Religion, in some form or other, seems to have been observed by mankind,in all ages and all parts of the world; and considered as the most nobleemployment, of the most divine nature, and producing the most beneficialeffects to society, of all the objects that ever engaged theirattention: although from casual circumstances, and interested motivesof individuals, there are as many modes and varieties of worship, aslanguages or nations on the face of the earth.
Europeans have in general embraced Christianity, as contained inthe Bible, which they call the Word of God, as the only true andinfallible system on earth, and which only can lead us to eternalhappiness. This Bible, we have been taught to believe, is holy, just,perfect, and superior to the human understanding; so sacred, that todoubt or disbelieve it, would entail on us inevitable never-endingmisery. This doctrine, being instilled into children by their nurses,and enforced by terror at a riper age, has long been assented to by thegenerality of people, who seldom think or enquire for themselves, butare always more or less the dupes of designing men.
But the times are now changing; the privilege of reasoning and believingfor ourselves begins to be exercised—freedom of enquiry abounds; andthe natural inherent right of speaking and acting according to thedictates of our own conscience (without injuring society) is happilyenjoyed. Consequently, impositions of every kind, superstitiousprejudices, and the long worshipped fabrics of civil and religioustyranny, are daily growing into contempt, and in all probability willsoon be torn from their foundations, and consigned to that infamousoblivion which they so highly merit.
To come more immediately to the point—the Christian religion, asgenerally practised, presents itself as one of those monuments ofignorance and credulity, which the wisdom of the present generation isprobably destined to overthrow, and to substitute a system more simple,more pure, and more agreeable to the dictates of reason. The Bible, uponexamination, we shall find deficient in many of the virtues that havebeen ascribed to it. As a human composition, its merits have beengreatly over-rated: it is exceeded in sentiment, invention, style, andevery other literary qualification. The obscurity, incredibility, andobscenity, so conspicuous in many parts of it, would justly condemn theworks of a modern writer. It contains a mixture of inconsistency andcontradiction; to call which the word of God, is the highest pitch ofextravagance: it is to attribute to the Deity that which any person ofcommon