the Dissenters may soon follow, when OTHER RESOLUTIONS, not now expected, may be agreed

upon.

Quere. Whether an assembly, which meets with a declared intention to change the Laws of the kingdom, or to procure a change of the Laws of the kingdom, is not to be deemed an unlawful assembly, and, as such, within the cognizance of the civil magistrate?

1790.

A

PROPOSAL

FOR A

́REFORMATION OF PRINCIPLES.

N' I.

THE late institution of Sunday Schools having been so well supported by the rich and honourable of this kingdom, and so well received by the poor, we are encouraged to hope that some similar plan will be adopted for preventing the corruption which prevails among scholars, and persons of the higher orders of life, from evil principles, and what may be called a monopoly of the press. We have long been witnesses to the artifices and assiduity of sectaries, republicans, socinians, and infidels. These may differ very much from one another in their opinions; but if any mischief is to be aimed at the church or its doctrines; if any, popular lure is to be thrown out for the raising of a party, and promoting some public disturbance, they never fail to make a common cause of it; and a large body of men, animated by one spirit, and acting in one direction, must necessarily act with weight and effect. Let us observe what they do, and it will hence appear what we ought to do.

About forty years ago, when some promising schemes had failed, a Monthly Review of religion and literature was set on foot; the object of which was to lessen the influence of all such works as should be written in defence of the doctrine and discipline of the

Church of England, by defaming either the abilities or the integrity of their authors, omitting their arguments, and exhibiting unconnected scraps, from which the public must form an unjust idea: and, on the other hand, by praising the parts and literature of loose, dangerous, and fanatical writers, blanching their bigotry, and presenting their productions to the best advantage.

This undertaking, contrived by some out of malignity, and encouraged by others through inadvertence and curiosity, must in so long a time, by possessing itself of the avenues to public opinion, have had a pernicious effect on the Principles and Learning of the age. By another like artífice, some useful works, of established reputation, have been taken up, and republished by insidious Editors, with omissions and interpolations of their own, for the purpose of misrepresenting public characters, and dispersing unsound opinions. Many readers are apprized of what hath happened to the Biographia Britannica, under the management of an Editor, who is a person of influence among the Dissenters; and it hath been hinted, that a plan is in embryo, of setting forth the English ́language after the manner of the great work de la Crusca, by dissenting Editors; in which case, such authorities will be admitted as are proper to insinuate into students the new doctrines and dangerous opinions of the conventicle. This would be a great stroke, and therefore the alarm should be given in time. For which purpose, we request the readers of this paper to peruse Mr. Burke's account of that literary cabal in France, which, by poisoning the fountains of literature, of late effected the destruction of their church and government. See Reflections, p. 165, &c. The same practices, and with the same views, are now carrying on in this country; and the party have been heard to boast,

that their purposes will be accomplished without force of arms, by the effect of the press, in giving new lights to the people *. A reverend and learned Divine, now the head of a College in Oxford, in a sermon lately preached before that University, observed of the same party that "they command almost every channel of "information, and have the direction of almost every "periodical publication."

That no opportunity may be lost, novels have been written, to insinuate under that disguise the errors of heresy and infidelity; as people, if they were to poison children, would mix arsenic with their sugar-plums.

Many pious and learned, and some great men, dispersed about the kingdom, as well laity as clergy, have long seen and lamented the evils here complained of, and wished for a remedy. The first object, therefore, of this Proposal is, to bring some of these together into small parties, as time and place will admit, and promote a farther consultation, by a correspondence between them. All particulars will dispose them under the three following questions: 1. What is to be done? 2. With what support? and 3. By what persons?

If it be asked what is to be done; we have an answer ready, while we observe what the adversary is doing. If false accounts are given of authors and their works, to deceive the public, let a true account be given, to undeceive them. If some old books are re-published in a spurious form, to mislead the readers of them, let other good and useful pieces be either republished, or brought out to the light: and let students in divinity

We have heard it reported, that the sum of 10,0001. was subscribed, for dispersing that mischievous and worthless piece of Thomas Pain; which in virtue of this liberal support was found in pot-houses and petty assemblies in all parts of the country.

be furnished, at a cheap rate, with such compilations as they may read without danger to their principles. Little cheap pamphlets might also be dispersed among the common people: and such might be found, as would be of great effect, though little known.

If it should farther be asked, by what means, and by what persons, all this is to be effected? We answer: as all other things of the kind are; by the counsel of the wise; the money of the opulent; and the activity of men who are fit for business; of whom, we presume, many will be found in our Universities, and among the parochial clergy, and in the Inns of Court; when they. shall be enquired after by their friends, and encouraged by their superiors.

+

We add nothing farther to alarm or allure our readers. With the blessing of God, the design will grow and prosper, even to the surprise of those who are the first feeble instruments. To him, therefore, we recommend it and ourselves, under an assurance, that all they who are zealous for his honour, and would rescue their country from the prevailing tyranny of a self-erected literary cabal over our minds, which is worse than any that can be over our persons and estates, will take this Proposal into consideration, And let it not be urged, as it probably will, that what can be done for the purpose in view, is already done by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. We are sensible of, and thankful for, the good which accrues daily to the religious interest of this kingdom, from the pious and extensive efforts of that respectable body; and have good reason to expect the hearty concurrence of many of its members in their private capacity; but it must have appeared from what has been said, that such a Proposal as the present cannot be brought to effect, but by due recourse to several expe