity4 ,it has sometimes been   
called in question whether a society of 
atheists could exist2 but we might with 
more propriety ask if a society of      
fierce1 impracticable1 visionary1 and   
fanatical ,christians1 in all the       
plenitude of their ridiculous system1   
could long subsist499 ,what would become

 of a nation all of whose inhabitants   
wished to attain perfection by          
delivering themselves over to fanatical 
contemplation1 to ascetical penance1 to 
monkish prayers1 and to that state of   
things set forth in the ,acts of the    
,apostles8 ,what would be the condition 
of a nation where no one took any       
thought for the morrow8--where all were 
occupied solely with heaven1 and all    
totally neglected whatever related to   
this transitory and passing life8--where
 all made a merit of celibacy1 according
 to the precepts of ,st4 ,paul8--and    
where1 in consequence of constant       
occupation in the ceremonials of piety1 
no one had leisure to devote to the     
well-being of men in their worldly and  
temporal concerns8 ,it is evident that  
such a society could only exist in the  
,thebaid1 and even there only for a     
limited time1 as it must soon be        
annihilated4 ,if some enthusiasts       
exhibit examples of this sort1 we know  
that convents and nunneries are         

supported by that portion of society    
which they do not enclose4 ,but who     
would provide for a country that        
abandoned every thing else1 for the     
purpose of heavenly contemplations8     
99 ,upon this topic consult what ,bayle 
says1 ,continuation des      ,pensees   
diverses sur la ,comete1 ,sections      
#abd1abe1 tome iv41      ,rousseau de   
,geneve1 in his ,contrai ,social1 #a4   
#d1 ch #h4 ,see      also the ,lettres  
ecrites de la ,montague1 letter first1  
pp4      #de to #ed1 edit4 #hvo4 ,the   
author discusses the same matter1       
and confirms his opinions hy new        
reasonings1 which      particularly     
deserve perusal4--,note of the ,editor1 
7,naigeon7  ,we may therefore           
legitimately conclude that the          
,christian religion is not fitted for   
this world2 that it is not calculated to
 insure the happiness either of         
societies or individuals2 that the      
precepts and counsels of its ,god are   
impracticable1 and more adapted to      

discourage the human race1 and to plunge
 men into despair and apathy1 than to   
render them happy1 active1 and virtuous4
 ,a ,christian is compelled to make an  
abstraction of the maxims of his        
religion if he wishes to live in the    
world2 he is no longer a ,christian when
 he devotes his cares to his earthly    
good2 and1 in a word1 a real ,christian 
is a man of another world1 and is not   
adapted for this4  ,thus we see that    
,christians1 to humanize themselves1 are
 constantly obliged to depart from their
 supernatural and divine speculations4  
,their passions are not repressed1 but  
on the contrary are often thus rendered 
more fierce and more calculated to      
disturb society4 ,masked under the veil 
of religion1 they generally produce more
 terrible effects4 ,it is then that     
ambition1 vengeance1 cruelty1 anger1    
calumny1 envy1 and persecution1 covered 
by the deceptive name of zeal1 cause the
 greatest ravages1 range without bounds1
 and even delude those who are          

transported by these dangerous passions4
 ,religion does not annihilate these    
violent agitations of the mind in the   
hearts of its devotees1 but often       
excites and justifies them2 and         
experience proves that the most rigid   
,christians are very far from being the 
best of men1 and that they have no right
 to reproach the incredulous either     
concerning the pretended consequences of
 their principles1 or for the passions  
which are falsely alleged to spring from
 unbelief4  ,indeed1 the charity of the 
peaceful ministers of religion and of   
their pious adherents does not prevent  
their blackening their adversaries with 
a view of rendering them odious1 and of 
drawing down upon their heads the       
malevolence of a superstitious          
community1 and the persecution of       
tyrannical and oppressive laws2 their   
zeal for ,god's glory permits them to   
employ indifferently all kinds of       
weapons2 and calumny1 especially1       
furnishes them always a most powerful   

aid4 ,according to them1 there are no   
irregularities of the heart which are   
not produced by incredulity2 to renounce
 religion1 say they1 is to give a free  
course to unbridled passions1 and he who
 does not believe surely indicates a    
corrupt heart1 depraved manners1 and    
frightful libertinism4 ,in a word1 they 
declare that every man who refuses to   
admit their reveries or their marvellous
 morality1 has no motives to do good1   
and very powerful ones to commit evil4  
,it is thus that our charitable divines 
caricature and misrepresent the         
opponents of their supremacy1 and       
describe them as dangerous brigands1    
whom society1 for its own interest1     
ought to proscribe and destroy4 ,it     
results from these imputations that     
those who renounce prejudices and       
consult reason are considered the most  
unreasonable of men2 that they who      
condemn religion on account of the      
crimes it has produced upon the earth1  
and for which it has served as an       

eternal pretext1 are regarded as bad    
citizens2 that they who complain of the 
troubles that turbulent priests have so 
often excited1 are set down as          
perturbators of the repose of nations2  
and that they who are shocked at the    
contemplation of the inhuman and unjust 
persecutions which have been excited by 
priestly ambition and rascality1 are men
 who have no idea of justice1 and in    
whose bosoms the sentiments of humanity 
are necessarily stifled4 ,they who      
despise the false and deceitful motives 
by which1 to the present time1 it has   
been vainly attempted through the other 
world to make men virtuous1 equitable1  
and beneficent1 are denounced as having 
no real motives to practise the virtues 
necessary for their well-being here4 ,in
 fine1 the priests scandalize those who 
wish to destroy sacerdotal tyranny1 and 
impostures dangerous alike to nations   
and people1 as enemies of the state so  
dangerous that the laws ought to punish 
them4  ,but ,i believe1 ,madam1 that you

 are now thoroughly convinced that the  
true friends of the human race and of   
governments cannot also be the friends  
of religion and of priests4 ,whatever   
may be the motives or the passions which
 determine men to incredulity1 whatever 
may be the principles which flow from   
it1 they cannot be so pernicious as     
those which emanate directly and        
necessarily from a religion so absurd   
and so atrocious as ,christianity4      
,incredulity does not claim             
extraordinary privileges as flowing from
 a partial ,god2 it pretends to no right
 of despotism over men's consciences2 it
 has no pretexts for doing violence to  
the minds of mankind2 and it does not   
hate and persecute for a difference of  
opinion4 ,in a word1 the incredulous1   
have not an infinity of motives1        
interests1 and pretexts to injure1 with 
which the zealous partisans of religion 
are abundantly provided4  ,the          
unbeliever in ,christianity1 who        
reflects1 perceives that without going  

out of this world there are pressing and
 real motives which invite to virtuous  
conduct2 he feels the interest that he  
has in self-preservation1 and of        
avoiding whatever is calculated to      
injure another2 he sees himself united  
by physical and reciprocal wants with   
men who would despise him if he had     
vices1 who would detest him if he was   
guilty of any action contrary to justice
 and virtue1 and who would punish him if
 he committed any crimes1 or if he      
outraged the laws4 ,the idea of decency 
and order1 the desire of meriting the   
approbation of his fellow-citizens1 and 
the fear of being subjected to blame and
 punishment1 are sufficient to govern   
the actions of every rational man4 ,if1 
however1 a citizen is in a sort of      
delirium1 all the credulity in the world
 will not be able to restrain him4 ,if  
he is powerful enough to have no fear of
 men on this earth1 he will not regard  
the divine law more than the hatred and 
the disdain of the judges he has        

constantly before his eyes4  ,but the   
priests may perhaps tell us that the    
fear of an avenging ,god at least serves
 to repress a great number of latent    
crimes that would appear but for the    
influence of religion4 ,is it true1     
however1 that religion itself prevents  
these latent crimes8 ,are not ,christian
 nations full of knaves of all kinds1   
who secretly plot the ruin of their     
fellow-beings8 ,do not the most         
ostensibly credulous persons indulge in 
an infinity of vices for which they     
would blush if they were by chance      
brought to light8 ,a man who is the most
 persuaded that ,god sees all his       
actions frequently does not blush to    
commit deeds in secret from which he    
would refrain if beheld by the meanest  
of human beings4  ,what1 then1 avails   
the powerful check on the passions which
 religion is said to interpose8 ,if we  
could place any reliance on what is said
 by our priests1 it would appear that   
neither public nor secret crimes could  

be committed in countries where their   
instructions are received2 the priests  
would appear like a brotherhood of      
angels1 and every religious man to be   
without faults4 ,but men forget their   
religious speculations when they are    
under the dominion of violent passions1 
when they are bound by the ties of      
habit1 or when they are blinded by great
 interests4 ,under such circumstances   
they do not reason4 ,whether a man is   
virtuous or vicious depends on          
temperament1 habit1 and education4 ,an  
unbeliever may have strong passions1 and
 may reason very justly on the subject  
of religion1 and very erroneously in    
regard to his conduct4 ,the religious   
dupe is u poor metaphysician1 and if he 
also acts badly he is both imbecile and 
wicked4  ,it is true the priests deny   
that unbelievers ever reason correctly1 
and pretend they must always be in the  
wrong to prefer natural sense to their  
authority4 ,but in this decision they   
occupy the place of both judges and     

parties1 and the verdict should be      
rendered by disinterested persons4 ,in  
the mean time the priests themselves    
seem to doubt the soundness of their own
 allegations2 they call the secular arm 
to the aid of their arguments2 they     
marshal on their side fines1            
imprisonment1 confiscation of goods1    
boring and branding with hot irons1 and 
death at the stake1 at this time in     
,france1 and in other and in most       
countries of ,christendom2 they use the 
scourge to drive men into paradise2 they
 enlighten men by the blaze of the      
fagot2 they inculcate faith by furious  
and bloody strokes of the sword2 and    
they have the baseness to stand in dread
 of men who cannot announce themselves  
or openly promulgate their opinions     
without running the risk of punishment1 
and even death4 ,this conduct does not  
manifest that the priests are strongly  
persuaded of the power of their         
arguments4 ,if our clerical theologians 
acted in good faith1 would they not     

rejoice to open a free course to        
thorough discussion8 ,would they not be 
gratified to allow doubters to propose  
difficulties1 the solution of which1 if 
,christianity is so plain and clear1    
would serve to render it more firm and  
solid8 ,they find it answers their ends 
better to use their adversaries as the  
,mexicans do their slaves1 whom they    
shackle before attacking1 and then kill 
for daring to defend themselves4  ,it is
 very probable unbelievers may be found 
whose conduct is blamable1 and this is  
because they in this respect follow the 
same line of reasoning as the devotee4  
,the most fanatical partisans of        
religion are forced to confess that     
among their adherents a small number of 
the elect only are rendered virtuous4   
,by what right1 then1 do they exact that
 incredulity1 which pretends to nothing 
supernatural1 should produce effects    
which1 according to their own           
admissions1 their pretended divine      
religion fails to accomplish8 ,if all   

