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A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

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LIFE OF TOLAND. 43liim to be a friend <strong>of</strong> our deceased author, wasoljliged to confine himself to matters <strong>of</strong> fact.Butwhat will place <strong>the</strong> conduct <strong>of</strong> M. Meiizeuz in avery favourable point <strong>of</strong> view, is,that when Mr.<strong>Toland's</strong> works were printed at London, in 172o,M. Maizeuz not only withheld his own name from]iis life, but also that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gentleman at whoserequest it was written.This gentleman having been guilty <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se unpardonableomissions, I shall endeavour, as conciselyas possible, to remedy <strong>the</strong> defect, and shallprincipally confine myself to Mr. <strong>Toland's</strong> Christianity7iot Mysterious,moise in <strong>the</strong> world.which has made so muchPrevious to <strong>the</strong> Reformation, <strong>the</strong> infallibility <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Pope in spiritual, and <strong>the</strong> divine right <strong>of</strong> kingsin temporal, matters, were carried to <strong>the</strong> veryhighest pitch; and <strong>the</strong> servile, ignorant, and debasedstate, to which mankind were reduced, by<strong>the</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se abominable doctrines, is toowell known to need any comment. At <strong>the</strong> dawn<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reformation, a better order <strong>of</strong> things began.The scriptures were read and studied, and <strong>the</strong>monstrous impositions, for more than ten centuriespractised on mankind, clearly displayed.Nei<strong>the</strong>r<strong>the</strong> infallibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pope, nor <strong>the</strong> divine right<strong>of</strong> kings, could stand <strong>the</strong> criterion ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> reasonor revelation, and both were discarded.After along striiggle, during more than a century and ahalf, our civiland riliiiious liberties were effectu-

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