130 
abfolutely fatiated or rather furfeited 
therewith. The French affe& to look 
upon all fyftems of religion as not, only 
fa&titious, and burdenfome, but even fub- 
verlive of good morals. I once Jiftened, 
with much attention, tothe difcourfe of a 
clergyman of our church, who ufed all 
his rhetoric to convince a French Atheift 
of the truth and utility of the Chriftian 
religion. The anfwer of the republican 
was, as nearly as poffible, in the follow- 
ing remarkable words. ie You cannot 
pretend, citizen, that juftice _and mora~ 
lity depend folely on the Chriftian faith, 
fince they have, may, and do exift, where 
that exifts net, and even where that was 
never heard of ; you can attach no merit 
to belief, which is involuntary, therefore 
indifferent ; if you plead utility folely, 
you contefs fraud: as to the delicate line 
between Deiim and Atheifm, you, who 
pretend to decide, commit the error, not 
the Atheif#, who cannot be refponfible for 
the filence of Nature,” TY much fear the 
fan of Chriftianity has fet, never more to 
arife in France. 
The late revolution in France found 
the minds of a great majority of the up- 
per ranks, nobleffe, minifters, lawyers, 
even clergy, with a no {mall minority of 
the inferior, in cities and towns, fully 
prepared to caft off the inconvenient re- 
fraints of religion. The diffolution of 
the authority of the old government, 
afforded tne philofophic party that pre- 
cious opportunity, they had fo long en- 
thufiaftically defired, ot difieminating the 
principles of infidelity amongft the lower 
ranks. © This-was effected with a zeal and 
rapidity, of which our cool and deliberate 
brains in this country can have no con- 
ception, in deluges of pamphlets, beoks, 
and papers, from one farthing up to fix- 
pence in price ; and the poor, as it was 
at that time obferved, got rid of their re- 
ligion at a very eafy expence. No won- 
der that the extenfive circulation of thefe 
vehicles of moral inftruction, fo critically 
adapted to the temper of the times, had an 
aftonifhing effe€i upon the minds of men, 
galled and irritated to madnefs, by the 
yoke of ecclefiaftical tyranny, It mutt 
be remarked too, that the French people 
have a great quickneis and facility in the 
‘perception of abttraét principles. Thus 
the lower people of France became philo- 
fophized, as well as their betters, and 
Chriftianity became confined to La Ven- 
dée, and among!t the peafantry of the 
diftant provinces ; even in thofe quarters 
it is lofing ground every day. bhi 
There cannot be a more convincing 
Prefent State of Religion in France. 
[Feb. 
proof of the general fury againft religion, 
even in the early ftages of the revolution, 
and the general intent of its final extirpa- 
tion, than the horrid delapidation and de- 
ftruction, by the mobs, of nearly all facred 
edifices throughout France, when fo many 
caftles, the objects alfo of their vengeance, ~ 
were left. untouched. The prevailing 
opinion amongft the fuperior people, and 
the /iterati, is, as heretofore, Atheifm ; 
or, as it is fometimes ftyled, Naturalitm, 
or Fatalifm. The works of Volney have 
contributed much to the diflemination of 
fuch principles amongft the people; and 
probably. it would not be too much to 
affert, that they are prevalent with the 
very loweft clafs. In proof of this, a. 
variety of inftances, at different periods 
of the revolution, might be adduced. 
The chief attempts, either in favour of 
religion, or in counteraction of the po- 
pular Atheifm of the country, were made 
by the remaining members of the old 
clergy, who were enabled to ftep forward 
on the unlimited toleration which was 
decreed; and by Themas Payne, as 
the apoftle, or head of the feét of the 
Theophilanthropifts. Great expeétations 
were entertained at the frft opening of the 
churches, which had been fhut fo long, 
and the fanguine Camille Fourdan flattered. 
himfelf, and his friends on both fides the 
water, with the hopes of foon having the 
pleafure to liften to the merrieft peals of 
church bells throughout France. He and 
his bells, however, and the whole catholic 
{cheme, foon became the ftanding jeft of 
the country, and that not in confequence 
of any adverfe force, but from the mere 
{pontancous inclinations of the people. 
The churches, both in Paris and in va- 
rious parts of the country, were remark- 
ably well filled at frit; and fuch accounts 
were fent over to England, as to afford 
great hopes of a confiderable incipient 
change in the minds of the French; and, 
if authorities may be relied on, to attract 
confiderable fums to that country in fup- 
pert of the catholic miffion. The bubble, 
however, very foon burit; it appeared 
that the greater part of the congregations 
were actuated by no better motives than 
curiofity, or even ridicule; the places of 
worfhip fhortly became deferted; many 
priefts, who had been promifed cures of 
fouls in tie country, finding no fouls to 
cure, fortunately changed their plan, and 
undertook to cure the foil of the original 
curfe of barrennefs: they turned farmers 
and republicans, and fucceeded. Fromthat 
period, Religion, or as they ftyle it, Faua- 
tifme, das beeh conitantly on the decline. 
3 Payne 