believers were invariably good men1 the 
cause of religion would be provided with
 an adamantine bulwark1 and especially  
if unbelievers were persons without     
morality or virtue4 ,but whatever the   
priests may aver1 the unbelievers are   
more virtuous than the devotees4 ,a     
happy temperament1 a judicious          
education1 the desire of living a       
peaceable life1 the dislike to attract  
hatred or blame1 and the habit of       
fulfilling the moral duties1 always     
furnish motives to abstain from vice and
 to practise virtue more powerful and   
more true than those presented by       
religion4 ,besides1 the incredulous     
person has not an infinity of resources 
which ,christianity bestows upon its    
superstitious followers4 ,the ,christian
 can at any time expiate his crimes by  
confession and penance1 and can thus    
reconcile himself with ,god1 and give   
repose to his conscience2 the           
unbeliever1 on the other hand1 who has  
perpetrated a wrong1 can reconcile      

himself neither with society1 which he  
has outraged1 nor with himself1 whom he 
is compelled to hate4 ,if he expects no 
reward in another life1 he has no       
interest but to merit the homage that in
 all enlightened countries is rendered  
to virtue1 to probity1 and to a conduct 
constantly honest2 he has no inducement 
but to avoid the penalties and the      
disdain that society decrees against    
those who trouble its well-being1 and   
who refuse to contribute to its welfare4
  ,it appears evident that every man who
 consults his understanding should be   
more reasonable than one who only       
consults his imagination4 ,it is evident
 that he who consults his own nature and
 that of the beings who surround him1   
ought to have truer ideas of good and   
evil1 of justice and injustice1 and of  
honesty and dishonesty1 that he who1 to 
regulate his conduct1 consults only the 
records of a concealed ,god1 whom his   
priests picture as wicked1 unjust1      
changeable1 contradicting himself1 and  

who has sometimes ordered actions the   
most contrary to morality and to all the
 ideas that we have of virtue4 ,it is   
evident that he who regulates his       
conduct upon sacerdotal molality will   
only follow the caprice and passions of 
the priests1 and will be a very         
dangerous man1 while believing himself  
very virtuous4 ,in fine1 it is evident  
that while conforming himself to the    
precepts and counsels of religion1 a man
 may be extremely pious without         
possessing the shadow of a virtue4      
,experience has proved that it is quite 
possible to adhere to all the           
unintelligible dogmas of the priests1 to
 observe most scrupulously all the      
forms1 and ceremonies1 and services they
 recommend1 and orally to profess all   
the ,christian virtues1 without having  
any of the qualities necessary to his   
own happiness1 and to that of the beings
 with whom he lives4 ,the saints1       
indeed1 who are proposed to us as       
models1 were useless members of society4

 ,we see them to have been either gloomy
 fanatics1 who sacrificed themselves to 
the desolating ideas of their religion1 
or excited fanatics1 who1 under pretext 
of serving religion1 have perpetually   
disturbed the repose of nations1 or     
enthusiastic theologians1 who from their
 own dreams have deduced systems exactly
 calculated to infuriate the brains of  
their adherents4 ,a saint1 when he is   
tranquil1 proposes nothing whose        
accomplishment will benefit mankind1 and
 only aims to keep himself safe and     
secluded in his retreat4 ,a saint1 when 
he is active1 only appears to promulgate
 reveries dangerous to the world1 and to
 uphold the interests of the church1    
that he confounds with the interest of  
,god4  ,in a word1 ,madam1 ,i cannot too
 often repeat it1 every system of       
religion appears to be designed for the 
utility of the priests2 the morality of 
,christianity has in view only the      
interests of the priesthood2 all the    
virtues that it teaches have solely for 

an object the church1 and its ministers2
 and these ends are always to subject   
the people1 to draw a profit from their 
toil1 and to inspire them with a blind  
,credulity4 ,we ought1 therefore1 to    
practise morality and virtue without    
entering into these conspiracies4 ,if   
the priests disapprove of those who do  
not agree with them1 and refuse to award
 any probity to the thinkers who reject 
their injurious and useless notions1    
society1 which needs for its own        
sustenance real and human virtues1 will 
not adopt the sentiments nor espouse the
 quarrels of these men1 visibly leagued 
together against it4 ,if the ministers  
of religion require their dogmas1 their 
mysteries1 and their fanatical virtues  
to support their usurped empire1 the    
civil government has a need of          
reasonable virtues1 of an evident1 and  
above all1 of a pacific morality1 in    
order1 to exercise its legitimate       
rights4 ,in fine1 the individuals1 who  
compose every society1 demand a morality

 which will render them happy in this   
world1 without embarrassing themselves  
with what only pretends to secure their 
felicity in an imaginary sphere1 of     
which they have no ideas except those   
received from the priests themselves4   
,the priests have had the art to unite  
their religious system with some moral  
tenets which are really good4 ,this     
renders their mysteries more sacred1 and
 lends authority to their ambiguous     
dogmas4 ,by the aid of this artifice1   
they have given currency to the opinion 
that without religion there can be      
neither morality nor virtue4 ,i hope1   
,madam1 in my next letter1 to complete  
the exposure of this prejudice1 and to  
demonstrate1 to whoever will reflect1   
how uncertain1 abstract1 and deceitful  
are the notions which religion has      
inspired4 ,i shall clearly show1 that   
they have often infected philosophers   
themselves2 that up to the present time1
 they have retarded the progress of     
morality2 and that they have transformed

 a science the most certain1 plain1 and 
sensible to every thinking man1 into a  
system at once doubtful and enigmatical1
 and full of difficulties4 ,i am1       
,madam1 c4     ,,letter ,,xi4 ,of ,human
 or ,natural ,morality  ,by this time1  
,madam1 you will have reflected on what 
,i had the honor to address to you1 and 
perceived how impossible it is to found 
a certain and invariable morality on a  
religion enthusiastic1 ambiguous1       
mysterious1 and contradictory1 and which
 never agreed with itself4 ,you know    
that the ,god who appears to have taken 
pleasure in rendering himself           
unintelligible1 that the ,god who is    
partial and changeable1 that the ,god   
whose precepts are at variance one with 
another1 can never serve as the base on 
which to rear a morality that shall     
become practicable among the inhabitants
 of the earth4 ,in short1 how can we    
fonnd justice and goodness on attributes
 that are unjust and evil2 yet          
attributes of a ,being who tempts man1  

whom he created1 for the purpose of     
punishing him when tempted8 ,how can we 
know when we do the will of a ,god who  
has said1 ,thou shalt not kill1 and who 
yet allows his people to exterminate    
whole nations8 ,what idea can we form of
 the morality of that ,god who declares 
himself pleased with the sanguinary     
conduct of ,moses1 of the rebel1 the    
assassin1 the adulterer1 ,david8 ,is it 
possible to found the holy duties of    
humanity on a ,god whose favorites have 
been inhuman persecutors and cruel      
monsters8 ,how can we deduce our duties 
from the lessons of the priests of a    
,god of peace1 who1 nevertheless1       
breathes only sedition1 vengeance1 and  
carnage8 ,how can we take as models for 
our conduct saints1 who were useless    
enthusiasts1 or turbulent fanatics1 or  
seditious apostates2 who1 under the     
pretext of defending the cause of ,god1 
have stirred up the greatest ravages on 
the earth8 ,what wholesome morality can 
we reap from the adoption of            

impracticable virtues1 from their being 
supernatural1 which are visibly useless 
to ourselves1 to those among whom we    
live1 and in their consequences often   
dangerous8 ,how can we take as guides in
 our conduct priests1 whose lessons are 
a tissue of unintelligible opinions1    
7for all religion is but opinion17      
puerile and frivolous practices1 which  
these gentlemen prefer to real virtues8 
,in fine1 how can we be taught the      
truth1 conducted in an unerring path1 by
 men of a changeable morality1          
calculated upon and actuated by their   
present interests1 and who1 although    
they pretend to preach good-will to men1
 humanity1 and peace1 have1 as their    
text-book1 a volume stained with the    
records of injustice1 inhumanity1       
sedition1 and perfidy8 ,j ,you know1    
,madam1 that it is impossible to found  
morality on notions that are so unfixed 
and so contrary to all our natural ideas
 of virtue4 ,by virtue1 we ought to     
understand the habitual dispositions to 

do whatever will procure us the         
happiness of ourselves and our species4 
,by virtue1 religion understands only   
that which may contribute to render us  
favorable to a hidden ,god1 who attaches
 his favor to practices and opinions    
that are too often hurtful to ourselves1
 and little beneficial to others4 ,the  
morality of the ,christians is a mystic 
morality1 which resembles the dogmas of 
their religion2 it is obscure1          
unintelligible1 uncertain1 and subject  
to the interpretation of frail          
creatures4 ,this morality is never      
fixed1 because it is subordinate to a   
religion which varies incessantly its   
principles1 and which is regulated      
according to the pleasure of a despotic 
divinity1 and1 more especially1         
according to the pleasure of priests1   
whose interests are changing daily1     
whose caprices are as variable as the   
hours of their existence1 and who are1  
consequently1 not always in agreement   
with one another4  ,the writings which  

are the sources whence the ,christians  
have drawn their morality1 are not only 
an abyss of obscurity1 but demand       
continual explications from their       
masters1 the priests1 who1 in           
explaining1 make them still more        
obscure1 still more contradictory4 ,if  
these oracles of heaven prescribe to us 
in one place the virtues truly useful1  
in another part they approve1 or        
prescribe1 actions entirely opposed to  
all the ideas that we have of virtue4   
,the same ,god who orders us to be good1
 equitable1 and beneficent1 who forbids 
the revenging of injuries1 who declares 
himself to be the ,god of clemency and  
of goodness1 shows himself to be        
implacable in his rage2 announces       
himself as bringing the swords and not  
peace2 tells us that he is come to set  
mankind at variance2 and1 finally1 in   
order to revenge his wrongs1 orders     
rapine1 treason1 usurpation1 and        
carnage4 ,in a word1 it is impossible to
 find in the ,scriptures any certain    

