it was common to diftinguish him as A good Democrat and a Deift.” Or, to fix the character more ftrongly, to add, "That he is no Chriftian."

In the Second Chapter the author fpecifies the houses at which these clubs were holden; the aid which they received from Field-meetings; and Deputations; the effect produced, by the harangues of the orators, on the audience which was occafionally fuch as to render them fit for any act of defperation; and he notices the introduction of the Infidelpropagandifts into benefit and convivial focieties.

Such, we are told, was the perfection to which the orators had attained, by long practice, on Anti-chriftian topics, that they commanded a numerous audience; and, the author expreffes his conviction, that if commodious apartments had been opened in populous neighbourhoods, the effect on the working people would have been prodigious. The abufe of the established clergy was obferved to be received with the greatest pleasure by the reformers in the vicinity of Spital-fields. Some characters "above the common rank, by their fortunes and profeffions in life," frequented thefe meetings. A being of this defcrip tion is mentioned, who, to these qualifications, "added an enthusiasm capable of roufing the most infenfate to act against what was deemed a fpiritual tyranny, in the compulfory payment of church-rates, to the amount of a few pence per week! A favourite theme with fome of the club-orators; with one of whom it used to be a common-place obfervation, that, There could not be a more awfuller fight in the world, than to fee a Bishop rolling about in his chariot.' Of another of these enthusiasts it was mentioned, That it was with difficulty he could reftrain the moft violent feelings, whenever the prefent Archbishop of Canterbury paffed under his window.' After these traits of club-characters, and among men with whom private affaffination was looked upon as no crime, one might think, that even what has been contemptuously called the pop-gun plot, did not deferve that air of incredibility and mystery thrown upon it by fome writers."

Can we wonder at the atrocious attacks which have been made on the most illuftrious character in the kingdom, equally illuftrious for his virtues as his rank, when schools for inculcating the duty of affaffination have thus been fuffered to exift in the heart of the metropolis; or when publications have been induftriously circulated throughout the country, the profeffed object of which was to render the Sovereign an object of ridicule and contempt! Let that mifcreant, Peter Pindar, contemplate, in thefe pages, with the malignant exultation of a fiend, a fight congenial to his heart; let him here behold a determined band of followers fully prepared to reduce principles to practice. Not that his name appears in the lift of authors encouraged by thefe focieties, but becaufe his works, intended to hold up to public derifion, the facred characters of our Sovereign and our Prelates, are eminently calculated to ferve their caufe, and to aid the circulation of their tenets.

The profligate members of these focieties feem to have been fervile imitators of the French, even where Mr. R. admits their claim to ori.

ginality

ginality of infamy. The following exclamation is fimilar to that of Dupont in the National Convention.

"I am an Atheist! exclaimed one of thofe perfons, and, jumping upon a club-room table, here, faid he, holding up an infant, here is a young Atheist! Another, to fhew how little he regarded the Bible, obferved, at another meeting, That juft before he came from home, he kicked fomething before him, and, picking it up, what should it be but an old Bible; that, till then, he did not know he had any fuch thing in his houfe! A third philofopher, cenfuring the prefent mode of education, obferved, "There would never be any good done, till towns and cities were built without a fingle church, chapel, or any place of worship, in them!' Another member, being weary of the deliberations at which he was prefent, exclaimed, What fignifies our fitting here? let us go and kill all the bl—dy priests !'

་

"I mention thefe inftances, only as the effects of a party spirit, breathing fentiments by no means natural, but merely forced from the hot-beds of the clubs.

"It should be observed, that as apprentices were admitted into these affemblies; and, according to the modern notions of equality, eligible to the chair; fo fudden a tranfition, from domeftic inferiority to profeffional importance, often turned a weak head: and, if the fame extremities had been proceeded to as the religious fanatics of the laft age were engaged in, the London apprentices might again have diftinguished themselves, and the cry of no king followed that of no bishop, as a natural confequence.

"But in hinting at a parallel between modern democratic zeal and the fanaticifm of the fixteenth century; of the latter I ought to beg pardon. A degree of monftrofity, fufficient to make any humanized being fhudder, feems to have been referved for the English Clubbifts and Anti-Religionists of later times.-I allude to a common toast, which used to be received among them with acclamation, viz. May the last King be ftrangled in the bowels of the last Priest!!!"

