believe in Your existence ?”— Lacretelle , History , vol . 11 , p . 309 ; in Sir Archibald Alison , History of Europe , vol . 1 , ch . 10 . What an echo is this of the Pharaoh ’ s demand : “ Who is Jehovah , that I should obey His voice ?” “ I know not Jehovah !”
“ The fool hath said in his heart , There is no God .” Psalm 14:1 . And the Lord declares concerning the perverters of the truth : “ Their folly shall be manifest unto all .” 2 Timothy 3:9 . After France had renounced the worship of the living God , “ the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity ,” it was only a little time till she descended to degrading idolatry , by the worship of the Goddess of Reason , in the person of a profligate woman . And this in the representative assembly of the nation , and by its highest civil and legislative authorities ! Says the historian : “ One of the ceremonies of this insane time stands unrivaled for absurdity combined with impiety . The doors of the Convention were thrown open to a band of musicians , preceded by whom , the members of the municipal body entered in solemn procession , singing a hymn in praise of liberty , and escorting , as the object of their future worship , a veiled female , whom they termed the Goddess of Reason . Being brought within the bar , she was unveiled with great form , and placed on the right of the president , when she was generally recognized as a dancing girl of the opera .... To this person , as the fittest representative of that reason whom they worshiped , the National Convention of France rendered public homage .
“ This impious and ridiculous mummery had a certain fashion ; and the installation of the Goddess of Reason was renewed and imitated throughout the nation , in such places where the inhabitants desired to show themselves equal to all the heights of the Revolution .”— Scott , vol . 1 , ch . 17 .
Said the orator who introduced the worship of Reason : “ Legislators ! Fanaticism has given way to reason . Its bleared eyes could not endure the brilliancy of the light . This day an immense concourse has assembled beneath those gothic vaults , which , for the first time , re-echoed the truth . There
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