principles or sure rules of morality4   
,you there see1 in one part1 a small    
number of precepts1 useful and          
intelligible1 and in another part maxims
 the most extravagant1 and the most     
destructive to the good and happiness of
 all society4  ,it is in punctuality to 
fulfil the superstitious and frivolous  
duties1 that the morality of the ,jews  
in the ,old ,testament writings is      
chiefly conspicuous2 legal observances1 
rites1 ceremonies1 are all that occupied
 the people of ,israel4 ,in recompense  
for their scrupulous exactness to fulfil
 these duties1 they were permitted to   
commit the most frightful of crimes4    
,the virtues recommended by the ,son of 
,god1 in the ,new ,testament1 are not in
 reality the same as those which ,god   
the ,father had made observable in the  
former case4 ,the ,new ,testament       
contradicts the ,old4 ,it announces that
 ,god is not pacified by sacrifices1 nor
 by offerings1 nor by frivolous rites4  
,it substitutes in place of these1      

supernatural virtues1 of which ,i       
believe ,i have sufficiently proved the 
inutility1 the impossibility1 and the   
incompatibility with the well-being of  
man living in society4 ,the ,son of     
,god1 by the writers of the ,new        
,testament1 is set at variance with     
himself2 for he destroys in one place   
what he establishes in another2 and1    
moreover1 the priests have appropriated 
to themselves all the principles of his 
mission4 ,they are in unison only with  
,god when the precepts of the ,deity    
accord with their present interest4 ,is 
it their interest to persecute8 ,they   
find that ,god ordains persecution4 ,are
 they themselves persecuted8 ,they find 
that this pacific ,god forbids          
persecution1 and views with abhorrence  
the persecution of his servants4 ,do    
they find that superstitious practices  
are lucrative to themselves8            
,notwithstanding the aversion of ,jesus 
,christ from offerings1 rites1 and      
ceremonies1 they impose them on the     

people1 they surcharge them with        
mysterious rites3 they respect these    
more than those duties ,which are of    
essential benefit to society4 ,if ,jesus
 has not wished that they should avenge 
themselves1 they find that his ,father  
has delighted in vengeance4 ,if ,jesus  
has declared that his kingdom is not of 
this world1 and if he has shown1        
contempt of riches1 they nevertheless   
find in the ,old ,testament sufficient  
reasons for establishing a hierarchy for
 the governing of the world in a        
spiritual sense1 as kings do in a       
political one1--for the disputing with  
kings about their power1--for exercising
 in this world an authority the most    
unlimited1 a license the most terrific4 
,in a word1 if they have found in the   
,bible some precepts of a moral tendency
 and practical utility1 they have also  
found others to justify crimes the most 
atrocious4  ,thus1 in the ,christian    
religion1 morality uniformly depends on 
the fanaticism of priests1 their        

passions1 their interests3 its          
principles are never fixed2 they vary   
according to circumstances3 the ,god of 
whom they are the organs1 and the       
interpreters1 has not said any thing but
 what agrees best with their views1 and 
what never contravenes their interest   
,following their caprices1 he changes   
his advice continually2 he approves1 and
 disapproves1 of the same actions3 he   
loves1 or detests1 the same conduct2 he 
changes crime into virtue1 and virtue   
into crime4  ,what is the result from   
all this8 ,it is that the ,christians   
have not sure principles in morality3 it
 varies with the policy of the priests1 
who are in a situation to command the   
credulity of mankind1 and who1 by force 
of menaces and terrors1 oblige men to   
shut their eyes on their contradictions1
 and minds the most honest to commit    
faults the greatest which can be        
committed against religion4 ,it is thus 
that under a ,god who recommends the    
love of our neighbor1 the ,christians   

accustom themselves from infancy to     
detest an heretical neighbor1 and are   
almost always in a disposition to       
overwhelm him by a crowd of arguments   
received from their priests4 ,it is thus
 that1 under a ,god who ordains we      
should love our enemies and forgive     
their offences1 the ,christians hate and
 destroy the enemies of their priests1  
and take vengeance1 without measure1 for
 injuries which they pretend to have    
received4 ,it is thus1 that under a just
 ,god1 a ,god who never ceases to boast 
of his goodness1 the ,christians1 at the
 signal of their spiritual guides1      
become unjust and cruel1 and make a     
merit of having stifled the cries of    
nature1 the voice of humanity1 the      
counsels of wisdom1 and of public       
interest4  ,in a word1 all the ideas of 
justice and of injustice1 of good and   
evil1 of happiness and of misfortune1   
are necessarily confounded in the head  
of a ,christian4 ,his despotic priest   
commands him1 in the name of ,god1 to   

put no reliance on his reason1 and the  
man who is compelled to abandon it for  
the guidance of a troubled imagination  
will be far more likely to consult and  
admit the most stupid fanaticism as the 
inspiration of the ,most ,high4 ,in his 
blindness1 he casts at his feet duties  
the most sacred1 and he believes himself
 virtuous in outraging every virtue4    
,has he remorse8 his priest appeases it 
speedily1 and points out some easy      
practices by which he may soon recommend
 himself to ,god4 ,has he committed     
injustice1 violence1 and rapine8 he may 
repair all by giving to the church the  
goods of which he has despoiled worthy  
citizens2 or by repaying by largesses1  
which will procure him the prayers of   
the priests and the favor of heaven4    
,for the priests never reproach men1 who
 give them of this world's goods1 with  
the injustice1 the cruelties1 and the   
crimes they have been guilty1 to support
 the church and befriend her ministers2 
the faults which have almost always been

 found the most unpardonable1 have      
always been those of most disservice to 
the clergy4 ,to question the faith and  
reject the authority of the priesthood1 
have always been the most frightful     
crimes2 they are truly the sin against  
the ,holy ,ghost1 which can never be    
forgiven either in this world or in that
 which is to come4 ,to despise these    
objects which the priests have an       
interest in making to be respected1 is  
sufficient to qualify one for the       
appellation of a blasphemer and an      
impious man4 ,these vague words1 void of
 sense1 suffice to excite horror in the 
mind of the weak vulgar4 ,the terrible  
word sacrilege designates an attempt on 
the person1 the goods1 and the rights of
 the clergy4 ,the omission of some      
useless practice is exaggerated and     
represented as a crime more detestable  
than actions which injure society4 ,in  
favor of fidelity to fulfil the duties  
of religion1 the priest easily pardons  
his slave submitting to vices1 criminal 

debaucheries1 and excesses the most     
horrible4 ,you perceive1 then1 ,madam1  
that the ,christian morality has really 
in view but the utility of the priests4 
,why1 then1 should you be surprised that
 they endeavor to make themselves       
arbitrary and sovereign2 that they deem 
as faults1 and as criminal1 all the     
virtues which agree not with their      
marvellous systems8 ,the ,christian     
morality appears only to have been      
proposed to blind men1 to disturb their 
reason1 to render them abject and timid1
 to plunge them into vassalage1 to make 
them lose sight of the earth which they 
inhabit1 for visions of bliss in heaven4
 ,by the aid of this morality1 the      
priests have become the true masters    
here below2 they have imagined virtues  
and practices useful only to themselves2
 they have proscribed and interdicted   
those which were truly useful to        
society2 they have made slaves of their 
disciples1 who make virtue to consist in
 blind submission to their caprices4    

,to lay the foundations of a good       
morality1 it is absolutely necessary to 
destroy the prejudices which the priests
 have inspired in us2 it is necessary to
 begin by rendering the mind of man     
energetic1 and freeing it from those    
vain terrors which have enthralled it2  
it is necessary to renounce those       
supernatural notions which have1 till   
now1 hindered men from consulting the   
volume of nature1 which have subjected  
reason to the yoke of authority2 it is  
necessary to encourage man1 to undeceive
 him as to those prejudices which have  
enslaved him2 to annihilate in his bosom
 those false theories which corrupt his 
nature1 and which are1 in fact1 infidel 
guides1 destructive of the real         
happiness of the species4 ,it is        
necessary to undeceive him as to the    
idea of his loathing himself1 and       
especially that other idea1 that some of
 his fellow-creatures are not to labor  
with their hands for their support1 but 
in spiritual matters for his happiness4 

,in fine1 it is necessary to influence  
him with self-love1 that he may merit   
the esteem of the world1 the benevolence
 and consideration of those with whom he
 is associated by the ties of nature or 
public economy4  ,the morality of       
religion appears calculated to confound 
society and replunge its members into   
the savage state4 ,the ,christian       
virtues tend evidently to isolate man1  
to detach him from those to whom nature 
has united him1 and to unite him to the 
priests--to make him lose sight of a    
happiness the most solid1 to occupy     
himself only with dangerous chimeras4   
,we only live in society to procure the 
more easily those kindnesses1 succors1  
and pleasures1 which we could not obtain
 living by ourselves4 ,if it had been   
destined that we should live miserably  
in this world1 that we should detest    
ourselves1 fly the esteem of others1    
voluntarily afflict ourselves1 have no  
attachment for any one1 society would   
have been one heap of confusion1 the    

human kind savages and strangers to one 
another4 ,however1 if it is true that   
,god is the author of man1 it is ,god   
who renders man sociable2 it is ,god who
 wishes man to live in society where he 
can obtain the greatest good4 ,if ,god  
is good1 he cannot approve that men     
should leave society to become          
miserable2 if ,god is the author of     
reason1 we can only wish that men who   
are possessed of reason should employ   
this distinguishing gift to procure for 
themselves all the happiness its        
exercise can bring them4 ,if ,god has   
revealed himself1 it is not in some     
obscure way1 but in in revelation the   
most evident and clear of all those     
supposed revelations1 which are visibly 
contrary to all the notions we can form 
of the ,divinity4 ,we are not1 however1 
obliged to dive into the marvellous to  
establish the duties man owes to man1   
since ,god has very plainly shown them  
in the wants of one and the good offices
 of another person4 ,but it is only by  

consulting our reason that we can arrive
 at the means of contributing to the    
felicity of our species4 ,it is then    
evident that in regarding man as the    
creature of ,god1 ,god must have        
designed that man should consult his    
reason1 that it might procure him the   
most solid happiness1 and those         
principles of virtue which nature       
approves4  ,what1 then1 might not our   
opinions be were we to substitute the   
morality of reason for the morality of  
religion8 ,in place of a partial and    
reserved morality for a small number of 
men1 let us substitute a universal      
morality1 intelligible to all the       
inhabitants of the earth1 and of which  
all can find the principles in nature4  
,let us study this nature1 its wants1   
and its desires2 let us examine the     
means of satisfying it2 let us consider 
what is the end of our existence in     
society2 we shall see that all those who
 are thus associated are compelled by   
their natures to practise affection one 

