First hour

Recklessness and weakness of conscience

Let the deity be a tyrant. How people become criminals. The emergence of schisms and sects.

[1.1] In the so-called better and educated world, where especially the Christian religion is commonplace under various sectarian forms, morality is usually preached only in such a way as is politically most expedient for the rulers in either worldly or spiritual matters.

[1.2] The people are taught a gray knowledge of God, not that they should recognize and love Him, but only that they should immeasurably fear Him as the most implacable tyrant of all tyrants; and thus the Divinity is preached only as a hostage that is supposed to bear fruit when all other hostages have already become fruitless.