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"As foon as

poffeffion of Public Opinion. the fale was fufficient to pay the expences, inferior editions were printed and given away, or fold at a very low price, circulating libraries of them formed, and reading focieties inftituted. While they conftantly denied these productions to the world, they contrived to give them a false celebrity, through their confidential agents and correfpondents, who were not themselves always trufted with the entire fecret d." By degrees they got poffeffion of nearly all the reviews and periodical publications, eftablifhed a general intercourse, by means of hawkers and pedlars, with the diftant provinces, and instituted an office to supply all fchools with teachers; and thus did they acquire unprecedented dominion over every fpecies of literature, over the minds of all ranks of people, and over the education of youth, without giving any alarm to the world. The lovers of wit and polite literature were caught by Voltaire; the men of fcience were perverted, and children corrupted in the firft rudiments of learning, by D'Alembert and Diderot; ftronger appetites were fed by the fecret club of Baron Holbach; the imaginations of the higher orders were fet dangerously afloat by Montef

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4 Annual Regifter.

quieu; and the multitude of all ranks was furprised, confounded, and hurried away by Rouffeau." But the most powerful engine of their schemes, and what I conceive to have been particularly defignated as one of the horns of the beast, was the fecret force difpersed over all France by means of certain new orders, which they engrafted upon Free-Masonry. In these the customary words and figns were all explained to contain a hidden meaning, which accorded with their fyftem. The elect were led by the most impious ceremonies and inftructions to the most abfolute Atheism, and the moft perfect hatred of every species of Government; and they were bound by the fear of inevitable punishment, and an enthusiastic attachment to the caufe, to inviolable fecrecy, and unlimited obedience, to the commands of the fuperiors, though who these superiors were, the generality of thefe deluded fanatics knew "Out of 289 lodges in France, there were in 1784 only 23 which kept to the fimplicity of their original inftitution; the other 266 had been re-modelled, and were united under the name of the Grand Orient," the name of the principal Lodge, of which the Duke of Orleans was Grand Master.

not.

Annual Regifter.

First Effects produced by the Syftem of Voltaire.

Before we fearch the caverns of Illuminism, I must beg to recal the reader's attention to the effects which Voltaire's philofophy had produced in Europe before Weishaupt founded his order. The latest of the dates of the letters from which the following paffages are taken, is 1773.

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In Ruffia the new philofophy was protected by the Emprefs," and the defenders of religion were "at their last gasp in Poland, thanks to the King Poniatowski." They were already overthrown in Pruffia through the care of Frederick;" and in the north of Germany the fect of Philofophifts daily gained ground, thanks to the Landgraves, Margraves, Dukes, and Princes, Adepts and Protectors." In Spain it was undermining the Inquifition, and a great revolution was operating in ideas there, as well as in Italy." Frederic writes, " philofophy is beginning to penetrate into fuperftitious Bohemia, and into Austria, the former abode of superstition. In our Protestant countries, we go on much brifker." In Paris,

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many Philofophers are to be found behind the counters." D'Alembert writes, "I fee

every thing in the brighteft colours: I forefee the Janfenifts naturally dying off the next year, after having ftrangled the Jefuits this-toleration established-the Proteftants recalled-the priests married-confeffion abolished, and fanaticism (their term for Religion) crushed. And all this without its being perceived.” And he expressly attributes this grand triumph to the Encyclopedia. He fmiles at the blinded Parliaments, who "think they are ferving Religion, while they are forwarding Reafon, without the least fufpicion. They are the public executioners, who take their orders from Philofophy without knowing it." He boafts that "in Calvin's own town, (Geneva) there are but a few beggarly fellows, who believe in Chrift." And particularly exults in the

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approaching fall of the Church of England, when he extols the English truths," by which he means the impieties of Hume. Voltaire writes with exceffive joy, that " England and Switzerland were overrun with men who hated and defpifed Chriftianity, as Julian hated and despised it—and that from Geneva to Berne, not a Chriftian was to be found." The means by which this wonderful change in the Euro

The wisdom of the British Parliament in refusing to repeal the Test Act in the year 1789, is here displayed in a very ftriking manner,

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pean world was effected, were adapted to the circumftances of the various ftates.

In this country, the refuge of Liberty, when expelled from every other, and the seat of pure Religion, the doctrines of modern Socinianifm were found to be the most effectual means of propagating Infidelity; especially among the Diffenters. The religious knowledge diffused among all claffes of people in England, required more management than the ignorance and fuperftition of Popish countries; and the nature of our Government was far lefs favour able to their revolutionary projects, than either abfolute monarchy, or republics. "Socinianifm is in its principles friendly to Republicanism, and has been fo found in its history, as indeed has been the cafe with its near ally, Deifm:" for the general habit of fcepticism inevitably produces a restless discontent, and a diflike to establishments of every description. Idolizing their Conftitution, and zealous for their Religion, the people of England would not at that period have tolerated writings, which were read with avidity upon the continent. The attacks on Christianity did not therefore rife to Deifm, which openly disavows the Religion of Jefus, but were carried on by the fap of Socinianifm, which, profeffing to

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