aftonished world. They best therefore have proved, without the flightest reference to the fubject, the exact fulfilment of the Prophecies refpecting this extraordinary Antichristian power.

The amazing prevalence of Infidelity has indeed engaged the attention of many earlier writers; for fince the establishment of Chriftianity it has never appeared fo formidable as in the prefent age: but it was not till confidence of fuccefs emboldened Condorcet to publish in 1785, the "fecret correfpondence" of the master movers of the plan, that the public mind received the fmalleft intimation of the Caufe. Nor did it then, unhappily, give credit to the extent of its existence, or the poffibility of its fuccefs. In this country the difcovery was scarcely noticed; though an excellent Prelate, whofe ardent zeal in the cause of Christianity is united with genuine philanthropy, endeavoured in 1794, to direct the attention of the public to this diabolical confpiracy against the religion and the happiness of man. * An epifcopal Charge will, however, be confined to a certain clafs of Readers. The alarm was given to religionifts, but not to

* See the Bishop of London's Charge to his Clergy.

Statesmen,

ftatesmen, till events, incredible before they actually took place, excited general astonishment, and led men eagerly to seek their origin. And at this moment of enquiry, Barruel and Robifon laid before the public a mass of facts; which moft fatisfactorily traced these events to the machinations of focieties formed for the express purpose of producing them,

But Voltaire conceived his horrible defign about the year 1720; and the fect of the Illuminati, a specimen of its effects, was founded in 1776. The question therefore recurs, what could give rise to these societies? and how can we account for the fuccefs of their schemes? It must be acknowledged, that the ideas of Infidelity, which had long been floating in the world, were first embodied into a practical fyftem of wickedness by Voltaire, d'Alembert, Frederic II. King of Pruffia, Diderot, and their confederates in iniquity; and that the difciples of this junto first gained the CIVIL POWER to aid and openly avow adherence to the cause of Infidelity. But I think we may venture to affirm, that at no other period of the world could this fyftem have been formed, or this power created. And having already

See Barruel, p. 334.

VOL. II.

I

shown

fhown that this is exactly the period affigned by the prophetic word of God for the appearance of the "fecond beaft and his image," we are authorized to affert, that the prefent reign of the Infidel Antichrift has been expressly foretold.

Still, however, it will be afked, why should this period produce this monstrous progeny 2 This question involves fuch a variety of matter fo fecretly connected, that any thing like accurate investigation would exceed the limits. of a chapter. But I shall endeavour to point out the principal caufes; and these will, I think, conduct us to the only adequate explanation.

2

A writer who confiders himself as an advocate for Chriftianity, whilst he is labouring to remove its foundations, afferts, that the great father of modern unbelievers among Mahometans and Chriftians, was Averroes, a Saracen Mahometan of the twelfth century. He was devoted to the philosophy of Aristotle, whofe writings are faid to have made all the unbelievers in the age of Petrarch and that of Leo the tenth. He held "the eternity of the

• See Introductory Chapter, vol. i. p. 370, and 387. * Pricftley's Difcourfes on the Evidences of Revealed Religion.

6

world,

world, and the existence of the one univerfal intellect, the fource of all human intelligence, into which every feparate intelligence will finally be refolved; and confequently he denied the diftinct existence and proper immortality of the human foul." The Arabian imposture may be thus confidered as the father, but furely Infidelity was brought forth by "the mother of harlots." When the revival of letters enabled men to see the mafs of abfurdities, contradictions, and impieties, which were taught by the church of Rome to be effential parts of Christianity, Scepticism was the natural result of this discovery. Reafon juft rifen from her flumber, feized the truths presented to her view with all the eagerness which novelty could excite. Proud of the treasures she had acquired, and yet ignorant how to manage them to advantage; difgufted with furrounding bigotry and fuperftition, impatient of controul, and dazzled with the light, though glimmering, which now broke through the darkness of the middle ages, fhe too seldom distinguished Religion from the grofs corruptions with which it had been loaded, and, ufurping the feat of judgment, fhe often decided upon fubjects not amenable to her tribunal, and blindly opposed the authority of a Power which it was both her duty and her intereft

I 2

tereft to obey.-Mahometanism and Popery appear then to have been the parents of Infidelity-an offspring born to be their chaftifement . Barruel has ingeniously traced the doctrines of 66 liberty and equality" as taught by modern Infidels, to the founder of the Ma

e

Amongst the caufes by which Popery had an obvious tendency to produce Infidelity, must be reckoned their treatment of the Holy Scriptures. "The Popes," fays Mofheim, "permitted their champions to indulge themfelves openly in reflections injurious to the dignity of the facred writings, and, by an excess of blafphemy almost incredible (if the paffions of men did not render them capable of the greatest enormities), to declare publicly, that the edicts of the Pontiffs, and the records of oral tradition, were fuperior in point of authority, to the express language of the Holy Scriptures." It is well known that the Romanifts decried the facred original as much as poffible, and that the Vulgate tranflation, because it abounded in errors, and might be more eafily perverted to their purpose, "was declared by a folemn decree of the council of Trent, an authentic, i. e. a faithful, accurate, and perfect translation." In the true fpirit of this decree, Morini was employed in a laborious work (Biblicarum, feu mavis Anti-Biblicarum Exercitationum, fays Mill) the object of which was to deftroy the credit of the original, and to support that of the Vulgate, as the only complete and unerring rule of faith. See Mofheim's Eccl. Hift. vol. iv. p. 213. and Mill's Prolegom. 1318, 1326.

The pious reader will not fail to observe a signal instance of Divine retribution, when the monster Infidelity, thus produced by Papal corruption, has become the prime inftrument of the downfall of its parent.

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