several followers who shared his fantastic views, and these poor
"champions of God" were condemned to witness the execution of their
leader, to be publicly whipped and branded with the mark of fleur-de-lys,
and to spend the rest of their lives as galley-slaves.

Poland witnessed the burning of Cazimir Liszinski in 1689, whose ashes
were placed in a cannon and shot into the air. This Polish gentleman was
accused of atheism by the Bishop of Potsdam. His condemnation was based
upon certain atheistical manuscripts found in his possession, containing
several novel doctrines, such as "God is not the creator of man; but man
is the creator of a God gathered together from nothing." His writings
contain many other extravagant notions of the same kind.

A few years later the religious world of both England and Ireland was
excited and disturbed by the famous book of John Toland, a sceptical
Irishman, entitled _Christianity not Mysterious_ (London, 1696). Its
author was born in Londonderry in 1670, and was endowed with much natural
ability, but this did not avail to avert the calamities which pursue
indiscreet and reckless writers. He wrote his book at the early age of
twenty-five years, for the purpose of defending Holy Scripture from the
attacks of infidels and atheists; he essayed to prove that there was
nothing in religion contrary to sound reason, and to show that the
mysteries of religion were not opposed to reason. But his work aroused
much opposition both in England and Ireland, as there were many statements
in the book which were capable of a rationalistic interpretation. A second
edition was published in London with an apology by Toland in 1702. In
Dublin he raised against himself a storm of opposition, not only on
account of his book, but also by his vain and foolish manner of
propagating his views. He began openly to deride Christianity, to scoff at
the clergy, to despise the worship of God, and so passed his life that