Superstition in All Ages: A Dying Confession [d’HOLBACH - attrib. MESLIER]

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Atheistic tract. 'Including an Abstract of the Testament of John Meslier, by Voltaire'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Meslier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbach Originally published anonymously and attributed to MESLIER, Jean (1664-1729). Parts by Voltaire (1694-1778). Translated from the French Original by Miss Anna KNOOP. Arranged for publication in its present form and manner with new title page and preface by Dr. L. W. de LAURENCE. Front Cover ......Page 1 Publisher's device ......Page 2 Photo-plate: Dr L.W. de Laurence ......Page 4 Title page ......Page 5 Copyright ......Page 6 Contents ......Page 7 Preface by Dr. L.W. de Laurence ......Page 23 Prefatory Note by the Translator ......Page 35 Preface of the Editor of the French Edition of 1830 ......Page 37 Life of Jean Meslier by Voltaire ......Page 47 Preface of the Author ......Page 55 1. Apologue ......Page 63 3. Continuation ......Page 65 5. Unnecessary to believe in a God ......Page 66 8. The Notion of God impossible ......Page 67 10. Origin of all Religion ......Page 68 13. Continuation ......Page 69 15. All Religion born of Libido Dominandi ......Page 70 18. Continuation ......Page 71 20.God as 'Spirit' vapid ......Page 72 22. All Existence is from Matter ......Page 73 24. More rational to worship the Sun than a Spiritual God ......Page 74 26. What is God? ......Page 75 29. God's Infinity occasions Atheism ......Page 76 30. Belief and disbelief in God both criminally neutral ......Page 77 33. Origin of Predjudices ......Page 79 35. Modern Religion incredible unless instilled in the unthinking Young ......Page 80 37. Wonders of Nature explicable by natural Causes ......Page 81 38. Continuation ......Page 82 40. Continuation ......Page 83 41. Other proofs that a spiritual Cause is needless to explain Motion in Matter ......Page 84 42. Man's Existence not a Proof of God's ......Page 86 43. Neither Universe nor Man the Effects of Chance ......Page 87 44. God's Existence not proven by the Order of the Universe ......Page 89 45. Continuation ......Page 90 46. A Pure Spirit cannot be intellligent; nor can divine Intelligence be ......Page 91 48. Continuation ......Page 92 49. Human Race [sc.: Species] not the Object of Creation ......Page 93 51. Universe not formed to make Men happy ......Page 94 52. 'Providence' an empty Word ......Page 95 53. So-called Providence more a Disruptor ......Page 97 54. The World not governed by an intelligent Being ......Page 98 55. God not unchanging ......Page 99 56. Evil and Good both Effects of natural Causes ......Page 100 57. Consolation of Heaven and future Life not real ......Page 101 59. God not omnipotent or more wicked than good ......Page 103 60. God not infinitely good and powerful ......Page 105 61. Continuation ......Page 106 62. Theology's God a Monster ......Page 107 63. Religion instils Fear in its divine Being ......Page 108 64. Religion the same as craven Superstition ......Page 109 66. Interminable Torments of Hell make Theology's God detestable ......Page 110 67. Theology comprises manifest Contradictions ......Page 112 68. Works attributed to the divine not a proof of Perfection ......Page 113 71. All Theology shows its God as capricious and unfeeling ......Page 114 72. Evil comes from God ......Page 115 73. God cruel for punishing Men whose Misdeeds He foresees ......Page 116 75. Religion and the Devil invented to enrich Priests ......Page 117 76. God may not punish Man whom He made imperfect ......Page 118 77. Irrational not to appraise God's works ......Page 120 78. God unjust to both good and wicked; no Source of their Comfort ......Page 122 79. Punishing Faults he could have prevented makes a God unjust ......Page 124 80. Free Will illusory ......Page 125 82. Free Will disproved ......Page 129 83. Continuation ......Page 130 84. A God is bound by his own Nature making Religion nugatory ......Page 131 86. God is the Author of all negativity, cannot punish or reward Man ......Page 132 87. Prayers prove Dissatisfaction with God's 'Perfection' ......Page 133 88. Justice in an Afterlife for ills in the Present is Conjectural only ......Page 134 89. Might makes Right however evil, Theology teaches ......Page 135 90. Jehova's mass Killings the Biblical proofs of a barbarous God ......Page 137 91. A Being creating Children to be unhappy cannot be loving ......Page 138 92. Life itself disproves a supposed God's Goodness and Man's Liberty ......Page 139 93. 'Providence' is owed no debt of thanks ......Page 141 94. Absurd to claim Man the Favourite of God ......Page 142 96. Tyrants the most loathsome Beasts ......Page 144 97. Man's Excellence refuted ......Page 146 98. An Oriental Legend ......Page 147 99. Recognising only Good in the Universe is Foolishness ......Page 149 100. The Soul if not material, its Combination with the Body were impossible ......Page 151 101. An immortal Soul an absurd proposition ......Page 152 102. All of Man dies ......Page 153 103. Proofs against the Soul as dematerialised Spirituality ......Page 154 104. Supernatural Causes ridiculous, invoked by Theologians ......Page 155 106. Continuation ......Page 156 107. Dogma of an Afterlife profits only those exploiting the credulous ......Page 157 108. Even if consoling, the Dogma of an Afterlife is not its Proof ......Page 158 109. Religion imaginary and unrelated to Reason and Experience ......Page 161 111. Mysteries benefit only Priests who cannot explain them ......Page 163 112. Continuation ......Page 164 114. A Universal God's revealed Religion should also be Universal ......Page 166 115. Religion's Unintelligibility proves its Inutility ......Page 167 116. All Religions critiqued as ridiculous by adherents of equally absurd Beliefs ......Page 168 