to another1 benevolence1 esteem1 and    
relief1 if desired2 we shall see what is
 that line of conduct which necessarily 
excites hatred1 ill-will1 and all those 
misfortunes which experience makes      
familiar to mankind2 our reason will    
tell us what actions are the most       
calculated to excite real happiness and 
good will the most solid and extensive2 
let us weigh these with those that are  
founded on visionary theories2 their    
difference will at once be perceptible2 
the advantages which are permanent we   
will not sacrifice for those that are   
momentary2 we will employ all our       
faculties to augment the happiness of   
our species2 we will labor with         
perseverance and courage to extirpate   
evil from the earth2 we will assist as  
much as we can those who are without    
friends2 we will seek to alleviate their
 distresses and their pains2 we will    
merit their regard1 and thus fulfil the 
end of our being on earth4  ,in         
conducting ourselves in this manner1 our

 reason prescribes a morality agreeable 
to nature1 reasonable to all1 constant  
in its operation1 effective in its      
exercise in benefiting all1 in          
contributing to the happiness of        
society1 collectively and individually1 
in distinction to the mysticism preached
 up by priests4 ,we shall find in our   
reason and in our nature the surest     
guides1 superior to the clergy1 who only
 teach us to benefit themselves4 ,we    
shall thus enjoy a morality as durable  
as the race of man4 ,we shall have      
precepts founded on the necessity of    
things1 that will punish those          
transgressing them1 and rewarding those 
who obey them4 ,every man who shall     
prove himself to be just1 useful1       
beneficent1 will be an object of love to
 his fellow-citizens2 every man who     
shall prove himself unjust1 useless1 and
 wicked will become an object of hatred 
to himself as well as to others2 he will
 be forced to tremble at the violation  
of the laws2 he will be compelled to do 

that which is good to gain the good will
 of mankind and preserve the regard of  
those who have the power of obliging him
 to be a useful member of the state4    
,thus1 ,madam1 if it should be demanded 
of you what you would substitute for the
 benefit of society1 in place of        
visionary reveries1 ,i reply1 a sensible
 morality1 a good education1 profitable 
habits1 self-evident principles of duty1
 wise laws1 which even the wicked cannot
 misunderstand1 but which may correct   
their evil purposes1 and recompenses    
that may tend to the promotion of       
virtue4 ,the education of the present   
day tends only to make youth the slaves 
of superstition2 the virtues which it   
inculcates on them are only those of    
fanaticism1 to render the mind subject  
to the priests for the remainder of     
life2 the motives to duty are only      
fictitious and imaginary2 the rewards   
and punishments which it exhibits in an 
obscure glimmering1 produce no other    
effect than to make useless enthusiasts 

and dangerous fanatics4 ,the principles 
on which enthusiasm establishes morality
 are changing and ruinous2 those on     
which the morality of reason is         
established are fixed1 and cannot be    
overturned4 ,seeing1 then1 that man1 a  
reasonable being1 should be chiefly     
occupied about his preservation and     
happiness--that he should love          
virtue--that he should be sensible of   
its advantages--that he should fear the 
consequences of crime--is it to be      
wondered ,i should insist so much on the
 practice of virtue as his chief good8  
,men ought to hate crime because it     
leads to misery4 ,society1 to exist1    
must receive the united virtue of its   
members1 obedience to good laws1 the    
activity and intelligence of citizens to
 defend its privileges and its rights4  
,laws are good when they invite the     
members of society to labor for         
reciprocal good offices4 ,laws are just 
when they recompense or punish in       
proportion to the good or evil which is 

done to society4 ,laws supported by a   
visible authority should be founded on  
present motives2 and thus they would    
have more force than those of religion1 
which are founded on uncertain motives1 
imaginary and removed from this world1  
and which experience proves cannot      
suffice to curb the passions of bad men1
 nor show them their duty by the fear of
 punishments after death4  ,if in place 
of stifling human reason1 as1 is too    
much done1 its perfectibility were      
studied2 if in place of deluging the    
world with visionary notions1 truth were
 inculcated2 if in place of pleading a  
supernatural morality1 a morality       
agreeable to humanity and resulting from
 experience were preached1 we should no 
longer be the dupes of imaginary        
theories1 nor of terrifying fables as   
the bases of virtue4 ,every one would   
then perceive that it is to the practice
 of virtue1 to the faithful observation 
of the duties of morality1 that the     
happiness of individuals and of society 

is to be traced4 ,is he a husband8 ,he  
will perceive that his essential        
happiness is to show kindness1          
attachment1 and tenderness to the       
companion of his life1 destined by his  
own choice to share his pleasures and   
endure his misfortunes4 ,and1 on the    
other hand1 she1 by consulting her true 
interests1 will perceive that they      
consist in rendering homage to her      
husband1 in interdicting every thought  
that could alienate her affections1     
diminish her esteem and confidence in   
him4 ,fathers and mothers will perceive 
that their children are destined to be  
one day their consolation and support in
 old age1 and that by consequence they  
have the greatest interest in inspiring 
them in early life with sentiments of   
which they may themselves reap the      
benefit when age or misfortune may      
require the fruits of those advantages  
that result from a good education4      
,their children1 early taught to reflect
 on these things1 will find their       

interest to lie in meriting the kindness
 of their parents1 and in giving them   
proofs that the virtues they are taught 
will be communicated to their posterity4
 ,the master will perceive that1 to be  
served with affection1 he owes good     
will1 kindness1 and indulgence to those 
at whose hands he would reap advantages1
 and by whose labor he would increase   
his prosperity2 and servants will       
discover how much their happiness       
depends on fidelity1 industry1 and good 
temper in their situations4 ,friends    
will find the advantages of a kindred   
heart for friendship1 and the           
reciprocity of good offices4 ,the       
members of the same family will perceive
 the necessity of preserving that union 
which nature has established among them1
 to render mutual benefits in prosperity
 or in adversity4 ,societies1 if they   
reflect on the end of their association1
 will perceive that to secure it they   
must observe good faith and punctuality 
in their engagements4 ,the citizen1 when

 he consults his reason1 will perceive  
how much it is necessary1 for the good  
of the nation to which he belongs1 that 
he should exert himself to advance its  
prosperity1 or1 in its misfortunes1 to  
retrieve its glory4 ,by consequence     
every one in his sphere1 and using his  
faculties for this great end1 will find 
his own advantage in restraining the bad
 as dangerous1 and opposing enemies to  
the state as enemies to himself4  ,in a 
word1 every man who will reflect for    
himself will be compelled to acknowledge
 the necessity of virtue for the        
happiness of the world4 ,it is so       
obvious that justice is the basis of all
 society2 that good will and good       
offices necessarily procure for men     
affection and respect2 that every man   
who respects himself ought to seek the  
esteem of others2 that it is necessary  
to merit the good opinion of society2   
that he ought to be jealous of his      
reputation2 that a weak being1 who is   
every instant exposed to misfortunes1   

ought to know what are his duties1 and  
how he should practise them for the     
benefit of himself and the assembly of  
which he is a member4  ,if we reflect   
for one moment on the effects of the    
passions1 we shall perceive the         
necessity of repressing them1 if we     
would spare ourselves vain regrets and  
useless sorrows1 which certainly always 
afflict those who obey not the laws4    
,thus1 a single reflection will suffice 
to show the impropriety of anger1 the   
dreadful consequences of revenge1       
calumny1 and backbiting4 ,every one must
 perceive that in giving a free course  
to unbridled desires1 he becomes the    
enemy of society1 and then it is the    
part of the laws to restrain him who    
renounces his reason and despises the   
motives that ought to guide him4  ,if it
 is objected that man is not a free     
agent1 and therefore is unable to       
restrain his passions1 and that         
consequently the law ought not to punish
 him1 ,i reply that the community are   

impelled by the same necessity to hate  
what is injurious1 and for their own    
conservation and happiness have the     
right to restrain an unhappily organized
 individual who is impelled to injure   
himself and others4 ,the inevitable     
faults of men necessarily excite the    
hatred of those who suffer from them4   
,if the man who consults his reason has 
real and powerful motives for doing good
 to others and abstaining from injuring 
them1 he has present motives equally    
urgent to restrain him from the         
commission of vice4 ,experience may     
suffice to show him that if he becomes  
sooner or later the victim of his       
excesses1 he ceases to be the friend of 
virtue1 and exists only to serve vice1  
which will infallibly punish him4 ,this 
being allowed1 prudence1 or the desire  
of preserving one's self free from the  
contamination of evil1 ought to         
inculcate to every man his path of duty2
 and1 unless blinded by his passions1 he
 must perceive how much moderation in   

his pleasures1 temperance1 chastity1    
contribute to happiness2 that those who 
transgress in these respects are        
necessarily the victims of ill health1  
and too often pass a life both infirm   
and unfortunate1 which terminates soon  
in death4  ,how is it possible1 then1   
,madam1 from visionary theories to      
arrive at these conclusions1 and        
establish from supernatural phantasms   
the principles of private and public    
virtue8 ,shall we launch into unknown   
regions to ascertain our duty and to    
keep our station in society8 ,is it not 
sufficient if we wish to be happy that  
we should endeavor to preserve ourselves
 in those maxims which reason approves1 
and on which virtue is founded8 ,every  
man who would perish1 who would render  
his existence miserable1 whoever would  
sacrifice permanent happiness for       
present pleasure1 is a fool1 who        
reflects not on the interests that are  
dearest to him4  ,if there are any      
principles so clear as the morality of  

humanity has been and is still proved to
 be1 they are such as men ought to      
observe4 ,they are not obscure notions1 
mysticism1 contradictions1 which have   
made of a science the most obvious and  
best demonstrated1 an unintelligible    
science1 mysterious and uncertain to    
those for whom it is designed4 ,in the  
hands of the priests1 morality has      
become an enigma2 they have founded our 
duties on the attributes of a ,deity    
whom the mind of man cannot comprehend1 
in place of founding them on the        
character of man himself4 ,they have    
thrown in among them the foundations of 
an edifice which is made for this earth4
 ,they have desired to regulate our     
manners agreeably to equivocal oracles  
which every instant contradict          
themselves1 and which too often render  
their devotees useless to society and to
 themselves4 ,they have pretended to    
render their morality more sacred by    
inviting us to look for recompenses and 
punishments removed beyond this life1   

but which they announce in the name of  
the ,divinity4 ,in fine1 they have made 
man a being who may not even strive at  
perfection1 by a preordination of some  
to bliss1 and consequent damnation of   
others1 whose insensibility is the      
result of this selection4  ,need we not1
 then1 wonder that this supernatural    
morality should be so contrary to the   
nature and the mind of man8 ,it is in   
vain that it aims at the annihilation of
 human nature1 which is so much         
stronger1 so much more powerful1 than   
imagination4 ,in despite of all the     
subtile and marvellous speculations of  
the priests1 man continues always to    
love himself1 to desire his well being1 
and to flee misfortune and sorrow4 ,he  
has then always been actuated by the    
same passions4 ,when these passions have
 been moderate1 and have tended to the  
public good1 they are legitimate1 and we
 approve those actions which are their  
effects4 ,when these passions have been 
disordered1 hurtful to society1 or to   

the individual1 he condemns them2 they  
punish him2 he is dissatisfied with his 
conduct which others cannot approve4    
,man always loves his pleasures1 because
 in their enjoyment he fulfils the end  
of his existence2 if he exceeds their   
just bounds he renders himself          
miserable4  ,the morality of the clergy1
 on the other hand1 appears calculated  
to keep nature always at variance with  
herself1 for it is almost always without
 effect even on the priesthood4 ,their  
chimeras serve but to torture weak      
minds1 and to set the passions at war   
with nature and their dogmas4 ,when this
 morality professes to restrain the     
wicked1 to curb the passions of men1 it 
operates in opposition to the           
established laws of natural religion2   
for by preserving all its rigor1 it     
becomes impracticable2 and it meets with
 real devotees only in some few fanatics
 who have renounced nature1 and who     
would be singular1 even if their        
oddities were injurious to society4     

