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In order to establish their fyftem of univerfal liberty and equality-the imprefcriptible rights of man-thefe Philofophifts intend to root out all religion, and all morality; and even to break the bonds of domestic life, by deftroying the veneration for marriage-vows, the reverence of children for their parents, and by taking the education of children out of the hands of the parents. And thus exactly were their antifocial, as well as antichriftian, principles described in the facred writings. They deSpife government, prefumptuous are they, felfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities; they are boafters, proud, disobedient to parents, without natural affectionỸ.

"It is well known with what immenfe pains our Philofophers of the day have been forming their pretended phyfical fyftems on the formation and genealogy of the globe." Thefe numerous researches were to appear defigned only for the advancement of science and natural philosophy. Their new Epochs were not to feem (till very lately) to affect religion: but the whole drift of their obfervations on natural

2 Peter ii. 10, &c.

history

hiftory was certainly intended to contradict the Mosaic history of the creation. For this they WILLINGLY are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ftanding out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the fame word are kept in ftore, referved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men.

But whilst the religion of Chrift is thus depreffed, undervalued, and rejected, Infidelity itself contributes to fupport its evidences, and vindicate its truth. It rears its ftandard, and allures its profelytes, in exact conformity to the declarations of the divine oracles. The Free-thinkers of England, the Philofophifts of France, and the Illuminati of Germany; the difciples of Bolingbroke, of Voltaire, and of Weifhaupt, confirm the divine origin of the

≈ Barruel, p. 133-135.

a 2 Peter iii. 5-7. For a complete refutation of the attempts made to establish new and anti-fcriptural theories of the earth, fee the truly philofophical researches of Mr. De Luc, Lettres phyfiques et morales fur l'Hiftoire de la Terre et de l'Homme, (of which work there is an English translation) and British Critic, 1794.

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Scriptures which they reject, and accomplish, in a most exact and wonderful manner, the predictions which are the subjects of their contempt or ridicule. Many follow their pernicious ways, and by reafon of them the way of truth is evil Spoken of. They have not only Spoken perverse things, but have drawn many followers after them. For when they speak great fwelling words of vanity, they ALLURE through the lufts of the flesh, through much wantonnefs, THOSE THAT

WERE CLEAN ESCAPED FROM THEM WHO

LIVE IN ERROR. WHILE THEY PROMISE

THEM LIBERTY, THEY THEMSELVES ARE THE SERVANTS OF CORRUPTION b.

The NEW SYSTEM OF PHILOSOPHY eftablifhed by Voltaire, fhown to be the exact refemblance of" the fecond Beaft," or THE

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INFIDEL ANTICHRIST,

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The following extract might be fup

2 Peter ii. 2, 18, 19.

Efquiffe d'un Tableau Hiftorique des Progrès de PEsprit Humain, par Condorcet. For the original, fee the Annual Register, p. 200; for the extract, Barruel, vol. ii. p. 133.

pofed

pofed to come from the pen of an enemy to the new philofophy. But Condorcet was the favourite pupil of Voltaire: of him his mafter faid, "he fhould feel a confolation in leaving him upon earth, when himself and D'Alembert fhould die." His teftimony therefore concerning the existence of a conSpiracy against the Christian Religion must be admitted as proof.

"There was a class of men, which was foon formed in Europe, with a view, not fo much to discover and make deep research after truth, as to diffufe it: whose chief object was to attack prejudices in the very afylums where the Clergy, the Schools, the Governments, and the antient Corporations, had received and protected them; and made their glory to confift rather in destroying popular error, than in extending the limits of human knowledge: this, though an indirect method of forwarding its progress, was not, on that account, either lefs dangerous or less useful.

"In England, Collins and Bolingbroke; in France, Bayle, Fontenelle, Voltaire, Montefquieu, and the Schools formed by these men, combated in favour of truth. They

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alternately employed all the arms with which learning and philofophy, with which wit and the talent of writing could furnish reafon. Assuming every tone, taking every fhape, from the ludicrous to the pathetic, from the most learned and extenfive compilation, to the novel, or the petty pamphlet of the day; covering truth with a veil, which, Sparing the eye that was too weak to bear it, left to the reader the pleasure of gueffing it, infidiously careffing prejudices, in order to strike at them with more certainty and effect: feldom menacing more than one at a time, and that only in part; fometimes foothing the enemies of reason, by feeming to afk but for a half toleration in religion, or a half liberty in polity; respecting Defpotifm when they combated religious abfurdities, and Religion when they attacked tyranny; combating these two pefts in their very principles, though apparently inveighing against ridiculous and disgusting abuses; striking at the root of those peftiferous trees, whilst they appeared only to wish to lop the fraggling branches; at one time pointing out Superfti tion, which covers Defpotifm with its impenetrable fhield, to the friends of liberty, as the first victim which they are to immolate, the first chain to be cleft afunder; at another, denouncing

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