A Discourse for the Time, delivered January 4, 1852 in the First Congregational Unitarian Church

In this stirring 19th‑century sermon, a Philadelphia pastor confronts the horrors of the French upheaval, describing streets turned into battlefields where ordinary citizens fell victim to relentless violence. He uses those grim scenes to illustrate a broader moral imperative: that every individual, regardless of status, bears a religious duty to stay informed about the affairs that shape society. The speaker challenges the comfortable notion of “mind your own business,” urging listeners to see public concerns as extensions of personal faith and conscience.

The address moves beyond the specific crisis to explore how disengagement can empower tyranny and threaten the very lives of families at home. By linking civic awareness to spiritual responsibility, the discourse calls for an expanded view of worship—one that includes active engagement with the world’s pressing issues. Listeners are invited to reflect on their own role in safeguarding liberty, justice, and the common good.