nd good, without
mixture of caprice or perversity; a God, who had constantly the qualities
of an honest man, or of a kind sovereign, would by no means suit his
ministers. It is useful to priests, that men should tremble before their
God, in order that they may apply to them to obtain relief from their
fears. "No man is a hero before his valet de chambre." It is not
surprising, that a God, dressed up by his priests so as to be terrible
to others, should rarely impose upon them, or should have but very little
influence upon their conduct. Hence, in every country, their conduct is
very much the same. Under pretext of the glory of their God, they every
where prey upon ignorance, degrade the mind, discourage industry, and sow
discord. Ambition and avarice have at all times been the ruling passions
of the priesthood. The priest every where rises superior to sovereigns and
laws; we see him every where occupied with the interests of his pride,
of his cupidity, and of his despotic, revengeful humour. In the room
of useful and social virtues, he everywhere substitutes expiations,
sacrifices, ceremonies, mysterious practices, in a word, inventions
lucrative to himself and ruinous to others.

The mind is confounded and the reason is amazed upon viewing the
ridiculous customs and pitiful means, which the ministers of the gods have
invented in every country to purify souls, and render heaven favourable.
Here they cut off part of a child's prepuce, to secure for him divine
benevolence; there, they pour water upon his head, to cleanse him of
crimes, which he could not as yet have committed. In one place, they
command him to plunge into a river, whose waters have the power of washing
away all stains; in another, he is forbidden to eat certain food, the use
of which will not fail to excite the celestial wrath; in other countries,
they enjoin upon sinful man to come periodically and confess his faults to
a priest, who is often a greater sinner than himself, etc., etc., etc.

154.

What should we say of a set of empirics, who, resorting every day to a
public place, should extol the goodness of their remedies, and vend them
as infallible, while they themselves were full of the infirmities, which
they pretend to cure? Should we have much confidence in the recipes of
these quacks, though they stun us with crying, "take our remedies, their
effects are infallible; they cure every body; except us." What should we
afterwards think, should