128 
net common to many perfons, and the 
opinion of a club. In the ‘econd place, 
no opportunity of riot or infurreétion, 
during which a maffacre of priefts could 
have been accomplifhed, has prefented it- 
felf; fo that an inttigation to ** go and 
kill’ mut at every paft moment’ have 
been utterly abfurd, and the reiult of per- 
fonal infanity ; even granting the fate of 
Opinion to exift, in which fuch a wifh 
might prefent itfelf. In thethird place, the 
aileced toaft is in its phraf:ology Gallican, 
and not fuch as a native of this country 
would invent; and it is already aferibed 
in Barruel’s Memoirs to certain Jrifhmen, 
and not tothe Londoners ; fo that it feems 
to be one of thofe anti-jacobin recipes of 
imputation, which are repeatedly applicd 
wherever they happen to be wanted. 
Befides, how knows Mr. Reid thefe 
three faéts? If he wasa member of fo 
atrocious, blcody-minced, and profligate 
an aflociation ; who would believe him? if 
he was not a member; where are his 
vouchers ? 
Inthe diffolution of any fociety or fo- 
cieties fo murderoufly difpofed every one 
muft rejoice ; but there is reafon to ful- 
pect, from Mr. Reid’s account, that fome 
of the fupprefled affociations were merely 
‘wongregations of theifts; perfons affoci- 
ated to inculcate the worfhip of the only 
God, and the morality conne&ted with 
this opinion, who were infituting meeting. 
houfes in imitation of the theophil.nthro- 
pic church of Paris; in a word, dezftical 
diffenters. 
After deferibing the diffolution of the 
Well-ftreet Society, the pupils of infice- 
iity are reprefeated by Mr. Reid (p- 13), 
as collecting atthe Angel in St. Mart:n’s- 
Jane, <* where a mingled difplay of real 
talent and miferable imitation was conti- 
nued on the Sunday and Wednefday even- 
ings till February 17983 when, without 
any previous netice from the Weitminiler 
magiftiates, as had been cuftomary in the 
City, a period was put to this promifing 
fchool ; the whole of the members and 
others ;refent being apprehended, and the 
next day obliged to find fureties for their 
appearance to anfwer any complaict at the 
next quarter {effion at Guiidhall, Wef- 
minfter ; but, no bill being found, the bu- 
finefs ended with the withdrawing of the 
recognizances of the parties, fifty-feven im 
number.” 
‘¢ This meeting (continues Mr. Reid) 
was then deemed wholly political, which 
could have no other: foundation than the 
Gilly appellation of Citizen made ule ct by 
the members, or the circumftance of its 
Loleration of Theifts propofed. 
‘metropolis. 
[Sept. 1, 
being attended by John Binns, who was 
apprehended, about the fame period this 
fociety was difturbed, in the company of 
Arthur O'Connor.” 
«© During the fammer of 1797 a very 
formidable party were organifed and af- 
fembled every Sunday morning, at feven 
o’clock, near the City-road: here, in con- 
fequence of the debates forced upon the 
preachers or the hearers, feveral groups of 
people would remain on the ground till 
noon; giving an opportunity to the un- 
wary paflengers to become acquainted 
with the dogmas of Voltaire, Paine, and 
other writers, of whom they might have 
remained in ignorance. In taét the fields 
were reforted to by the new reformers 
upon the fame principle as a fportiman 
goes in queft of game: * We flail be 
fure to find fome Chriftians in the field,’ 
was the ftanding reafon for thefe excur- 
fions. So indefatigable were thefe pro- 
pagandifts in their labours, that befides 
their attendance on the Sunday morning, 
in confequence of which the groups would 
remain till noon, they were again affcm- 
bled fiom three or four in the afternoon, 
and, if the weather permitted, retained till 
eleven at night, and this not in one but 
in various parts of the environs of the 
The travelling parties en- 
gaged in this bufinels demurred at no dii- 
tance cf place, being as ready to attend at 
Hoxton, Hackney, or Hornfey, as at their 
own doors. One of thefe bodies uled to 
meet every Sunday morning in a garden 
near Bethnal Green ; and, after {pending 
{sme time in reading and commenting 
Pain’s Age of Reafen, diftributed them- 
feives for the puipofes above mentioned.” 
«« It had long been a favourite idea of 
the field-miffionaries, that, exhibited on a 
proper itage of action, their eloquence 
would be irrefifttible. Flufhed with thefe 
expectaticns, a committee was {elcéted to 
meet at a public houfe in Jewin-freet > 
when, after a few adjourned fi:tings, being 
affited by two gentlemen of the law, 
fomething like a fociety was organized 5 a 
fund adequate to the undertaking was de- 
pofired ; and the name of the aflciation 
agreed to be The Friends of Morality." 
“© It being jultly conceived that every 
member was not qualified to deliver lec- 
tures in public, it foon became an obje&t 
of high debate in the committee, whe- 
ther the lecturers fhould, or fhould not, 
be paid for their labours. As any refem- 
biance to the allowance of a ftipend was 
looked upen as rank fuperftition, it 
required all the influence of the two laws 
yers co induce the majority to allow halfa 
guinea 
