Introduction
On November 4th, 1789, not yet five months into the French Revolution, Dr Richard Price delivered a sermon at the Presbyterian Chapel in Old Jewry entitled ‘On the Love of Our Country’, in which he called upon all patriotic Englishmen to support the French rebels as a matter of Christian duty. Writing to a French correspondent, Edmund Burke complained that it was grossly inappropriate.
FEW harangues from the pulpit, except in the days of your league in France,* or in the days of our solemn league and covenant in England,* have ever breathed less of the spirit of moderation than this lecture in the Old Jewry.* Supposing, however, that something like moderation were visible in this political sermon; yet politics and the pulpit are terms that have little agreement.
No sound ought to be heard in the church but the healing voice of Christian charity. The cause of civil liberty and civil government gains as little as that of religion by this confusion of duties. Those who quit their proper character, to assume what does not belong to them, are, for the greater part, ignorant both of the character they leave, and of the character they assume. Wholly unacquainted with the world in which they are so fond of meddling, and inexperienced in all its affairs, on which they pronounce with so much confidence, they have nothing of politics but the passions they excite. Surely the church is a place where one day’s truce ought to be allowed to the dissensions and animosities of mankind.*
* The Catholic League was founded by the Duke of Guise in 1576, as a pressure group dedicated to ridding France of the Protestant community known as the Huguenots in open defiance of the more temperate policies of King Henry III of France. It was a major player in the Wars of Religion, and had the backing of Pope Sixtus V, Philip II of Spain, and the Jesuits (Society of Jesus).
* The Solemn League and Covenant (1643) was an agreement between the Scottish and English Parliaments a year into the English Civil War. It confirmed that the Established Church in Scotland was presbyterian (i.e. had no bishops) contrary to the firm convictions of King Charles I. Nonetheless, the outrageous execution of Charles I by the English Parliament in 1649 was understood by the Scottish Parliament as a breach of the Covenant, and they rallied behind his son Charles II.
* Old Jewry, a street in the heart of the City of London, acquired its name because it was here that the Great Synagogue stood and many Jewish people lived — until 1290, when a law of Edward I’s reign compelled all Jews to leave the country permanently. See Britain’s Jews.
* Richard Price’s sermon (which incidentally was delivered on a Wednesday, not a Sunday) can be read at the Internet Archive. The sermon wasn’t all bad, by any means: see On Love of Country. And in his defence, it should be said that Price died in 1791, before Louis XVI was so senselessly executed, before bishops and clergy began to be killed by mobs or executed in mass drownings (1792), before the new Government enforced its new non-Christian religious cults of Reason (1793) and the Supreme Being (1794), and before the Reign of Terror drowned Paris in blood. All this confirmed that Burke had been right to advise, Wait and See.
Précis
Shortly after the French Revolution began, Dr Richard Price preached a sermon in London exhorting Englishmen to support it. Edmund Burke MP was scandalised, and replied that the Church was a place for the Christian good news, and not for comment on current affairs, adding that many clergy overestimated their grasp of unfolding political controversies. (55 / 60 words)
Shortly after the French Revolution began, Dr Richard Price preached a sermon in London exhorting Englishmen to support it. Edmund Burke MP was scandalised, and replied that the Church was a place for the Christian good news, and not for comment on current affairs, adding that many clergy overestimated their grasp of unfolding political controversies.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, despite, just, may, or, otherwise, until, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Duty. Part. Visible.
2 But. One. Passion.
3 Our. Voice. Which.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Quit. 2 Belong. 3 Lecture. 4 Leave. 5 Place. 6 Part. 7 Term. 8 Sound. 9 Cause.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding im-.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
prn (5+3)
apron. paranoia. preen. prone. prune.
porn. porno. prion.
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