QUOTE THOUGHT #2

Dr. Richard Price gave a sermon in 1789, later published as A Discourse on the Love of Our Country.

In his Reflection on the Revolution in France, Edmund Burke described the sermon as "a very extraordinary miscellaneous sermon, in which there are some good moral and religious sentiments, and not ill expressed, mixed up with a sort of porridge of various political opinions and reflections: but the Revolution in France is the grand ingredient in the caldron." 

At one point in his sermon, Dr. Price says ""Those who dislike that mode of worship which is prescribed by public authority ought, if they can find no worship out of the Church which they approve, to set up a separate worship for themselves; and by doing this, and giving an example of a rational and manly worship, men of weight from their rank and literature may do the greatest service to society and the world." (pg. 18)

To this, Burke observed:

"It is somewhat remarkable that this reverend divine should be so earnest for setting up new churches, and so perfectly indifferent concerning the doctrine which may be taught in them. His zeal is of a curious character. It is not for the propagation of his own opinions, but of any opinions. It is not for the diffusion of truth, but for the spreading of contradiction. Let the noble teachers but dissent, it is no matter from whom or from what. This great point once secured, it is taken for granted their religion will be rational and manly. I doubt whether religion would reap all the benefits which the calculating divine computes from this "great company of great preachers." It would certainly be a valuable addition of nondescripts to the ample collection of known classes, genera, and species, which at present beautify the hortus siccus of Dissent. A sermon from a noble duke, or a noble marquis, or a noble earl, or baron bold, would certainly increase and diversify the amusements of this town, which begins to grow satiated with the uniform round of its vapid dissipations. I should only stipulate that these new Mess-Johns in robes and coronets should keep some sort of bounds in the democratic and levelling principles which are expected from their titled pulpits. The new evangelists will, I dare say, disappoint the hopes that are conceived of them. They will not become, literally as well as figuratively, polemic divines,—nor be disposed so to drill their congregations, that they may, as in former blessed times, preach their doctrines to regiments of dragoons and corps of infantry and artillery. Such arrangements, however favorable to the cause of compulsory freedom, civil and religious, may not be equally conducive to the national tranquillity."

While they are clearly speaking about religion, I am nevertheless caught by the possible parallel between Price's call and appraisal of apparently any worship is good worship and helpful to the society, and the modern phrases "dissent is patriotic" or "protest is patriotic." It seems to me that the critique could be similar, that "it is taken for granted their [protest] will be rational and manly." 

Freedom of speech is good, but dissent and protest do not imbue patriotism. Not all speech, all reforms, or all causes are patriotic, and unpatriotic causes are not made patriotic be being the topic of a protest. Being able to express oneself is good, but it does not follow that everything is equally good, either moral, or equally prudent for the community at the time. It is true that Government ought not to control speech, but this does put additional responsibility on the heads of the individuals to use exercise that responsibility prudently.