Faith

,—credulity, superstition. An article loudly extolled and vehemently insisted on, in all ages, by Priests and Kings. Success has crowned their exertions. Mankind, on every occasion, have opened a gullet wide enough to swallow the absurdest paradoxes, the most glaring impossibilities. Only say, that “an army of soldiers was seen last night to pass over the moon,” and you will immediately perceive a vast legion of implicit believers, making their comments and remarks on the phenomenon, explaining it on the authority of scriptural prophecies. Nothing too preposterous for popular credulity, which has been always fed and cherished by the great leaders in Church and State; knowing this, on that basis only their empire depends. Thus have nations, by dint of error and superstition, for a vast succession of ages, yielded themselves up to the dominion of r-y-l or priestly authority, which, in most instances, have formed a coalition for the purpose, whereby the community have been plunged into a fathomless abyss of servitude and ignorance, from which patriotism and philosophy have hitherto laboured in vain to rescue them. The faith inspired by priestcraft and state-craft, is the prime cause of that misery and tyranny, which, to this hour, continue to rage through the universe. The scourges of the world are held out by priests, as the viceregents of heaven, and the opinions and consciences of men, till very lately, have been almost entirely directed by priests; but as their empire is terribly convulsed by the revolution in France, which has served so essentially to enlighten the human understanding, may it soon be totally destroyed, and may Wisdom, Peace and Philanthropy erect a lasting throne on the wreck of Faith, Error and Superstition! Their reign has been too long; they have ruled with an iron sceptre. It is time for Peace to fix her residence amongst us. The Millennium, however, can never arrive, till faith in priests and sovereigns be annihilated. Their interest, their ambition is war—the grand engine of Church and State.