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On the 28¢h of Sanuary was publifbed, fl. SuppremMeNTaRry.NumaBer Wo the Eighteenth 
aining——A comprebeiifive Reet of the #rogre- 
the laft fre Monthiadd fimilar Refrofj 
KATURE 5, quith |NpDExes, “T@T 
Volume of the MontTaLY MaGaziNne, ggnt 
Jion of BRitisu LITERATURE during 
MAN, FRENCH, and AMERICAN Liter 
MON 
Vou. 19, No. 125. | 
ain 
“Dy, 
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{TURAL wis 
FEBRUARY 1, 1805. [1,of Vou. 19. 
Mr. Paiuiips, the Proprietor of this Magazine, having removed his Bufine/s from 
No. 71, St. Paul’s Ghurch-yard, to No. 6, NEW BRIDGE-STREET, BLACKFRIARS, 
Communications are requejied to be addreffed to the latter place, pof? paid, as ufual, — 
ity ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
SHOULD fuppofe that many of 
thofe who have been mot alarmed 
with the bugbear° PHILosopuy, and 
have joined moft loudly in the cry 
againft it, are by this time fenfible that 
the world is in Jefs danger from it than 
they imagined. In faét, never was there 
a time in which philofophy had lefs to do - 
Inftead of the 
in the affairs of the world. 
generous, but perhaps chimerical, notions 
of univerfal philanthropy, general amelio- 
ration, and emancipation from prejudices 
of every kind, which were fo prevatent in 
the early period of the French Revolution, 
we now behold in every country an entire 
acquie(cence inall the narrow maxims and 
coercive policy of former times, rendered 
fill more narrow and rigid by the impref- 
fion of recent dangers. Every where the 
bands which connect church and {tate are 
drawn tighter ; lofty claims to fubmiffion, 
civil and ecclefiaftical, are urged with 
augmented confidence ; the prefs is laid 
under additional reftraints ; and the com- 
merce of literature is loaded with new pro- 
Kibitions, Defences multiply of fyftems 
which no one dares to attack, and free 
difcuffion is deprecated even in pretended 
appeals to argument. We have feen an 
Englith bifhop attach to an Elucidation of 
the doétrine of the Trinity .a recital of 
thofe penalties to which the laws of our 
country have fubjected its oppugners !— 
Can it be doubted that fuch a notice was 
meant to operate logically ? 
Above half a century ago there was a 
Qveen of England who was the avowed 
patroneds of philofophy ; who correfpond- 
ed with Leibnitz, favoured Clarke, and 
converfegd with Whitton. The times 
might then really be thought dangerous to 
eftablithed opinions, efpecially as free and 
tolerating principles were adopted by the 
Court and Miniftry : but who can now 
apprehend danger of that kind, when the 
orthodoxy of German Lutheranifm has, 
Montuiy Mac, No. 125. 
by Royal recommendation, been called in 
to the fupport of the orthodoxy of the 
Church of England! Were Mr. Burke 
now alive, it may be prefumed that the 
feenes which have lately pafled in France 
would have removed ali his pious fears for 
the interefts of public religion and focial 
order, He would have feen an Imperial 
throne rifen.upon the ruins of a Royal 
one, and even the name of republic oblitee 
rated; a hierarchy reftored ; a whole /e- 
gion ot men of honour fucceeding the fors 
mer noblefie, and equally qualified to be- 
come the *‘ cheap defence of nations ;°° 
and, more than-all, the venerable Head of 
the Catholic Church coming te renew the 
» 
folemn alliance between church and ftate, | 
and, by his holy unétion, ‘communicating 
Cheiftian grace to the pofleffor of uncon- 
trouled power—(See Napoleon’s Declara= 
tion to his good People of Paris.) With 
fo many titles to the applaufe and confi- 
dence of the Anti-Jacovins, Edo net quef- 
tion that at the return of peace we fhall fee 
the new Emperor. in high favour with all 
thofe writers among us who hold authority 
as a thing facred, and recognize no rights 
bat thole of fuccefsful fervce. 
But although I imagine it probable that 
thinking men will {von become fenfibie, 
that, in the vibraticn of human affairs and 
Opinions, too giedtalwing has been taken 
towards the fide of paffive acquiefcence, 
and that the aid of free inquiry will again 
be called for, yet I would by no means 
advise philofophers to be hafty in obeying 
the call. Befides the perfonal evils to 
which they have been fubjected, they have 
manifeltly injured their caule by tco great 
ardour and forwardnels. Men accuftomed 
‘to confider things with an eye to perfonal 
advantage, have not been able to form a 
conception of that difinteretted warmth of 
philanthropy whieh I doubt not really ac- 
tuated many propagators of free opinions; 
and fufpicions of deep-laid and felfifh de- 
figns have been entertained, which have 
counteracted the operation of thyirreafon- 
AS : iNg$. 