This toaft is a literal tranflation from the French; and was the pious prayer of one of the early patriots of Paris, whofe name we do not immediately recollect. The Deifts did not oppose the Arian preachers with the fame virulence which they difplayed against the Trinitarians; and the reafon which they affigned for this forbearance was, that they "confidered the Arians as doing a part of their bufi nefs for them." The gradual progrefs of infidelity is not badly exhibited in the obfervation, that "when two perfons, rather ferioutly inclined, have been difcuffing the attributes of the Deity, a third has abruptly interfered with what he has fuppofed to have been a fhrewd queftion; viz. "How do you know there is any God at all?"

The fubject of Chap. III. is, "The opening of a Temple of Reason, in the fpring of 1796," at Nichols's fale-room, in Whitecross-street. Sunday was the day fixed upon for the delivery of Anti-Chriftian Lectures; and for the amusement and inftruction of fuch as wifhed to read before the Lectures began, there was a fupply of "fuch works as militated moft ftrongly against Christianity," "The Lectures there de

livered

livered were generally compiled from the writings of Voltaire, David Williams, and other authors, diftinguished for their rancour or prejudices against Christianity." But the interpofition of the police-magiftrates, the confequent failure of attendants, and the expectation of the lecturers, that, ere long, the Cathedral of St. Paul might itself be converted into a Temple of Reafon, foon induced the Clubbists to put a Hop to these meetings. It is fortunate, however, that they experienced fuch obftacles, or the experiment would shortly have been tried on a much more extenfive fcale; for no fooner was it known in the country that the Temple of Reason was opened, than it was publicly announced in that affembly, "that if any perfon, qualified as a teacher, could make it convenient to leave town, a fociety, at one of the western ports, could infure him from 150l. to 200l. per annum."

The fourth chapter fhews the danger of tolerating debating focieties, and the pernicious effects which the deiftical and democratic affociations had upon the families and connections of their members. The London Correfponding Society is faid to have prepared the way for its own deftruction, by adding Deifm to its politics ;" and many of their leading orators, as if they were aware of going too far, after depreciating the character of the Saviour, in their harangues, ufed frequently to add the ridiculous affertion, "that they believed Jefus Chrift was a good Republican." This mifchievous levity, this fuperficial difpofition, was carried into every fcene of private, as well as public, life. But here again these men were but fervile imitators of the French; for the blafphemous remark was originally made by a Parifian patriot, and the only alteration was the fubftitution of Republican for Sans-Culottes. The natural confequence of infufing thefe principles into the minds of the people was the eradication of every good and virtuous propenfity, and the encouragement of every vice that was injurious to themselves, and to their families.

The increase of Methodists and itinerant preachers forms the fubject of the fifth chapter, in which we were furprised to find, that many of the workhoufes in the vicinity of the metropolis have been used as places for training thefe fanatical vagabonds. This is a business which calls for the active interpofition of the Overfeers, and the vigi. lance of the clergy. If a ftop be not fpeedily put to the legal prac tice of granting licences, indifcriminately, to all perfons who apply for them, it will be productive of incalculable mifchief. Never, furely, did a law pafs liable to fo many objections as that which to lerates this practice; it abfolutely holds out an encouragement to fchifmatics, who, for fixpence, can obtain an exemption from ferving parochial offices, and alfo from being drawn for the militia! We are happy to hear that our prelates have it in contemplation to fupply a remedy to this evil. We can affure them that it is carried to an extent which almoft exceeds belief. The fooner, therefore, the remedy is applied the better.

Thefe chapters are followed by fome "General Confiderations" on the fubject, and a "Poftfcript," containing a "Chronological Sketch of the Origin and Progrefs of Infidelity in England, anterior to the

French

French Revolution." From these we can only extract two or three fhort paffages, having already extended this article to an unusual length.

"It is to very little purpofe, that fome people argue that the modern democratic party has really, or apparently, received the sanction of some refpectable names in this country, both in and out of the fenate. But if any fuch perfons have flattered themfelves, that a Parliamentary Reform was the real object, and not merely the ftalking-borfe of the focieties, their want of information is really to be pitied. They must have known very little of the hatred borne to all the privileges of birth or acquirements, or of the frenzy, which fometimes raged in the brains of their humble friends in the city, and eastern fuburbs; or how impatient they were of the tardy proceedings in St. Stephen's Chapel; the fafety and continuance of which was principally owing to an augmentation of the affociated volunteer corps. Of course they must be ignorant of the obligations they are under to those who directed this military force, and actually prevented the madness of democracy from a phaeton-like affumption of the reins of government; from whence the whole island might have been kindled into a combuftion more destructive than the infurrection of Jack Cade, or any of the diforders of his fucceffors."

