of impiety and error, and instilled their odious principles into weak and credulous minds. It is even reported, that in certain provinces of France and Italy, fchools were erected, from whence thefe impious doctrines were iffued". The hiftories of those times bear witnefs, that our English youth who travelled fo early as the reign of James I. returned too often with the feeds of vice and infidelity, which they gathered with the knowledge and the manners of more polished countries. And the court of Charles II. difplays in a very striking manner, the principles and habits which the King and Nobles had learnt upon the continent. The general deteftation of the hypocrify and fanaticifm of the Puritans tended to heighten their Irreligion, and encouraged them to publish their opinions; but the kingdom at large was not infected by them, and the following reigns exhibit in Every rank of people an attachment to Religion, and a zeal in its caufe, which the annals of no other nation can furnish,

It is then, very certain that Infidelity had long been prevalent upon the continent, be

Mofheim, Eccl. Hift.

K4

fore

fore the Rival of Julian was led by vanity and wickedness to form his plan for its Establishment: and that from his early youth Voltaire had embraced Antichriftian principles. "P Vifiting England, whofe mild and tolerant laws, not reftraining opinions previous to the actual experience of their hurtfulness, afforded a confiderable latitude to fpeculations from which evil had not yet been demonftrated to accrue, he furnifhed himself with the doctrines" of the

English Philofophers. Unaccustomed probably to their mode of argument, and pretended depth of reafoning, he confidered himself as greatly strengthened by the acquifition; and already an enemy to Christianity, "he became defirous of its overthrow; an overthrow, which the ardor of his temper, and the vivacity of his imagination, made him fuppofe would be fpeedy. Votaries of new opinions are beyond others fanguine in their expectations of profelytes to be made, and easy in their belief that numbers are actually made. Voltaire, affociating with men of his own fentiments". (and it is well known he was little noticed by men of an

i

!

Anti-Jacobin Mag. No. II.

1

oppofite

oppofite description), "found many admirers of Bolingbroke, and thence drew a very common, but very fuperficial inference, that most of the English men of letters were tinctured with the fame notions. Befides being defirous that Christianity should be destroyed, he was ambitious that it should be destroyed by himself; and having, as he fuppofed, the learned men of a most learned nation to fupport him, he conceived that it would be no very difficult task.” But the cafe with which he propagated the most pernicious doctrines of his system, the number of affiftants he gained over to his plan, and its aftonishing fuccefs upon the continent before England was acquainted with the defign, will furely deliver her from the odium of this reproach. And the glorious ftand fhe has made in defence of her Religion and her Conftitution, from the moment the understood the attack, must positively contradict the falfe and infolent affertion, that " England was their

own."

Thus have we endeavoured to fhow the gradual rifing of the fecond beast," to the time when it obtained its wondrous form and magnitude in the fyftem of Vol

taire, and his difciples. Till that period the operations of Infidelity were carried on fecretly-fecretly at leaft, when compared with the corruptions and perfecutions of the Papal, and the avowed hoftility of the Mahometan powers-and in a defultory manner: but the publication of the system of Voltaire conftituted the important Epoch in its history, which gave a new face to the world in general. Till that system had made fome progress in its work, it was usual with unbelievers to say, that their tenets were philofophically true, but theologically falfe ; and indeed they were always ready to profess what was required of them. The writings of Infidelity were till then confined to the perufal of the learned-they were feldom mentioned in public converfation even by their adherents. The bulk of the people felt it to be a fort of crime to meddle with fuch poifoned darts, confcious that their little ftore of knowledge would be unable to furnish an immediate antidote, if unhappily they fhould receive a wound. But they doubt

9

These things, faid they (as we learn from Stephen Tampier), are true in philosophy, but not according to the Catholic faith. Mofheim, vol. iii. p. 146.

ed

ed not the existence of an antidote--they doubted not but the .fuperior skill and knowledge of thofe perfons, whose bufinefs it was to defend religion, would be fully able to repel the attacks of its enemies, As foon, however, as the charms of novelty, the boldness of affertion, the force of ridicule, or the arts of fophiftry, infinuation, and flattery, had fecured a party in the higher claffes of fociety, among thofe whom libertine habits, metaphyfical paradox, or heretical opinions had prepared for the feeds of Infidelity, the sphere of its action was enlarged in a manner unknown in any former age. It was referved for the more ingenious wickedness of modern Infidels to adapt their publications to the prejudices, paffions, and habits of the middle and lower ranks of people. Books, pamphlets, and ballads, there have ever been, that outrage decency and common fenfe. But these were confined to a certain clafs of readers, whose lives were already tainted with immorality. The publications to which I alJude, more artfully attacked the principles as well as the paffions of men, by mingling profeffions of attachment to true Religion and Civil Government, with the most virulent difplay of corruptions in the Church and in