Part 8

187. Priests are more actuated by self-interest, than unbelievers

188. Presumption, and badness, more in priests, than in Atheists

189. Prejudices last but for a time

190. What if priests the apostles of reason

191. If Philosophy were substituted for Religion!

192. Recantation of an unbeliever at the point of death proves nothing

193. It is not true that Atheism breaks the bonds of society

194. Refutation of the opinion, that Religion necessary for the vulgar

195. Logical systems are not adapted to the capacity of the vulgar

196. On the futility and danger of Theology

197. On the evils produced by implicit faith

198. On the evils produced by implicit faith

199. All Religions were established by impostors, in days of ignorance

200. All Religions borrow from one another ridiculous ceremonies

201. Theology has always diverted philosophy from its right path

202. Theology explains nothing

203. Theology has always fettered Morality, and retarded progress

204. Theology has always fettered Morality, and retarded progress

205. Religion is an extravagance and a calamity

206. Religion prevents us from seeing the true causes of misfortunes

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

The chief design in reprinting this translation, is to preserve "the strongest atheistical work" for present and future generations of English Freethinkers.

The real author was, unquestionably, Paul Thyry; Baron D'Holbach, and not John Meslier, to whom this work has been wrongly attributed, under the title of "Le Bon Sens" (Common Sense).

In 1770, Baron D'Holbach published his masterpiece, "Systeme de la Nature," which for a long time passed as the posthumous work of M. de Mirabaud. That text-book of "Atheistical Philosophy" caused a great sensation, and two years later, 1772, the Baron published this excellent abridgment of it, freed from arbitrary ideas; and by its clearness of expression, facility, and precision of style, rendered it most suitable for the average student.

"Le Bon Sens" was privately printed in Amsterdam, and the author's name was kept a profound secret; hence, Baron D'Holbach escaped persecution.

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE

When we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon, than common sense; or, in other words, they lack judgment to discover plain truths, or to reject absurdities, and palpable contradictions. We have an example of this in Theology, a system revered in all countries by a great number of men; an object regarded by them as most important, and indispensable to happiness. An examination of the principles upon which this pretended system is founded, forces us to acknowledge, that these principles are only suppositions, imagined by ignorance, propagated by enthusiasm or knavery, adopted by timid credulity, preserved by custom which never reasons, and revered solely because not understood.

In a word, whoever uses common sense upon religious opinions, and will bestow on this inquiry the attention that is commonly given to most subjects, will easily perceive that Religion is a mere castle in the air. Theology is ignorance of natural causes; a tissue of fallacies and contradictions. In every country, it presents romances void of probability, the hero of which is composed of impossible qualities. His name, exciting fear in all minds, is only a vague word, to which, men affix ideas or qualities, which are either contradicted by facts, or inconsistent.