alse teachers. The decrees and ordinances, they take upon themselves
to promulgate, are obscure; they are enigmas, little calculated to be
understood, or even divined, by the subjects, for whose instruction they
were intended. The laws of the concealed monarch require interpreters;
but the interpreters are always disputing upon the true manner of
understanding them. Besides, they are not consistent with themselves; all
they relate of their concealed prince is only a string of contradictions.
They utter concerning him not a single word that does not immediately
confute itself. They call him supremely good; yet many complain of his
decrees. They suppose him infinitely wise; and under his administration
everything appears to contradict reason. They extol his justice; and the
best of his subjects are generally the least favoured. They assert, he
sees everything; yet his presence avails nothing. He is, say they, the
friend of order; yet throughout his dominions, all is in confusion and
disorder. He makes all for himself; and the events seldom answer
his designs. He foresees everything; but cannot prevent anything. He
impatiently suffers offence, yet gives everyone the power of offending
him. Men admire the wisdom and perfection of his works; yet his works,
full of imperfection, are of short duration. He is continually doing and
undoing; repairing what he has made; but is never pleased with his work.
In all his undertakings, he proposes only his own glory; yet is never
glorified. His only end is the happiness of his subjects; and his
subjects, for the most part want necessaries. Those, whom he seems to
favour are generally least satisfied with their fate; almost all appear
in perpetual revolt against a master, whose greatness they never cease to
admire, whose wisdom to extol, whose goodness to adore, whose justice to
fear, and whose laws to reverence, though never obeyed!

This EMPIRE is the WORLD; this MONARCH GOD; his MINISTERS are the PRIESTS;
his SUBJECTS MANKIND.

2.

There is a science that has for its object only things incomprehensible.
Contrary to all other sciences, it treats only of what cannot fall under
our senses. Hobbes calls it the _kingdom of darkness_. It is a country,
where every thing is governed by laws, contrary to those which mankind are
permitted to know in the world they inhabit. In this marvellous region,
light is only darkness; evidence is doubtful or false; impossibilities
are credible: rea