117. Celebrated Theologian's Opinion ......Page 169 118. The Deist's God as capricious as the God of a revealed Religion ......Page 170 119. Long-held acknowledgments of Divinity do not prove its Existence ......Page 172 120. All Religions memorialise Ignorance and Superstition ......Page 173 121. Religious Rites stupid and barbarous ......Page 175 122. The more ancient a Religion, the more suspect it is ......Page 176 123. Skepticism of Religion indicates superficial examination of the merits ......Page 178 124. Revelation refuted ......Page 180 126. No Proof of the Truth of Miracles ......Page 182 127. Claims of Revelation not consistent with different doctrinal Sects ......Page 183 129. Alleged Miracles ridiculous ......Page 185 130. Pascal refuted on how to appraise Miracles ......Page 186 131. Every Change in revealed or natural Religion potentially blasphemous ......Page 188 132. Martyrs an Argument against Miracles and Christianity's divine Origin ......Page 189 133. Fanaticism of Missionaries and Martyrs does not prove Religion's truth ......Page 190 134. The God of Theology is anti-rational ......Page 191 135. Reason preferable to Faith ......Page 192 136. Sophistry of the proponents of Faith -vs- Reason ......Page 194 137. Truth of Religion accepted by verbal Assurance alone without Corroboration ......Page 195 138. Faith accepted by the intellectually weak and indolent ......Page 196 139. Propounding one true Religion a source of international conflict ......Page 197 140. Religion not necessary to Morality and Virtue ......Page 200 141. Religion a weak Control of the Passions ......Page 202 143. Religion not a brake upon Kings ......Page 203 144. Origin of the Divine Right of Kings ......Page 205 145. Religion inimicable to Politics ......Page 207 146. Religion a strong Support of Despotism ......Page 208 147. Sole Aim of Religion is promoting Tyranny of Kings ......Page 210 148. Fear of God insufficient to deter regal Excess ......Page 212 149. A religious King is a Scourge to his Kingdom ......Page 213 150. Priests Supporters of Despotism ......Page 215 151. Religion encourages Impunity in Monarchs ......Page 216 153. A capricious God necessary to advance the Priesthood's Interests ......Page 217 154. Priests as Charaltans ......Page 219 155. Religion usurps Morality ......Page 220 156. The dominant Religion intolerant and ever of the Sovereign ......Page 222 157. Abuse of a State Religion ......Page 223 158. Crime sanctified if taught as advancing God's Designs ......Page 224 159. Religion's Evils not solely the sad Effects of Men's Passions ......Page 225 160. Religious Opinions incompatible with Morality ......Page 226 161. Christian Morality impracticable ......Page 228 162. A Society of Saints impossible ......Page 229 163. Human Nature not depraved; contradictory Morality inapposite ......Page 231 164. The Extent of Jesus Christ's Success ......Page 232 165. Dogma of Remission of Sins invented for the Advantage of the Priesthood ......Page 234 166. Fear of God subordinate to the Power of Human Passions ......Page 235 167. Invention of Hell too absurd to deter Evil ......Page 236 168. Morality and Religious Virtues defined for the Advantage of Priests ......Page 237 169. Christian Charity subordinated to enforcing Church Dogma ......Page 239 170. Confessonal the Destroyer of true Morality ......Page 242 171. Supposed Existence of God unnecessary for Morality ......Page 244 173. Union of Religion with Politics fatal to the People and Kings ......Page 246 174. Creeds an unfair Burden upon Nations ......Page 248 175. Religion paralyzes Morality ......Page 249 176. Fatal Consequences of Piety ......Page 250 177. Dogma of the Afterlife not consoling and unnecessary to Morality ......Page 251 178. An Atheist has more Conscience than a religious Person ......Page 252 180. Rationalistic Morality sufficient ......Page 254 181. Opinions rarely influence Conduct ......Page 256 182. Reason leads to Atheism because Religion is absurd ......Page 258 183. Fear alone creates Theists and Bigots ......Page 259 184. Can we love God (or not) and how? ......Page 260 185. Contradictory ideas on God and Religion everywhere show them to be untrue ......Page 261 187. Priests act from Self-interest more than Unbelievers ......Page 262 188. Moral Turpitude commoner among Priests than Unbelievers ......Page 264 189. Lasting Power is based on Reason and Justice not on Prejudice ......Page 266 190. The Priests' Power and Esteem would grow if they embraced Reason and Liberty ......Page 267 191. A happy Revolution should result if Reason replaced Religion ......Page 268 192. Unbelief not confounded by a Death-bed Conversion ......Page 270 193. Atheism does not dissolve Society's ties ......Page 271 194. Religion unnecessary for the Masses ......Page 272 195. Not every Rational System is for the Multitude ......Page 274 196. Admonitions to Princes on Dangers of Theology ......Page 275 197. Religion's fatal Effects on the People and Princes ......Page 276 198. Continuation ......Page 278 199. Religions promoted to the Ignorant by Charlatans ......Page 279 200. All Religions have mutualy borrowed their Rites and Systems ......Page 281 202. Theology explains nothing in the World or in Nature ......Page 283 203. Theology retarded the Progress of Reason and fettered Morality ......Page 285 204. Continuation ......Page 287 205. In Controversies once benign Religion kindles a holy Zeal ......Page 288 206. The Pandora's Box of Religion is opened ......Page 289 I. Of Religions ......Page 291 II. Of Miracles ......Page 313 III. Similarity between ancient and modern Miracles ......Page 317 IV. Of the Falsity of the Christian Religion ......Page 324 V. The Holy Scriptures: (1) Of the Old Testament ......Page 330 VI. (2) The New Testament ......Page 331 VII. Errors of Doctrine and of Morality ......Page 337 Rear Cover ......Page 347