66

Notwithstanding not more than one perfon, as far as I recollect, has been convicted of seducing the foldiery from their allegiance, fuch attempts, among the Clubbifts, were not cafual, but part of a fyftem conftantly acted upon. To mingle with, and to treat the foldiery, was as much a part of the duty, while the clubs existed, as it was to meet at the divifion-rooms; and reports of progrefs, in this undertaking, were conftantly made and applauded."

In P. 97, there is a curious quotation, from a Memorial on Secret Affemblies, written by Baron Holberg, in 1733.

The London Correfponding Society, it feems, began to fall into difcredit in 1797 and 1798, by the introduction of the united men, who were received as members of that Society. One acknowledged object of this new corps, was "to form a diverfion in favour of the enemy, in cafe of a landing;" and, for the purpofe of carrying on a communication with them, many of the members undertook to learn the French language.

"As for the feceding and repentant clubbifts; many of them are not a little aftonished at their credulity, in being led away by men, only intent upon the difplay of their oratory, or filling their pockets at the expence of the public op nion. Nor will it foon be forgotten, that fome perfons of opulence, who had been clamorous for democratic diftination, were afterwards implicated in charges of monopoly and oppreffion; and, that during the late excessive dearth of provifions, the principal part of the public charity did not flow from men, before in the habit of haranguing the populace upon their real grievances, but from others, generally in oppofition to fuch principles and proceedings! Another final mean of damping the revo

NO. XXIII. VOL. VI.

F

lutionary

lutionary fpirit, in the focieties I have been speaking of, was the recollection, that in their corporate economy, viz. in the petty administration of their affairs, though there were no millions unaccounted for, yet there were many and repeated defaulters, and dilapidations of a leffer amount, clearly demonftrating that Citizens and Minifters in miniature, forming the Executive Committee, or acting as Secretaries, have been the first to secure their own interefts. And farther, when called to account for this un-citizen like behaviour, have even denied the right of refponfibility, and withheld or deftroyed the documents which might have been brought against them!"

.. Mr. Reid is certainly entitled to the thanks of the public for having laid before them a variety of important particulars which may serve to enable them to form an accurate estimate of the danger which they have already incurred; and of that which they may again incur, unless the vigilance of the government be adequate to the exigencies of the times. The well-being of fociety requires the adoption of vigorous meafures for crushing fuch evils in their birth as are pregnant with confequences deftructive of all religious, moral, and focial principles; as tend to annihilate all comfort in this world, and all hopes of happiness in another. We could wish that a cheap edition of this tract was published, which might, we think, be done, by curtailing the reflections, and compreffing the facts.

ART. XXI. The Excellency of the Church of England, and the Unreafonableness of Separation from it. A. Sermon preached in the Parifb Church of Enford, Wilts, on Sunday, July 29, 1798. By John Prince, Vicar of the Parish, and Chaplain and Secretary of the Magdalen, to which is prefixed an Addrefs to his Parishioners. The 2d Edition. 8vo. PP. 32. Rivingtons. 1800.

THE first edition of this excellent discourse was noticed by us in our Second Volume, P. 299; and it affords us great fatisfaction to find that found doctrine, conveyed in forcible and impreffive language, meets with proper encouragement. No divine of the Church of England performs the various duties of his facred office with more Christian zeal, and solid ability, than the picus author of the Sermon before us. And greatly, indeed, are the governors and friends of the admirable charity, to which he acts as Secretary and Chaplain, indebted to his vigilance and exertion, difplayed in a fituation of peculiar delicacy and importance. We cannot, indeed, advert to the charity in queftion, without paying a tribute of justice to all the parties concerned in the management and fuperintendance of it. For diligence, regularity, and piety; for enforcing, by their own practice, the precepts which they inculcate on others; their conduct is truly exemplary, and deserving of general imitation.

The Poftfcript to this edition contains fome very juft remarks on the intrufion of ftrange preachers into a parish. And the concluding reflections have an equal claim to attention.