A Discourse on the Love of Our Country Author:Richard Price Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The enquiry by what means (fubject to this limitation) we may beft promote the intereft of our country is very important ; and all that remains of this dif- cour... more »fe mail be employed in anfwering it, and in exhorting you to manifeft your love to your country, by the means I mall mention. The chief bleffings of human nature are the three following :- Truth— Virtue—-and Liberty. Thefe are, therefore, the bleffings in the pofleffion of which the intereft of our country lies, and to the attainment of which our love of it ought to direct our endeavours. By the diffufion of Knowledge it muft be diftinguifhed from a country of barba rians: by the practice of religious Vir Tub, it muft be diftinguifhed from % country of gamblers, Atheijls, and libertines: and by the pofleffion of Liberty, it rnuft- he diftinguifhed from a country of Jlaves. 1 will dwell for a few moments on each of th'efe heads: Pur firft concern, as lovers of our C 3 country,, country, muft be to enlighten it.—Why are the nations of the world fo patient Under defpotifm ?—Why do they crouc'h to" tyrants, or fubmit to be treated as if they were a herd of cattle ? Is it riot becaufe they are kept in darknefs, an4 want knowledge? Enlighten then! and you will elevate them. Shew therm they are men, and they will a6t like men. Give them jufl iddas of civil government, and let them know that it is an expe'-' die'nt for gaining: protect ion- againft iflj jury and deferidiflg theJf rights, and it will be 'irrlpoilible for them to fubrrtit 10 gd'vtrrirtterits whichj like moft'-of'thofe now in the world, are ufurpatiens on the rights of men, and Httfe bettdr triancon- trivandes for enabling the feito to-opprefs the Many. Cohvince them that the Deity i's a1 righteous and benevolent as well as o"mnipoterit beiri...« less