,this morality1 adopted for the most    
part by devotees1 without eradicating   
their habits or their natural defects1  
keeps them always in a state of         
opposition even with themselves4 ,their 
life is a round of faults and of        
scruples1 of sins and remorse1 of crimes
 and expiations1 of pleasures which they
 enjoy1 but for which they again        
reproach themselves for having tasted4  
,in a word1 the morality of superstition
 necessarily carries with it into the   
heart and the family of its devotees    
inward distress and affliction2 it makes
 of enthusiasts and fanatics scrupulous 
devotees2 it makes a great many         
insensible and miserable2 it renders    
none perfect1 few good2 and those only  
tolerable whom nature1 education1 and   
habit had moulded for happiness4  ,it is
 our temperament which decides our      
condition2 the acquisition of moderate  
passions1 of honest habits1 sensible    
opinions1 laudable examples1 and        
practical virtues1 is a difficult task1 

but not impossible when undertaken with 
reason for one's guide1 ,it is difficult
 to be virtuous and happy with a        
temperament so ardent as to sway the    
passions to its will4 ,one must in      
calmness consult reason as to nis duty4 
,nature1 in giving us lively passions   
and a susceptible imagination1 has made 
us capable of suffering the instant we  
transgress her bounds4 ,she then renders
 us necessary to ourselves1 and we      
cannot proceed to consult our real      
interest if we continue in indulgence   
that she forbids4 ,the passions which   
reason cannot restrain are not to be    
bridled by religion4 ,it is in vain that
 we hope to derive succors from religion
 if we despise and refuse what nature   
offers us4 ,religion leaves men just    
such as nature and habit have made them2
 and if it produce any changes on some  
few1 ,i believe ,i have proved that     
those changes are not always for the    
better4  ,congratulate yourself1 then1  
,madam1 on being born with good         

dispositions1 of having received such   
honest principles1 which shall carry you
 through life in the practice of virtue1
 and in the love of a fine and exalted  
taste for the rational pleasures of our 
nature4 ,continue to be the happiness of
 your family1 which esteems and honors  
you4 ,continue to diffuse around you the
 blessings you enjoy2 continue to       
perform only those actions which are    
esteemed by all the world1 and all men  
will respect you4 ,respect yourself1 and
 others will respect you4 ,these are the
 legitimate sentiments of virtue and of 
happiness4 ,labor for your own          
happiness1 and you will promote that of 
your family1 who will love you in       
proportion to the good you do it4 ,allow
 me to congratulate myself if1 in all ,i
 have said1 ,i have in any measure swept
 from your mind those clouds of         
fanaticism which obscure the reason2 and
 to felicitate you on your having       
escaped from vague theories of          
imagination4 ,abjure superstition1 which

 is calculated only to make you         
miserable2 let the morality of humanity 
be your uniform religion2 that your     
happiness may be constant1 let reason be
 your guide2 that virtue may be the idol
 of your soul1 cultivate and love only  
what is virtuous and good in the world2 
and if there be a ,god who is interested
 in the happiness of his creatures1 if  
there be a ,god full of justice and     
goodness1 he will not be angry with you 
for having consulted your reason2 if    
there be another life1 your happiness in
 it cannot be doubtful1 if ,god rewards 
every one according to the good done    
here4  ,i am1 with respect1 c4          
,,letter ,,xii4 ,of the small           
,consequence to be attached to ,men's   
,speculations1 and the ,indulgence which
 should be extended to them  ,permit me1
 ,madam1 to felicitate you on the happy 
change which you say has taken place in 
your opinions4 ,convinced by reasons as 
simple as obvious1 your mind has become 
sensible of the futility of those       

notions which have for a long time      
agitated it2 and the inefficacy of those
 pretended succors which religious men  
boasted they could furnish1 is now      
apparent to you4 ,you perceive the      
evident dangers which result from a     
system that serves only to render men   
enemies to individual and general       
happiness4 ,i see with pleasure that    
reason has not lost its authority over  
your mind1 and that it is sufficient to 
show you the truth that you may embrace 
it4 ,you may congratulate yourself on   
this1 which proves the solidity of your 
judgment4 ,for it is glorious to give   
one's self up to reason1 and to be the  
votary of common sense4 ,prejudice so   
arms mankind that the world is full of  
people who slight their judgment2 nay1  
who resist the most obvious pleas of    
their understanding4 ,their eyes1 long  
shut to the light of truth1 are unable  
to bear its rays2 but they can endure   
the glimmerings of superstition1 which  
plunges them in still darker obscurity4 

,i am not1 however1 astonished at the   
embarrassment you have hitherto felt1   
nor at your cautious examination of my  
opinions1 which are better understood   
the more thoroughly they are examined   
and compared with those they oppose4 ,it
 is impossible to annihilate at once    
deep-rooted prejudices4 ,the mind of man
 appears to waver in a void when those  
ideas are attacked on which it has long 
rested4 ,it finds itself in a new world1
 wherein all is unknown4 ,every system  
of opinion is but the effect of habit   
,the mind has as great difficulty to    
disengage itself from its custom of     
thinking1 and reflect on new ideas1 as  
the body has to remain quiescent after  
it has long been accustomed to exercise4
 ,should you1 for instance1 propose to  
your friend to leave off snuff1 as a    
practice neither healthful nor agreeable
 in company1 he will not probably listen
 to you1 or if he should1 it will be    
with extreme pain that he can bring     
himself to renounce a habit long        

familiarized to him4  ,it is precisely  
the same with all our prejudices2 those 
of religion have the most powerful hold 
of us4 ,from infancy we have been       
familiarized with them2 habit has made  
them a sort of want we cannot dispense  
with3 our mode of thinking is formed1   
and familiar to us2 our mind is         
accustomed to engage itself with certain
 classes of objects2 and our imagination
 fancies that it wanders in chaos when  
it is not fed with those chimeras to    
which it had been long accustomed4      
,phantoms the most horrible are even    
clear to it2 objects the most familiar  
to it1 if viewed with the calm eye of   
reason1 are disagreeable and revolting4 
,religion1 or rather its superstitions1 
in consequence of the marvellous and    
bizarre notions it engenders1 gives the 
mind continual exercise2 and its        
votaries fancy they are doomed to a     
dangerous inaction when they are        
suddenly deprived of the objects on     
which their imagination exerted its     

powers4 ,yet is this exercise so much   
the more necessary as the imagination is
 by far the most lively faculty of the  
mind2 ,hence1 without doubt1 it becomes 
necessary men should replace stale      
fooleries by those which are novel4     
,this is1 moreover1 the true reason why 
devotion so often affords consolation in
 great disgraces1 gives diversion for   
chagrin1 and replaces the strongest     
passions1 when they have been quenched  
by excess of pleasure and dissipation4  
,the marvellous arguments1 chimeras     
multiply as religion furnishes activity 
and occupation to the fancy2 habit      
renders them familiar1 and even         
necessary2 terrors themselves even      
minister food to the imagination2 and   
religion1 the religion of priestcraft1  
is full of terrors4 ,active and unquiet 
spirits continually require this        
nourishment2 the imagination requires to
 be alternately alarmed and consoled2   
and there are thousands who cannot      
accustom themselves to tranquillity and 

the sobriety of reason4 ,many persons   
also require phantoms to make them      
religious1 and they find these succors  
in the dogmas of priestcraft4  ,these   
reflections will serve to explain to you
 the continual variations to which many 
persons are subject1 especially on the  
subject of religion4 ,sensible1 like    
barometers1 you behold them wavering    
without ceasing2 their imagination      
floats1 and is never fixed2 so often as 
you find them freely given up to the    
blackness of superstition1 so often may 
you behold them the slaves of pernicious
 prejudices4 ,whenever they tremble at  
the feet of their priests1 then are     
their necks under the yoke4 ,even people
 of spirit and understanding in other   
affairs are not altogether exempt from  
these variations of mental religious    
temperament2 but their judgment is too  
frequently the dupe of the imagination4 
,and others1 again1 timid and doubting1 
without spirit1 are in perpetual        
torment4  ,what do ,i say8 ,man is not1 

and cannot always be1 the same4 ,his    
frame is exposed to revolutions and     
perpetual vicissitudes2 the thoughts of 
his mind necessarily vary with the      
different degrees of changes to which   
his body is exposed4 ,when the body is  
languid and fatigued1 the mind has not  
usually much inclination to vigor and   
gayety4 ,the debility of the nerves     
commonly annihilates the energies of the
 soul1 although it be so remarkably     
distinguished from the body2 persons of 
a bilious and melancholy temperament are
 rarely the subjects of joy2 dissipation
 importunes some1 gayety fatigues       
others4 ,exactly after the same fashion1
 there are some who love to nourish     
sombre ideas1 and these religion        
supplies them4 ,devotion affects them   
like the vapors2 superstition is an     
inveterate malady1 for which there is no
 cure in medicine4 ,and it is impossible
 to keep him free from superstition1    
whose breast1 the slave of fear1 was    
never sensible of courage2 nay1 soldiers

 and sailors1 the bravest of men1 have  
too often been the victims of           
superstition4 ,it is education alone    
that operates in radically curing the   
human mind of its errors4  ,those who   
think it sufficient1 ,madam1 to render a
 reason for the variations which we so  
frequently remark in the ideas of men1  
acknowledge that there is a secret bent 
of the minds of religious persons to    
prejudices1 from which we shall almost  
in vain endeavor to rescue their        
understandings4 ,you perceive1 at       
present1 what you ought to think of     
those secret transitions which our      
priests would force on you1 as the      
inspirations of heaven1 as divine       
solicitations1 the effects of grace2    
though they are1 nevertheless1 only the 
effects of those vicissitudes to which  
our constitution is liable1 and which   
affect the robust1 as well as the       
feeble2 the man of health1 as well as   
the valetudinarian4  ,if we might form a
 judgment of the correctness of those   

notions which our teachers boast of1 in 
respect to our dissolution at death1 we 
shall find reason to be satisfied1 that 
there is little or no occasion that we  
should have our minds disturbed during  
our last moments4 ,it is then1 say they1
 that it is necessary to attend to the  
condition of man2 it is then that man1  
undeceived as to the things of this     
life1 acknowledges his errors4 ,but     
there is1 perhaps1 no idea in the whole 
circle of theology more unreasonable    
than this1 of which the credulous1 in   
all ages1 have been the dupes4 ,is it   
not at the time of a man's dissolution  
that he is the least capable of judging 
of his true interest8 ,his bodily frame 
racked1 it may be1 with pain1 his mind  
is necessarily weakened or chafed2 or if
 he should be free from excruciating    
pain1 the lassitude and yielding of     
nature to the irrevocable decrees of    
fate at death1 unfit a man for reasoning
 and judging of the sophisms that are   
proposed as panaceas for all his errors4

