The rise and dissolution of the infidel societies in this metropolis : including, the origin of modern deism and atheism; the genius and conduct of those associations; their lecture-rooms, field-meetings, and deputations; from the publication of Paine's Age of reason till the present period / [William Hamilton Reid].

  • William Hamilton Reid
Date:
1800
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The rise and dissolution of the infidel societies in this metropolis : including, the origin of modern deism and atheism; the genius and conduct of those associations; their lecture-rooms, field-meetings, and deputations; from the publication of Paine's Age of reason till the present period / [William Hamilton Reid]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ 8 ] • plus durables. Difons done avec un celebre “ moderne, la Theologie eft la boiie de Bandore; “ S( s'il eft impojftble de la vefermer, il eft au- ^ moms utile B aver tir que cette boete ft fatale eft ouverteB Impregnated with the-principal objections of all the infidel writers., and big with the fancied im¬ portance of being inftrumental in a general reform, almoft every divifion-room could now boaft its ad- j vocate for the new philo fophy. In faff, fuch a torrent of abufe and declamation appeared to burl! from all quarters at once, that as the idea of a Delft and a good Democrat feemed to have been nniverfally compounded, very few had the courage to oppofe the general current. On the other hand, feveral perfons really facrificed their private fenti- ments to the public opinion, merely to avoid the contempt every where bellowed upon thofe who dared to open their mouths in defence of principles and opinions, till then held facred. Next to fongs, in which the clergy were a hand¬ ing fubjeCt of abufe ; in conjunction with pipes and tobacco, the tables of the club-rooms were frequently ftrewed with penny, two-penny, and threepenny publications, as it were fo many fwi- vels againft eftablifhed opinions ; while, to enable the members to furnifh themfelves with the heavy artillery of Voltaire, Godwin, &c. reading-clubs were formed. But hill, fo it happened, that thofe ' who defpifed the labour of reading, took their creeds implicitly, from the extemporaneous effu- fions of others, whole talents were comparatively above their own. And yet thefe people were in¬ variably in the habit of ridiculing Chriltians, in concert with the orators, for being blindly led by priefts.