The consequences of such 'moral swindling' are
everywhere visible: on all sides superstition, wild, unreasoning,
senseless superstition rears its hateful front, and vomits forth
anathema on the friend of progress, humanity, and social justice. Look
at Ireland: see to what a Pandaemonium superstition has converted 'the
first flower of the land and first gem of the sea.' In that unhappy
country may be seen seven or eight millions of people cheated, willingly
defrauded of their substance, by a handful of designing priests, who,
dead to shame, erect the most stupid credulity into exalted virtue
--battle in support of ignorance because knowledge is incompatible with
their 'blood-cemented pyramid of greatness,' and to aggrandise
themselves, perpetuate the vilest as well as most palpable delusions
that ever assumed the mask of divine truth. Daniel O'Connell may object
to have them called 'surpliced ruffians,' not so the philosopher, who
sees in pious fraud on a gigantic scale, the worst species of ruffianism
that ever disgraced the earth.
These are no new tangled or undigested notions. From age to age the
wisest among men have abhorred and denounced superstition.
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