atheism. The theoretical morality of the English deists, even
when depending on expedience, was noble; but in place of it the French
school presented the lowest form of theory which ethical science has ever
stated, and which finds its refutation with the philosophy that gave it
birth.

No age exhibits a body of sceptical writers whose characters are so
unattractive as the French unbelievers; whose coarseness of mind in
failing to appreciate that which is beautiful in Christianity is so
evident, that charity could not forbid us to doubt, even if there were not
independent proof, that faults of character contributed very largely to
the formation of their unbelief. Nevertheless, the political aspect of the
movement carries a solemn warning to the Christian church, not to endanger
the everlasting Gospel of the Son of God by making it the buttress to
support corrupt political and ecclesiastical institutions. It is true that
Christ will not abandon his true church. Whatever is divine and eternally
true will always as in this case survive the catastrophe. But this period
of history shows that Providence will not work a miracle to save religion
from a temporary eclipse, if the church forgets that Christ's kingdom is
not of this world; and that the mission which he has given it is to
convert souls to him; and that learning and piety are intellectual and
moral means for effecting this object.(618) The political faults or
shortcomings of the church are no apology for the infidelity of France;
but they must be taken into account in explaining its intensity.

A theological movement so vast could not fail to exercise an influence in
other lands. Incidental allusions have already been made to its effects at
the court of Prussia,(619) and to the traces of its tone in some of the
later of the English deists.

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The remainder of this lecture will be employed in tracing the history of
free thought in England, from the date at which the narrative was
interrupted to a little later than the end of the century; especially
noticing the mode in which it was influenced by the movement in France.

It will be remembered that we brought down the history of it as far as
Hume.(620) We paused there, because deism then ends as a literary
movement. Politics and new forms of literature absorbed the mind. Free
thought continued to exist; but it was less frequently expressed in
literature, and was