those quacks spend their lives in complaining,
that their remedies never produced the desired effect upon the sick,
who take them? In fine, what idea should we form of the stupidity of the
vulgar, who, notwithstanding these confessions, should not cease to pay
dearly for remedies, the inefficacy of which every thing tends to prove?
Priests resemble these alchymists, who boldly tell us, they have the
secret of making gold, while they have scarcely clothes to cover their
nakedness.

The ministers of religion incessantly declaim against the corruption of
the age, and loudly complain of the little effect of their lessons, while
at the same time they assure us, that religion is the _universal remedy_,
the true _panacea_ against the wickedness of mankind. These priests are
very sick themselves, yet men continue to frequent their shops, and to
have faith in their divine antidotes, which, by their own confession,
never effect a cure!

155.

Religion, especially with the moderns, has tried to identify itself with
Morality, the principles of which it has thereby totally obscured. It has
rendered men unsociable by duty, and forced them to be inhuman to everyone
who thought differently from themselves. Theological disputes, equally
unintelligible to each of the enraged parties, have shaken empires, caused
revolutions, been fatal to sovereigns, and desolated all Europe. These
contemptible quarrels have not been extinguished even in rivers of blood.
Since the extinction of paganism, the people have made it a religious
principle to become outrageous, whenever any opinion is advanced which
their priests think contrary to _sound doctrine_. The sectaries of a
religion, which preaches, in appearance, nothing but charity, concord, and
peace, have proved themselves more ferocious than cannibals or savages,
whenever their divines excited them to destroy their brethren. There is
no crime, which men have not committed under the idea of pleasing the
Divinity, or appeasing his wrath.

The idea of a terrible God, whom we paint to ourselves as a despot, must
necessarily render his subjects wicked. Fear makes only slaves, and slaves
are cowardly, base, cruel, and think every thing lawful, in order to
gain the favour or escape the chastisements of the master whom they fear.
Liberty of thinking alone can give men humanity and greatness of soul.
The notion of a tyrant-god tends only to make them abject, morose,
quarrelsome, intolerant slave