71. Nothing is more extravagant, than the part, theology makes the
Divinity act in every country. Did he really exist, we should see
in him the most capricious, and senseless being. We should be compelled
to believe, that God made the world only to be the theatre of his
disgraceful wars with his creatures; that he created angels, men,
and demons, only to make adversaries, against whom he might exercise
his power. He renders men free to offend him, malicious enough to
defeat his projects, too obstinate to submit; and all this merely
for the pleasure of being angry, appeased, reconciled, and of repairing
the disorder they have made. Had the Deity at once formed his
creatures such as he would have them, what pains would he not have
spared himself, or, at least, from what embarrassments would he not
have relieved his theologians!

Every religion represents God as busy only in doing himself evil.
He resembles those empirics, who inflict upon themselves wounds,
to have an opportunity of exhibiting to the public the efficacy
of their ointment. But we see not, that the Deity has hitherto
been able radically to cure himself of the evil, which he suffers
from man.


72. God is the author of all; and yet, we are assured that evil
does not come from God. Whence then does it come? From man.
But, who made man? God. Evil then comes from God. If he had
not made man as he is, moral evil or sin would not have existed
in the world. The perversity of man is therefore chargeable to God.
If man has power to do evil, or to offend God, we are forced to