 ,there are1 without doubt1 as strange  
notions as those of religion2 but who   
knows that body and soul sink alike at  
death8  ,it is in the case of health    
that we can promise ourselves to reason 
with justness2 it is then that the soul1
 neither troubled by fear1 nor altered  
by disease1 nor led astray by passion1  
can judge soundly of what is beneficial 
to man4 ,the judgments of the dying can 
have no weight with men in good health2 
and they are the veriest impostors who  
lend them belief4 ,the truth can alone  
be known1 when both body and mind are in
 good health4 ,no man1 without evincing 
an insensible and ridiculous            
presumption1 can answer for the ideas he
 is occupied with1 when worn out with   
sickness and disease2 yet have the      
inhuman priests the effrontery to       
persuade the credulous to take as their 
examples the words and actions of men   
necessarily deranged in intellect by the
 derangement of their corporeal frame4  
,in short1 since the ideas of men       

necessarily vary with the different     
variations of their bodies1 the man who 
presumes to reason on his death bed with
 the man in health1 arrogates what ought
 not to be conceded4  ,do not1 then1    
,madam1 be discouraged nor surprised1 if
 you should sometimes think of ancient  
prejudices reclaiming the rights they   
have for a long time exercised over your
 reason2 attribute1 then1 these         
vacillations to some derangement in your
 frame--to some disordered movements of 
mind1 which1 for a time1 suspend your   
reason4 ,think that there are few people
 who are constantly the same1 and who   
see with the same eyes4 ,our frame being
 subject to continual variations1 it    
necessarily follows that our modes of   
thinking will vary4 ,we think one custom
 the result of pusillanimity1 when the  
nerves are relaxed and our bodies       
fatigued4 ,we think justly when our body
 is in health2 that is to say1 when all 
its parts are fulfilling their various  
functions4 ,there is one mode of        

thinking1 or one state of mind1 which in
 health we call uncertainty1 and which  
we rarely experience when our frame is  
in its ordinary condition4 ,we do not   
then reason justly1 when our frame is   
not in a condition to leave our mind    
subject to incredulity4  ,what1 then1 is
 to be done1 when we would calm our     
mind1 when we wish to reflect1 even for 
an instant8 ,let reason be our guide1   
and we shall soon arrive at that mode of
 thinking which shall be advantageous to
 ourselves4 ,in effect1 ,madam1 how can 
a ,god who is just1 good1 and           
reasonable1 be irritated by the manner  
in which we shall think1 seeing that our
 thoughts are always involuntary1 and   
that we cannot believe as we would1 but 
as our convictions increase1 or become  
weakened8 ,man is not1 then1 for one    
instant1 the master of his ideas1 which 
are every moment excited by objects over
 which he has no control1 and causes    
which depend not on his will or         
exertions4 ,st4 ,augustine himself bears

 testimony to this truth3 ,there is not1
 says he1 one man who is at all times   
master of that which presents itself to 
his spirit4 ,have we not1 then1 good    
reason to conclude1 that our thoughts   
are entirely indifferent to ,god1 seeing
 they are excited by objects over which 
we have no control1 and1 by consequence1
 that they cannot be offensive to the   
,deity8  ,if our teachers pique         
themselves on their principles1 they    
ought to carry along with them this     
truth1 that a just ,god cannot be       
offended by the changes which take place
 in the minds of his creatures4 ,they   
ought to know that this ,god1 if he is  
wise1 has no occasion to be troubled    
with the ideas that enter the mind of   
man2 that if they do not comprehend all 
his perfections1 it is because their    
comprehension is limited4 ,they ought to
 recollect1 that if ,god is             
all-powerful1 his glory and his power   
cannot be affected by the opinions and  
ideas of weak mortals1 any more than the

 notions they form of him can alter his 
essential attributes4 ,in fine1 if our  
teachers had not made it a duty to      
renounce common sense1 and to close with
 notions that carry in their            
consequences the contradictory evidence 
of their premises1 they would not refuse
 to avow that ,god would be the most    
unjust1 the most unreasonable1 the most 
cruel of tyrants1 if he should punish   
beings whom he himself created          
imperfect1 and possessed of a deficiency
 of reason and common sense4  ,let us   
reflect a little longer1 and we shall   
find that the theologians have studied  
to make of the ,divinity a ferocious    
master1 unreasonable and changing1 who  
exacts from his creatures qualities they
 have not1 and services they cannot     
perform4 ,the ideas they have formed of 
this unknown being are almost always    
borrowed from those of men of power1    
who1 jealous of their power and respect 
from their subjects1 pretend that it is 
the duty of these last to have for them 

sentiments of submission1 and punish    
with rigor those who1 by their conduct  
or their discourse1 announce sentiments 
not sufficiently respectful to their    
superiors4 ,thus you see1 ,madam1 that  
,god has been fashioned by the clergy on
 the model of an uneasy despot1         
suspicious of his subjects1 jealous of  
the opinions they may entertain of him1 
and who1 to secure his power1 cruelly   
chastises those who have not littleness 
of mind sufficient to flatter his       
vanity1 nor courage enough to resist his
 power4  ,it is evident1 that it is on  
ideas so ridiculous1 and so contrary to 
those which nature offers us of the     
,divinity1 that the absurd system of the
 priests is founded1 which they persuade
 themselves is very sensible and        
agreeable to the opinions of mankind2   
and which is very seriously insulted1   
they say1 if men think differently2 and 
which will punish with severity those   
who abandon themselves to the guidance  
of reason1 the glory of man4 ,nothing   

can be more pernicious to the human kind
 than this fatal madness1 which deranges
 all our ideas of a just ,god--of a     
,god1 good1 wise1 all-powerful1 and     
whose glory and power neither the       
devotion nor rebellion of his creatures 
can affect4 ,in consequence of these    
impertinent suppositions of the         
priesthood1 men have ever been afraid to
 form notions agreeable to the          
mysterious ,sovereign of the universe1  
on whom they are dependent2 their mind  
is put to the torture to divine his     
incomprehensible nature1 and1 in their  
fear of displeasing him1 they have      
assigned to him human attributes1       
without perceiving that when they       
pretend to honor him1 they dishonor     
,deity1 and that being compelled to     
bestow on him qualities that are        
incompatible with ,deity1 they actually 
annihilate from their mind the pure     
representation of ,deity1 as witnessed  
in all nature4 ,it is thus1 that in     
almost all the religions on the face of 

the earth1 under the pretext of making  
known the ,divinity1 and explaining his 
views towards mortals1 the priests have 
rendered him incomprehensible1 and have 
actually promulgated1 under the garb of 
religion1 nothing save absurdities1 by  
which1 if we admit them1 we shall       
destroy those notions which nature gives
 us of ,deity4  ,when we reflect on the 
,divinity1 do we not see that mankind   
have plunged farther and farther into   
darkness1 as they assimilated him to    
themselves2 that their judgment is      
always disturbed when they would make   
their ,deity the object of their        
meditations2 that they cannot reason    
justly1 because never have any but      
obscure and absurd ideas2 they are      
almost always in uncertainty1 and never 
agree with themselves1 because their    
principles are replete with doubt2 that 
they always tremble1 because they       
imagine that it is very dangerous to be 
deceived2 that they dispute without     
ceasing1 because that it is impossible  

to be convinced of any thing1 when they 
reason on objects of which they know    
nothing1 and which the imaginations of  
men are forced to paint differently2 in 
fine1 that they cruelly torment one     
another about opinions equally          
uninteresting1 though they attach to    
them the greatest importance1 and       
because the vanity of the one party     
never allows it to subscribe to the     
reveries of the other8  ,it is thus that
 the ,divinity has become to us a source
 of evil1 division1 and quarrels2 it is 
thus that his name alone inspires       
terror2 it is thus that religion has    
become the signal of so many combats1   
and has always been the true apple of   
discord among unquiet mortals1 who      
always dispute with the greatest heat1  
on subjects of which they can never have
 any true ideas4 ,they make it a duty to
 think and reason on his attributes2 and
 they can never arrive at any just      
conclusions1 because their mind is never
 in a condition to form true notions of 

what strikes their senses4 ,in the      
impossibility of knowing the ,deity by  
themselves1 they have recourse to the   
opinion of others1 whom they consider   
more adroit in theology1 and who pretend
 to an they that intimate acquaintance  
with ,god1 being inspired by him1 and   
having secret intelligence of his       
purposes with regard to the human kind4 
,those privileged men teach nothing to  
the nations of the earth1 except what   
their reveries have reduced to a system1
 without giving them ideas that are     
clear and definite4 ,they paint ,god    
under characters the most agreeable to  
their own interests2 they make of him a 
good monarch for those who blindly      
submit to their tenets1 but terrible to 
those who refuse to blindly follow them4
  ,thus you perceive1 ,madam1 what those
 men are who have obviously made of the 
,deity an object so bizarre as they     
announce him1 and who1 to render their  
opinions the more sacred1 have pretended
 that he is grievously offended when we 

do not admit implicitly the ideas they  
promulgate of ,god4 ,in the books of    
,moses ,god defines himself1 ,i am that 
,i am2 yet does this inspired writer    
detail the history of this ,god as a    
tyrant who tempts men1 and who punishes 
them for being tempted2 who exterminated
 all the human kind by a deluge1 except 
a few of one family1 because one man had
 fallen2 in a word1 who1 in all his     
conduct1 behaves as a despot1 whose     
power dispenses with all the rules of   
justice1 reason1 and goodness4  ,have   
the successors of ,moses transmitted to 
us ideas more clear1 more sensible1 more
 comprehensible of the ,divinity8 ,has  
the ,son of ,god made his ,father       
perfectly known to us8 ,has the church1 
perpetually boasting of the light she   
diffuses among men1 become more fixed   
and certain1 to do away our uncertainty8
 ,alas6 in spite of all these           
supernatural succors1 we know nothing in
 nature beyond the grave2 the ideas     
which are communicated to us1 the       

