Theyscarcelyshowthemselvesinthestreetswithoutbeinghootedat……Asournationandourcenturyarequiteotherwiseenlightened（thaninthetimeofLuther），itwillbecarriedfarenough；theywillexpelthepriests，abolishthepriesthoodandgetridofallrevelationandallmystery……Onedarenotspeakinbehalfoftheclergyinsocialcircles；oneisscoffedatandregardedasafamiliaroftheinquisition。Thepriestsremarkthat，thisyear，thereisadiminutionofmorethanone—thirdinthenumberofcommunicants。TheCollegeoftheJesuitsisbeingdeserted；onehundredandtwentyboardershavebeenwithdrawnfromthesesogreatlydefamedmonks。Ithasbeenobservedalsothat，duringthecarnivalinParis，thenumberofmaskscounterfeitingecclesiasticaldress，bishops，abbés，monksandnuns，wasneversogreat。\"—Sodeepisthisantipathy，themostmediocrebooksbecometheragesolongastheyareanti—Christianandcondemnedassuch。In1748aworkbyToussaintcalled\"LesMoeurs，\"infavorofnaturalreligion，suddenlybecomessofamous，\"thatthereisnooneamongacertainclassofpeople，\"writesBarbier，\"manorwoman，pretendingtobeintellectual，whoisnoteagertoreadit。\"Peopleaccosteachotherontheirpromenades，Haveyouread\"LesMoeurs\"？—Tenyearslatertheyarebeyonddeism。\"Materialism，\"Barbierfurthersaid，\"isthegreatgrievance……\"\"Almostallpeopleoferuditionandtaste，writesd’Argenson，\"inveighagainstourholyreligion……
Itisattackedonallsides，andwhatanimatesunbelieversstillmoreistheeffortsmadebythedevouttocompelbelief。Theypublishbookswhicharebutlittleread；debatesnolongertakeplace，everythingbeinglaughedat，whilepeoplepersistinmaterialism。\"
HoraceWalpole，whoreturnstoFrancein1765，[18]andwhosegoodsenseanticipatesthedanger，isastonishedatsuchimprudence:\"I
dinedtodaywithadozenscholarsandscientists，andalthoughalltheservantswerearoundusandlistening，theconversationwasmuchmoreunrestrained，evenontheOldTestament，thanIwouldallowatmyowntableinEnglandevenifasinglefootmanwaspresent。\"Peopledogmatizeeverywhere。\"Jokingisasmuchoutoffashionasjumpingjacksandtumblers。Ourgoodfolkshavenotimetolaugh！ThereisGodandthekingtobehauleddownfirst；andmenandwomen，oneandall，aredevoutlyemployedinthedemolition。Theythinkmequiteprofaneforhavinganybeliefleft……Doyouknowwhothephilosophersare，orwhatthetermmeanshere？Inthefirstplaceitcomprehendsalmosteverybody；andinthenext，meansmen，who，avowingwaragainstpopery，takeaim，manyofthem，atasubversionofallreligion……Thesesavants，—Ibegtheirpardons，thesephilosophers—areinsupportable，superficial，overbearingandfanatic:theypreachincessantly，andtheiravoweddoctrineisatheism；youwouldnotbelievehowopenly。Voltairehimselfdoesnotsatisfythem。Oneoftheirladydevoteessaidofhim，’Heisabigot，adeist！’\"
Thisisverystrong，andyetwehavenotcometotheendofit；