The Dry Club

I saw a twitter reference to John Locke's being a member of the Dry Club.  What's that?  Turns out to be true.

One was an English group called the "Dry Club," which had philosopher John Locke, William Popple, and Benjamin Furly among its members during the 1690s (and was itself partially inspired by Furly's "heretics of the Lantern" society).  It met one evening a week for two hours at a time and required that its members reply affirmatively to the following questions:

Whether he loves all Men, of what Profession or Religion soever?

Whether he thinks no person ought to be harmed in his Body, Name, or Goods, for mere speculative Opinions, or his external way of Worship?

Whether he loves and seeks Truth for Truth's sake; and will endeavour impartially to find and receive it himself, and to communicate it to others?

Each member of the club would take turns proposing topics for discussion and moderating these discussions. The discussions were to be held in a spirit of open-minded tolerance:

That no Person or Opinion be unhandsomely reflected on; but every Member behave himself with all the temper, judgement, modesty, and discretion he is master of.

 I am afraid virtually no one in our Mandarin class could pass even one of those three membership requirements despite their being a typical Age of Enlightenment declaration of toleration of difference.

A tolerant community of open thinkers passing two hours in constructive discussion?  What a blessing.  Throw in a good meal and fine drinks and you are on the verge of heaven.