by Jean Meslier
From my tenderest youth, I have seen the errors and abuses which bring about so many and such great evils in the world. The more I have advanced in age and in knowledge, the more I have recognized the blindness and wickedness of men; the more I’ve recognized the vanity of their superstitions, and the injustice of their government; such that, without ever having much experience in the world, I could say, following wise Solomon, that I’ve seen, with astonishment and indignation, impiety reigning over the whole Earth, and such corruption of justice that the very people who were established to dispense it to others had become the worst criminals of all, and had replaced it with iniquity[11]. I have seen so much evil in the world that even the most perfect virtue and the purest innocence were not exempt from the malice of slanderers. I’ve seen, and every day countless miserable innocents are seen to be persecuted for no reason, and unjustly oppressed, without anyone to care about their misfortune, or to step in as a charitable protector to help them. The tears of the afflicted righteous, and the miseries of so many who are tyrannically oppressed by the rich and powerful of the Earth have given me, like Solomon, so much disgust and so much contempt for life, that, like him, I judge the condition of the dead far happier than that of the living, and that those who never were are a thousand times happier, than those who yet groan amid so many and such great miseries[12].
And what surprised me all the more particularly, amid my astonishment at seeing so many errors, so many abuses, so much superstition, so much imposture, and such tyranny reigning, was to see that, although there were many people who were thought eminent in wisdom, in doctrine, and in piety, none of them took it upon themselves to speak, or to openly declare their opposition to so many and such despicable disorders; I saw nobody of any distinction who spoke up, or criticized them; and yet, the poor never cease to complain and groan about their common misery. The silence of so many wise persons, even those of distinguished rank and character, who should, it seemed to me, stand against vice and superstition, or who should at least have tried to bring some remedy for so many evils, seemed, to my astonished self, to be a kind of approval, the reason and cause of which were then unclear to me. But, having since examined the conduct of men a little better, and having since delved a little deeper into the secret mysteries of the refined and crafty machinations of those who aspire to high office, and who seek to rule over others, and to have authority over them, or who especially want to be honored and respected by them; I’ve easily found, not only the source and origin of so many errors, and so many superstitions, and of so much misrule; but I have also figured out why those, whom the world calls wise and enlightened, say nothing against so many and so despicable disorders, even though they know enough about the misery of the masses who are misled and abused by so many errors, and oppressed by so much injustice.
2. THE AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS AND VIEWS ON THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS.
The source, then, my dear friends, of all the evils which overwhelm you, and of all the impostures which keep you miserably captive to error, and to the vanity of superstitions, and to the tyrannical laws of the powerful men on Earth, is nothing other than man’s detestable political machinations[13], which I just mentioned; for some, seeking to rule over their fellows unjustly, and others, hoping to gain some vain reputation for holiness, and even sometimes divinity; both skillfully use, not only force and violence, but also every sort of ruse and artifice to seduce the masses, to more easily realize their aims: both use these refined and clever political machinations to abuse the weakness, the credulity, and the ignorance of the weakest and the those who are less enlightened; they have easily got them to accept whatever they liked, and then made them receive, respectfully and submissively, willingly or by force, all the laws they wanted to give them, and by these means, some have become honored and respected, or even worshipped as divinities, or at least as persons of extraordinary holiness and as specially sent by certain deities to reveal their will to the rest of mankind, and others have become very rich, powerful, and fearsome in the world, and when both, by such artifices, had become rich enough, powerful enough, venerable or fearsome enough, to be either feared or obeyed, then they openly and tyrannically subjected their fellows to their laws.
In which thing they have greatly exploited the disputes, the quarrels, the divisions and animosities which often arise between individuals, for most men often find themselves to have an attitude, a mind, and an inclination which is quite different from those of others; they cannot endure each other for long without quarrels and divisions erupting between them. And, when these disturbances and divisions occur, those who prove to be the strongest, boldest, and perhaps also the most wicked, lose no chance to take advantage of these occasions, to more easily become the absolute masters of all.
