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"[W]hen men of less leisure see them who are supposed to have spent their whole time in the pursuits of knowledge, professing an entire ignorance of all things, or advancing such notions as are repugnant to plan and commonly received principles, they will be tempted to entertain suspicions concerning the most important truths, which they has hitherto held sacred and unquestionable."

Hylas exclaims this at the very opening of the first dialogue. In other words, when the learned begin to discard common sense principles, the lay people respond by discarding religious beliefs. Skepticism among the scholars leads to atheism among the masses.

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