De Cruaute religieuse

“Londres” [=Amsterdam]. Later drab wrappers over stab-stitching, lined with printer’s waste. Old library shelf label, manuscript spine title, stamp “Ex-libris D’Esprit”. Soiled, final leaf gnawed, lacking half-title, but a genuine copy of an inflammatory text. Second edition, a diatribe against Catholic culture intended for a vernacular francophone audience. The author condemns the Church for its violent persecutions, stance against free thinking, the Inquisition, treatment of Protestants, and superstitions. The text was inspired by Thomas Hope’s Considerations upon war, upon cruelty in general, and religions; Holbach translated the points salient to his arguments into French and did away with the parts not related to religion. He argues that the dogma of Hell turns God into a demon who casts most into an eternal flame. It is obvious why he published this book under a false imprint—France was still a staunch Catholic nation.
Vercruysse, Bibliographie descriptive des ecrits du Baron Holbach 1775 D1.