\ 
3799-] Book Socteties.— Enquiry concerning Relision in France. 26 
them branding all free liberal difcuffion as 
faétious ; and rejecting every book which 
contains fentiments contrary to the ruling 
fyftem, we have great reafon to fear that 
our liberty is expiring, and the dark night 
of monkifh ignorance and barbarilfm onge 
more approaching. For it delerves par- 
ticular notice that the popifh clergy and 
officers of the holy inquifition, adopted 
this very method to fupport their ablurd, 
impious fuperitition ; every opinion they 
difliked was damned, and every book 
fuppreffed which had not their imprima- 
tur. Herefy, fedition, innovation, the 
danger of the church, atheifm, &c. &c, 
were as much the alarm-bells formerly as 
at prefent, and were rung in pretty much 
the fame changes, Our anceftors nobly 
defpifed this jargon, and at the hazard of 
their liyes laid the foundation of that 
beautiful edifice, which has fince become 
the refidence of f{cience, arts, and liberty. 
Little did they imagine that potteriry 
after enjoying the glorious, diffufive et- 
fects of their magnanimity fo long, would 
fo far lofe their virtue as to connive at, if 
not approve thofe meafures which muft 
infallibly overturn this fabric, and fub- 
ject them once more to the ignoble caprice 
ef clerical authority, 
“It would perhaps be difficult to con- 
trive a plan for colleting the various in- 
ftances of bigotry and narrownefs of {p1- 
rit, which the clerical managers oy their 
agents have practifed in the feleétion or 
expulfion of books for our reading focie- 
ties; otherwife fuch a collection would be 
ufeful, in many important re{pets. Mott 
of our beft books upon the fubject of civil 
and religious liberty. are included in the 
§* Index Expurgat.’’ and their places are 
fupplied with the flimfy writings of apos- 
tate patriots, afpiring pricfts,- or the 
canting tribe of vital-chriftianity-men, 
whofe mountain-like faith enables them 
to believe that the religion of the merciful 
Jefus tolerates the fpreading of difcord, 
war, and mifery throughout the world. 
But though experience has proved that 
the indifcriminate admifficn of members 
into our reading focieties, has greatly 
perverted the main defign of their inftitu- 
tion, yet as this is partly owing to fome 
defeét in the rules, and partly to the con- 
dué of the friends to liberal difcuflion, 
who have too often given up their autho- 
rity, and retired in difguft; it feems pos- 
fible to redrefs the evils complained of, 
without having recourfe to thofe reftric- 
tions which Izdagator propofes, and which 
in their turn would be charged with nar- 
powntels andiiliberality, The experiment 
however is now trying, and as yet with 
fuccefs, by two reading focieties which 
have been founded in confequence of the 
letters upon the fubjest which have ap- 
peared in your Magazine. ‘Thefe focie- 
ties rejecting the ufual practice of ap- 
pointing a ftanding, annual Committee, 
chufe a new one every three months, com- 
pofed of four or more of the members as 
their,names ftand in the fub{eription 
book, and as this lift is varying continu- 
ally by the admiffion of new members ; 
it is highly probable the fame four perfons 
can never be together more than once 
upon the committee. 2. Itis a fianding 
rule that when any book upon a contro- 
verfial fubjeét, or which happens to oe- 
cafion a controverfy is admitted, that at 
Jeaft one anfwer fhall alfo be admitted; 
and if the committee refufe this, any 
member may.order the anfwer by his own 
authority. .3. Books admitted, are not 
to be retained or expelled without the 
confent of 3-4ths of the whole body of 
fub{cribers at a general: meeting. 4. 
Every feven years, each “member may 
propofe at a general meeting to have a 
book expelled, upon which cccafion the 
librarian fhall infpeét his book to find out 
which of the members have read the book 
propofed, and they fhall ballot whether it 
fhall be rejefted or otherwife. ‘Thefe 
rules have as yet prevented any evil confe- 
quences arifing from party fpinit; and 
are tranfcribed in hopes they might de- 
ferve the notice of other Societies, as well 
as the free difcuflion of your readers. 
Your’s, LIBERTAS. 
Le EI: 2 
~ To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OUR report of the proceedings of 
the national inftitute of France, 
and your retrofpect of French literature, 
are valuable articles, which are rendered 
peculiarly interefting by the late aftonith- 
ing changes in the itate of that country. 
The thoughtful obferver will trace with 
anxious curiofity the conduct and im- 
provement of a people fo metamorpholed. 
I -have frequently made inquiries re- 
fpecting the prefent ftate of Chriftiantty 
among them,—but was never fatista¢cto- 
rily anfwered. Has recollection of the 
tyranny and fuperftition of their old church 
produced the fame effeét.on the bulk of 
the people as the contemplation of it did 
upon their philofophers? Is the number 
ot French proteftants increafed fince the 
revolution? or are they generally gone 
over to deifm? Have any confiderable 
attempts 
