yet his presence avails nothing. He is, say they, the friend of
order; yet throughout his dominions, all is in confusion and disorder.
He makes all for himself; and the events seldom answer his designs.
He foresees everything; but cannot prevent anything. He impatiently
suffers offence, yet gives everyone the power of offending him.
Men admire the wisdom and perfection of his works; yet his works,
full of imperfection, are of short duration. He is continually doing
and undoing; repairing what he has made; but is never pleased with
his work. In all his undertakings, he proposes only his own glory;
yet is never glorified. His only end is the happiness of his subjects;
and his subjects, for the most part want necessaries. Those, whom he
seems to favour are generally least satisfied with their fate; almost
all appear in perpetual revolt against a master, whose greatness they
never cease to admire, whose wisdom to extol, whose goodness to adore,
whose justice to fear, and whose laws to reverence, though never obeyed!

This EMPIRE is the WORLD; this MONARCH GOD; his MINISTERS are the PRIESTS;
his SUBJECTS MANKIND.


2. There is a science that has for its object only things
incomprehensible. Contrary to all other sciences, it treats only of what
cannot fall under our senses. Hobbes calls it the _kingdom of
darkness_. It is a country, where every thing is governed by laws,
contrary to those which mankind are permitted to know in the world they
inhabit. In this marvellous region, light is only darkness; evidence is
doubtful or false; impossibilities are credible: reason is a deceitful
guide; and good sense becomes madness. This _science_ is called
_theology_, and this theology is a continual insult to the reason of
man.