We know this fact of a celebrated preacher who in the beginning of the Revolution stood in the same pulpit which we are pleased to call the pulpit of truth, and with his hand upon his heart declared that till then he had taught only falsehood.  He did more; he implored his parishioners to forgive him for the gross errors in which he had kept them, and congratulated them upon having at last arrived at a period when it was permitted to establish the empire of reason upon the ruins of prejudice.  Times have changed very much, it is true; however, so long as the press shall be able to combat the fatal errors of religious fanaticism, and perhaps even to some extent prevent its violence, it will be the duty of every friend of humanity to reproduce continually the full retractions which opposed the sincerity and conscience of the dying to the bad faith and hypocritical avidity of the living.  Guided by this intention, and ashamed to see the human race, in a land just freed from the yoke of prejudice, give birth to a disgraceful juggling which will terminate in dominating authority, and associate itself with the persecutions of which our incredulous or dissenting ancestors were the sad victims, we believe it useful to reprint the last lessons of a priest—­an honest man—­bequeathed to his fellow-citizens and to posterity.  The service we render to Philosophy will be so much the greater when we can consider as immutable, perpetual, permanent, and ready to appear in the hour of need, the edition which we are preparing of “Common sense, by the priest Jean Meslier, and his dying confession.”

To do justice to these two works, to which we have added analytical notes, which will greatly facilitate our researches, we will limit ourselves by giving the imposing approbation of two philosophers of the eighteenth century—­Voltaire and d’Alembert.  They certainly understood much better the sublimity of evangelical morality, and spoke of it in a manner more worthy of its author, than did those who deified it to profit by its divinity, and who abused so cruelly the ignorance and barbarity of the first centuries, to establish, in the interest of their fortunes and power, so many base prejudices, so many puerile and superstitious practices.

Here is what Voltaire and d’Alembert thought of the curate Meslier and of his work.  Their letters are presented here in order to excite curiosity and convince the judgment: 

VOLTAIRE TO D’ALEMBERT.

Ferney, February, 1762.

They have printed in Holland the Testament of Jean Meslier.  I trembled with horror in reading it.  The testimony of a priest, who, in dying, asks God’s pardon for having taught Christianity, must be a great weight in the balance of Liberals.  I will send you a copy of this Testament of the anti-Christ, because you desire to refute it.  You have but to tell me by what manner it will reach you.  It is written with great simplicity, which unfortunately resembles candor.