How I suffered when I had to preach to you those pious lies that I detest in my heart. What remorse your credulity caused me! A thousand times I was on the point of breaking out publicly and opening your eyes, but a fear stronger than myself held me back, and forced me to keep silence until my death.

Quoted in Thinker: Jean Meslier by Colin Brewer, in rationalist.org (3 July 2007) - Testament: Memoir of the Thoughts and Sentiments of Jean Meslier