Leaves metaphysics of religion, and fastens on alleged records 250 The other side fell back on the least worthy parts of their system 251 Hence the narrow and literal character of Voltaire’s objections 252 His attack essentially the attack of the English deists 255 Rationalistic questions in scriptural and ecclesiastical records 257 In doctrine 258 Argument from comparison with other myths 259 His neglect of primitive religions 260 His conviction that monotheism is the first religious form 261 Difficulties which he thus passed over 264 Hume’s view 266 Voltaire did not assail the general ideas of Christianity 267 Such as the idea of evil inherent in matter 270 And the idea of a deity as then conceived 271 Hence the acerbity of the debate 273 And the want of permanence in Voltaire’s writings compared with Bossuet or Pascal 274 His criticism on Dante 275 (3) _His approximation to a solution_. Voltairean deism 276 Never accepted by the mass of men 278 Nor is it likely to be accepted by them 279 Voltaire’s imperfect adherence to the deistical idea 280 Reasons for this 282 Does not accept belief in the immortality of the soul 286 Asserts less than Rousseau, and denies less than Diderot 287 A popular movement begun by Bayle’s Dictionary 288 Compromising method of Rousseau 290 Voltaire’s view of an atheistical society 291 His belief in the social sufficiency of an analytic spirit 292 Synthesis necessary, but more than one is possible 293 CHAPTER VI. HISTORY. Extraordinary activity in historical composition in the eighteenth century 295 Explanation of it 296 Circumstances under which Voltaire thought about the philosophy of history 297 The three historical styles 299