This, then, my dear friends, is the true source and the true origin of all the evils which trouble human society and make men unhappy in life. This is the source and origin of all the errors, the imposture, the superstitions, the false divinities and all the idolatry which has, unfortunately, spread across the whole Earth. This is the origin and source of everything you are told is holiest and most sacred, in that which you are made to piously call religion. This is the source and origin of all these so-called holy and inviolable laws which, on the pretext of piety and religion, you are made to observe so strictly, as if they were handed down from God Himself. This is the source of all these pompous, but vain and ridiculous ceremonies, which your priests perform so ceremoniously in the celebration of their false mysteries, and their false worship of the divine. In a word, this is the source and origin of everything you are made to respect and worship as divinities, or as wholly divine things. This is also the origin and source of all these proud titles and names like Lord, Prince, King, Monarch and Potentate, all of which oppress you tyrannically, on the pretext of governing you as sovereigns, who, on the pretext of the public good, steal all of your finest and best things; and who, on the pretext of having received their authority from some supreme divinity, get themselves obeyed, feared, and respected as gods. And, finally, this is the source and origin of all these other vain names like Nobleman, Gentleman, Count, etc. “which the Earth teems with,” as one author puts it[14], and nearly all of whom are like ravening wolves who, on the pretext of enjoying their rights and their authority, tread you down, mistreat you, pillage, and steal all of your best things. This is equally the source and origin of all these supposedly holy and sacred titles of ecclesiastical and spiritual orders and powers, which your priests and bishops usurp over you: who, on the pretext of conferring upon you the spiritual benefits of fully divine grace and favor, astutely make off with those goods which are incomparably more real and more solid than those they claim to confer on you; and which, on the pretext of wishing to lead you to Heaven, and procure an eternal happiness for you there, keep you from peacefully enjoying any true happiness on Earth; and who, finally, on the pretext of securing you, in another life, from the imaginary torments of a Hell which is no more real than the other eternal life which they vainly hold out for you, but, uselessly, your fears and hopes bring you, in this life, which is the only one you can hope for, the real punishments of a very real Hell.
And, since the power of these tyrannical governments resides only in the same means and principles which have established them, and since it’s dangerous to pick a fight with the fundamental principles of a religion, no less than to disturb the fundamental laws of a state or a republic; therefore, we must not be surprised if the wise and enlightened conform to the general laws of the state, as unjust as these may be, or that, if they do conform, at least outwardly, to the customs and policies of a religion they find to be established, although they fully recognize its errors and vanity, since such repugnance as they may feel in submitting like this, it is nevertheless far more useful and advantageous to live in peace and hold on to what they might have, than to voluntarily risk losing everything by going against the torrent of the common errors, or seeking to resist the authorit
y of a sovereign who seeks absolute control of everything: besides, add to this that, since, in large states and governments such as kingdoms and empires, it’s not impossible for these sovereigns, alone and by themselves, to do everything, and uphold their power and authority across such large stretches of land, they are careful to establish officers, stewards, governors, and many other men everywhere, who are paid largely at public expense, to watch over their interests, to maintain their authority, so that nobody will dare take it upon themselves to resist, or even outwardly contradict such absolute authority, without exposing themselves to a clear danger of being struck down. This is why the wisest and most enlightened are forced to keep silent, even though they can clearly see the abuses and disorders of such an unjust and odious government.
Add to that the aims and the particular inclinations of all those who hold the great, the middling, and even the least offices, either in government or in the Church, or those who aspire to hold them. Certainly, none of these people sincerely aspire as much to the public welfare of others, as to their own profit and their own advantage. All of them are motivated by ambition or self-interest, or by some other aim pleasing to flesh and blood. Those who seek office and employment in the state are not the kind of people who will fight against the pride, ambition, or tyranny of a prince who means to subject everything to his laws: on the contrary, they flatter his worst passions and his unjust plans, in hopes of advancing and aggrandizing themselves in the favor of his authority. Nor will those who aspire to the benefices or dignities in the Church ever oppose him: it’s by the very favor and power of princes that they hope to attain or maintain these posts, when they finally do attain them; and, far from having any idea of opposing his evil designs, or contradicting them in any way, they will be the first to applaud and flatter them in everything they do. Nor will you find men like these finding fault with the established errors, nor will they reveal the lies, illusions, impostures of a false religion to others; since it is upon those errors and impostures that all their respectability is based, along with all their power with the great profits they make from it. Nor will the greedy rich ever oppose the prince’s injustice, or publicly denounce the errors and abuses of a false religion, since it is often because they’re in the prince’s good graces that they hold the lucrative employments in the state or rich benefices in the Church. They would rather heap up wealth and treasure than destroy any public errors and abuses which are so profitable to them. Nor, again, will it be those who love the sweet life, or the pleasures and comforts of life, who will oppose the abuses in question; they prefer to live peaceably amid the pleasures and sweet things of life than to expose themselves to persecution, or stand against the torrent of common errors. Nor will it be those zealous hypocrites who oppose them, since they love to cover themselves with the mantle of virtue and profit from a specious pretext of piety and religious zeal, while concealing their worst vices, and all the more skillfully reach their own goal, which is always their own interests and gratification, while fooling others with fine shows of virtue. And finally, the weak or the ignorant will never oppose them, since, lacking knowledge or authority, they can never see through all the errors and impostures in which they are kept, nor can they resist the violence of a torrent which will not delay in dragging them along if they offer any resistance: added to which, besides, there are so many interconnections and such networks of subordination and dependence between all the different estates and conditions of men; and there is also nearly always so much envy and jealousy between them, so much duplicity and backstabbing, even between the closest of relatives, that none of them could ever trust each other; and consequently could neither do, nor undertake anything without simultaneously risking discovery and betrayal by someone. Nobody could even safely trust their friends, or even brothers, in a matter of such gravity as that of seeking to reform such a terrible government. So that, since nobody is either able or willing, or dares to oppose so many errors, so much imposture, and the tyranny of the powerful men on Earth, it is no wonder that vice so powerfully and universally holds sway in the world. And this is how abuses, errors, superstitions, and tyranny become established in the world.
