l centuries, have
believed in some kind of a God; that there is no people on the earth who
have not believed in an invisible and powerful being, whom they made the
object of their worship and of their veneration; finally, that there is
no nation, no matter how benighted we may suppose it to be, that is not
persuaded of the existence of some intelligence superior to human
nature. But can the belief of all men change an error into truth? A
celebrated philosopher has said with all reason: "Neither general
tradition nor the unanimous consent of all men could place any
injunction upon truth." [Bayle.] Another wise man said before him, that
"an army of philosophers would not be sufficient to change the nature of
error and to make it truth." [Averroes]

There was a time when all men believed that the sun revolved around the
earth, while the latter remained motionless in the center of the whole
system of the universe; it is scarcely more than two hundred years since
this error was refuted. There was a time when nobody would believe in
the existence of antipodes, and when they persecuted those who had the
courage to sustain it; to-day no learned man dares to doubt it. All
nations of the world, except some men less credulous than others, still
believe in sorcerers, ghosts, apparitions, spirits; no sensible man
imagines himself obliged to adopt these follies; but the most sensible
people feel obliged to believe in a universal Spirit!

CXX.--ALL THE GODS ARE OF A BARBAROUS ORIGIN; ALL RELIGIONS ARE ANTIQUE
MONUMENTS OF IGNORANCE, SUPERSTITION, AND FEROCITY; AND MODERN RELIGIONS
ARE BUT ANCIENT FOLLIES REVIVED.

All the Gods worshiped by men have a barbarous origin; they were visibly
imagined by stupid nations, or were presented by ambitious and cunning
legislators to simple and benighted people, who had neither the capacity
nor the courage to examine properly the object which, by means of
terrors, they were made to worship. In examining closely the God which
we see adored still in our days by the most civilized nations, we are
compelled to acknowledge that He has evidently barbarous features. To be
barbarous is to recognize no right but force; it is being cruel to
excess; it is but following one's own caprice; it is a lack of
foresight, of prudence, and reason. Nations, who believe yourselves
civilized! do you not perceive this frightful character of the God to
whom you offer your incense? The pictures which are drawn of Di