VOLTAIRE. 3 



plainly are so if they use topics calculated to wound 

 the feelings of their neighbour who believes what 

 they disbelieve ; because religion, unlike other subjects 

 of controversy, is one that mixes itself with the strongest 

 feelings of the heart, and these must not be rudely 

 outraged ; because no man can be so perfectly certain 

 that he is himself right and others are wrong, as to 

 justify him in thus making their opinions the subject 

 of insolent laughter or scurrilous abuse ; because it is 

 our duty, even when fully convinced that we are 

 dealing with error, and with dangerous error, to adopt 

 such a course as will rather conciliate those we would 

 gain over to the truth than make them shut their eyes 

 to it by revolting their strongest feelings. Hence all 

 law-givers have regarded such scoffing and insolent 

 attacks on the religion professed by the great majority 

 of their subjects as an offence justly punishable ; 

 although it may fairly be doubted whether the inter- 

 position of the law has ever had a tendency to protect 

 religious belief itself, and may even be suspected of 

 having favoured the designs of those who impugn it, 

 both by the reaction which such proceedings always 

 occasion, and by the more cautious and successful 

 methods of attack to which they usually drive the oppo- 

 nents of the national faith. But the offence, whether 

 punished by the laws or not, is very incorrectly, 

 though very generally, termed blasphemy, which is 

 the offence of scoffing at the Deity, and assumes that 

 the scoffer believes in him. Now it is barely possible 

 that this offence may be committed ; but it is the 

 act of a mad rather than a bad man. If, indeed, any 

 one really believing pretends to unbelief in order to 



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