One might think that, in such a case at least, religion and politics would find no agreement, and that they should, at such a time, find themselves at odds with and opposed to each other, since one might think that the gentleness and piety of religion ought to condemn the harshness and injustice of a tyrannical government; and it might seem that, on one hand, the prudence of a wise government should condemn and repress the abuses, errors, and imposture of a false religion. It is true that this is how things should be; but what should happen doesn’t always happen. Thus, although we might expect religion and politics to be so contrary and so mutually opposed in their principles and precepts; however, they always get along quite well, once they have formed an alliance, and established a friendship: or it might be said that, at such times, they understand each other like a pair of cutpurses; since, at such times, they will defend and support each other. Religion supports the government, as wicked as it may be; and in turn the government supports the religion, as stupid and vain as it may be. On one hand the priests, who are religion’s ministers, will ordain that, under penalty of eternal damnation, the magistrates must be obeyed, along with the princes and sovereigns, as men who were set up by God to rule over everyone else; and the princes, on the other hand, have the priests respected, making them gifts of favorable appointments and robust stipends, and maintain them in the vain and abusive functions of their false ministry, compelling the population to take as holy and sacred all they do and all they command others to believe or do, on this fine and specious pretext of religion and the divine rites. And this, once more, is how errors, superstitions, illusions, and deception are established in the world, and how they stay intact, to the great misfortune of the poor masses, who groan under such rough and heavy yokes.
You might think, my dear friends, that among such a great number of false religions as there are in the world, my intention would be to make an exception at least for the Catholic religion, which we all belong to, and which we say is the only one which teaches the pure truth, the only one which recognizes and worships the true God properly, and the only one that leads men in the true path of salvation and a blessed eternity; but disabuse yourselves, my dear friends, disabuse yourselves of all that, and more generally from everything your pious ignoramuses, or your mocking and self-serving priests and doctors, are so eager to tell you and make you believe, on the false pretense of the infallible certainty of their so-called holy and divine religion. You are no less misled or any more disabused than those who are the most misled and least disabused of all. You partake just as much of error as those who are completely immersed in it. Your religion is no less vain, nor any less superstitious than any other one; it is no less false in its principles, no less ridiculous or absurd in its dogmas and teachings; you are no less idolatrous than are those whom you accuse and condemn as idolaters. The ideas of the pagans and your own are only different in their names and their forms. In brief, everything that your doctors and priests preach so zealously and eloquently about the greatness, excellence, and holiness of the mysteries they want you to adore, everything they so somberly tell you about the certainty of their supposed miracles, and everything that they so zealously and confidently rattle off about the greatness of Heaven's rewards, and about the frightful punishments of Hell, are nothing, at bottom, but illusions, errors, lies, fictions, and imposture, which were originally invented by cunning and clever politicians, and perpetuated by seducers and impostors; and then received and believed blindly by ignorant and crude peoples, until they were finally supported by the authority of the mighty and the sovereigns of the Earth who have favored abuses, errors, superstitions and imposture, and who have authorized them with their laws, in order to keep the common folk in a bridle and bend them to their will.
This, my dear friends, is how those who have ruled, and who sti
ll do, keep the masses in check, presumptuously and with impunity abusing the name and authority of God to get themselves feared and respected, rather than to encourage the service and worship of the imaginary God whose power is used to terrify you. You see how they abuse specious words like piety and religion to make the weak and ignorant believe anything they want; and you see how, ultimately, they establish everywhere on Earth a detestable mystery of lies and iniquity, instead of exerting themselves only in establishing the kingdom of peace, justice, and truth everywhere, which would make everyone on Earth happy and content.
I say that they establish a mystery of iniquity everywhere; because all the hidden springs of the craftiest politics, as well as the most pious maxims and ceremonies of religion, are nothing but mysteries of iniquity. I say mysteries of iniquity for all the poor masses, who find themselves the unfortunate dupes of all those mummeries, and the playthings and unhappy victims of the mighty: but for those who either govern or participate in the government of others, and the priests who govern men’s consciences, or who are provided with certain robust stipends, these are so many gold mines or golden fleeces; they’re like cornucopias, producing all sorts of blessings on demand: and this is how these gentlemen find the means for diversion and to have all sorts of fun, while the poor masses, abused by error and religious superstition, groan sadly, poorly, and yet peacefully under the oppression of the mighty, while they patiently endure their griefs, while they vainly waste time praying to Gods and saints who don’t hear them, while they amuse themselves with vain devotions, while they devoutly carry out the prescriptions of penitence and mortification which have been enjoined on them following the vain and superstitious confession of their sins, and finally, while these poor people wear themselves out, day and night, toiling and sweating blood and water for some meager pittance to stay alive, and to abundantly pay for the pleasures and gratifications of those who make them so miserable in their lives.