“ then our freedom of religion? and are we to have a Censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? and who is thus to dogmatise religious opinions for our citizens? whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? is a Priest to be our Inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read, & what we must believe? it is an insult to our citizens to question whether they are rational beings or not; and blasphemy against religion to suppose it cannot stand the test of truth and reason. if M. de Becourt’s book be false in it’s facts, disprove them; if false in it’s reasoning, refute it. but, for god’s sake, let us freely hear both sides, if we chuse. I know little of it’s contents, having barely glanced over here and there a passage, and over the table of contents. from this the Newtonian philosophy seemed the chief object of attack, the issue of which might be trusted to the strength of the two combatants; Newton certainly not needing the auxiliary arm of the government, and still less the holy author of our religion as to what in it concerns him. I thought the work would be very innocent and one which might be confided to the reason of any man; not likely to be much read, if let alone, but if persecuted, it will be generally read. every man in the US. will think it a duty to buy a copy, in vindication of his right to buy, and to read what he pleases. I have been just reading the new constitution of Spain. one of it’s fundamental bases is expressed in these words. ‘the Roman Catholic. religion, the only true one, is, & always shall be that of the Spanish nation. the government protects it by wise & just laws, and prohibits the exercise of any other whatever.’ now I wish this presented to those who question what you may sell, or we may buy, with a request to strike out the words. ‘Roman catholic’ and to insert the denomination of their own religion. this would ascertain the code of dogmas which each wishes should domineer over the opinions of all others, & be taken like the Spanish religion, under the ‘protection of wise and just laws.’ it would shew to what they wish to reduce the liberty for which one generation has sacrificed life and happiness. it would present our boasted freedom of religion as a thing of theory only, & not of practice, as that would be a poor exchange for the theoretic thraldom, but practical freedom of Europe. but it is impossible that the laws of Pensylvania, which set us the first example of the wholsome & happy effects of religious freedom, can permit these inquisitorial functions to be proposed to their courts. under them you are surely safe . . . ”

On April 27 Dufief wrote again to Jefferson: “J’ai reçu, avec bien de la reconnaissance, la déclaration que vous vous êtes donné la peine de m’envoyer. Elle est amplement suffisante pour lever tous les doutes qu’on aurait pu avoir au sujet de l’affaire désagréable que des ennemis m’ont suscité. Mais comme il pourrait peutêtre arriver qu’il me fût utile de produire une pareille pièce en Justice Je vous prie de m’en envoyer une autre où vous déclariez simplement le seul fait que je ne vous ai ni vendu, ni envoyé l’ouvrage intitulé: la création par R. De Bécout. Je suis assuré d’avance que vous approuverez mes motifs. J’aimerais mieux perdre ma cause que de la gagner en manquant aux règles de la Bienséance, & en causant le moindre déplaisir aux personnes qui comme vous ont des bontés pour moi . . .

"P. S. Connaissant votre extrême obligeance, Il est de mon devoir vous prémunir contre les pièges que pourrait tendre à votre générosité Bécourt de l’Immoralité & de l’ingratitude duquel j’ai été la victime”

This edition owes its rarity to the fact that only fifty copies were printed. A P. S. appended to the address “Au Lecteur” at the beginning reads: Comme il n’a été tiré que cinquante exemplaires de l’Ouvrage de La Création du Monde, en sus de ce qui advient à MM. les Souscripteurs, on engage les personnes qui désireront s’en munir, de se hâter de se présenter à l’une des suscriptions indiquées ci-dessus.

In 1816 a second edition was printed without the author’s name on the title-page, where it is replaced by “Par un Austrasien.”