recitals of our infallible teachers1 are
 calculated only to confound our        
judgment1 and reduce our reason to      
silence4 ,they make of ,god a pure      
spirit2 that is to say1 a being who has 
nothing in common with matter1 and who1 
nevertheless1 has created matter1 which 
he has produced from his own fiat--his  
essence or substance4 ,they have made   
him the mirror of the universe1 and the 
soul of the universe4 ,they have made   
him an infinite being1 who fills all    
space by his immensity1 although the    
material world occupies some part in    
space4 ,they have made him a being all  
powerful1 but whose projects are        
incessantly varying1 who neither can nor
 will maintain man in good order1 nor   
permit the freedom of action necessary  
for rational beings1 and who is         
alternately pleased and displeased with 
the same beings and their actions4 ,they
 make him an infinite good ,father1 but 
who avenges himself without measure4    
,they make of him a monarch infinitely  

just1 but who confounds the innocent    
with the guilty1 who has mingled        
injustice and cruelty1 in causing his   
own ,son to be put to death to expiate  
the crimes of the human kind2 though    
they are incessantly sinning and        
repenting for pardon4 ,they make of him 
a being full of wisdom and foresight1   
yet insensible to the folly and         
shortsightedness of mortals4 ,they make 
him a reasonable being who becomes angry
 at the thoughts of his creatures1      
though involuntary1 and consequently    
necessary2 thoughts which he himself    
puts into their heads2 and who condemns 
them to eternal punishments if they     
believe not in reveries that are        
incompatible with the divine attributes1
 or who dare to doubt whether ,god can  
possess qualities that are not capable  
of being reconciled among themselves4   
,is it1 then1 surprising that so many   
good people are shocked at the revolting
 ideas1 so contradictory and so         
appalling1 which hurl mortals into a    

state of uncertainty and doubt as to the
 existence of the ,deity1 or even to    
force them into absolute denial of the  
same8 ,it is impossible to admit1 in    
effect1 the doctrine of the ,deity of   
priestcraft1 in which we constantly see 
infinite perfections1 allied with       
imperfections the most striking2 in     
which1 when we reflect but momentarily1 
we shall find that it cannot produce but
 disorder in the imagination1 and leaves
 it wandering among errors that reduce  
it to despair1 or some impostors1 who1  
to subjugate mankind1 have wished to    
throw them into embarrassment1 confound 
their reason1 and fill them with terror4
 ,such appear1 in effect1 to be the     
motives of those who have the arrogance 
to pretend to a secret knowledge1 which 
they distribute among mankind1 though   
they have no knowledge even of          
themselves4 ,they always paint ,god     
under the traits of an inaccessible     
tyrant1 who never shows himself but to  
his ministers and favorites1 who please 

to veil him from the eyes of the vulgar2
 and who are violently irritated when   
they find any who oppose their          
pretensions1 or when they refuse to     
believe the priests and their           
unintelligible farragoes4  ,if1 as ,i   
have often said1 it be impossible to    
believe what we cannot comprehend1 or to
 be intimately convinced of that of     
which we can form no distinct and clear 
ideas1 we may thence conclude that1 when
 the ,christians assure us they believe 
that ,god has announced himself in some 
secret and peculiar way to them that he 
has not done to other men1 either they  
are themselves deceived1 or they wish to
 deceive us4 ,their faith1 or their     
belief in ,god1 is merely an acceptance 
of what their priests have taught them  
of a ,being whose existence they have   
rendered more than doubtful to those who
 would reason and meditate4 ,the ,deity 
cannot1 assuredly1 be the being whom the
 ,christians admit on the word of their 
theologians4 ,is there1 in good truth1 a

 man in the world who can form any idea 
of a spirit8 ,if we ask the priests what
 a spirit is1 they will tell us that a  
spirit is an immaterial being who has   
none of the passions of which men are   
the subjects4 ,but what is an immaterial
 spirit8  ,it is a being that has none  
of the qualities which we can fathom2   
that has neither form1 nor extension1   
nor color4  ,but how can we be assured  
of the existence of a being who has none
 of these qualities8 ,it is by faith1   
say the priests1 that we must be assured
 of his existence4 ,but what is this    
faith8 ,it is to adhere1 without        
examination1 to what the priests tell   
us4 ,but what is it the priests tell us 
of ,god8 ,they tell us of things which  
we can neither comprehend nor they      
reconcile among themselves4 ,the        
existence1 even of ,god1 has1 in their  
hands1 become the most impenetrable     
mystery in religion4 ,but do the priests
 themselves comprehend this ineffable   
,god1 whom they announce to other men8  

,have they just ideas of him8 ,are they 
themselves sincerely convinced of the   
existence of a being who unites         
incompatible qualities which            
reciprocally exclude the one or the     
other8 ,we cannot admit it2 and we are  
authorized to conclude1 that when the   
priests profess to believe in ,god1     
either they know not what they say1 or  
they wish to deceive us4  ,do not then  
be surprised1 ,madam1 if you should find
 that there are1 in fact1 people who    
have ventured to doubt of the existence 
of the ,deity of the theologians1       
because1 on meditating on the           
descriptions given of him1 they have    
discovered them to be incomprehensible1 
or replete with contradiction4 ,do not  
be astonished if they never listen1 in  
reasoning1 to any arguments that oppose 
themselves to common sense1 and seek1   
for the existence of the priests'       
,deity1 other proofs than have yet been 
offered mankind4 ,his existence cannot  
be demonstrated in revelations1 which we

 discover1 on examination1 to be the    
work of imposture2 revelations sap the  
foundations laid down for belief in a   
,divinity1 which they would wish to     
establish4  ,this existence cannot be   
founded on the qualities which our      
priests have assigned to the ,divinity1 
seeing that1 in the association of these
 qualities1 there only results a ,god   
whom we cannot comprehend1 and by       
consequence of whom we can form no      
certain ideas4 ,this existence cannot be
 founded on the moral qualities which   
our priests attribute to the ,divinity1 
seeing these are irreconcilable in the  
same subject1 who cannot be at once good
 and evil1 just and unjust1 merciful and
 implacable1 wise and the enemy of human
 reason4  ,on what1 then1 ought we to   
found the existence of ,god8 ,the       
priests themselves tell us that it is on
 reason1 the spectacle of nature1 and on
 the marvellous order which appears in  
the universe4 ,those to whom these      
motives for believing in the existence  

of the ,divinity do not appear          
convincing1 find not1 in any of the     
religions in the world1 motives more    
persuasive2 for all systems of theology1
 framed for the exercise of the         
imagination1 plunge us into more        
uncertainty respecting their evidence1  
when they appeal to nature for proofs of
 what they advance4  ,what1 then1 are we
 to think of the ,god of the clergy8    
,can we think that he exists1 without   
reasoning on that existence8 ,and what  
shall we think of those who are ignorant
 of this ,god1 or have no belief in his 
existence2 who cannot discover him in   
the works of nature1 either as good or  
evil2 who behold only order and disorder
 succeeding alternately8 ,what idea     
shall we form of those men who regard   
matter as eternal1 as actuated on by    
laws peculiar to itself2 as sufficiently
 powerful to produce itself under all   
the forms we behold2 as perpetually     
exerting itself in nourishing and       
destroying itself1 in combining and     

dissolving itself2 as incapable of love 
or of hatred2 as deprived of the        
faculties of intelligence and sentiment 
known to belong to beings of our        
species1 but capable of supporting those
 beings whose organization has made them
 intelligent1 sensible1 and reasonable8 
,what shall we say of those             
,freethinkers who find neither good nor 
evil1 neither order nor disorder1 in the
 universe2 that all things are but      
relative to different conditions of     
beings1 of which they have evidence2 and
 that all that happens in the universe  
is necessary1 and subjected to destiny8 
,in a word1 what shall we think of these
 men8  ,shall we say that they have only
 a different manner of viewing things1  
or that they use different words in     
expressing themselves8 ,they call that  
,nature which others call the ,divinity2
 they call that ,necessity which all    
others call the ,divine decrees2 they   
call that the ,energy of ,nature which  
others call the ,author of ,nature2 they

 call that ,destiny1 or ,fate1 which    
others call ,god1 whose laws are always 
going forward4  ,have1 we1 then1 any    
right to hate and to exterminate them8  
,no1 without doubt2 at least1 we cannot 
admit that we have any reason that those
 should perish1 who speak only the same 
language with ourselves1 and who are    
reciprocally beneficial to us4          
,nevertheless1 it is to this degree of  
extravagance that the baneful ideas of  
religion have carried the human mind4   
,harassed1 and set on by their priests1 
men have hated and assassinated each    
other1 because that in religious matters
 they agree not to one creed4 ,vanity   
has made some imagine that they are     
better than others1 more intelligible1  
although they see that theology is a    
language which they neither understand1 
nor which they themselves could invent4 
,the very name of ,freethinker suffices 
to irritate them1 and to arm the fury of
 others1 who repeat1 without ceasing1   
the name of ,god1 without having any    

precise idea of the ,deity4 ,if1 by     
chance1 they imagine that they have any 
notions of him1 they are only confused1 
contradictory1 incompatible1 and        
senseless notions1 which have been      
inspired in their infancy by their      
priests1 and those who1 as we have seen1
 have painted ,god in all those traits  
which their imagination furnished1 or   
those who appear more conformed to their
 passions and interests than to the     
well-being of their fellow-creatures4   
,the least reflection will1             
nevertheless1 suffice to make any one   
perceive1 that ,god1 if he is just and  
good1 cannot exist as a being known to  
some1 but unknown to others4 ,if        
,freethinkers are men void of reason1   
,god would be unjust to punish them for 
being blind and insensible1 or for      
having too little penetration and       
understanding to perceive the force of  
those natural proofs on which the       
existence of the ,deity has been        
founded4 ,a ,god full of equity cannot  

