Let us now look at the Encyclopedia itself, and its spirit can perhaps be best read from the Discours Preliniinaire. D'Alemljert was its author, although he probably secured both the approval and assistance of Diderot in its form and contents. The object of this Discours is to set forth the philosophy underly- ing the Encyclopedia, and tliis is nothing more than the sensationalism of Locke. D'Alembert declares that "all our abstract knowledge maj' be reduced to what we receive through our senses." Showing that this maj' be the case, he thence argues that it is so. Sensations are the onlv things about which he cannot raise a doubt. With regard to ethics, the fol- lowing is his underlying princi[)le. Our ideas of good and evil " arise from the oppression wliich, by nature, the stronger practices upon the wealvcr, and the latter bears the more reluctantly the more violent it is, be- cause he feels that there is no reason why he should submit to it; the evils whicli befall us through the vices of our fellow-men lead to the indirect knowledge of antagonistic virtues." These are tlie grounds upon which his philosophy is based. And j'et this Discours made infidelity more popular to the unthinking masses than the writings of Locke, Condillac, Helvetius, De la Mettrie, or Holbach had done.
Such is the sensualistic materialism contained in the Discours Prelim'naire, containing the ethical prin- ciple that we feel a sense of oppression only liecause we can see no reason why we should submit to it. And yet, by the side of this, in the same Discours, we find the following statement: "Nothing, therefore, is more necessary than a revealed religion, which instructs us concerning so many things. Designed for the com- pletion of our natural knowledge, it shows us a por- tion of what was concealed from us ; but confines it- self to that which is most needful, while all the rest remains forever hidden. A few points of foith, and a small number of practical precepts, is all to wiiicli the revealed religion refers ; yet, thanks to the light which it communicates to the world, since then the people are more firm and decided concerning a great number of interesting questions than the philosophers of any school ever were." In this way infidelity and relig- ion were woven into tlie same system, religion lieing always held subordinate, a something to accomplish an end which science and pliilosophj' could not rpiite reach. This being once admitted, it was not difficult to persuade the French people that, when philosophy
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could accomplish all that is necessary, religion might be set aside.
In the bod}' of the Encyclopedia itself, many of the articles upon religious subjects arc apparently in full sj'mpathy with catholicit}', and even orthodox^'. For instance, the article "Trinite" defends the orthodox dogma from attacks of Socinians, Jews, and infidels of all kinds. In the article "Dieu" the arguments for the existence of God are ably summed up, and ob- jections are refuted. Quotations are made from Chris- tian authorities, and the writer of the article seems to have been in full sympathy witli the Christian view of the subject. The existence of angels and devils is recognised. The article " Christianisme" pronounces Christianity the only true revealed religion, and the Old and New Testaments are recognised as divine. It declares that the severest criticism has not been able to invalidate their authenticity. Keason and phi- losophy must accord to them the honor of settmg forth fiicts beyond their reach. The hand of God is seen in the style of the sacred writings. Articles on Protes- tantism condemn severelj^ every innovation in doc- trine, everj' departure from the established creeds of the various denominations. The errors of the Romish Church are pointed out and severel}' castigated. It is not necessary to suppose these articles written in a spirit of hypocrisj'. Their authors doubtless held the views expressed. The fact that they did does not in- validate the opinion that the £nci/clopedia was secret- ly issued in the interests of atheism. Its authors could well afford to give Christian men a voice within its pages, when there was so mucli to counteract all they might saj'. It was not that Christianitj' had no advocates in the Encyclopedia, but that it was allowed only a feeble defence, and was often defended on prin- ciples which directly tended to its overthrow. Its very defenders, in many cases, were its worst enemies, and only erected fortifications on the side of religion to show how easily they could be carried by infidelit}'. The defence is made chiefly to rest on eudaenionism. Christianitj' should be upheld because it brings us more good than any other system of religion. AVhat- ever system is most advantageous for man in his worldly relations is the system to which he should ad- here. Whenever men can be made to believe that Christianitjf fails to do this, then it must be set aside. For example, in the article " Christianisme," Christ is placed side by side with the other lawgivers, his only superiority being that, while they kept the useful in view, he aimed at the true as well as the useful. " Though he set forth, as its first object, the happiness of another life, he also meant it to make us liappy in this world." In other places morality is preferred to faith, '' because he who does good and makes himself useful to the world is in a better condition through morality without faith than through faith witliout mo- rality." Theism is better than atheism, because it is more advantageous for nations to admit the existence of God tlian to reject it.