Contention Quote by Richard Baxter
“Is it not enough that all the world is against us, but we must also be against one another? O happy days of persecution, which drove us together in love, whom the sunshine of liberty and prosperity crumbles into dust by our contentions!”
About This Quote
Source Sermon: The Christian Directory, 1650
The quote laments that oppression unites people in love, yet internal conflicts erode liberty and prosperity.
In simple terms: Oppression can unite, but infighting destroys freedom.
Key Takeaway
Seek unity, avoid internal conflict.
Themes
unity
conflict
freedom
prosperity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- revolutionary movements
- community building
- political negotiations
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
social cohesion
political philosophy
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster unity without oppression?
- What drives internal conflict despite external threats?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize persecution, overlooking its harms.
![“It was the last generation of writers [ the Cheers] that had grown up reading books instead of watching TV. So you weren't getting anything that was derivative of I Love Lucy or Happy Days. You were getting real characters [like those] they read in P.G. Wodehouse or Dickens or somewhere along the…” quote by John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f18/john-ratzenberger-11869_book_it-was-the-last-generation-of-writers-th_219130.jpg)