punish men for having been blind or     
devoid of reason4 ,the ,freethinkers1 as
 foolish as they are supposed1 are      
beings less insensible than those who   
make professions of believing in a ,god 
full of qualities that destroy one      
another2 they are less dangerous than   
the adorers of a changeable ,deity1 who1
 they imagine1 is pleased with the      
extermination of a large portion of     
mankind1 on account of their opinions4  
,our speculations are indifferent to    
,god1 whose glory man cannot            
tarnish--whose power mortals cannot     
abridge4 ,they may1 however1 be         
advantageous to ourselves2 they may be  
perfectly indifferent to society1 whose 
happiness they may not affect2 or they  
may be the reverse of all this4 ,for it 
is evident that the opinions of men do  
not influence the happiness of society4 
,hence1 ,madam1 let us leave men to     
think as they please1 provided that they
 act in such a manner as promotes the   
general good of society4 ,the thoughts  

of men injure not others2 their actions 
may--their reveries never4 ,our ideas1  
our thoughts1 our systems1 depend not on
 us4 ,he who is fully convinced on one  
point1 is not satisfied on another4 ,all
 men have not the same eyes1 nor the    
same brains2 all have not the same      
ideas1 the same education1 or the same  
opinions2 they never agree wholly1 when 
they have the temerity to reason on     
matters that are enveloped in the       
obscurity of imaginative fiction1 and   
which cannot be' subject to the usual   
evidence accompanying matters of report1
 or historic relation4  ,men do not long
 dispute on objects that are cognizable 
to their senses1 and which they can     
submit to the test of experience4 ,the  
number of self-evident truths on which  
men agree is very small2 and the        
fundamentals of morality are among this 
number4 ,it is obvious to all men of    
sense1 that beings1 united in society1  
require to be regulated by justice1 that
 they ought to respect the happiness of 

each other1 that mutual succor is       
indispensable2 in a word1 that they are 
obliged to practise virtue1 and to be   
useful to society1 for personal         
happiness4 ,it is evident to            
demonstration1 that the interest of our 
preservation excites us to moderate our 
desires1 and put a bridle on our        
passions2 to renounce dangerous habits1 
and to abstain from vices which can only
 injure our fortune1 and undermine our  
health4 ,these truths are evident to    
every being whose passions have not     
dominion over his reason2 they are      
totally independent of theological      
speculations1 which have neither        
evidence nor demonstration1 and which   
our mind can never verify2 they have    
nothing in common with the religious    
opinions on which the imagination soars 
from earth to sky1 nor with the         
fanaticism and credulity which are so   
frequently producing among mankind the  
most opposite principles to morality and
 the well-being of society4  ,they who  

are of the ,freethinkers' opinions are  
not more dangerous than they who are of 
the priests' opinions4 ,in short1       
,christianity has produced effects more 
appalling than heathenism4 ,the         
speculative principles of the           
,freethinkers have done no injury to    
,society2 the contagious principles of  
fanaticism and enthusiasm have only     
served to spread disorder on the earth4 
,if there are dangerous notions and     
fatal speculations in the world1 they   
are those of the devotees1 who obey a   
religion that divides men1 and excites  
their passions1 and who sacrifice the   
interests of society1 of sovereigns1 and
 their subjects1 to their own ambition1 
their avarice1 their vengeance and fury4
  ,there is no question that the        
,freethinker has motives to be good1    
even though he admit not notions that   
bridle his passions4 ,it is true that   
the ,freethinker has no invisible       
motives1 but he has motives1 and a      
visible restraint1 which1 if he         

reflects1 cannot fail to regulate his   
actions4 ,if he doubts about religion1  
he does not question the laws of moral  
obligation2 nor that it is his duty to  
moderate his passions1 to labor for his 
happiness and that of others1 to avoid  
hatred1 disdain1 and discord as crimes2 
and that he should shun vices which may 
injure his constitution1 reputation1 and
 fortune4 ,thus1 relatively to his      
morality1 the ,freethinker has          
principles more sure than those of      
superstition and fanaticism4 ,in fine1  
if nothing can restrain the             
,freethinker1 a thousand forces united  
would not prevent the fanatic from the  
commission of crimes1 and the violation 
of duties the most sacred4  ,besides1 ,i
 believe that ,i have already proved    
that the morality of superstition has no
 certain principles2 that it varies with
 the interests of the priests1 who      
explain the intentions of the ,divinity1
 as they find these accordant or        
discordant to their views and interests2

 which1 alas6 are too often the result  
of cruel and wicked purposes4 ,on the   
contrary1 the ,freethinker1 who has no  
morality but what he draws from the     
nature and character of man1 and the    
constant events which transpire in      
society1 has a certain morality that is 
not founded either on the caprice of    
circumstances or the prejudices of      
mankind2 a morality that tells him when 
he does evil1 and blames him for the    
evil so done1 and that is superior to   
the morality of the intolerant fanatic  
and persecutor4  ,you thus perceive1    
,madam1 on which side the morality of   
the ,freethinkers leans1 what advantages
 it possesses over that inculcated on   
the superstitious devotee1 who knows no 
other rule than the caprice of his      
priest1 nor any other morality than what
 suits the interest of the clergy1 nor  
any other virtues than such as make him 
the slave of their will1 and which are  
too often in opposition to the great    
interests of mankind4 ,thus you         

perceive1 that what is understood by the
 natural morality of the ,freethinker1  
is much more constant and more sure than
 that of the superstitious1 who believe 
they can render themselves agreeable to 
,god by the intercession of priests4 ,if
 the ,freethinker is blind or corrupted1
 by not knowing his duties which nature 
prescribes to him1 it is precisely in   
the same way as the superstitious1 whose
 invisible motives and sacred guides    
prevent him not from going occasionally 
astray4  ,these reflections will serve  
to confirm what ,i have already said1 to
 prove that morality has nothing in     
common with religion2 and that religion 
is its own enemy1 though it pretends to 
dispense with support from other        
sources4 ,true morality is founded on   
the nature of man2 the morality of      
religion is founded only on the chimeras
 of imagination1 and on the caprice of  
those who speak of the ,deity in a      
language too often contrary to nature   
and right reason4  ,allow me1 then1     

,madam1 to repeat to you1 that morality 
is the only natural religion for man2   
the only object worthy his notice on    
earth2 the only worship which he is     
required to render to the ,deity4 ,it is
 uniform1 and replete with obvious      
duties1 which rest not on the dictation 
of priests1 blabbing chitchat they do   
not understand4 ,if it be this morality 
which ,i have defined1 that makes us    
what we are1 ought we not to labor      
strenuously for the happiness of our    
race8 ,if it be this morality that makes
 us reasonable2 that enables us to      
distinguish good from evil1 the useful  
from the hurtful2 that makes us         
sociable1 and enables us to live in     
society to receive and repay mutual     
benefits2 we ought at least to respect  
all those who are its friends4 ,if it be
 this morality which sets bounds to our 
temper1 it is that which interdicts the 
commission in thought1 word1 or action1 
of what would injure another1 or disturb
 the happiness of society4 ,if it attach

 us to the preservation of all that is  
dear to us1 it points out how by a      
certain line of conduct we may preserve 
ourselves2 for its laws1 clear and of   
easy practice1 inflict on those who     
disobey them instant punishment1 fear1  
and remorse2 on the other hand1 the     
observance of its duties is accompanied 
with immediate and real advantages1 and 
notwithstanding the depravity which     
prevails on earth1 vice always finds    
itself punished1 and virtue is not      
always deprived of the satisfaction it  
yields1 of the esteem of men1 and the   
recompense of society2 even if men are  
in other respects unjust1 they will     
concede to the virtuous the due meed of 
praise4  ,behold1 ,madam1 to what the   
dogmas of natural religion reduce us3 in
 meditating on it1 and in practising its
 duties1 we shall be truly religious1   
and filled with the spirit of the       
,divinity2 we shall be admired and      
respected by men2 we shall be in the    
right way to be loved by those who rule 

over us1 and respected by those who     
serve us2 we shall be truly happy in    
this world1 and we shall have nothing to
 fear in the next4  ,these are laws so  
clear1 so demonstrable1 and whose       
infraction is so evidently punished1    
whose observance is so surely           
recompensed1 that they constitute the   
code of nature of all living beings1    
sentient and reasoning2 all acknowledge 
their authority2 all find in them the   
evidence of ,deity1 and consider those  
as sceptics who doubt their efficacy4   
,the ,freethinker does not refuse to    
acknowledge as fundamental laws1 those  
which are obviously founded on the ,god 
of ,nature1 and on the immutable and    
necessary circumstances of things       
cognizable to the faculties of sentient 
natures4 ,the ,indian1 the ,chinese1 the
 savage1 perceives these self-evident   
laws1 whenever he is not carried        
headlong by his passions into crime and 
error4 ,in fine1 these laws1 so true1   
and so evident1 never can appear        

uncertain1 obscure1 or false1 as are    
those superstitious chimeras of the     
imagination1 which knaves have          
substituted for the truths of nature and
 the dicta of common sense2 and those   
devotees who know no other laws than    
those of the caprices of their priests1 
necessarily obey a morality little      
calculated to produce personal or       
general happiness1 but much calculated  
to lead to extravagance and inconvenient
 practices4  ,hence1 charming ,eugenia1 
you will allow mankind to think as they 
please1 and judge of them after their   
actions4 ,oppose reason to their        
systems1 when they are pernicious to    
themselves or others2 remove their      
prejudices if you can1 that they may not
 become the victims of their caprices2  
show them the truth1 which may always   
remove error2 banish from their minds   
the phantoms which disturb them2 advise 
them not to meditate on the mysteries of
 their priests2 bid them renounce all   
those illusions they have substituted   

for morality2 and advise them to turn   
their thoughts on that which conduces to
 their happiness4 ,meditate yourself on 
your own nature1 and the duties which it
 imposes on you4 ,fear those            
chastisements which follow inattention  
to this law4 ,be ambitious to be        
approved by your own understanding1 and 
you will rarely fail to receive the     
applauses of the human kind1 as a good  
member of society4  ,if you wish to     
meditate1 think with the greatest       
strength of your mind on your nature4   
,never abandon the torch of reason2     
cherish truth sincerely4 ,when you are  
in uncertainty1 pause1 or follow what   
appears the most probable1 always       
abandoning opinions that are destitute  
of foundation1 or evidence of their     
truth and benefit to society4 ,then will
 you1 in good truth1 yield to the       
impulse of your heart when reason is    
your guide2 then will you consult in the
 calmness of passion1 and counsel       
yourself on the advantages of virtue1   

and the consequences of its want2 and   
you may flatter yourself that you cannot
 be displeasing to a wise ,god1 though  
you disbelieve absurdities1 nor         
agreeable to a good ,god in doing things
 hurtful to yourself or to others4      
,leaving you now to your own            
reflections1 ,i shall terminate the     
series of ,letters you have allowed me  
to address you4 ,bidding you an         
affectionate farewell1 ,i am truly      
yours4